critical thinking

How much did Amazon make during the pandemic? How do sellers cheat the system?

Reading response article about CRITICAL THINKING and MULTIPLE POINTS of VIEW.

The informational text is differentiated into four reading levels (Grades 6, 8, 10, and 12.)

Do your students know…

• How much do we spend online? (Try guessing.) 

• How much did Amazon make during the pandemic?

• How does Amazon calculate product ratings?
  (It’s not a simple average.)

• How do sellers cheat the system by getting fake reviews?

• Why would people be willing to leave fake reviews?

This article includes a Critical Thinking mini-lesson.

• How to be FULL-MINDED and explore multiple sides of an issue 

• Brainstorming prompts to think about different points of view.

The discussion handout includes six questions.

Online Shopping and Fraud

Americans will spend an estimated $207 billion in online shopping this holiday season. This is a ten percent increase from the previous year.

Adobe Analytics is a tool that businesses use to see how they are doing. The software examines over one trillion visits to U.S. retail sites. Adobe analyzes more sales data than any other company or research organization. In fact, they track over 100 million SKUs. (SKUs are the Stock Keeping Unit barcodes on the products we buy.)

Most of us recognize the Adobe brand. Adobe is famous for its graphics program, Photoshop. They have a well-known PDF reader. But this tech giant is also a big player in business intelligence. You may know some of the companies that use Adobe Analytics. Apple, CVS Pharmacy, and Walgreens use this software. Ben and Jerry’s, Nissan, Sprint, and WestJet are also customers.

Adobe gives businesses insights into how consumers shop in real-time. This way, companies make decisions based on live data instead of guessing.

But, Adobe also combines the sales data from everyone who uses their analytic tools. They use this to report on market trends. This report is part of their Digital Economy Index. On October 20th, 2021, Adobe published its online shopping forecast. The 2021 holiday season runs from November 1st to December 31st.

• “Globally, online spending is expected to hit $910 billion this season, 11 percent growth year-over-year (YoY). Adobe expects over $4 Trillion ($4.1T) to be spent globally in all of 2021 — a new milestone for e-commerce.”

Big shopping days like Black Friday and Boxing Day are still important. But, data shows we do our online holiday shopping throughout the last two months of the year.

The world we live in has changed. Our parents may work in a nine-to-five job. They may work at the same company for their entire life. People today need to discover or invent new ways to earn a living. That might be a small restaurant changing to sell online during the pandemic. It could also be families trying to make ends meet by selling things from the garage. It’s not uncommon for people to work a side-gig. (A side gig is a job you do outside of your normal job because your regular job doesn’t pay enough.)

You can buy at any time using sites like Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Etsy. Once a person sells something on these websites, they have to ship the item to the buyer.

Some companies now also offer fulfillment services. This makes it easier for people to sell online. For example, Amazon will handle shipping, returns, and customer service. They want to help you “deliver smiles.”

All sorts of people sell on Amazon. The “Sell on Amazon” webpage explains why. “Reach millions. Fresh new startups and Fortune 500s. B2B and B2C. Brand owners and resellers. They all sell on Amazon for a reason: 300 million customers shop our stores worldwide.”

Covid has changed the way we shop. Amazon is clearly a winner. Between January to March of 2021, Amazon tripled its profit compared to January to March in 2020. In other words, Amazon made more money. This is because the pandemic forced everyone to stay at home. Being at home meant more shopping online. Amazon’s financial results show how much. “Net income increased to $8.1 billion in the first quarter … compared with net income of $2.5 billion … in first quarter 2020.”

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Everyone can sell on Amazon. But, product reviews can drastically increase or decrease sales. (Unless you’re a huge brand.) The “Amazon Verified Purchase” review label is a gamechanger. It can make or break your store.

Amazon’s help page explains the label. “An ‘Amazon Verified Purchase’ review means we’ve verified that the person writing the review purchased the product at Amazon and didn’t receive the product at a deep discount.”

The Verified Purchase review label directly impacts a product’s rating. Better ratings lead to more sales. Amazon product ratings are not a simple average. Another help page explains how they use machine learning. Computers come up with a star rating. Algorithms consider “how recent the rating or review is and verified purchase status.”

