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SWBAT maintain their personal reading journals by crafting "double entry journal" responses.

• Interpretation
• Comprehension
• Reading response

How do double entry journal responses deepen our understanding of the text?

In your Reading Journals, fold one page into two columns. In one column, write:



"In the end, the love you take   is equal to the love you make."

- John Lennon, All You Need is Love.

"Now, take a minute and think about this particular quote In the neighboring column, I'd like you to write your thoughts. They can be as simple or complex as you want them to be. Don't worry if they're not 'too impressive' at first, these kinds of responses take practice."

(5-7 minutes)

Go around the room and choose some responses that students can share aloud. Don't forget to share your response as well.

Demonstration of Double Entry Journal

Read aloud a section of the book you are sharing with the class. Any will do for this exercise. Choose an entry that struck you most. Prepare a chart divided into two columns:



Text

|

My Response/Reaction


Describe why you chose the particular entry and show the students how you wrote it in your first column. Next, describe why that particular piece of text elicited a certain response/reaction from you. Show the students how you wrote your response/reaction in the second column.

(To save time, you may want to have these already prepped on chart paper. You can fold the paper in half so it is not revealed to the students beforehand.)

Take any questions.

(10-15 minutes)

Instruct the students to take the next 25-30 minutes to read their books (of their own choice) independently. They should have their reading journals and a writing instrument. Instruct them to create a "double entry journal as they are reading.

Go around the room to confer with some students or just guide them along if "lost."

When about 8-10 minutes are left, instruct the students to begin to write.

Choose 2-3 students to share their responses with the group or within their reading circles.

Continue to read at least 30 minutes a night and construct a reading response using the double entry journal method.

• This method can be used for almost any subject. I especially like to use it with film and drama. I have the students pick out lines and react to them, generally dialogues.
  
• Another cool activity, especially for social studies teachers is to have the students paste a brief news article on one page and write a reaction or opinion on the other page. You can then share the current events at the beginning of class. This is a good Monday or Friday activity.

E-Mail Jennifer Frankola!

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