Read the following information and understand the content, as you are going to be required to apply this information to three different passages: Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework Critical thinking is that mode of thinking – about any subject, content, or problem — in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them. (Paul and Elder, 2001). The Paul-Elder framework has three components; two of which we will cover this semester: The elements of thought (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. The intellectual standards (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. According to Paul and Elder (1997), there are two essential dimensions of thinking that students need to master in order to learn how to upgrade their thinking. They need to be able to identify the "parts" of their thinking, and they need to be able to assess their use of these parts of thinking. Elements of Thought (reasoning) The "parts" or elements of thinking are as follows: All reasoning has a purpose All reasoning is an attempt to figure something out, to settle some question, to solve some problem All reasoning is based on assumptions All reasoning is done from some point of view All reasoning is based on data, information and evidence All reasoning is expressed through, and shaped by, concepts and ideas All reasoning contains inferences or interpretations by which we draw conclusions and give meaning to data All reasoning leads somewhere or has implications and consequences Universal Intellectual Standards The intellectual standards applied to these elements are used to determine the quality of reasoning. Good critical thinking requires having a command of these standards. According to Paul and Elder (1997 ,2006), the ultimate goal is for the standards of reasoning to become infused in all thinking so as to become the guide to better and better reasoning. The intellectual standards include: Clarity Could you elaborate? Could you illustrate what you mean? Could you give me an example? Accuracy How could we check on that? How could we find out if that is true? How could we verify or test that? Precision Could you be more specific? Could you give me more details? Could you be more exact? Relevance How does that relate to the problem? How does that bear on the question? How does that help us with the issue? Depth What factors make this difficult? What are some of the complexities of this question? What are some of the difficulties we need to deal with? Breadth Do we need to look at this from another perspective? Do we need to consider another point of view? Do we need to look at this in other ways? Logic Does all of this make sense together? Does your first paragraph fit in with your last one? Does what you say follow from the evidence? Significance Is this the most important problem to con.

1. Read the following information and understand the content, as
you are going to be required to apply this information to three
different passages:
Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework
Critical thinking is that mode of thinking – about any subject,
content, or problem — in which the thinker improves the quality
of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the
structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual
standards upon them. (Paul and Elder, 2001). The Paul-Elder
framework has three components; two of which we will cover
this semester:
The elements of thought (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site.
The intellectual standards (Links to an external site.)Links to
an external site.
According to Paul and Elder (1997), there are two essential
dimensions of thinking that students need to master in order to
learn how to upgrade their thinking. They need to be able to
identify the "parts" of their thinking, and they need to be able to
assess their use of these parts of thinking.
Elements of Thought (reasoning)
The "parts" or elements of thinking are as follows:
All reasoning has a purpose
All reasoning is an attempt to figure something out, to settle
some question, to solve some problem
All reasoning is based on assumptions
All reasoning is done from some point of view
All reasoning is based on data, information and evidence

2. All reasoning is expressed through, and shaped by, concepts and
ideas
All reasoning contains inferences or interpretations by which
we draw conclusions and give meaning to data
All reasoning leads somewhere or has implications and
consequences
Universal Intellectual Standards
The intellectual standards applied to these elements are used to
determine the quality of reasoning. Good critical thinking
requires having a command of these standards. According to
Paul and Elder (1997 ,2006), the ultimate goal is for the
standards of reasoning to become infused in all thinking so as to
become the guide to better and better reasoning. The intellectual
standards include:
Clarity
Could you elaborate?
Could you illustrate what you mean?
Could you give me an example?
Accuracy
How could we check on that?
How could we find out if that is true?
How could we verify or test that?
Precision
Could you be more specific?

3. Could you give me more details?
Could you be more exact?
Relevance
How does that relate to the problem?
How does that bear on the question?
How does that help us with the issue?
Depth
What factors make this difficult?
What are some of the complexities of this question?
What are some of the difficulties we need to deal with?
Breadth
Do we need to look at this from another perspective?
Do we need to consider another point of view?
Do we need to look at this in other ways?
Logic
Does all of this make sense together?
Does your first paragraph fit in with your last one?
Does what you say follow from the evidence?

