WHAT IS BIAS How would you define bias

WHAT IS BIAS? How would you define bias?

BIAS A positive or negative attitude towards something, often based on preconceived prejudices or viewpoints rather than evidence.

WHAT IS PREJUDICE? How would you define prejudice?

PREJUDICE A preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. So, a bias may be the result of prejudice. Encountering biased information may lead someone to become prejudiced. Bias can be found in words.

What we associate with words is called connotation. Here is the dictionary definition of connotation: implied additional meaning; an additional sense or senses associated with or suggested by a word or phrase. So, what is denotation?

Denotation is the dictionary definition of the word.

Egotistical Scrawny Proud Underweight Confident Slender

Negative Positive / Egotistical Negative Scrawny • Proud • Underweight Positive Slender Confident How do we know these words have a positive or negative connotation? What do we associate with these words?

Denotation: Egotistical: (adj. ) given to talking about oneself; vain; boastful; opinionated. Proud: (adj. ) having, proceeding from, or showing a high opinion of one's own dignity, importance, or superiority. Confident: (adj. ) sure of oneself; having no uncertainty about one's own abilities, correctness, successfulness, etc. ; self-confident; bold: a confident speaker.

Denotation: Scrawny: (adj. ) very thin and bony; scraggy. Underweight(adj. ) Weighing less than is normal, healthy, or required. Slender: (adj. ) Thin and delicate in build; gracefully slim.

AUTHOR’S PURPOSE An author writes for many reasons: An author may write to try to get you to do something. This is to PERSUADE. An author may INFORM you by giving facts or true information about a subject. Some authors write informally to ENTERTAIN. Still, others may write to simply SHARE something they think readers might be interested in.

AUTHOR’S PURPOSE PRACTICE (WRITE A SHORT PARAGRAPH) Using the article we read in class last week, go through and identify the author’s purpose: persuade, inform, entertain, or share. (This will be your claim) How do you know this? You should give evidence from the article. Use your DIDLS chart.

SAMPLE PURPOSE USING LRRH: The purpose of Little Red Riding Hood is to inform. The reader knows this because of the word choices and images used to describe Little Red Cap and the wolf. For example, Little Red Cap is described as “a sweet little girl” who was “liked by all, but most of all her grandmother”. Little Red Cap “promised to obey her mother” about leaving the path; she breaks her promise and in doing so, she meets the wolf. She was not afraid of the wolf because she had never met a “wicked” animal. Then the wolf is portrayed as untrustworthy because of the questions he asks Little Red Cap about her grandmother and the fact that he eventually eats the grandmother and Little Red Cap. These details inform the reader about the dangers of talking to strangers and disobeying your parents.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE: STAR TRIB The purpose of the Star Tribune editorial is to inform and entertain. The author informs the reader about how the efforts to curtail smoking in Minnesota have not worked. For example, the details about the $1 increase on cigarettes has done nothing to discourage smokers from smoking. And the author also informs the reader that it is not clear what the new cigarette tax is even for through the use of rhetorical questions such as “For the schools? For a new stadium? ” Also, the author includes details about the CDC’s report that MN has dropped from the top 10 states with the “fewest adult smokers. ” However, while the author may have some valid information about smoking initiatives in MN, his article is sarcastic enough to also entertain the reader. His selection of details when describing the Ward 6 as “intimate, elegant, yet simple” and the sensuousness details of smoking itself, “the kiss of Turkish tobacco…how glorious!” add to the exaggeration of how pleasurable smoking can be for those who partake and how sad it is that smokers have become “pariahs”. He also includes outrageous details about prohibition at the end of the opinion piece as an extreme measure to stop smoking all together. His opinion piece both informs the reader that smokers are going to smoke while poking fun at nonsmokers.

AUTHOR’S MESSAGE (WRITE A SHORT PARAGRAPH) Now with the same article, what is the author’s message? (This is a one to two sentence statement. In other words, it is theme/lesson/truth. ) Go back and review your purpose paragraph.

SAMPLE MESSAGE USING LRRH: (Basic): The message of Little Red Riding Hood is to be careful about talking to strangers and to listen to your parents’ advice. (Proficient): The message of Little Red Riding Hood is that at some point children must be warned about the dangers of the world to protect themselves from harm. (Exceptional): The message of Little Red Riding Hood is that adults need to not only warn about dangers of the world, but adults also need to equip children with how to protect themselves.

SAMPLE MESSAGE USING THE STAR TRIB: (Basic): The message of The Star Tribune editorial is that measures to stop smoking are not working. (Proficient): The message of The Star Tribune editorial is that measures to stop smoking are not working, and smokers continue to feel like they are unwelcome in businesses. (Exceptional): The message of The Star Tribune editorial is that measures to stop smoking are not working, and while the state continues to find ways to lower the numbers of smokers in the state, smokers will continue to smoke and the state will have to learn to live with those that choose this lifestyle.

