DEE HWA LIONG ACADEMY

Sta. Maria Compound, Marcos Highway, Santolan, Pasig City

Senior High School Department
S.Y. 2020-2021

NOT FOR SALE

ACADEMIC READING
AND
WRITING

MS. ELAIZA MIANO

This module uses information from various sources online.

All rights reserved to the Authors. No copyright infringement intended.
Developed by:
Ms. Elaiza Miano
Lesson 1:
Critical
THINKING

OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson, you will have been able to
 define critical thinking;
 differentiate critical thinking from non-critical thinking;
 formulate higher-order questions from a text; and
 apply the principles of critical thinking in various situations
 INTRODUCTION

Guess that Riddle!

A couple went on a climbing trip, but only the husband returned from the vacation.
He claimed that his wife slipped while climbing and
died. After investigating, the local sheriff arrested the
husband and told him. ―We determined you committed
a crime, thanks to the tip of your travel agent who
called and claimed you murdered your wife.‖
How did the agent know that the wife was murdered? (visit the link below for the answer)

Source: https://riddles.guru/riddles/climbing-trip/1270/

Were you able to answer the riddle correctly? Aren‘t solving riddles exciting?
Have you ever wondered how you can think of different solutions to one problem?
Well, this happens because of critical thinking skill. Let us study more in-depth
and find out how critical thinking plays an important role in your life as a student.

DISCUSSION

Critical Thinking involves a series of complex thought processes which allows

you to make reasoned judgments, assess the way how you think and solve
problems effectively.
On the other hand, Non-critical thinking happens when you simply accept the
things you are told without examining them, letting your thoughts and decisions
influenced by your emotion without proof or evidence.
For example:
Your best friend was upset and said unkind words to you.

In critical thinking, you will not be mad immediately because of what happened.
Instead, you try to see through the behaviors and think of
possible reasons why he/she acted like that.
While in non-critical thinking, you will jump to
conclusion that he/she just hated you, do not want you to
be friends anymore and so on.

As a student, you are using critical thinking whenever you listen to the class
discussion and ask questions, when you write your reports and explain your ideas,
and also when you make project and analyzed the process involved. It helps you to
identify the most important information to the lesser ones. How do we think and
process all the information?

Well, Benjamin Bloom, an American educational psychologist, published the

Bloom‘s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain in 1956. Bloom’s Taxonomy of
Cognitive Domain is a system that classifies the 6 levels of thinking, Knowledge,
comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation which are
important for learning and follow a successive pattern.

To proceed to next level, the current level of thinking must be mastered. But as the
time goes by, students’ way of learning changed too and so as the educators.
In 2001, Bloom‘s former student, Lorin Anderson with a group, published a
revision to the original Blooms taxonomy to make it relevant to the 21 st century
students and teachers. Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing,
Evaluating and Creating.

Critical thinking does not stop at remembering, understanding and applying it also
involves analyzing, evaluating and creating. These three cognitive processes are
considered as higher-order thinking skills. Once you reach the highest level of
thinking, you should be able to look at things from different perspective, decide
without being manipulated by emotions, and avoid biases and fallacies. You should
be able to let your imagination flourish and freely accept ideas as they flow in.
Moreover, you should be able to distinguish facts from opinions and link newly
encountered information to previous knowledge.

Once you are able to think using these levels, you can apply them both in academic
and real-life settings. For instance, when confronted with problem, start by
describing it; identify its causes and effects, the people involved, and how it
occurred. Explore and analyze possible solutions and evaluate the feasibility of
each. Choose the best solution and plan how to apply it. After that, execute your
plan and evaluate its effectiveness.

Exploring the 6 level of thinking

Asking intelligent questions lead to better understanding of events and ideas. To
learn more about the 6 levels, read the following situation and answer the
succeeding questions.

In the summer before Pia became a

Grade 11 student, she decided to
volunteer in a non-government
organization which ran a shelter for
street children. During her
orientation, she was told to report
incidents of street children
engaging in illicit activities. One
day, she found one of the children
who used to go to the shelter
picking pockets in the market, so she went to talk to him. He said that his father
threatened to beat him up if he will not hand enough of money by the end of the
day.

