1) Read your
character card.
2) Listen carefully as I read
aloud this scenario, which is
written from an objective
viewpoint presenting a
purely factual account
without emotional
involvement. 
0 Ricardo is walking Mrs. Best’s
two dogs-- a Great Dane named
Socrates and a Chihuahua
named Hercules. When Mrs.
Tate’s cat leaps off a fence and
darts in front of the dogs, they
break away from Ricardo and
chase the cat across several
yards, tearing up Mr. Abram’s
flower beds and knocking over
Julie Ames as she walks around
the corner.
Now, think about
your character. What
would be his or her
reaction to the scene?
Imagine that you are
that individual. Come
up with at least three
different reactions
your character might
have.
Write your character’s reaction in
your daybook.
Meet with the other
students who have
the same character as
you.
Together, you should. 
0 Write a paragraph from first-
person point of view explaining
what happened from your
character’s perspective. Your
description should seem like
your character is witnessing the
event
As you listen to other characters’ perspectives, pay
attention to differences and similarities. Pay
attention to emotional responses and any wording
that seems “unfair.”
Ricardo
Ricardo’s Father
Mrs. Best
Julie Ames
Mrs. Tate
Mr. Abrahms
Observations?
Things to Think about:
0 We all bring our own beliefs to what we experience
and what we read.
0 A bias is a tendency or a learning toward a certain
belief or attitude.
0 Being strongly biased can keep us from seeing things
clearly.
0 A person or a decision that is labeled as unbiased is
fair or impartial.
BIAS
0 Sometimes, an author’s writing will be influenced
by personal feelings about the subject. In other
words, how the author feels about something will
affect how he or she writes. In order to judge the
truthfulness or accuracy of a passage, the reader
must be able to evaluate how the author’s
emotions have shaped the way the author writes.
Bias vs. Objective
0 Some types of writing, such as news reporting, are
supposed to be objective. That means the author
should not let his or her feelings about the subject
show. When a writer can’t hide these feelings, or let
them affect the writing, this is called bias.
How authors express their
bias: Loaded Words
0 Loaded words: Words that have strong emotions behind
them are called loaded words. They are usually negative.
This technique is also called Semantic Slanting.
“Semantic” means word, and “Slanting” means to make one
think in a certain way
0 Loaded words are words that have a STRONG connotation
that is either positive or negative.
0 What’s the difference in connotation in these sentences?
0 She was an opera singer.
0 She was a diva.
More with Loaded Words
0 Each group of words carries a similar basic meaning
(denotation), but that they are perceived in different
ways (connotation.)
More with Loaded Words
How Authors express their
bias: Stereotypes
0 Stereotypes: Stereotypes label all members of a
group as being the same and does not take individual
differences into account. This often results in
prejudice.
0 A stereotype is a widely help but fixed and
oversimplified image of a particular type of person or
thing.
You could tell that he was smart by
the thick glasses that he wore.
Examples of Stereotypes
0 Dumb Jock
0 Men are strong and do the work
0 Throw like a girl (stereotype that women aren't as good at
sports)
0 All librarians are women who are old, wear glasses, tie a high
bun, and have a perpetual frown on their face.
0 All teenagers are rebels.
0 All women like the color pink.
How Authors Express Their
Bias: One-sided arguments
0 One-sided arguments: This happens when writers
present only one side of the situation.
A One-sided Argument
0 “Mom, you have to let me stay out until midnight. All
of my other friends’ parents are letting them stay out.
Plus, I am much more mature than Samantha was
when she was 12 and you let her stay out until
midnight all the time. There is no reason for you not
to let me stay out until midnight!”
Use the bias-meter to determine just how
bias or objective these paragraphs are.
0 1.
Martin Luther King was the greatest Civil Rights
leader in the history of the world. He did more to
advance the rights of African Americans than any
other person known to man. No one before or since
has come close to the extraordinary achievements of
Martin Luther King. He is an American hero.
0 2.
Homework is one component of academic
learning. Along with class work and tests, homework
provides an opportunity to practice skills and absorb
new ideas.
Use the bias-meter to determine just how
bias or objective these paragraphs are.
0 3. Women make better doctors than men. They bring a
natural compassion and sensitivity to the field of medicine
that men do not possess. Patients in the 21st century are
receiving better medical care because of the increased
numbers of women doctors.
0 4.
The recent lifting of the ban on women in combat
positions in the military is foolish and dangerous. Men
have superior physical strength to women. They also have
a superior intellectual ability to understand combat
situations. Allowing women to assume combat positions
will place their fellow soldiers in harm’s way.
Practice Identifying Bias