APPLICATION TO ACADEMIC ARTICLES: Read the two articles about global warming. As you read each article, write specific examples you find for each of the DIDLS categories on the handout. Markey: Take action on climate now Says massive ice break, recent heat wave show need to battle warming "Global Warming: The Convenient Truth. " Then compare and contrast the bias you identify in the two articles by answering the questions on the back of the handout.

On a separate piece of paper: For each article… What is the Author’s Purpose? How do you know? What is the Author’s Message?

CLAIM: WHAT BIAS ARE YOU SEEING? YOUR CLAIM WILL BE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIAS YOU SEE. Types of Bias (use these things for your claims) Type Example Claim In favor of one side of the issue more than the other side Throughout this article, global warming is made to seem silly and radical. In favor of one group or type of Although this article seems strictly people more than another informative, it is actually portraying teenagers in a negative light. In favor of one person more than another This article makes it seem like Trayvon Martin is the innocent victim of George Zimmerman. In favor of one opinion more than a contrasting opinion This article is making the reader think that Miley Cyrus is a wild and inappropriate person.

EVIDENCE Evidence: For each type of bias you write about, include several pieces of specific evidence from the article (what clues lead you to believe bias exists? ) Use your DIDLS chart to help your figure out what evidence to use! Tie your DIDLS chart back to your Bias Types and Clues chart for really effective and specific evidence.

WARRANT (THE “SO WHAT? ”) Finally, for each clue, explain the connection between the clue and the type of bias you think it represents. How does your evidence show bias? What does it mean to the reader? Why is it important? What is the author trying to say with this evidence? Use words like: “This is important because…” “This shows…” “This implies…” “The evidence suggests…” Your warrant will tie back to the claim and it could also tie back to the purpose and message of the selection.

Claim: The story of Little Red Riding Cap makes it seem as though all women are damsels in distress and can only be saved by a man through the use of stereotypes. Evidence: Warrant: the name Little Red Cap suggests she is not big enough to take care of herself the mother does not give Little Red the information she needs to be safe, other than “staying on the path” his shows that the mother sees Little Red as too young to handle the truth about why she shouldn’t leave the path the grandmother is seen as “sick” and in need of food and assistance, implies she is not capable of providing for herself and needs the help of others and her sickness makes her unable to fight off the wolf because she says she is “too weak to get up. ” her sickness makes her a victim to the wolf is seen as strong because he does eat the grandmother and then Little Red images show that women can either be easy prey for men or need a man to survive huntsman destroys the wolf and saves Little Red Cap and grandmother this event makes him the strongest figure in the story because he saves the grandmother and Little Red from their demise

YOUR PARAGRAPH SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS! (CLAIM): The story of Little Red Riding Cap makes it seem as though all women are damsels in distress and can only be saved by a man through the use of stereotypes and details presented. (EVIDENCE): First, women are seen as weak, and men are seen as strong. For example, the first stereotype we are given is in the name Little Red Cap. She is immediately described as little, which suggests she is not big enough to take care of herself since little usually suggests having a weakness. And the mother does not give Little Red the information she needs to be safe, other than staying on the path. This information shows that the mother sees Little Red as too young to handle the truth about why she shouldn’t stray from her route. And while it could be argued it is because she is too young, it is more than likely because she is a girl. This is confirmed with the image of the grandmother. The grandmother is seen as sick and in need of food and assistance, and her sickness makes her unable to fight off the wolf because she says she is “too weak to get up. ” Giving this image of her implies she is not capable of providing for herself and needs the help of others, and her sickness makes her a victim to the wolf. The details so far only perpetuate the stereotype that women are seen as physically weak. The choice of words to describe both Little Red and the grandmother have a negative connotation (“little, ” “weak, ” “sick”). Also, young is seen as dumb and old is scene as feeble. Stereotypes of the men are seen through the images created of the wolf and the huntsman. The wolf is seen as strong because he overpowers the grandmother and then outsmarts Little Red. Again this language conveys that men are smarter and stronger than women and continues to perpetuate the stereotype. And when the huntsman destroys the wolf, this event makes him the strongest figure in the story because he saves the grandmother and Little Red from their demise. These images show that women can either be easy prey for men or need a man to survive creating a stereotype of men as either predatory or heroic. This bias against women is dangerous because it only gives the impression that they can’t take care of themselves and it puts pressure on men that they have to be the hero, making it unfair to both sexes. (Warrant is in green)

Global warming articles Markey: Take action on climate now Says massive ice break, recent heat wave show need to battle warming "Global Warming: The Convenient Truth. " DIDL articles Author’s Purpose & message Bias they are seeing