What did Pia do during summer?

Answering this question will require you to recall the information. This is
remembering; by asking questions which aim to define, or memorize information.
 What can you say about the situation of the child?
To answer this question, you need to give your own interpretation. This is
understanding; by asking questions which discuss, describe and paraphrase or
explain information.

If you were Pia, how would you approach the incident of seeing one of the
children?
You have to use the knowledge you gained in the situation. This is applying;
the use and implementation of knowledge.

Continuation…...
Pia reported the incident regarding the street child to her volunteer organization.
They contacted the proper authorities to help the child and apprehend the father.
However, they were told that it was already reported months before, and that the
authorities will look into the issue once they have the time, as they have other
priorities.

Based on the response of the authorities, what inference can you make
regarding the treatment of the case.
In answering, you have to examine the causes and make inferences based on
them. This is called analyzing; focuses on breaking down ideas into parts and
relating these parts to one another.

Is the reaction of the authorities justified?

 When thinking of your answer, you need to weigh pros and cons to judge the
action. This is called evaluating; making judgment based on the value of ideas
and events.

How would you illustrate the highlights of the events, including the first
part through a four-panel comic strip?
While making the comic strip, you need to synthesize the parts to turn them
into one output. This is known as creating; combining parts to form a well-
designed whole.
Qualities of Critical Thinker
Not everyone is a critical thinker. Now let us check if you are a critical thinker by
analyzing the qualities listed below.
 being open-minded to different ideas to arrive at a better judgment
 investigates and dig deeper
 examines and evaluate information
 does not accept information until verified
 does not let emotions affect his/her thinking

Importance of Critical Thinking

Today, you are surrounded with information, particularly from online

sources, friends, parents, and media. It is important that
you need to learn how to evaluate what you see and hear
everyday so you can identify false ideas and look beyond
superficial appearances. This will be possible through
critical thinking.
 In the area of reading, critical thinking makes you recognize different texts
and react to them intelligently. It enables you to analyze written works,
comprehend message to convey, and apply the message in real life.

In terms of writing, critical approach provides you with the skills to create well
written texts. By knowing how to analyze and evaluate, you can write a clear
purpose and position. You can also identify good and bad sources and which
information to use through critical thinking.

ACTIVITY
Read the following text. Classify each question based on the level of thinking it
employs. Write your answer in the box before the number. After that, answer the
question. Write your answer on the space provided.

Every morning I lay on the floor in the front parlor watching her door. The blind was
pulled down within an inch of the sash so that I could not be seen. When she came
out on the doorstep my heart leaped. I ran to the hall, seized my books and followed
her. I kept her brown figure always in my eye and, when we came near the point at
which our ways diverged, I quickened my pace, and passed her. This happened
morning after morning. I had never spoken to her, except for a few casual words,
and yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood.
 1. What does the narrative reveal about the character‘s feelings
toward the girl?

2. What does the character do every morning when the girl comes
out?

3. What can you say about the character?

4. What do you think will happen if the character sees the girl
with another boy?

E-Link (visit the link to test your critical thinking skill)

Cornell Critical Thinking Test
(http://faculty.education.illinois.edu/rhennis/cornellclassreas.pdf)
Lesson 2:
Fundamental
READING SKILLS

OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson, you will have been able to
 Identify the skills used in each of the stages of the reading process
 Gain knowledge on basic reading skills (skimming, scanning, summarizing,
paraphrasing)
 Effectively apply these reading skills
 INTRODUCTION

Reading is more than just a pastime or relaxation

activity. In fact, even those who claim to hate reading
are actually doing it every day. An e-mail, text message,
chats, street sign, Facebook status, Tweeter updates, and
Instagram posts all require you to read. Written
language originated to expand communication.
In addition to communication, many people read to learn information or facts, to be
entertained, and to understand. Whether you like it or not, reading is a skill we use
on a daily basis. READ and study this lesson to discover more about reading.

