Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women

Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

LESSON 2
TEXT AND CONTEXT CONNECTIONS

A. INTRODUCTION

To read is a simple skill of understanding a text beyond interpretation and decoding

of letters, words, phrases and sentences. Reading critically is another skill that one
should possess in order to analyze not only pieces of information but also situations
in the daily. When a person knows how to read critically, it also means that he or
she is also able to think critically in dealing with real life situations independently.

B. LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson the student will be able to:
1. Explain critical reading as looking for ways of thinking
2. Identify claims explicitly or implicitly made in a written text
3. Identify the context in which a text was developed
4. Explain critical reading as reasoning
5. Formulate evaluative statements about a text read
6. Determine textual evidence to validate assertions and counterclaims made
about a text read.

C. CONTENT

1.1 Critical Reading as Looking for Ways of Thinking

Whenever you read something and you evaluate claims, seek definitions, judge
information, demand proof, and question assumptions, you are thinking critically.
This type of reading goes beyond passively understanding a text because you
process the authors words and make judgments after carefully considering the
readings message.

But why should you read critically? Reading critically means you are thinking
critically. This shows that you do not simply accept the message on the page. You
bring to your reading your own experience and perspective, and use these to
separate yourself from the text and judge for yourself what you consider important,
logical, or right.

This interaction between the text and the reader is necessary because reading
results from a negotiation of meaning between the text and the reader. By reading
critically, you find out the authors views on something, ask questions, evaluate the
strengths and weaknesses of the authors argument, and decide whether to agree
or disagree with it. Critical reading thus allows you to enter into a dialogue with the
author and this deepens your understanding of the issue or topic discussed.
Therefore, in order to arrive at a sufficient interpretation of the text, you need to
become a critical and active reader.

Critical reading is a technique for discovering information and ideas within a text.
Critical thinking is a technique for evaluating information and ideas, for deciding
what to accept and believe.

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

Critical reading refers to a careful, active, reflective, analytic reading. In actual

practice, critical reading and critical thinking work together. Critical thinking
allows us to monitor our understanding as we read.

Reading to see what a text says may suffice when the goal is to learn specific
information or to understand someone else's ideas. But we usually read with other
purposes. Students need to solve problems and make meaningful connections.

What is it? Analyzing a piece of writing in fine

detail.
Why bother? It is the building block for larger
analysis
How to develop skills? Practice, practice, practice, read,
read, read!

Critical reading can be defined as the process of understanding,

questioning, and evaluating a text, which is carried out actively and
consciously, in order to well assess the accuracy and validity of a writers
ideas.

It is a skill highly necessitated in both academic and everyday lives.

It could be developed through learning and practices

Critical reading is a process of analyzing, interpreting and, sometimes,

evaluating.

It is a deeper and more complex engagement with a text.

Critical reading is a more ACTIVE way of reading

When we read critically, we use our critical thinking skills to QUESTION both the
text and our own reading of it.

Difference Between Reading and Critical Reading

Reading Critical Reading
Purpose To get a basic grasp of the To form judgments about HOW a
text. text works.
Activity Absorbing / Understanding Analyzing / Interpreting / Evaluating
Focus What a text SAYS What a text DOES and MEANS
Questions What is the text saying? How does the text work? How is it
What information can I get out argued?
of it? What are the choices made? The
patterns that result?
What kinds of reasoning and
evidence are used?
What are the underlying
assumptions?
What does the text mean?
Direction WITH the text (taking for AGAINST the text (questioning its

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

granted it is right) assumptions and argument,

interpreting meaning in context)
Response Restatement, Summary Description, Interpretation,
Evaluation

STAGE
THEORY IN Accomp
lished
CRITICAL Thinker
(skilled
THINKING and
insightf
DEVELOPMEN ul)

Proc
T
ess

Attitudes Of A College-level Critical Thinker

Attitude Sample Statement
Truth- Lets follow this idea and see where it leads.
seeking
Open- I have a point of view on this subject, and Im anxious to hear yours as
minded well.
Analytical Taking a stand on the issue commits me to take some action.
Systematic The speaker made some interesting points, and Id like to hear some
more evidence to support each one.
Self- After reading the book for the first time, I was confused. Ill be able to
confident understand it after studying the book some more.
Inquisitive When I first saw that painting, I wanted to know what was going on in the
artists life when she painted it.
Mature Ill wait until I gather more facts before reaching a conclusion on this
issue.