4. Significance
Is this the most important problem to consider?
Is this the central idea to focus on?
Which of these facts are most important?
Fairness
Is my thinking justifiable in context?
Am I taking into account the thinking of others?
Is my purpose fair given the situation?
Am I using my concepts in keeping with educated usage, or am
I distorting them to get what I want?
ASSIGNMENT
Read each passage. Utilizing the information above identify
“The Elements” then apply the “Universal Standards” to each
passage.
Use the following format to complete the assignment: You will
use this format for each passage.
Identify the Eight Elements:
Purpose:
Questions:

5. Points of View:
Information:
Inferences:
Concepts:
Implications:
Assumptions:
Universal Intellectual Standards: Use the Paul Elder
Information to address each of the questions related to the
elements: So, ask yourself if the passage had each of the
following standards:
Clarity
Accuracy
Relevance
Logicalness
Breadth
Precision
Significance
Completeness
Fairness

6. Depth
Criminalization of Drug Use vs. Legalization
Another current issue with roots in the 1970s is the treatment of
drug use. Even liberal authorities like Nelson Rockefeller, New
York governor from 1959 to 1973, thought the best way to
reduce drug use was to criminalize it further – most of the
targeted drugs had always been illegal in the United States – by
prescribing longer prison terms. Critics of the policy today
present statistical evidence showing that increasing the severity
of punishments for drug use has little effect on drug use.
Other critics point out that marijuana is a relatively benign drug
that is less addicting than alcohol. Anti-drug advocates,
however, do not concede that marijuana is at all benign.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has stated bluntly that legalizing
the drug would inevitably "lead to violence." An opposing body
of opinion advocates legalizing all drugs and treating drug
addiction as a disease, not a crime.
Incarceration Rates
A 2015 Washington Post article on U.S. incarceration rates
noted that, according to the Council of Europe Annual Penal
Statistics, the median European prison population rate in 2013
was 133.5 inmates per 100,000 persons in the general
population. In the United States, the rate was 478 per 100,000,
about 3.5 times the median rate for Europe.
Even Americans as conservative as the Koch brothers think that
too many Americans are imprisoned and further disadvantaged
by excessive penalties. The disagreements over incarceration

7. rates arise over both the causes of the situation and the remedies
for it. Many attribute the high rate to an ill-advised war on
drugs. Others believe it results from institutional racism. A
view first proposed in 2017, however, presents statistical
evidence that neither of these are primary causes. This theory
suggests that the real problem is the imbalance between well-
financed offices of district attorneys and underfunded and
understaffed offices of public defenders, resulting in more than
90 percent of defendants accepting plea bargains rather than
engaging in the unequal courtroom contest between prosecutor
and public defender.
The Death Penalty
The United States is the only country in the seven leading
industrial nations that still executes prisoners. Opponents of the
death penalty provide statistical evidence showing that states
with death penalties do not have lower murder rates than states
without them.
Yet despite arguments against the death penalty, as of 2016 it
remained in force in 31 states. Perhaps the most important
reason for this is that the American public supports the penalty
by a two-to-one margin. Until this changes, many states will
very likely continue to impose the death penalty no matter how
many arguments opponents of the penalty put forward.
Food Labels Table
Food A
Food B
Name of food item (include brand & full name)
Health claim on package (if any)

8. First ingredient, i.e. the item in greatest proportion by weight
Second ingredient, i.e. the item in the second greatest
proportion by weight
Serving size for the item
*Be specific, e.g. what is the measured amount, number of
ounces, etc.
Is this realistic? Why or why not?
Percent of calories from fat =
# of calories from fat
total # of calories in food item
*Note that each gram of fat contains 9 calories. Make sure to
show your work!
Percent of calories from saturated fat
Is this a high fat food? Why or why not?
*Note that the USDA recommends that 20-35% of the calories
in your diet come from lipids & <10% come from saturated fats.
Number of mg of cholesterol, if any
% of calories from protein = # of calories from protein

9. total # of calories in food item
*Note that each gram of protein contains 4 calories. Make sure
to show your work!
Is this a good source of protein? Why or why not?
*Note that the USDA recommends that 10-35% of the calories
in your diet come from protein and that you consume 0.8 grams
of protein per kilogram of body weight.
% of calories from carbohydrates = # of calories from carbs
total # of calories in food
item
*Note that each gram of carbs contains 4 calories. Make sure to
show your work!
Does this food contain primarily simple carbohydrates or
complex carbohydrates?
Does the food item contain vitamins and minerals? If so, which
ones and how much of each?
Based on the nutritional content for each food item and
nutritional recommendations, which food item do you think is
healthier? Why?
Reflection Questions:

10. 1. What information do food labels provide? Why is this
information important?
2. What was your hypothesis? Why did you base your
hypothesis on? Note that it is fine if your hypothesis was not
supported by the data.
3. Did your findings support your hypothesis? If not, speculate
on what happened.
4. What makes a food healthy?