Art of Thinking - Grade 7 Standards Assessment Questions

Identify different types of evidence and determine the relative strength of each type in supporting a statement or claim.

• Different types of evidence include statistical data, expert testimony, anecdotal evidence, and physical evidence. The strength depends on the context, but generally, statistical data and expert testimony are considered stronger than anecdotal evidence.

• All types of evidence are equally strong in supporting any claim, regardless of context.

• Anecdotal evidence is always the strongest form of evidence, regardless of the situation.

• Physical evidence is never considered strong in supporting a statement or claim.

Explain relevance and distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information in supporting a statement or claim.

• Relevant information directly supports or relates to the statement or claim, while irrelevant information does not contribute to proving or disproving the claim.

• Relevant information is always numerical, while irrelevant information is always descriptive.

• Relevant information is only found in textbooks, while irrelevant information is found online.

• Relevant information is unrelated to the claim, while irrelevant information is essential for supporting the claim.

What does it mean for a source to be reliable and how can you identify reliable sources of information?

• A reliable source provides accurate, well-supported, and unbiased information. Reliable sources are often peer-reviewed, published by reputable organizations, and cite evidence for their claims.

• A reliable source is any website that appears first in search engine results, regardless of its content.

• A reliable source is one that agrees with your personal opinions, even if it lacks evidence.

• A reliable source is any information shared widely on social media platforms.

Give two ways to determine if a source is reliable.

• 1. Check if the source is published by a reputable organization. 2. Look for citations and evidence supporting the information.

• 1. See if the source uses a lot of colorful images. 2. Check if the website has pop-up ads.

• 1. Trust the source if it matches your opinion. 2. Use sources that are popular on social media.

• 1. Choose sources that are easy to read. 2. Prefer sources with entertaining content.

Explain how data can be used to reliably support an argument.

• Data can be used to provide factual support for an argument, showing trends, patterns, or evidence that backs up a claim.

• Data can be used to make arguments less reliable by introducing random information.

• Data can be used to distract from the main point by adding unrelated statistics.

• Data can be used to replace logical reasoning entirely in an argument.

Give another way data can be used to support an argument.

• Data can be used to compare different scenarios or outcomes, strengthening the argument with quantitative evidence.

• Data can be used to make arguments less clear and more confusing.

• Data can be used to avoid providing any evidence at all.

• Data can be used to replace logical reasoning with unrelated facts.

Determine the degree to which sources from different mediums are reliable.

• Sources from different mediums can vary in reliability; peer-reviewed journals and official reports are generally more reliable than social media or opinion blogs.

• All sources from different mediums are equally reliable regardless of their origin.

• Social media posts are always more reliable than official reports or peer-reviewed journals.

• Opinion blogs are the most reliable sources compared to academic journals and official reports.

Explain the limits of data and how data is not always reliable.

• Data can be limited by sample size, bias, or errors in collection, making it not always reliable for drawing conclusions.

• Data is always reliable as long as it is collected from any source.

• Data never has any errors if collected digitally.

• Data can only be limited by the amount of storage available.

Determine how much evidence is sufficient to support a conclusion in different situations.

• The sufficiency of evidence depends on the complexity of the issue; more complex issues require more robust and varied evidence.

• A single piece of evidence is always enough to support any conclusion.

• The amount of evidence needed is the same for all types of issues, regardless of complexity.

• Only anecdotal evidence is required to support a conclusion in any situation.

Determine if one has enough information to determine the truth of a statement or claim.

• One has enough information if the evidence is comprehensive, credible, and directly addresses the claim.

• One has enough information if the claim is popular and widely accepted.

• One has enough information if there is a single source supporting the claim.

• One has enough information if the claim aligns with personal beliefs.