Process for Reading Critically

taking notes

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

testing answers to your questions,

brainstorming
outlining
reflecting on your own reading and thinking
describing aspects of the text or argument
raising objections to the ideas or evidence presented
highlighting important points and examples

2.1.1 Explicit and Implicit Claims in a Text

Defining Claims

Knowing how to identify explicit and implicit information will help you in one of the
most important skills needed in critical reading. Evaluating the claims made by an
author. This involves going back to the text to recognize the writers arguments and
evidence so you can begin judging the writers work.

Whenever you read something, you find yourself looking for the writers point or
position regarding the chosen topic. That point is also known as the claim, or the
central argument or thesis statement of the text. This claim is what the writer tries
to prove in the text by providing details, explanations, and other types of evidence.
As such, it is usually found in the introduction or in the first few paragraphs of the
text.

The claim is the most important part of the text. The quality and complexity
of the reading depends on the claim, because the claim defines the papers
direction and scope. The claim is a sentence that summarizes the most important
thing that the writer wants to say as a result of his or her thinking, reading, or
writing.

The following are the characteristics of good claims:

1. A claim should be argumentative and debatable. When a writer makes a claim, he

or she is making a case for a particular perspective on the topic. Readers expect to
be able to raise objections to your claim, and they can only raise objections if the
claim is something that can be reasonably challenged. Claims that are only factual
or based on opinion, thus, are not debatable.

2. A claim should be specific and focused. If the claim is unfocused, the paper will
be too broad in scope and will lack direction and a clear connection to the support
provided. It may also lead to overgeneralizations and vague assertions.

3. A claim should be interesting and engaging. It should hook the reader, who may
or may not agree with you, to encourage them to consider your perspective and
learn something new from you.

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

4. A claim should be logical. It should result from reasonable weighing of support

provided.

Here are some questions to help you determine the writers claim while you are
reading a text:

What is the authors main point?

What is the authors position regarding to?

2.1.1.1 Claim of Fact

Claims of Fact state a quantifiable assertion, or a measurable topic. They assert that
something has existed, exists, or will exist based on data. They rely on reliable
sources or systematic procedures to be validated; this is what makes them different
from inferences.

Claims of fact usually answer a what question. When determining whether

something is a claim of fact, the following questions are useful:

Is this issue related to a possible cause or effect?

Is this statement true or false?
Is this claim controversial or debatable?

2.1.1.2 Claim of Policy

Claims of policy posit that specific actions should be chosen as solutions to a

particular problem. You can easily identify a claim of policy because they begin with
should, ought to, or must. Claims of policy because they defend actionable
plans, usually answer how questions. The following questions will be useful in
evaluating a claim of policy:

Does the claim suggest a specific remedy to solve the problem?

Is the policy clearly defined?
Is the need for the policy established?
Is the policy the best one available? For whom? According to whose
standards?
How does the policy solve the problem?

Being a critical reader also involves understanding that texts are always developed
with a certain context. A text is neither written nor read in a vacuum; its meaning
and interpretation are affected by a given set of circumstances. Thus, context is
defined as the social, cultural, political, and other related circumstances that
surround the text and form the terms from which it can be better understood and
evaluated. Knowledge of the texts context, you may ask questions like:

When was the work written?

What were the circumstances that produced it?
What issues does it deal with?

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

2.1.1.3 Claim of Value

The claim of value asserts something that can be qualified. They consist of
arguments about moral, philosophical, or aesthetic topics. These types of topics try
to prove that some values are more or less desirable compared to others. They
make judgments, based on certain standards, on whether something is right or
wrong, good or bad, or something similar.

Claims of value attempt to explain how problems, situations, or issues ought to be

valued in order to discover these explanations, you may ask the following questions:

Which claims endorse what is good or right?

What qualities should be considered good? Why is that so?
Which of these values contend with others? Which ones are important, and
why? Whose standards are used?
What are some concrete examples of such values?

2.2 Context of Text Development

Various studies have reported differences between offline and online reading,
however, the findings are not conclusive. These are those who claim that offline
reading is faster than online reading because of the farmers familiar layout. Some
studies say that the slower rate is due to the presence of hypertexts. Still, there are
studies which report that offline reading is slower because readers are generally
focused and usually requires note-taking and highlighting. A number of researches
have likewise noted the different strategies employed when doing offline or online
reading. Online reading has been used more for information-getting purposes, so
the common strategies used are skimming, scanning, and visualizing.