DISCUSSION

Reading Process
Reading is a process that involves recognizing words,
leading to the development of comprehension. According
to research, reading negotiates the meaning between the
text and the reader and also connects the reader to the
writer. The reading process involves 3 stages.

First is the pre-reading stage, it allows you to activate background knowledge,

preview the text and develop a purpose for reading. Looking at the title of the
selection, listing all the information that comes into your mind about the title,
previewing, freewriting, surveying, questioning, making assumptions are just few
of the strategies you can do in the pre-reading stage.
The second stage happens while-reading, you may reread the text until you fully
understand its meaning, you can get the meaning through context clues, predicting,
inferencing, and reflecting.
The final stage is after-reading, you have to check your understanding of the text.
It allows you to retell the story, discuss, answer questions or compare it to another
story, summarize, paraphrase make graphic organizers and journal writing.

Below is an example of a reading process.

While-reading
Pre-Reading Post-Reading

• Based on the • One morning, when Gregor • Why do you

title, "The SAmsa woke from troubked think this
Metamorpho dreams, he found hhimself happened to
sis," what do transformed in his bed into a Gregor?
you think is horrible vermin. He lay on his
the story armour-like back, and if he
about? lifted his head a little he could
see his brown belly, slightly
domed and divided by arches
into stiff sections. The bedding
was hardly able to cover it and
seemed ready to slide off any
moment. His may legs, Basic Reading
pitifully thin compared with
the size of the rest of him, Skills
waved about helplessly as he
looked. The following are
• - The Metamorphosis, Franz various reading
Kafka
skills which can develop your
reading experience and make you an effective reader.
1. Rapid Reading- aims to locate specific information or ideas in a very short
span of time.
a. Skimming is a process of reading
to get an overall view of the
material as you get the main idea or message of the text as a whole.
b. Scanning requires you to look for a particular word, a specific phrase
or information, ignoring all the unnecessary ones.
To fully understand the difference between the two, imagine reading as attending a
buffet party. There are so many dishes nicely displayed. Skimming is when you
look around, and tell yourself ―Okay, this party is worth my next couple of hours‖.
You feel hungry. Then it is time for you to do the scanning job, selecting what to
put on your plate because you cannot have them all.

2. Previewing- a skill where you look over a material

and focuses on the information, he/she found relevant.
Browsing, or inspecting hurriedly is an example of
previewing technique. Example is when you read a book
that is related to what you are looking for before you are asked to do so.

3. Literal Reading- involves understanding of ideas and facts that are directly
stated in the printed material. Skills under this category include note-taking,
paraphrasing, and summarizing. These are done in the post reading stage.
a. Summarizing is a technique of shortening the passage
without losing important parts.
 b. Paraphrasing involves restating ideas from the original text using
your own words.

4. Inferential reading- the process of deducing

ideas not directly expressed in the text. Reading
between the lines.

5. Critical Reading- distinguishing facts from opinions and

detecting logical fallacies.

Types of Reading
People have different reasons why they read, but most of the reasons, if not all, fall
under three general purposes: to informed, be entertained and to be inspired.

Developmental Pleasure Functional Remedial

Reading Reading Reading Reading
• aims to • aims to • designed to • Aims to
develop provide help students correct the
student's enjoyment learn basic effects of poor
reading skills functional teaching and
reading ability poor learning

• Example: • Example: • Example: • Example:

Ryan reads a Karen reads Felipe reads a Francis reads a
long text to her favorite college pronunciation
improve his book, To Kill a application chart with his
reading Mocking Bird form to teacher to help
comprehension understand him correct his
skill how to fill it pronunciation
out of diphtongs.
 ACTIVITY
A. Read the poem and encircle your answers to the succeeding questions.
The Child’s Wish Granted By George Parsons Lathrop
Do you remember, my seet, absent son,
How in the soft of June days forever done
You loved the heavens so warm and clear and high;
And when I lifted you, soft came you cry,--
―Put me ‗way up—―way. ‗way up in blue sky‖?
I laughed and said I could not;--set you down,
Your gray eyes wonder-filled beneath that crown
Of bright hair gladdening me as you raced by.
Another Father now, more strong than I,
Has borne you voiceless to your dear blue sky.

