Relevance, Truth & Spotting Factual Information

• Relevance is how appropriate something is to what is said.
• Truth is something proven by facts or sincerity.

Spotting Factual/Truthful Information

• Consider the source and investigate the site being viewed or read.
• Read beyond headlines, which can be outrageous to get clicks, so focus on the whole story and look for details.
• Check the author to find out if they are real and credible.
• Verify supporting sources to determine if the given information actually supports the story.
• Check the date and ensure old news stories are updated if reposted so they're relevant to current events.
• Check your biases and consider if your own beliefs could affect your judgement.

Infographics

• Infographics are visual representations of information or data.
• Infographics include imagery, charts, and minimal text.
• They give an easy-to-understand overview of a topic.

Macro Skills

• Macro skills include speaking, listening, viewing, reading, and writing.
• Listening allows feedback and response.
• Effective listening requires evaluating the validity of the point being raised.
• Effective listening involves assessing the weight of the evidence used to support the point being raised.

Evidence

• Evidence is the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.

Analyzing and Evaluating Evidence

• Argumentation is identifying the point/claim the author is trying to prove.
• Specificity is identifying specific facts, data, statistics, and examples that support the point.
• Relevance is explaining how pieces of evidence are related to the claim.

Types of Evidence

• Statistical evidence is considered the strongest type of evidence and comes in a form of number, percentage, or surveyed type data.
• Testimonial evidence uses celebrities, experts, and authorities.
• Anecdotal evidence is often dismissed as untrustworthy.
• Anecdotal evidence is used when the speaker is storytelling.
• Analogical evidence is regarded as the weakest evidence.
• Analogical evidence is often used when information about something is scarce to increase the credibility of the proof.

Arguments

• An argument tries to convince someone that something is true.
• An argument has to consist of a conclusion and premise.
• The conclusion is the idea to believe.
• The premise is the support or reason showing that the conclusion is true.

Conclusion Indicators

• Conclusion indicator examples: therefore, hence, implies that, it follows that, so, thus, consequently.

Premise Indicators

• Premise indicator examples: since, for, given that, for the reason that, because, as, is shown by the fact that.

Valid and Sound Arguments

• The best kind of argument is one that is valid and sound.
• An argument is valid if the premise logically supports the conclusion.
• An argument is sound if the argument is valid and if the premise and conclusion can be verified true.
• Fallacies are errors in reasoning that threaten the soundness of an argument.
• Arguments formed using fallacies may be valid, but they are NOT sound.

Logical Fallacies

• Hasty Generalization: Making assumptions about a whole group based on an inadequate sample
• Post Hoc: Claiming that two events are related in the sense that one causes another when they’re actually not.
• Slippery Slope: Claiming a chain reaction will take place, usually ending in some dire consequence, but without enough evidence.
• Appeal to Authority: Referring to known personalities to back up a claim, but they aren’t experts in line with the issue at hand.

Social, Moral and Economic Issues

• An issue is a subject that people discuss or argue about.
• Social issue refers to a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve.
• Moral issue concerns internal values, beliefs, feelings, and learnings that are often subjective.
• Economic issue is that being faced by the world economy, as well as regions and countries.

Characteristics of Social Issues

• The society must recognize the situation as a problem.
• The situation is against the general values accepted by the society.
• A large segment of the population recognizes the problem as a valid concern.
• The problem can be rectified or alleviated through the joint action of citizens and/ or community resources.

Social Issues

• Social issues are problems that influence many citizens within a society.
• Family can help make good decisions, provide practical and emotional support, and encourage establishing social identity.
• Youth voice and actions are contributory to addressing and alleviating social issues.

Letter of Request

• A formal document used to ask for something, such as information, permission, assistance, or service.

Purposes of Request Letters

• Seeking Information
• Requesting Assistance
• Asking for approval or permission
• Requesting a service
• Initiating Communication

Target Readers of Request Letters

• Supervisors or Managers
• Government Officials
• Service Providers
• Educational Institutions
• Business Partners
• Nonprofit Organizations

Parts of a Request Letter

• Heading
• Recipient's Address
• Salutation
• Body
• Complementary close
• Signature Block
• End notation