2.2.1 Hypertext

Meanwhile, hypertext is a relatively new way of reading a text online. Traditionally,

reading was viewed a linear process, where you read from the beginning until the
end. However, the advent of the Internet and technology has created new ways of
reading and process a text, which includes hypertext.

Hypertext, therefore, is a non-linear way of showing information. Hypertext

connects topics on a screen to related information, graphics, videos, music
information is not simply related to text. This information appears as links and is
usually accessed by clicking. The reader can jump to more information about a
topic, which in turn may have more links. This opens up the reader a wider horizon
of information or to a new direction.

A reader can skim through sections of a text, freely jumping from one part to
another depending on what aspect of the text interests him or her. Thus, in reading
with hypertext, you are given more flexibility and personalization because you get
to select the order in which you read the text and focus on information that is
relevant to your background and interests. You therefore create your own meaning
out of the material.

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

How to Attack Electronic Texts

Always remember that to maximize your online reading, you must be very clear
about your purpose: Do you read just to look for specific information? Do you read
and then try to recreate the material to show your understanding of the text? Do
you read with no clear purpose in mind? Hopefully, you have answered the first two
questions with a Yes and the last one with a No.

Another important thing you have to remember is that an electronic text (unlike a
printed text) is nonlinear. An internet article, for example, usually has some visual
elements (like pictures, video clips, hyperlinks, graphs) between or within
paragraphs and sections. When you click the video and then goes back to reading
the text, it makes your reading nonlinear. Therefore, you have to navigate the pages
properly and efficiently to make the most of your electronic reading. By all means
interact with the available tool bars and other menu, but never forget your purpose
in reading. Dont get lost!

You should also make sure that the electronic material you are about to read is
trustworthy. Check the host/creator of the website by looking at its URL (Universal
Resource Locator) endings. Especially for factual information, it is good to read
materials from those having a .edu or a .gov ending. A website that is regularly
updated speaks well of its creator / administrator. Be cautious of articles written by
persons who use pseudonyms or just use Anonymous. It is good to check the
background and credibility of a writer before reading his or her articles.

2.2.2 Intertext

Another important technique in analyzing the context of a texts development is

defining its intertextual link to another text. Intertextuality is the modeling of a
texts meaning by another text. It is defined as the connections between language,
images, characters, themes, or subjects depending on their similarities in language,
genre, or discourse. This is seen when an author borrows and transforms a prior
text, or when you read one text and you reference another. This view recognizes
that the text is always influenced by previous texts and in turn anticipates future
texts. A text contains many layers of accumulated cultural, historical, and social
knowledge, which continually adds to and affects one another. Thus, intertextuality
becomes a dialogue among different texts and interpretations of the writer, the
audience, and the current and earlier cultural contexts.

2.3 Critical Reading as Reasoning

2.3.1 Formulating Evaluative Statements

Identifying assertions

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

Becoming a good critical reader means that you are able to evaluate claims
of the writer logically. Any writer would want the reader to consider and possibly
agree with the claims that he or she puts forward. In expository writing, assertions
become the primary channel for a reader to assent to a claim.

Assertions are declarative sentences that claim something is true about something
else. Simply put, it is a sentence that either true or false.

Read the following:

The sampaguitas roots are used for medicinal purposes, such as an anesthetic and
a sedative
The sampaguita belongs to the genus Jasminum of the family Oleaceae.
The popularity of sampaguita flowers is most evident in places of worship.
Sampaguitas are the most beautiful and most fragrant of all flowers.

There are four more common types of assertion, which are classified according to
the degree of certainty they can be judged as true or false. How would you classify
the previous statements?

2.3.1.1 Fact

The first type of assertion is a fact. This is a statement that can be proven
objectively by direct experience, testimonies or witnesses, verified observations, or
the results of research. Because statements of fact can be double-checked for
accuracy, there is general agreement about the truth they posit.

The sampaguitas roots are used for medicinal purposes, such as an anesthetic and
a sedative.
The statement is a fact because it can be directly verified by experience or reliable
research reports.

2.3.1.2 Convention

The second type is an assertion of convention. A convention is a way in which

something is done, similar to traditions and norms. Conventions depend on
historical precedent, laws, rules, usage, and customs. Thus, their truthfulness is
verified by how commonly held definitions and beliefs are interpreted.

Something to note about conventions is that they may sound factual due to their
being derived from customs, but because they are socially accepted ways of doing
things, they cannot be verified objectively by measurements.

The sampaguita belongs to the genus Jasminum of the family Oleaceae.

This statement is a convention because it is based on a classification system made

up by scientists and is acceptable to the scientific community.

