Name

Nabeel Syed
Class/per. 2
Date

Why Study Literature?

The writer makes good points on how studying and reading literature could be beneficial
for you. It was interesting to see a different perspective on literature as I was never a fan of
reading novels and poems. He supports his arguments using multiple theses to show the different
ways that studying literature can benefit you. However I disagreed with the cultural code thesis
in which he claims that reading literature provides a way for people to learn social behavior. I
think that it would be harder to learn these things through literature than it would be to learn it
through movies and TV or just through experience in social environments.

In the Seven Sins of Our System of Forced Education article the writer tries to point out
the flaws in our education system. He thinks that forced education is a bad thing so he outlines
the seven sins of the forced education system. I did not agree with most of the sins he was
pointing out but I think that was because it just depends on ones view of school. For example he
says that schools discourage cooperation because of a competition based system when in
actuality students learn to cooperate with each other through various group projects and
assignment in school.

Self assess. Fill out the chart prior to submitting your work for feedback:

Comments: Student
Concerns
(Evidence criteria/standards (Improve or
met)
Remediate)
1-2

Criteria
(Proficient)
CCSS standard &
Description of mastery

Advanced
Exceeded
Standard
3-4

I think that I am able to read

a text and understand the
its message and purpose
and to make arguments
based on the text using
specific evidence.

CCSS ELA R1
Read closely to determine
what the text says explicitly
and to make logical
inferences from it; cite
specific textual evidence
when writing or speaking
to support conclusions
drawn from the text

In my 2 paragraphs for each

of the texts I was able to
say what the central ideas
and message were, using
specific details.

CCSS ELA R2
Determine central ideas or
themes of a text and
analyze their development;
summarize the key
supporting details and ideas

I think I am able to clearly

see how a writer has
structured their pieces of
text and how they organize
their ideas and arguments.

CCSS ELA R5
Analyze the structure of
texts, including how
specific sentences,
paragraphs, and larger
portions of the text (e.g., a
section, chapter, scene, or
stanza) relate to each
other and the whole

Comments: Teacher

A student who earns a 4 goes beyond what was taught. A student who earns a 3 demonstrates a strong knowledge
of what is explicitly taught. A student who earns a 2 shows a grasp of the simpler concepts and may have errors or
omissions when it comes to the more complex concepts taught. A student who earns a 1 only demonstrates a partial
understanding of simpler concepts taught (Marzano 2006).