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Course: 6th grade reading and vocabulary (improved and expanded) > Unit 5
Lesson 4: Connecting multiple textsComparing different points of view: Why reading more than one source matters
One source just isn't enough!
Imagine you're trying to put together a puzzle, but you only have one piece. Can you see the whole picture? Of course not! The same goes for learning about a topic. If you only read one book or article, you're only getting one piece of the puzzle. You're missing out on different viewpoints, facts, and other important information that could help you understand the topic better.
When you read different books or articles—or even watch videos or listen to podcasts—on the same topic, it's like talking to different people with different ideas, backgrounds, and experiences. This provides you with a more complete understanding and helps you form your own opinion about a topic, rather than just accepting what one author or source has to say.
In this article, we’ll show you how to compare the information and points of view in different sources. Although sources can come in many forms, we’ll be especially focused on how you read across sources. This will help you read and think more deeply!
What makes reading different sources important?
- It helps you develop expert knowledge: No expert ever got all their knowledge from one source. Different sources provide different information about a topic. And reading as much information as you can gives you greater knowledge about a topic.
- It helps you to determine what is most likely true: Sometimes, a source provides information that’s wrong. Reading different texts on the same topic helps you determine what you think about a topic or what is most likely correct.
- It helps you support arguments: Sources may have differing views about a topic, or they may talk about the same topic from different angles. As you read across sources, you will acquire new forms of evidence to support your arguments. In addition, the more you see the same evidence across sources, the more confident you can be that that evidence is widely accepted as true.
How to make connections between more than one source
- Identify the focus of each source: Two texts may provide information about the same topic, but focus on different aspects. For example, both texts may discuss habits of king crabs. But, while one text highlights where they live, the other may focus on what they eat.
- Compare the information: What information is the same in both sources? Identify the ideas or facts conveyed in both texts.
- Contrast the information: Determine what makes the texts different from each other. Do the authors have different views on a topic or present different evidence in support of the same view?
Try it!
Remember!
Gaining a complex understanding of a topic requires learning from different sources. When you compare, contrast, and identify the focus of different sources, you sharpen your own knowledge. You also grow more skilled at supporting your own views and determining what is most likely true. Remember, the more pieces you have, the clearer the picture becomes. The world is full of interesting things to discover, and the more sources you learn from, the better you'll understand it.
Happy reading! 📖
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- First wrote May 1412:19pm 2024 remember meee(2 votes)