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

2.3.1.3 Opinion
The third type of assertion is an opinion. Opinions are based on facts, but are
difficult to objectively verify because of the uncertainty of producing satisfactory
proofs of soundness. Opinions result from ambiguities; the more ambiguous a
statement, the more difficult it is to verify. Thus, they are open to disputes.

The popularity of sampaguita flowers is most evident in places or worship.

The above statement is an opinion because it is based on an observation that needs

to be proven by studies and repeated observation; there are too many factors
involved that makes explicit judgment difficult.

2.3.1.4 Preference

The fourth type of assertion is a preference. Preferences are based on personal

choice; therefore, they are subjective and cannot be objectively proven or logically
attacked.

Sampaguitas are the most beautiful and most fragrant of all flowers.

This statement is a preference because it says a lot about the type of flowers that
the writer likes, instead of objectively comparing the qualities of sampaguitas to
that of other flowers.

2.3.2 Determining Textual Evidence

To better evaluate the authors argument, you should be able to determine the
evidence from the text. This will allow you to validate the assertions of the author
and your own counterclaims as a response to reading. Evidence is defined as the
details given by the author in order to support his or her claim. The evidence
provided by the writer substantiates the text. It reveals and builds on the position of
the writer and makes the reading more interesting. Evidence is crucial in swaying
the reader to your side. A jury or judge, for example, relies on evidence presented
by a lawyer before it makes a decision regarding a case.

Evidence can include the following:

facts and statistics (objectively validated information on your subject);

opinion from experts (leading authorities on a topic, like researchers or
academics); and
personal anecdotes (generalizable, relevant, and objectively considered).

The following are some questions to help you determine evidence from the text:

What questions can you ask about the claims?

Which details in the text answer your questions?
What are the most important details in the paragraph?
What is each ones relationship to the claim?

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

What details do you find interesting? Why so?

What are some claims that do not seem to have support? What kinds of
support could they be provided with?
What are some details that you find questionable? Why do you think so?

Are some details outdated, inaccurate, exaggerated, or taken out of context?

Are sources reliable?

The following are the characteristics of good evidence:

unified;
relevant to the central point;
specific and concrete;
accurate; and
representative or typical.

D. VALUES INTEGRATION
Not everything that we read and hear is true. Some of the pieces of
information that we perceive may seem or made believable that is why we need to
scrutinize the text and see if the information that we have gathered is true and
promotes honesty. The skills of critical thinking will help us not only understand the
texts that we read but also it will help us in real life situations that involve decision
making.

E. REFERENCES

Books:

Estacio, Ma. Joahna M. (2016). English for the Globalized Classroom Series:
Developing Reading &
Writing Skills Senior High School. Quezon City: The Phoenix Publishing House Inc.

Tiongson, Marella Therese A. (2016). Reading and Writing Skills. Sampaloc, Manila:
Rex Book Store

Websites:

Citing Textual Evidence. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2015 from

http://www.englishworksheetsland.com/grade6/readinginfo/1/1citing.pdf

Critical Thinking. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2016 from

www.ux1.eiu.edu/~alsego/Critical%20Thinking.pp

Reading skills for academic study: Skimming for gist. (n.d.). Retrieved April 04, 2016
from
http://www.uefap.com/reading/exercise/skim/bodylan.htm

Pecchia, Lorraine. (n.d.). Critical Thinking Reasoning, and Reading Strategies. (n.d.).
Retrieved November
18, 2015 from http://www.une.edu/sites/default/files/criticalthinkingseminar.pdf

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

Textuality, Intertextuality, Hypertextuality. (n.d.). Retrieved April 04, 2016, from

http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/2.2/features/paralogic/textuality.html

Videos:

DigitalSplashMedia. (2010, January 14). Do You Think? [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-85-j7Nr9i4&feature=related

F. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
Individual Reading, Collaborative Reading, Lecture, Structured Discussion, Activities

G. ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Formative Examinations (Quiz, Major Exams, Assignments, and Projects)

Project: Reading Log Book (minimum of 3 entries per week)

Date
Title of Book or Article:
Source: (Book, Magazine, Newspaper, Journal, Internet)

I. Words to Unlock (number of words may vary)

1. word
a) meaning / definition
b) use word in own sentence

II. Content Summary (maximum of 10 sentences)

III. Purpose of Content (to inform, to entertain, to give instruction, to suggest, to

persuade, etc.)

