SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
HUMANITIES DIVISION
Facts and Ideas
Purpose: It is very important for a reader and a writer to make clear distinctions between facts and ideas. Too often people become confused between the two and as a result confuse themselves and others. The basis of clear communication is finding common ground and then to build on that. Thus we understand the reasoning that follows facts and are able to reconsider that reasoning more easily when more facts present themselves.
Approach: Look at one or more of the chapters or essays you have read in this class and make two lists. On one sheet list ten or more facts on another sheet list ten or more ideas. An example is found below.
Learning Objectives:
- Distinguish better between two primary aspects of writing
- Improve writing ability
- Read critically
An example:
Facts
"The course of debates can turn on personal defects, such as Richard Nixon’s five o’clock shadow in 1960."
"Mr. Gore will step on to the stage with an advantage: he has an impressive record as a debater, having mauled (somewhat unfairly) Bill Bradley in the Democratic primaries and, more justifiably, Ross Perot in a 1994 debate about free trade with Mexico."
"Mr. Gore is already claiming that Mr. Bush intends to give more away in tax breaks to the richest 1% of the population than he will spend on many social programmes."
Ideas
"He [Al Gore] also seems to have a more deeply rooted bias for government intervention than Mr. Clinton."
"There is something refreshingly medieval about the American tradition of presidential debates."
"Mr. Gore deserves tormenting over his allegiance to the teachers’ unions."
Taken from
"Lights, Camera, Action: What to watch for as America’s
presidential candidates take to television for their formal
debates" The Economist, September 30th, 2000