1. What is the poem all about?

2. It can be inferred that the ―dear blue sky‖ in the last line is….?

3. The ―Father‖ in the second to the last line is?

4. Make an illustration of the what you have visualized based on the poem.

B. Practice your paraphrasing and summarizing skill.

 https:/owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/32/41/78
 https:/owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/32/41/77

 Selecting and Organizing
INFORMATION

OBJECTIVES
 INTRODUCTION

You are surrounded with lots of information. Finding ways how to effectively
process this information is a challenge to overcome for everyone. Thus, reading
and writing require abilities to generate, select and organize ideas through the use
of different techniques such as; brainstorming, making a graphic organizer and
outlining would help you to interpret the information around you. Let us further
study about these techniques.

DISCUSSION

Brainstorming is the most popular method for generating ideas. It is commonly

used to solve a problem and usually involving a group, led by a facilitator. A
simple talk with your friends thinking and planning what and where you should it
is an example of brainstorming. If you have complicated problems, brainstorming
is the best to use because it produces better ideas through the member‘s
contribution of knowledge and experiences.

There are ways how to brainstorm;

 Create a list- It simply requires you to write the main topic and list all the
related concepts about it.
  Create an idea map- Idea map is a visual representation of ideas and
representation about the topic.

Idea list Idea Map

Now that you have known how to do brainstorming, proceed on how you can
categorize our ideas and learn more about graphic organizers.

Graphic organizers are visual and graphic displays that depict the relationships
between facts, terms, and or ideas within a learning task come in many different
forms, each one best suited to organizing a particular type of information. It is also
sometimes referred to as knowledge maps, concept maps, story maps, cognitive
organizers, advance organizers, or concept diagrams. The following examples are
merely a sampling of the different types and uses of graphic organizers.

Types of Graphic Organizers

1. Venn Diagram is used to compare and contrast. It enables you to organize
information visually and see the relationships between ideas, concepts and
 events. It can also help you identify similarities and differences. The outer
circles are the differences while the middle is the similarities.

2. Network Tree- is used to represent hierarchy, classification and branching.

It is useful in showing relationships of scientific categories, family trees, and
even lineages. Used to show classification of information (causes of
poverty), a hierarchy (types of insects), or branching procedures (the
circulatory system).
3. Spider Map- A spider map is a brainstorming or organizational tool that
provides a visual framework for students to use. Sometimes, this graphic
organizer is called a ―concept map‖ or a ―spider web graphic organizer‖. A
spider map has a main idea
or topic in the center, or the
body, of the diagram. Each
detail or sub-topic
associated with the main
idea has its own leg, or
branch, surrounding the
main idea.

4. Problem-Solution Map – displays the nature of the problem and how can it
be solved. It helps you to compare different solutions to a problem.
5. Timeline-used to show how events occurred chronologically through a long
bar labeled with dates and specific events.

source: google photos 1

6. Plot Diagram- a tool that is commonly used to organize a story into certain
segments. Once the parts of the plot diagram are identified, it is easier to
analyze the content.
a. The exposition or the introduction introduces the characters, describes
the setting and establishes the problem in the story.
b. The rising action is where the suspense builds and the problem gets
worse and becomes more complicated. There are often multiple steps or
parts in the rising action.
c. The climax is the turning point in the story. It is usually the most exciting
part in the story and the part that makes the reader want to keep reading.
 d. The falling action is the events that happen after the climax that lead to a
resolution or ending to the story.
e. The resolution is the outcome of the story. It is how things end up or turn
out for the characters.

7. Series of Events Chain- can help you organize information according to

various steps or stages. You must be able to identify the which happened
first and all of the resulting stages in the procedure as they unfold, and the
outcome (the final stage). In this process, you realize how one step leads to
the next in the process, and eventually, to the outcome.
8. Fishbone Map- also called a cause and effect diagram or Ishikawa diagram, is
a visualization tool for categorizing the potential causes of a problem in order
to identify its root causes.

