EXPLORE

Is critical literacy vital element to teach pupils in the 21st century?

Critical literacy is a vital element to teach pupils in the 21 st century because Critical literacy is the ability
to actively read text in a manner that promotes a deeper understanding of socially constructed
concepts; such as power, inequality, and injustice in human relationships. Critical literacy encourages
individuals to understand and question the attitudes, values, and beliefs of written texts, visual
applications, and spoken words. The development of critical literacy pushes students to question issues
of power; in essence, to become thoughtful, active citizens. Becoming critically literate means that
students have developed and mastered the ability to read, analyze, critique, and question the messages
inherently present within any form of text. 

ELABORATE

Read the questions and instructions carefully. Write/print your answers in an A4 sized bond paper.

1. Assess your critical literacy skills by answering the following questions with yes or no and support

your answer.

a. Do you evaluate your sources before using them in your essay?

Yes, because evaluating sources encourages me to think critically about the reliability, validity,
accuracy, authority, timeliness, point of view or bias of information sources.

b. Do you support your opinions and claims with experts’ ideas?

Yes, because most of the experts ideas involves establishing a piece of fact (also see evidence)
or advocating for a judgment of value.

c. Do you read with a critical eye?

Yes, because I need to be careful of judgment about the good and bad parts before I accept
them.

d. Do you manage the vast amount of information you need to read?

Yes, because I need to focus on the main idea of every information, not the device or data
center.

e. Do you verify data and information before accepting them?

Yes, because verifying my data ensures: debts reported for my students accurately reflect the
amount of the assistance they have received and how much they can expect to repay through
taxation.
2. Let us explore your personal literacy histories by recalling and writing the data needed on the

following:

a. Your first memories of reading (what, where, with whom?)

My first memory of reading is when I was in my elementary years, Grade 1 student to be exact.
Our teacher is teaching me how to read in our classroom and eventually I finally learned how to
read.
b. Favorite reading as a child and as an adult
When I was a child, I really love to read fiction books and up until now my love of reading fiction
books grow even stronger because I love when a book takes me to the furthest nook of my brain
and expands my knowledge.
c. The most important book/s or author/s in your life
The most important books in my life are the “Shatter Me" series by Tahereh Mafi. It is a young
adult dystopian suspense series with paranormal and romance elements written by Tahereh
Mafi. The series follows the story of Juliette Ferrars, a girl with a paralyzing and killing touch.
d. The main roles and purpose of reading in your life (as a parent, professional, for pleasure,
religious purposes, etc)
For me, reading plays a big role in my life because reading help me build a better vocabulary.
Reading is very important for me because it is a primary vehicle to growing that knowledge.

EVALUATE

Visit this website https://www.sushidog.com/bpss/appendix.htm and choose one short story.

Summarize it and do the textual analysis.

A NIGHT IN THE HILLS

by Paz Marquez Benitez

Gerardo Luna, a jewelry store salesman in his 30’s, has always dreamed to go to the forest which he
regards as a beautiful place. One day, when Ambo, an orchid gatherer who buys some jewelry for his
wife’s store, tells Gerardo about living in the forest for weeks at a time, the latter gets more interested,
and tells his wife about it. However, his wife is eyeing only the business aspect of such idea. Hence, he
never mentions his dream again.

Then Gerardo’s wife dies. At last, he can fulfill his long-time dream, especially that Ambo has come
again, with stories regarding newly opened public land on a forest plateau. So, the two of them plan to
go to the forest. Before actually going to the planned trip, Gerardo’s Ate Tere is not so keen on the idea.
She wants him to marry Peregrina who will surely take him the minute he proposes.
 Ambo and Gerardo go to the hills, and it is among the foothills where they spend noontime. Gerardo is
tired and sweaty, and he asks for water, which, according to Ambo is ten minutes away. They walk and
walk, and along the way Gerardo experiences nature in a manner that is not that wonderful for him.

Finally they enter the dim forest. Gerardo is uncomfortable on his bed of small branches and twigs. He
cannot sleep that night; he thinks of his wife, not fondly, though. He also thinks of God. He is oppressed
by nostalgia. There is an eerie light in the forest, and Gerardo hears strange sounds that are caused by
tree worms. Then he hears water from afar. All in all, he feels that he will never understand the forest.

Gerardo goes home, first getting his house’s key from his Ate Tere. There he meets Peregrina whom he
tells “Pereg, as soon as I get these clothes off I shall come to ask you a question that is very—very
important to me.” As she smiled eagerly but uncertainly into his face, he heard a jangling in his hand. He
felt, queerly, that something was closing above his hand, and that whoever was closing it, was rattling
the keys.

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

• What is the subject of topic of this text?

In my opinion, the subject of the topic this text is things are not always as they appear to be is
applicable to this story. 

• Why might the author have written it?

The author tells the story in third person (using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc).  We know only what the
character knows and what the author allows him/her to tell us. We can see the thoughts and feelings of
characters if the author chooses to reveal them to us.

• Who is it written for? How do you know?

I think it is for the people who have big dreams. It clearly stated that as an individual you should be
ready in facing your dream. How you imagine things is not the same as the reality. Expect the
unexpected.

• What values does the author assume the reader holds? How do you know?

The values that the author assume the reader holds that there is always a good and bad side to
everything and there is always more to everything.

• What knowledge does the reader need to bring to the text in order to understand it?

That it’s okay to explore new things, gain new experiences but you have to ready yourself for the
unimaginable and always expect the unexpected.
• Who would feel ‘left out’ in this text and why? Who would feel that the claims made in

the text clash with their own values, beliefs, or experiences?

I think the people who can relate about the story of a man who had a dream about going to a forest,
seeing something different than what he has been seeing for years. The story interested me, because it
challenged me to understand what it meant, it was a hard story for me to understand because I did not
know if it was a metaphor or what so I read the story a couple of times to understand what it meant.

• How is the reader ‘positioned’ in relation to the author (e.g., as a friend, as an opponent,

as someone who needs to be persuaded, as invisible, as someone who agrees with the

author’s views)

You can compare Gerardo’s experience with nature to how we perceive life.  We see life and prepare for
it but if you get to that point in your life, it will surprise you of how different it was from how you
pictured it. It can be like a child thinking of how free you can be when he/she becomes an adult, but
realizes how difficult it will be because of all the responsibility and more challenges they have to face
when they do get to that point in their life.