Nicole Nguyen wrote a series of articles about Amazon in 2019. She writes for BuzzFeed News. She interviewed Jessica, a woman who buys things on Amazon with her own money. (Jessica is not her real name.) Jessica’s purchases are real. Her reviews are not. Jessica writes five-star reviews. Then, she gets her money back from the companies that sell these products.

“Jessica told BuzzFeed News she doesn’t think she’s gaming the system; she’s trying to help brands grow their businesses in Amazon’s massive marketplace.”

Nguyen reported that Amazon sellers run Facebook ads. They want people to leave a 5-star review. If you do, they will give you a full refund. If you click on some ads, a Facebook chatbot explains what to do. It will show you how to leave a review without looking fake.

“Search for a particular keyword, look for the brand name…, add the product to your Amazon Wish list, then order the product. Make sure you don’t use a gift card. Half of the refund will be issued within 24 hours of receipt. The other half will arrive after you send a screenshot of your review. But be sure to wait ONE WEEK before reviewing.”

Teachers, when you purchase this resource, you get this article in PDF, Google Doc, and Microsoft Word format differentiated at multiple reading levels. Otherwise, if you just copy / paste this content into a document, you’ll have to search for this paragraph so it doesn’t distract your students.

The product using this Facebook ad had the “Amazon’s Choice” label. “Amazon’s Choice” implies endorsement by Amazon. But algorithms determine which products get that label. And, fake reviews can influence algorithms.

U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Richard Blumenthal took action. They asked Amazon for more information. They wanted to know how Amazon figured out who gets the “Amazon’s Choice” badge. The senators used examples from Nguyen’s article. The article was about how “‘Amazon’s Choice’ does not necessarily mean a product is good.”

“We write to express our concerns about the “Amazon’s Choice” badge and whether it deceives consumers into purchasing products of inferior quality… Your customers reasonably rely on the “Amazon’s Choice” badge to guide their final purchasing decisions… We are concerned the badge is assigned in an arbitrary manner, or worse, based on fraudulent product reviews.”

Brian Huseman works at Amazon. He is the Vice President of Public Policy. He responded and clarified what Amazon does. Amazon employees do not personally review the products that receive the badge. So employees are not looking at each product. They are not checking to make sure products meet a certain quality.

“While employees do not manually review every one of the more than 2 million products badged as Amazon’s Choice each month, we continuously monitor and review the program to refine and improve how we choose products we think customers will love. In the rare instances when we become aware of concerns with products we feature, we act quickly to address those concerns, including removing the Amazon’s Choice badge.”

Huseman said that algorithms decide which products get the “Amazon’s Choice” badge. Their computers look at many factors. This includes things like “popularity, available inventory, customer reviews, and ratings.” It also considers “pricing, customer service contacts, return rates, and product quality.” Huseman also confirmed everyone sees the “Amazon’s Choice” badge on the same products. Amazon does not change the label based on a buyer’s search and purchasing history.

Indeed, fake reviews are an issue. They directly influence our decisions to buy online. In 2018, Amazon spent over $400 million to fight misconduct. They were trying to stop review abuse and fraud. Amazon says giving incentives for reviews is not allowed. They may close your account. They might even take legal action. Huseman told the two senators that Amazon is suing over 1,000 defendants for reviews abuse.

Online e-commerce is a $4 trillion-a-year industry. There are a lot of different stakeholders. Many people are interested in this game. There is a neverending cycle of people trying to cheat the system and people trying to stop them. As people innovate to avoid detection, companies create more accurate fraud detection systems.

Ultimately, we need to use critical thinking to help us make more informed decisions before buying online.

Critical Thinking Discussion Questions:

One aspect of critical thinking means to be “full-minded” to help us make an informed decision. 

Sometimes, we make a quick decision with limited information.

Try to fill your mind with high-quality information to help you make an informed decision.

Look for facts from opposing points of view to challenge your opinions. Be open-minded.

Spend a few minutes brainstorming as many different nouns (people, places, companies, organizations, ideas) that could fit the following sentence stems.

(NOTE: You cannot use “Amazon” or “fake reviews” in your brainstorming answers.)

Critical Thinking – Brainstorm #1

Why might _________________ do more to stop fake reviews?

Why might they do less to stop fake reviews?