9. Cycle- This graphic organizer

will allow you to visualize
events that occur in a cycle,
such as the rock cycle. This can
be used to show the sequence of
events, as a pre-writing
organizer, or to check for your
comprehension.

10. Persuasion Map- is an interactive graphic organizer that enables you to

map out your arguments for a persuasive essay or debate. You begin by
 determining your goal or thesis then identify three reasons to support your
argument, and three facts or examples to validate each reason.

Outline is also a tool for organizing ideas. It is a plan for or a summary of a

writing project or speech and are usually in the form of a list divided into headings
and subheadings that distinguish main points from supporting points. It may be
either informal or formal, decimal or alphanumerical format.
Topic outline arranges your ideas hierarchically (showing which are main and
which are sub-points). As the name implies, it identifies all the little mini-topics
that your paper will comprise, and shows how they relate. Sentence outline does

all of this, it shows exactly what you will say about each topic. Each sentence, it
expresses the specific and complete. To further understand the difference between
the two, take a look at the example below and always remember that a topic outline
lists words or phrases and a sentence outline lists complete sentences.

ACTIVITY
Direction: Read the essay below and perform the succeeding tasks.
 A. Make a graphic organizer appropriate for the given essay. Think as many as
graphic organizer you can use.
B. Summarize the given essay using a sentence and topic outline.
C. Give your own examples for each graphic organizer discussed in this lesson.
"Learning or Not: Active and Passive Classes"
Everyone who has gone to school knows that some classes are better, more interesting,
livelier than others. We have all sat through classes where we learned little, accept the facts and
to be quiet. We also have been part of classes where we actively learned by being challenged by
teachers and the subject to learn for ourselves. Although classes often seem outwardly alike in
having a teacher, in having some students and in producing some results, the differences
between passive and active classes are enormous.

The passive kind of class usually has a teacher who lectures, puts outlines and terms on the
chalkboard, and dispenses information to the students. Like my sophomore biology teacher Mrs.
Noguida, who rarely looked up from the orange notebook in which she had carefully typed all
her lectures, a teacher in a passive classroom simply dictates information and answers. They tell
the students how to think and what to think. They pour facts into the students like water into a
sieve. The students are forced, usually by the teacher's authority, to sit, listen, take notes, and
regurgitate only what the teacher has said. The only kinds of questions are about form: "What is
the work in subpoint 3, a, (1)?" Or "How do you spell photosynthesis?" The results in such a class
are measured by multiple-choice or true-false questions, or questions that require memorized
answers: "What is Newton's First Law?" "What are the three causes or the American Civil War?"
The results in such classes are also measured by the quickness with which students forget the
facts they had poured into them.

The other kind of class, the active kind, usually has a teacher who stimulates students to learn for
themselves by asking questions, by posing problems, and most of all by being a student, too.
Such a teacher might plan the outline of a course, but doesn't force the class in only one direction.
Instead, like Ms. Cerrillo, my junior history teacher, a teacher in an active class uses the
discussion to lead to learning. Instead of lecturing on the causes of the Civil War, Ms. Cerrillo
gave us a list of books and articles and said, "Find out what caused the Civil War." We had to
search for ourselves, find some answers, then discuss what we found in class. From the
discussions, we all learned more than just the facts; we learned the facts but we also learned how
complex the causes were. Students in active classes like that become more involved in their
learning; they ask questions about why and how. The results in the active class are usually
measured by essay answers, individual projects, and a change in attitude on the students' part.
Learning becomes fun; although students may forget the facts just as quickly, their attitudes
toward learning and their excitement in developing answers for themselves don't end with the
last class.

We all remember having to learn that "4 X 9 = 36" and having to memorize dates like 1914-1918,
1776, and 1492. And those kinds of classes are important for laying some groundwork, but not
much true learning takes place there. There is a difference between knowing a fact and
understanding it. Despite their outward similarities, the passive kind of class is clearly inferior to
the active one for helping students understand the world around them.