Shahrukh Shaikh

AP Literature Period 2
26 August 2016

Why Study Lit

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Seven Sins of Education:
In Seven Sins of Education, Peter Gray explores the issues of the current educational system
and exploits them. Although I can agree with some aspects of his argument, I holistically have to
disagree have with it. Gray consistently bases his argument off of exaggerations. For instance,
Gray states that school emphasizes incessant testing, grading and ranking. Many people can
find fault in this system; however, there is a reason that a system like this is in play. Although I
do agree that students are not defined by a grade or a number, this system is what makes good
students the people they are. The reason for testing is that students can have their opportunity
to show their mastery of the subject. This is comparable to a sports situation, as athletes use big
games to show off their mastery to the masses, yet nobody complains about this. Additionally,
Gray makes skewed links to other subjects, such as fear. He makes this relation through stating
that learning is best in a playful state. Although this can be positive, in higher levels of
education such as college, learning follows a normal procedure and is not necessarily playful.
Since this is the education that actually matters the most in ones life, it clearly seems to be
working.

Why Read Literature:

In On the Uses of Studying Literature, the author qualifies literature as a medium that pulls one
into its own realm while using mundane language. Literature is not a one dimensional facet of
life, but instead, something that is deeply complex. To aid this, the author breaks down multiple
components of literature and how society interprets them. Literature is seen as a tentative
force, so that its always open to interpretation. Although there are guidelines, any author can
break apart or interpret those guidelines in their own manner. An author could strictly follow the
unwritten rules, or even totally break them apart. For instance, literature can use a reflection of
reality, a situation in which a symbol can stand for something much more than it actually is. In
countless works of literature, and even other mediums, symbolism is the core of the plot.
Literature finds a way to talk about things that are not usually mentioned in everyday society.
Literature breaks bounds and let's ideas flourish that would not have a chance to in a normal
situation. On the Uses of Studying Literature flawlessly describes why literature is very valuable
for our society and how it helps society understand certain aspects of life.

Comments: Student
Concerns
(Evidence criteria/standards (Improve or
met)
Remediate)
1-2
I needed to analyze the text
more closely and actually
quote details from the
passages to better my
analysis.

I managed to find my
central argument and base
it off the argument of the
author from each of the
texts.

Criteria
(Proficient)
CCSS standard &
Description of mastery

Advanced
Exceeded
Standard
3-4

Standard/Criteria 1

RL1: Read closely what

the text says explicitly &
to make logical
inferences from it; cite
specific textual evidence
when writing or speaking
to support conclusions
drawn from the text.
Standard/Criteria 2

RL8:Delineate and
evaluate the argument
and specific claims in a
text, including the validity
of the reasoning as well

Comments: Teacher

as the relevance and

sufficiency of the
evidence.
Standard/Criteria 3
I wrote my arguments in a
coherent way and weaved it
with analysis that assisted
it.

W1: Write arguments to

support claims in an
analysis of substantive
topics or texts using valid
reasoning and relevant
and sufficient evidence.
Standard/Criteria 4

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).