Build Critical Literacy Skills Through Real-World Issues

In today’s info-saturated world, teaching our students to be critical thinkers and readers is more important than ever. We need to give our students plenty of opportunities to read and analyze texts, to identify and question perspectives, and to make their own decisions about a text’s integrity.

 At Teach Starter, we’re passionate about teaching critical literacy skills to the younger generation. That’s why we’ve created this engaging reading comprehension project specifically aimed at upper elementary students!

In this project, students are presented with the following scenario:

Your town council is deciding whether Maple Park should be removed to make room for a new shopping complex. Some community members believe the shopping center would bring useful stores and new jobs to the area. Others want to protect the park because it provides green space, trees and a place for people to gather.

You have decided to make up your own mind about this controversial local issue. You have decided to read two texts you found in the local paper, The Maplewood Gazette: a feature article and a letter to the editor. After reading and analyzing both texts, you will decide whether you agree or disagree with the proposed shopping complex.

To complete this reading comprehension project, students will read, analyze and compare the two texts using their critical reading skills. Based on the information provided and their own inferences, they will decide whether they think Maple Park should be removed to make way for a new shopping center. They will then construct a paragraph explaining and justifying their decision.

This resource downloads as a black-and-white PDF or Google Slides file.

How This Text Analysis Activity Benefits Learners

This resource has been designed by one of our experienced teachers to help your students refine their critical literacy skills. Here are some of the benefits to your students from engaging with this resource: 

• Real-world relevance boosts engagement – The relatable topic of a local park vs a shopping center taps into students’ lived experiences. Many will have strong feelings about green spaces or new shops, making discussions lively and authentic.
• Supports comparison of multiple perspectives – Students analyze two distinct text types, helping them practice identifying bias, tone and purpose, skills that can be tricky to teach without clear, side-by-side examples.
• Encourages evidence-based writing – The final paragraph task guides students to justify their opinion using textual evidence, a skill often requiring repeated modeling and practice in upper primary classrooms.

Instantly Download This Critical Reading Resource

Use the Download button to access your preferred version of this reading comprehension project. Note that if you select one of the Google Slides files, you will first be prompted to make a copy to your own Google Drive.

Simply print or assign digitally, and you’re ready to go – no extra preparation required! 

If you intend to print the project booklet for your students, please consider printing it double-sided. The environment will thank you for it!

This resource was created by Stephanie Machart, a teacher in South Carolina and a Teach Starter collaborator.

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