IV. What I Learned (maximum of 5 sentences)

Rubrics: Reading Logbook ( 3 entries per week in 6 weeks)

Completeness of Entries (per week)

Rati
ng
3 Has complete entries per week
2 Lacks one or two entries
1 Lacks three or more entries

Content (per entry)

Rati
ng
2 Each entry has complete information and gives original summary of what was
read and reflected

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

1 Each entry has incomplete information and copied most of what was read;
reflection is not explained well

Activity 1: (non-graded)
Read the following text. Formulate 5 questions that you can make from
the text read.

Body Language.

What does scientific literature tell us about the idea that body language reflects our
real feelings? One experiment carried out about 10 years ago by Ross Buck from
Carnegie-Mellon University in Pennsylvania suggests that spontaneous facial
expression is not a very good index of real emotional state. Buck and his colleagues
tested the accuracy with which people could identify the emotions felt by

another person. They presented one set of subjects with colour slides involving a
variety of emotionally-loaded visual stimuli - such as "scenic" slides (landscapes,
etc), "maternal" slides (mothers and young children), disgusting slides (severe facial
injuries and burns) and unusual slides (art objects). Unknown to these subjects, they
were being televised and viewed by another matched set of subjects, who were
asked to decide, on the basis of the televised facial expressions, which of the four
sets of slides had just been viewed. This experiment involved both male and female
pairs, but no pairs comprising both men and women; that is men observed only
men, and women observed women. Buck found that the female pairs correctly
identified almost 40 per cent of the slides used - this was above the level which
would be predicted by chance alone. (Chance level is 25 per cent here, as there
were four classes of slide). But male pairs correctly identified only 28 per cent of
slides - not significantly above chance level. In other words, this study suggests that
facial expression is not a very good index of "real" feeling - and in the case of men
watching and interpreting other men, is almost useless.

Paul Ekman from the University of California has conducted a long series of
experiments on nonverbal leakage (or how nonverbal behaviour may reveal real
inner states) which has yielded some more positive and counter-intuitive results.
Ekman has suggested that nonverbal behaviour may indeed provide a clue to real
feelings and has explored in some detail people actively involved in deception,
where their verbal language is not a true indication of how they really feel. Ekman
here agrees with Sigmund Freud, who was also convinced of the importance of
nonverbal behaviour in spotting deception when he wrote: "He that has eyes to see
and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips
are silent, he chatters with his finger-tips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore."

Ekman predicted that the feet and legs would probably hold the best clue to
deception because although the face sends out very quick instantaneous messages,
people attend to and receive most feedback from the face and therefore try to
control it most. In the case of the feet and legs the "transmission time" is much
longer but we have little feedback from this part of the body. In other words, we are
often unaware of what we are doing with our feet and legs. Ekman suggested that

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

the face is equipped to lie the most (because we are often aware of our facial
expression) and to "leak" the most (because it sends out many fast momentary
messages) and is therefore going to be a very confusing source of information
during deception. The legs and feet would be the primary source of nonverbal
leakage and hold the main clue to deception. The form the leakage in the legs and
feet would take would include "aggressive foot kicks, flirtatious leg displays,
abortive restless flight movements". Clues to deception could be seen in "tense leg
positions, frequent shifts of leg posture, and in restless or repetitive leg and foot
movements."

Ekman conducted a series of experiments to test his speculations, some involving

psychiatric patients who were engaging in deception, usually to obtain release from
hospital. He made films of interviews involving the patients and showed these,
without sound, to one of two groups of observers. One group viewed only the face
and head, the other group, the body from the neck down. Each observer was given
a list of 300 adjectives describing attitudes, emotional state, and so on, and had to
say which adjectives best described the patients. The results indicated quite
dramatically that individuals who utilised the face tended to be misled by the
patients, whereas those who concentrated on the lower body were much more likely
to detect the real state of the patients and not be misled by the attempted
deception.

These studies thus suggest that some body language may indeed reflect our real
feelings, even when we are trying to disguise them. Most people can, however,
manage to control facial expression quite well and the face often seems to provide
little information about real feeling. Paul Ekman has more recently demonstrated
that people can be trained to interpret facial expression more accurately but this,
not surprisingly, is a slow laborious process. Ekman's research, suggests that the
feet and legs betray a great deal about real feelings and attitudes but the research
is nowhere near identifying the meanings of particular foot movements. Ray
Birdwhistell of the Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute has gone some way
towards identifying some of the basic nonverbal elements of the legs and feet, and
as a first approximation has identified 58 separate elements. But the meanings of
these particular elements is far from clear and neither are the rules for combining
the elements into larger meaningful units. Perhaps in years to come we will have a
"language" of the feet provided that we can successfully surmount the

problems described earlier in identifying the basic forms of movement following

Birdwhistell's pioneering efforts, of how they may combine into larger units, and in
teaching people how they might make sense of apparently contradictory
movements.

