Dixon 2 Eric Dixon Mrs. Dickman English Composition I (ENGL-131-B21) 03 April 2021 MLA Exercise I had never considered the importance of illiteracy before. It was stated, ”They seldom wander past the streets and neighborhoods they know. Geographical paralysis becomes a bitter metaphor for their entire existence” (Kozol 67). I was shocked that people were locked into the locations they were at because of the lack of reading, as I had always assumed that people would ask for directions if they are lost, much as I do. I personally believe now that literacy is more important than I had ever thought. To me, learning that illiterate people have no way for recourse due to lack of knowledge is something that needs to be fixed. No one should have to be unable to face their landlord because “challenging his words conveys a danger,” not knowing that they have options (Kozol 69). I believe that everyone should be able to feel safe no matter what. Works Cited Kozol, Jonathan. “The Human Cost of An Illiterate Society.” A Pocketful of Essays: Thematically Arranged Volume Two, edited by David Madden, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2005, p. 63-70. Essay #3—Researched Assignment—Due Sunday to the correct submission location in Week Six Content (100 points) This essay has more requirements, so give yourself time to complete it. All papers need to follow all the Guidelines given after the topics. Topics: For this essay, you will need to make your own case/argument for why reading is important. Choose one of the following ways to focus your essay: Option 1: Make a case for the importance of reading. How does reading impact your daily life? Why will it be important in your college education or your career? Why should everyone have the opportunity to learn to read? How could this be done? Be specific with examples and details. OR Option 2) Make an argument supporting a claim about your school and how its approach may have influenced your attitude about reading today. Think about your own education. Do you remember how your school (name your school) reinforced or taught reading skills? Was there something your school did to help you with learning how to read? Did it help create a love of reading? What type of reading? Or was there something your school did that gave you a negative impression about reading? Did it influence you to not read much on your own? Be specific about this by naming a specific activity or approach. Is this something other schools should do or not do? Explain why or why not. Requirements for all papers: This paper will need to be at least 3 full, typed pages plus a Works Cited page. The paper will need to be set up in MLA format. You will need to develop a strong thesis that sets up your argument and includes your stand on the issue and your main points for support. This paper does require research; however, the majority of the paper should be your examples and ideas. No more than about 20-25% of the paper should be from any ...

1. Dixon 2
Eric Dixon
Mrs. Dickman
English Composition I (ENGL-131-B21)
03 April 2021
MLA Exercise
I had never considered the importance of illiteracy before. It
was stated, ”They seldom wander past the streets and
neighborhoods they know. Geographical paralysis becomes a
bitter metaphor for their entire existence” (Kozol 67). I was
shocked that people were locked into the locations they were at
because of the lack of reading, as I had always assumed that
people would ask for directions if they are lost, much as I do.
I personally believe now that literacy is more important than I
had ever thought. To me, learning that illiterate people have no
way for recourse due to lack of knowledge is something that
needs to be fixed. No one should have to be unable to face their
landlord because “challenging his words conveys a danger,” not
knowing that they have options (Kozol 69). I believe that
everyone should be able to feel safe no matter what.
Works Cited
Kozol, Jonathan. “The Human Cost of An Illiterate Society.” A
Pocketful of Essays: Thematically Arranged Volume Two,
edited by David Madden, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2005,
p. 63-70.

2. Essay #3—Researched Assignment—Due Sunday to the correct
submission location in Week Six Content (100 points)
This essay has more requirements, so give yourself time to
complete it.
All papers need to follow all the Guidelines given after the
topics.
Topics: For this essay, you will need to make your own
case/argument for why reading is important. Choose one of the
following ways to focus your essay:
Option 1: Make a case for the importance of reading. How does
reading impact your daily life? Why will it be important in your
college education or your career? Why should everyone have
the opportunity to learn to read? How could this be done? Be
specific with examples and details.
OR
Option 2) Make an argument supporting a claim about your
school and how its approach may have influenced your attitude
about reading today.
Think about your own education. Do you remember how your
school (name your school) reinforced or taught reading skills?
Was there something your school did to help you with learning
how to read? Did it help create a love of reading? What type of
reading? Or was there something your school did that gave you
a negative impression about reading? Did it influence you to not
read much on your own? Be specific about this by naming a
specific activity or approach. Is this something other schools
should do or not do? Explain why or why not.
Requirements for all papers:
This paper will need to be at least 3 full, typed pages plus
a Works Cited page. The paper will need to be set up in MLA
format.
You will need to develop a strong thesis that sets up your
argument and includes your stand on the issue and your mai n
points for support.
This paper does require research; however, the majority of

3. the paper should be your examples and ideas. No more than
about 20-25% of the paper should be from any source.
Required Research: You will need to use the following for
research and support for all essays:
1) you will need to use at least one quote (you can use
more, but try not to go over 3) from the essay by Kozol in the
Madden text,
2) you will need to use at least two quotes (no more than
4) from an academic (scholarly) article found through the
library’s database called Academic Search Complete on the
topic of literacy or reading (or reading education, specific
programs, etc.) that relates to your topic. This cannot be a
review, blog, or opinion piece. You need to check your source
to make sure it will work for your paper. This could be the one
you found for the MLA Exercise, or something else. I must be
able to find this article in the database, so be careful with
documentation.
If you need help finding sources, be sure to ask a UC Librarian.
3) you will need to use your own experiences for support
throughout the paper. This is a required element. This will help
give the paper your voice. Be specific with school names and
other details. When you talk about your own experiences, you
may use “I,” but still avoid “you.”
4) For this size of paper, you don’t need sources beyond
this. Any additional source must be scholarly/academic. If you
use additional sources, you must still use all of the MLA
documentation details required for any source.
The use of any plagiarized ideas, quotes, paraphrases, or
summaries will fail the paper.
Documentation:
In-text Citations: All papers must use MLA documentation to
correctly cite any and all quotes, paraphrases or summaries used
in the paper. In-text cites must be provided each time a source
is used to indicate what information is not your own. Remember
to use this general format: Signal phrase, “quote” (author page).
A paper that does not correctly do this or that hasany

4. plagiarized passages will not pass. See Hacker and Class
Information for more details.
Any source used in the paper must also have a corresponding
entry on the Works Cited page. For example, you can use Kozol
three times in the paper, but you only need to give it once on
the Works Cited page.
Plus,
The paper must include a Works Cited page at the end of the
paper that is included when the paper is submitted. This should
have at least two sources on it—the Kozol essay and your
research article.
These sources must be set up according to MLA guidelines (see
Hacker p. 474 for a visual).
Remember, any source listed on the Works Cited page must
have at least one corresponding in-text citation in the paper.
A paper that does not have a completed Works Cited page
included when the paper is submitted by the Due Date will not
pass.