Carlos received a low grade on his first term paper for his Introduction to Political Science class. He was surprised by the gra
de because he worked hard on the paper and in the class. He didn't miss a class all term, read all the assigned readings from the textbook, and took excellent notes. He earned an A- on the first exam, so he knew he was grasping the material. In researching his paper, the only readings Carlos skipped were recommended magazine and journal articles, which he determined weren't necessary because the topic of his paper was covered very thoroughly in the text. When Carlos met with his professor for an explanation, he was told that he received a low grade because his paper was too one-dimensional. His professor felt Carlos simply regurgitated the material from the textbook rather than looking to multiple sources for evidence before forming an opinion. Carlos needs to work on his _____ skills.
Carlos's teacher hoped that he would do a research paper, where he would discuss the opinions of the nominated book and show the opinion of other authors who were influential in bringing Carlos to a concrete and objective conclusion on the proposed theme. Carlos's teacher hoped that through this activity, Carlos would do research that would sharpen his critical thinking and train him to make arguments, but Carlos did not do so and merely regurgitated material from the book and delivered a one-dimensional, weak, and in-depth essay. Carlos will only be able to deliver an essay the way his teacher wants, if he improves his research skills.