How does _________________ benefit if there are fake reviews?

How might they be at a disadvantage if there are fake reviews?

Critical Thinking – Brainstorm #2

Why might Amazon do more to ________________ ?

Why might Amazon do less of that?

How does Amazon benefit if they ____________________?

How might they be at a disadvantage if they ____________________?

Reading Comprehension Questions

Based on the article and the ideas about active Critical Thinking in the article, how would you answer the following questions: 

1. What is the problem in this article? Who wins? Who loses?
2. Who are the different stakeholders/people identified in this article? What might their points of view be?
3. Whose perspectives are missing from this article? What might their points of view be?
4. How can we think more critically when we shop on Amazon?
5. How can we use the information in this article to help us think more critically when we shop online on other websites?
6. Whose responsibility is it to solve this problem identified in question #1? Explain your thinking.

High-interest CRITICAL THINKING reading article.

• A school prevented a boy with autism from bringing his service animal to class.

• A Human Rights Tribunal said this was okay.

• Students explore multiple points of view to try to make an informed decision about whether this was systemic discrimination.

This reading comprehension article handout is differentiated at four grade levels:

• approximately grades 5, 7, 9, and 11.

This informational text is about Critical Thinking and how to seek out high-quality information from both sides to help make an informed opinion about controversial topics.

In Canada, a Human Rights Tribunal said it was okay for a school to deny a boy with autism his service animal in the class.

This ruling is controversial. It has sparked debate over service dogs in school. It also shows barriers that students with disabilities face in the education system.

The takeaway message is that we can make more informed decisions by becoming full-minded. 

• It’s important to think about the information you have.

• Then, try to figure out what information you might be missing.

• Finally, we need to go out and look for that missing information and consider how it might be right. 

Students get an opportunity to think about different points of view:

• the parents who say this is discrimination,

• the school board who says what they provide is enough,

• the human rights tribunal that agrees with the school board, and

• an accessibility lawyer that says the human rights tribunal failed. 

Service dog not allowed in class to help boy with autism.

In Canada, a Human Rights Tribunal said it was okay for a school to deny a boy with autism his service animal in class. This ruling is controversial. It sparked debate over service dogs in school. It shows barriers that students with disabilities face in the education system.

Kenner Fee is a 12 year old boy. He has autism. His service dog Ivy helps him function. The dog calms him down. This way, he can focus. He can also be more confident.

In Grade 2, Kenner was not allowed to bring Ivy to class. The school said the dog was not needed. It wouldn’t help him be independent. He wouldn’t do better with Ivy. 

The family asked the school board if Kenner could have Ivy in class. Two psychologists wrote medical notes. They supported Kenner having Ivy at school. But, the Waterloo Catholic District School Board still refused. The principal, superintendent, director, and school trustees all said no. 

So, the parents filed a human rights complaint. They said this was discrimination. In Ontario, the law gives people with service dogs some rights. Kenner has the right to have Ivy when he uses services open to the public.

The school board said schools are not open to the public. The Education Act is a law that schools follow. It restricts who can access schools. So, the school does not have to let a service dog in. They do have to give everyone an equal education. Schools do this in other ways.

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario is an informal court. They held some hearings. Both sides gave evidence to prove their point. The parents said the school failed to accommodate their son’s disability. They refused access to Ivy. The school said they educate fairly. They don’t discriminate. Their psychologists felt they were doing enough.

In August 2017, the tribunal agreed with the school board. They said the family failed to prove Ivy would help Kenner improve.

Michelle McQuigge is a journalist. She summarized the 52 page ruling. She wrote an article in Global News. “The decision says Kenner Fee’s family failed to prove that having his black Labrador Ivy in the classroom would help him with his education.”

The tribunal thought the school board was doing enough. They said Kenner had a chance to succeed like everyone else. They also thought the school proved he didn’t need Ivy in class.

“[They] found that the Waterloo Catholic District School Board took all necessary steps to evaluate whether the dog was needed in the classroom, and supported the board’s decision not to allow the service animal to sit beside Kenner during lessons.”

Fred Gore is the Director of Schools for some private schools. He worked with Kenner and Ivy during the summer. This was at St. Jude’s school. St Jude’s is a temporary alternative to the public system. Bright and gifted students experiencing learning exceptionalities can go there.

