A dialectical journal records a dialogue
– conversation – between the ideas in the text (the words you are reading)
and the ideas of the reader (you).
In your journal,
keep a dialogue with yourself.
Write down your
thoughts, questions, insights, and ideas while you read.
· Fold the page in half.
· In the RIGHT COLUMN, record notes
from text or discussion.
· In the LEFT COLUMN, write down YOUR
OWN thoughts.
Step 1 ~ Reading for
Understanding
1. Read the text at least once.
2. On your own, record at least 5 entries in the RIGHT COLUMN
– unfamiliar words, important plot development, insight about a character, etc.
* Also, write down any questions your teacher or classmates ask aloud during reading in the LEFT COLUMNS.
* Record your answers on the
RIGHT.
3. After reading, write down your own
thoughts, questions, definitions for unfamiliar words in the LEFT COLUMN.
4. Write a summary of the entire text in a color that stands out.
Step 2 ~ Discussing
the Text/Adding to Your Journal
1. Discuss
the text with your classmates.
· Share
and compare summaries. Is yours missing any important information,
or does yours add to what your classmates’ wrote?
· Ask the questions out loud that you wrote in your journal, even if you already have an
answer for it.
2. In a different color, add to your journal any insights that your classmates offered.
· You must add at least 2 thoughts to your journal.
· Make sure all unfamiliar words are defined, all questions are
answered.
Step 3 ~ Reflect
Review your notes
and write about the following IN YOUR JOURNAL:
a.
What
was the text about?
b.
What
did you think of it?
c.
What
did you discover?
d.
What
do you still need to know?
Write down at least five things in a column on the right (insight, plot, discussion points, etc).
Write down your thoughts and responses to the points on the right in the LEFT COLUMN.
Write a summary of the whole text at the bottom.
