English Language Arts and Reading.7.12.H.ii

The student is expected to

examine sources for:

 

faulty reasoning such as hyperbole, emotional appeals, and stereotype;

inquiry research TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

Task students with creating a short piece of writing that includes a type of faulty reasoning such as a hyperbole, an emotional appeal, or a stereotype. Then, have students read each other’s writing, share which type of faulty reasoning was used in the piece, and provide text evidence.
 

Further Explanation

This skill is introduced in sixth grade. In seventh grade, students should be able to begin avoiding faulty reasoning in their own writing. This skill will be further developed through high school.

a method of persuasion that is designed to create an emotional response in the audience by connecting to their values, needs, and feelings
Students should be able to review research sources to determine if they are valid references for gathering information. Students could review a source by considering the objectivity of their information. Examining sources typically requires students to do some research on the source itself to determine if it should be used. Students might need to determine the reputation a source has amongst peers in that field; consider the consistency of previously provided information or documentations (Has the source been proven wrong or questioned regularly?); and/or determine if there are any affiliations between the source and parties who benefit from the source’s presenting the facts in a certain way.
As students work to determine the strength of a source, they should be aware of a source’s use of faulty reasoning to justify a position or interpretation of the facts. If sources use exaggeration beyond what data can support; emotionally loaded language to skew, dismiss, or overemphasize the findings of the data; or attempts to categorize something without considering nuance, the source is likely not presenting the facts accurately. Faulty reasoning could be intentional if the source’s goal is to benefit from a misrepresentation of facts, or it could be unintentional due to the source’s lack of understanding of how to interpret the facts in a clear and valid way. In either case, students should know to look for faulty reasoning as they examine sources to use to support their own conclusions.
an intentional and extreme exaggeration for emphasis or humorous effect (e.g., “This book weighs a ton” and “I waited for an eternity in the dentist’s office.”)
oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing

Research

Kinsey, B., & Comerchero, V. A. (2012). Language in style: Formal language and tone. Communique, 41(1), 37. Retrieved from https://www.nasponline.org/publications/periodicals/communique/articles-by-topic?filter=taxonomy%3D1%252fCommunique%2BTopics%252fOther&sortOrder=ASC&startRow=230&rowsPerPage=10

Summary: In this article, the authors discuss the impact of language, sequence of words, and word choice upon the writing style. The formal writing style avoids language and word choices that might be emotional triggers or draw upon the emotions of the reader, including exaggerated statements, unsupported claims, and general stereotypes.