GUIDELINES FOR KEEPING A RESPONSE JOURNAL Very simply, a response journal is much like a diary. Only in this diary you will not be writing about that special someone you like the kind of day you had, that nasty teacher that will not stop assigning tons of homework, and all the other popular topics that are discussed in diaries. Instead, you will be exploring your feelings about and reactions to the novel that you have chose to read. Keeping a response journal will give you an opportunity to express you own opinions about what is happening in the novel you are reading. Passages that upset you, make you happy, or that you simply do not understand, can be discussed in your journal entries. You will have a chance to ask and answer questions that you think are important. You will be expected to make 10 journal entries for the novel. Prior to reading, choose the spots you will stop to make a journal entry. In your journal entries, you can discuss anything that interests you about the material you are reading (a character you despise, a scene that you found particularly moving, a setting that was described in extraordinary detail, etc.) There is no set limit on how long you entries have to be. Yet keep in mind, these journals will constitute a major portion of your mark for this unit. All I ask is that you think carefully about what you are writing, and be sure to give me complete answers. This means that you will have to explain in detail you thought, feelings, ideas and opinions. The following are some possible \statement starters for you to choose from when you are making you entries: a) My favorite characters….. b) The part I liked best….. c) I would like Wilbur as a friend because….. d) If I were the author I would…. e) What impressed me in this chapter was…. f) I noticed….. g) It upset me when….. h) I wonder about….. i) I don't really understand….. j) I now understand….. k) If I were_______________ I would l) I predict that….. m) I was shocked when / by….. n) I question….. You must use at least three of these statements when you are writing in your journal You can also make up some of you own. Remember, you journal is an opportunity for you to explore what you think is important. I expect that your journal entries be neat, well thought out, and legible. Take the time to read over what you have written after each entry to ensure that your ideas are in order. It is not necessary for you to summarize the chapters for me; I am more interested in how you react to what you are reading. READING RESPONSE JOURNALS I think… I wonder… I predict… I like… I wish… I don't understand… If I were the author… This part reminds me of… It seems to me… I question… If I were ___________, I would have… I noticed… I liked the idea that… Now I understand… What impressed me in this chapter was… This reminded me of … I felt… In my opinion… I know someone like… When this happens to me, I feel… One time I … It was, or was not fair when… The author could have… Besides writing entries telling what you are thinking about the book, you may write response journal entries which are letters - to the author, to classmates, to the teacher, or to characters in the book.
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