04: Using a Rubric to Evaluate Analysis and Reasoning in Analytical Writing

Skill Focus: Distinguishing between reasoning and analysis — and learning to strengthen both.

🎯 Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to identify and evaluate reasoning and analysis in model analytical paragraphs — and apply those insights to improve your own writing.

Key Concept: What’s the Difference Between Analysis and Reasoning?

While analysis and reasoning are often used together in writing, they do slightly different jobs:

• Reasoning refers to the argument you're making — the logic behind your claim. It’s how you justify your thinking and explain why your evidence matters.
• Analysis is the act of zooming in — breaking apart specific words, phrases, or literary techniques to explain how the text conveys meaning or creates an effect.

Think of it this way:

🧠 Reasoning = what you’re arguing and why it makes sense
🔬 Analysis = how the text shows it and how you can prove it

Step 1: Open the Google Doc

To complete this activity, you'll need to view and interact with the student model paragraphs.