In the meantime, if you go to a party and find someone peering intently at your feet
- beware.

After reading the passage, the class will form two groups. Each group will
sit across the other group. A representative from each group will ask a
question which will be answered by the other group.

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

Activity 2: (5pts.)

Identify the type of claim used in each statement.

__________ 1. Women are as effective as men in combat.

__________ 2. Public schools are better than public schools.
__________ 3. We should stop sending so much on prisons and start spending more
on education.
__________ 4. Science Fiction novels are more interesting to read than romance
novels.
__________ 5. Children in low-income families should receive medical insurance from
the government.

Answer Key:
1. Claim of Fact
2. Claim of Value
3. Claim of Policy
4. Claim of Value
5. Claim of Policy

Activity 3: (5 pts.)

Identify the following assertions as statements of convention, fact,

opinion, or preference.

1. Social media is defined as the Internet and mobile-based tools and devices that
facilitate the integration of technology, telecommunications, and social interaction.
2. Facebook is a cooler social media platform than Twitter.
3. In 2012, there were 1.4 billion users of social media worldwide.
4. Teachers should use social media in their lessons to get more students interested.
5. Another name for social media is Web 2.0 because both terms emphasize the
social aspects of the Internet as avenues for communication, collaboration, and
creative expression.

Answer Key:
1. Fact
2. Preference
3. Convention
4. Opinion
5. Fact

Activity 4: (5 pts.)
1. Many teenagers present obsession with taking selfies shows they are the most
narcissistic
generation.

2. Social networks are the most distracting websites on the Internet.

3. In the first quarter of 2014, nearly 300 million smartphone units were sold all
over the world.

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 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

4. Parents ought to enforce stricter guidelines in social media to safeguard their

childrens privacy.
5. Children are learning how to operate mobile devices at increasingly younger
ages; many of them have
an idea of how to use a touchscreen tablet before they are two.

Answer Key:
1. Opinion
2. Fact
3. Convention
4. Preference
5. Convention

Identify the type of assertion used in each statement.

1. Most people nowadays would buy a car rather than commute.

2. Filipinos believe that a pregnant woman should wear black as protection against
supernatural beings.
3. The Philippines is an archipelago.
4. Many fitness enthusiasts believe that regular exercise promotes good sleep.
5. Ilocanos are known to be helpful because they help support their siblings in
education.

Answer Key:
1. Preference
2. Convention
3. Fact
4. Opinion
5. Convention

Activity 5: (5pts.)
1. Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao are three main regions of the Philippines.
2. Filipinos would rather prepare during fiestas and birthdays than have it catered.
3. The elderly believe that their grandchildren can become responsible even if not
told to do so.
4. Students believe that they can perform better if they study early in the morning.
5. Roman Catholics genuflect as a way of showing respect to God in the Church.

Answer Key:
1. Fact
2. Preference
3. Opinion
4. Opinion
5. Convention

Quiz 3: (10pts.)

Identify the type of assertion used in each statement.

1. It is better to travel by plane than ship.

15
 Mary Our Help Technical Institute for Women
Doc. Title: Lesson Plan in Reading and Writing Skills Doc. Code:
MOH.INS.BEd.01/02/03/04
Department: Academic Affairs Rev. #: 00 Effectivity
Date: June 1, 2015

2. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.

3. To achieve a fit body, nutritionists advice to follow the food pyramid.
4. By the end of 2010, 96% of the U.S. population or slightly more than 300 million
people owned cell
phones.
5. Bluetooth is a brand name for a wireless networking technology that used
shortwave radiofrequency
to connect cell phones, portable computers, and other wireless devices.
6. It is believed that using a broken mirror brings misfortune.
7. When Americans turn 18, they are obliged to leave home and start an
independent life.
8. The popularity of dream catchers is believed to save a sleeping person from
nightmares.

9. Nowadays, KPop music has been regarded the best music for teenagers.
10. Pistanthrophobia is the fear of trusting people due to bad past experiences.

Answer Key:
1. Preference
2. Fact
3. Opinion
4. Convention
5. Fact
6. Opinion
7. Convention
8. Opinion
9. Preference
10. Fact

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