Points of View Reference Center
Containing resources that present multiple sides of an issue, this database provides rich content that can help students assess and develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues and develop analytical thinking skills.
Resources for Critical Analysis
Points of View Reference Center covers hundreds of topics, each with an overview (objective background/description), point (argument) and counterpoint (opposing argument).
Each topic features a Guide to Critical Analysis which helps the reader evaluate the controversy and enhances students’ ability to read critically, develop their own perspective on the issues, and write or debate an effective argument on the topic.
Newest Topics Include:
- Carbon Capture
- Censorship and Democracy
- Electoral Reform
- Electric Vehicles
- Free College Tuition
- Political Rhetoric
- Remote Learning
- Supply Chain
- Ukraine
- Violence in the Media
Points of View Reference Center provides a balance of materials from all viewpoints with:
- Leading political magazines from across the political spectrum
- Newspapers
- Radio and television news transcripts
- Primary source documents
- Reference books
The database also offers related images and supplementary research guides for writing position papers, developing arguments and debating.
Curriculum Support
The content in Points of View Reference Center supports curriculum standards that ask students to analyze informational texts and hone their critical thinking skills. In addition, the interface includes the following features and benefits:
- Reading level indicators (Lexile Measures) to provide educators with an estimate of the search result’s reading difficulty and the approximate grade level reading ability required for comprehension
- Text-to-speech for HTML articles to help struggling readers and those learning English
- Illustrations and images to enhance content delivery and increase student engagement
- Curriculum Standards Module to help educators correlate EBSCO content quickly and easily to Common Core, state- or province-specific curriculum standards
This resource is a powerful research and teaching tool, and interest should extend far beyond debate and forensics applications.
— Kathleen McBroom, Booklist
