The connection between soils and the collapse of a society
PROMPTS/QUESTIONS FOR CRITICAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT 1. Find an article, video, or other source that discusses the connection between soils and the collapse of a society. Describe the location, culture, and evidence for this argument presented in the source. 2. Describe what can be done to conserve and protect soil to prevent the collapse of agriculture. Do you think our society is doing enough to protect soils? Use specific examples. 3. Use the CRITICAL WRITING GUIDELINES AND RUBRIC (see below) to evaluate the authors and apply skepticism to their positions. GUIDELINES FOR CRITICAL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS Critical Writing Guidelines and Rubric.pdfPreview the documentView in a new window Each critical writing assignment will consist of two parts, a response to the prompts or questions posed, including supporting citations from your own independent research, and a critical evaluation of the sources that you chose to use. SUMMARY OF GUIDELINES Each submission should include: I. CRITICAL WRITING RESPONSE TO PROMPTS AND QUESTIONS Follow the instructions provided for the assignment. Be sure to put everything in your own words. Summarize the topic and the content of any sources you cite. II. CRITICAL EVALUATION OF SOURCES Publisher/Organization/Author 1. Name/Title of organization/publisher 2. Type (government, educational, NGO, etc.) 3. Name of author 4. Authors qualifications, credentials 5. Is this source credible? Purpose/Agenda/Bias 1. Does the source have an obvious purpose? 2. Does this lead to a biased view of the issue? 3. Does this bias affect the credibility of their position? 4. If you believe the source is unbiased, explain why Skepticism 1. Are you skeptical about anything in this source? Note that skepticism is not the same as doubt or cynicism; it is the application of your own judgement and knowledge to an argument and the pursuit of a more complete understanding. 2. Is any information confusing or misrepresented? 3. Is anything missing (information, an important viewpoint)? 4. Does the author provide sources? Are they credible (can you find the data, is it relevant)? Citations 1. Author’s name, Title of article/video, Year published, URL