The school board told the tribunal that Kenner was not visibly upset in the classroom. Fred was not at the tribunal. But, he talked with CTV Kitchener News. “If they can’t see that Kenner is getting upset, visibly upset, then they don’t understand autism. He can’t function without his dog. He needs Ivy with him.”

Loretta Notten is the Director of Education for the WCDSB. The WCDSB gets public funds. (It is not a private school system.) She gave a statement after they won. She said the board’s decisions were upheld by the tribunal. She talked about how the school board works. They bring each student to their “fullest potential.”

“We do have a policy that allows for service dogs, and we follow a consistent process for each child and make decisions based on a case by case basis. . . . As a board we have a responsibility to all our students and must make decisions in their collective best interest, balancing our resources to serve all to the best of our ability.”

Amy Fee is Kenner’s mother. She is also an elected politician. She works for the province. In 2019, she talked about a new government rule. Schools must allow service dogs when it supports the student’s learning needs.

“For some families they’ve been struggling for years to try and get their child to be able to attend class with their service animal. It can be a child with autism who struggles to regulate their emotions and through the use of their autism service dog is able to attend class, be with their peers and confidently participate in their education.”

This human rights ruling in 2017 is still a hot topic. David Lepofsky is a respected lawyer and professor. He is the Chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance. In 2020, he wrote an article. He said the Human Rights Tribunal failed.

“This case painfully illustrates the serious and unfair disability accessibility barriers that students with disabilities too often still face in Ontario’s education system. It shows how families are unfairly required to repeatedly fight against the same barriers, at school board after school board.”

David gives the following example.

“A school board would not be viewed as being sensitive to a student’s needs if it concluded: You don’t need those eyeglasses . . . , in order to read. Glasses . . . are a form of dependency that you should avoid. We’ll instead give you large print books and documents,  and that is enough to meet your needs.”

The family has done a lot. But, Kenner is still not allowed to bring Ivy to class.

Critical Thinking Mini-Lesson

Sometimes, we make a quick decision based on limited information. 

It’s easy to jump to simple conclusions about complex issues – especially when we feel passionately about the issue or the topic is controversial. (Controversy means a prolonged public disagreement about something that people feel strongly about.) 

Being full minded is a critical thinking strategy we can use to help us form a logical opinion about a controversial subject. It means you try to fill your mind with high-quality information to help you make a better informed decision.  

• First, think about the information you have. What point of view or perspective does this information represent? Is this primary source information directly from someone involved in the issue? Or, is this a secondary source of information that includes some opinion or analysis of a primary source of information? 
• Then, try to figure out what information you might be missing. Who might have a different or opposite point of view? Where could we get information directly from the source so we can form our own opinions? 
• Finally, go out and look for that missing information. Consider how it might be right. Try to be open minded as you get information that disagrees with what you believe. Start from the other point of view and work your way backwards to your point of view. 

Now, you can make a more informed decision because your mind is more full. 

Reading Comprehension Questions

Based on the article and the Critical Thinking mini-lesson, how would you answer the following questions:  

1. Why does the school board not allow Kenner to have his service dog in class?
   • What reasons can you find that are directly stated?
   • What reasons can you find that are implied?
2. Why does Kenner and his family want the service dog in class?
   • What reasons can you find that are directly stated?
   • What reasons can you find that are implied?
3. What barriers (if any) did Kenner’s family face trying to get the school to allow their son’s service dog in class?
4. Why do you think the human rights tribunal ruling was controversial? (Controversial means a public disagreement that goes on for a while with strong emotions on both sides)
5. Look at the direct quotes used in this article. How does the author show when they insert, alter or remove words in the original quote? How does this affect the reader’s ability to be full minded? 
6. What would help us to be more full minded in thinking about this issue? What information are we missing?
7. Everyone learns in different ways. Should students be allowed to choose the way they learn in class? Be full minded as you explain your thinking.

BONUS QUESTION

Systemic discrimination is when a system (like a government or school board) has policies that seem neutral but they actually have unfair effects on some groups of people. 

Kenner is still not allowed his service dog in class. Is this an example of systemic discrimination?  Why or why not?