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Grade 8 · English Language Arts · Unit 3 of 5

Argument & Media

Claims, evidence and bias

What your child practises

Telling fact from opinion, spotting persuasive appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) and weak reasoning, and judging how reliable a source or media message is.

NWT Curriculum learning standard: Evaluating arguments and media: claims, evidence, persuasive appeals, bias and credibility

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    A speaker says, “If we allow short recess, soon students will have no breaks at all!” What is this?

    • A bandwagon
    • A personal attack
    • A fact
    • A slippery slope

  2. Question 2

    What is a claim in an argument?

    • The title of the article
    • A fact nobody disagrees with
    • A list of sources
    • A statement the writer wants you to accept

  3. Question 3

    What does ethos mean in a persuasive text?

    • Appealing to emotions
    • Appealing to logic and facts
    • Appealing to the writer's credibility or character
    • Appealing to humour

  4. Question 4

    What does pathos mean in a persuasive text?

    • Appealing to the audience's emotions
    • Appealing to logic and statistics
    • Appealing to the writer's credibility
    • Appealing to the writer's age

  5. Question 5

    An ad says “9 out of 10 dentists recommend brand X,” but doesn't say how many dentists were asked. What is the problem?

    • Dentists cannot recommend products.
    • The sample size is not shared, so the claim may mislead.
    • The ad uses numbers.
    • Brand X must be bad.

  6. Question 6

    A news site only publishes stories that make one politician look bad. What is this called?

    • Bias
    • A summary
    • A fact check
    • Satire

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