Final answer:
The correct terms to fill in the blanks are 'contrasting,' 'reflective,' 'persuasive,' 'speaker,' and 'claims.' The lesson focuses on critical thinking and writing skills necessary for analyzing information and forming logical arguments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Comparing and contrasting others' ideas are skills that can help you to be critical and reflective on the kind of information you will feed yourself. One way to evaluate others' opinions is by identifying the persuasive strategies used by the writer or speaker. Knowing these strategies not only helps you formulate strong claims but also helps you identify the weak ones.
Developing Critical Thinking and Writing Skills
In this lesson, we delved into various critical thinking and reasoning strategies, focusing on how to evaluate and analyze information. Critical thinking starts with synthesis, which involves combining information from different sources and creating a comprehensive understanding of a topic. This skill aids in refining our logic, which is essential for constructing effective arguments and distinguishing between facts and opinions. Furthermore, recognizing bias, asking critical questions, and practicing skills such as summary, paraphrase, analysis, and evaluation empower us to craft strong positional arguments and engage in epistemic humility. Integrating these critical thinking skills into our academic and professional writing processes leads to the development of persuasive and logical arguments grounded in credible evidence.