http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/school-recess-improves-behavior/

This website’s use of facts and statistics towards one perspective on the topic lead me to believe that the author’s purpose is to persuade. “When teachers were asked to rate children’s behavior, the children who received 15 minutes of recess scored better than those who didn’t get recess.” This quote shows that kids tend to have improved behavior if they have recess, leading the reader to believe that recess is helpful to the kid’s efficiency at school. After reading the article, the reader is left wanting recess to be kept in schools, meaning that there is a slant towards one side of the topic. The author also increases her reliability by quoting from Dr. Barros, a pediatrician and an assistant professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, “At recess, students ‘use all the things they learned in the classroom.  When they are doing hopscotch, they are using math skills.  Kids learn a lot of social skills during recess, such as playing, sharing, being the leader, following somebody.  It’s all very important.’”  By using a primary source from a professional, the author persuades the reader into believing in her side of the topic.  The author only seems to give facts towards one perspective on the topic, leading me to believe that she has a viewpoint towards allowing recess in schools. The author includes a text feature (image) of children playing at recess. This image uses pathos by showing what kids will be losing if recess is taken out of schools, and then causes the reader to want the kids to continue having recess. This article was posted on January 28, 2009. It was published in the New York Times, a very prestigious newspaper, and was written by Tara Parker-Pope. Based on the newspaper this was published in, the recent date, and the use of many facts, I can conclude that this is a reliable source.