DOUBLE-ENTRY JOURNAL (DIALECTICAL JOURNAL)

Objective: Given the guidelines to a double-entry journal, which will foster improvements with comprehension, vocabulary and content retention, we will create a variety of connections (text-to-text, text-to-self, text-to-world) by reading our SSR books along with pieces of text in class.

Goal: This will help me by:

1.  Reacting to an author’s main idea, topic development, argument, etc.

2.  Keeping track of my learning during question and answer sessions

3.  Looking at specific lines and passages for clarity of meaning

4.  Analyzing the purpose of different aspects of imagery, figurative language, theme, etc.

5.  Interpreting a line of poetry or to decide how they feel about a character (words, actions, etc.)

Instructions:

1.  You are to keep a Double-Entry Journal during your reading of your SSR book. You must have ______entries per week. Your first journal entry will begin the week of ______. The length of your responses is not as important as the depth of thought and expression in your responses. Each entry will count based on a 4 point rubric. (Please see the attached rubric.) Your final collection of DEJ will be due on ______. You will have to have ______entries.

2.  Your Double-Entry Journal may be typed or neatly handwritten on binder paper. Fold the page down the middle and draw a line down the fold to separate the left from the right hand columns.

a.  The left side must contain examples of imagery, figurative language or a quotation from the reading with page numbers noted. Should you wish to refer to a particularly large selection, you may paraphrase it.

b.  The right side must comment on two of these eight points. Your right side can respond to questions such as:

i.  What strikes you about this?

ii.  What was your first thought when you read this? And then? And then?

iii.  What does this passage/idea make you think of or remember?

iv.  Do you want to challenge or qualify this author’s claim? In what ways do you agree with it? Disagree?

v.  What else have you read/heard/experienced that connect with this author’s ideas?

vi.  Does something confuse you or lead to further questions?

vii.  How do you feel about this?

c.  This section is YOUR thoughts and reactions, along with analyzing its purpose, so it should be in the 1st person P.O.V. IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM ARE YOU SUMMARIZING IN THE RIGHT COLUMN.

d.  Check out Mr. Rusert’s page on Lawndale’s website for a link on double-entry journal examples.

e.  Look at the following for my example and a student example:

MY EXAMPLE

Title & Author of book: Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Hurston
Page / Imagery/Figurative Language/Quotations / Commentary/Thoughts/Reactions/Analyzing the Purpose (responding to 2 of the 8 questions)
1 / “The people all saw her because it was sundown. The sun was gone, but he had left his footprints in the sky. It was the time for sitting on the porches beside road. It was the time to hear things and talk. These sitters had been tongueless, earless, eyeless conveniences all day long. Mules and brutes had occupied their skins.” / I am very impressed by the way in which the author uses setting and metaphorical language to introduce the book. I don’t know anything about the book, but it really makes me want to read more.
The metaphor of the footprints in the sky….I think it could mean the sun is still lingering in the sky somehow. ‘His’ could be referring to God, since it is the sky and connects back to the title of the novel.
165 / “She crept on hands and knees to the piece of roofing and caught hold of it by either side. Immediately the wind lifted both of them and she saw herself sailing off the fill to the right, out and out over the lashing water.” / I clearly wanted to know more about what was going to happen to Janie and Tea Cake. I felt like I was in the storm; such great description. This scene also made me connect to what happened to victims of Hurricane Katrina and Super Storm Sandy, and they must have felt during the entire ordeal.

STUDENT EXAMPLE

Title & Author of book: Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Page / Imagery/Figurative Language/Quotations / Commentary/Thoughts/Reactions/Analyzing the Purpose (responding to 2 of the 8 questions)
8 / “Mom turned 15 shades of red and then we really went at it. Mom yelled at me about money and responsibilities.” / I could imagine Miranda’s mom really furious at her daughter. When I think about this metaphor, it reminds me of a water kettle being heated. When a kettle is being placed on fire, the heat rises and boils out anger; unable to force in the heat until within itself. It’s true; parents (especially mothers) tend to lecture their children about the ideal of life of what’s important and not. For me, I think it’s a teenager thing because at a young age we are still learning about life and going to a phase of maturity.
14 / “I know,” he said.
“But things might get a little crazy tomorrow night. Phone lines might get tied up, people calling each other. Sometimes people panic even if there’s no reason.” / This reminds me of the past natural disasters that happen all over the world. The reason is that when earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and etc. happens, people starts calling their loved ones quickly to ensure they are okay and safe. Also, I predict that something disastrous will happen because it’s odd Miranda’s older brother will call her about this when he is so much in a busy schedule (college).

Name: ______Double Entry Journal

English, Period _____

Mr. Rusert

Date: ______

Title & Author:
Page / Quotations (direct or paraphrase) / Commentary/Analysis
Double Entry Journal Rubric
CATEGORY / 4 (Advanced) / 3 (Proficient) / 2 (Basic) / 1 (Below Basic)
Content / Entries include much evidence of reflection about what you're reading. / Entries include some evidence of reflection about what you're reading. / Entries include little evidence of reflection about what you’re reading / Entries include no evidence of reflection about what you’re reading/No entries
Effort / The student always works hard to put their personality into the writing and responds in a way that lets you know him/her better. / The student often tries to put their personality into the writing and responds in a way that lets you know him/her better. / The student occasionally puts their personality into the writing and responds in a way that lets you know him/her better. / The student makes little to no effort to put their personality into the writing and responds in a way that lets you know him/her better.
Conventions / There are no mistakes in spelling, grammar or punctuation. / There are no more than 2 mistakes in spelling, grammar or punctuation. / There are no more than 3 mistakes in spelling, grammar or punctuation. / There are more than 4 mistakes in spelling, grammar or punctuation.

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