To Kill a Mockingbird Dialectical Journal
This quarter you will be reading Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird as your IRP book. Each week on
the block day you will interact with and analyze the text in class, however it is necessary for you to read the
novel at home. In order to participate in class discussions and activities it is mandatory that you keep up with
the reading. For each weekly reading assignment, you need to have at least one entry per chapter. Dialectical
journals will be due on the due dates listed below.
What is a Dialectical Journal?
A Dialectical Journal is a journal in which a reader maintains a written conversation with the text. You should
use this journal to:
 Summarize and question the text
 Connect method to purpose, effect, and
meaning
 Pose questions about what you have read
 Make choices about evidence
 Take notes on details, images, diction, etc.
 Document quotes
 Notice patterns
 Make inferences about characters, symbols,
 Write analysis and make connections
etc.
 Write analysis justifying an assertion
How should I set up my Dialectical Journal?
This is how you will set up each week's entry:
Chapter #: Title goes here (the chapters are not titled, you will make this up)
Text and main ideas
Reactions and details
Quote goes here – you may quote a phrase, sentence, Your reaction goes here – opinion, question, comment,
or section of the text. Also include proper
reaction, etc.
parenthetical documentation (Author page)
This reaction should be real, candid, honest, and school
appropriate.
In this section, record quotes that contain unique
Demonstrate insight and analysis!
examples of author’s style, figurative language,
thematic elements, character and plot development,
etc.
Example:
Chapter 12: Jem is Becoming a Gentleman
Chapter 12, page 115
This passage is important to the characterization of both
“This change in Jem had come about in a matter of
Jem and Scout. In the beginning of the novel, Jem and
weeks. Mrs. Dubose was not cold in her
Scout are like partners in crime. They play games
grave—Jem had seemed grateful enough for my
together with Dill and seem to have strong brother-sister
company when he went to read to her. Overnight, it
relationship. At this point, Jem is twelve and is about to
seemed, Jem had acquired an alien set of values and
be a teenager. He is changing and growing up. In this
was trying to impose them on me: several times
quote, Scout explains her frustration and confusion that
he went so far as to tell me what to do. After one
her brother is different. While Jem is suddenly concerned
altercation when Jem hollered, “It’s time you started
about her role as a girl and wants her to “act right,” Scout
bein’ a girl and acting right!” I burst into tears and fled is still very much a tom-boy and does not understand his
to Calpurnia.”
new “alien” values. This quote signifies that one sibling is
growing up while the other struggles to understand it.
Due Dates
The chart below reflects the reading assignments and due dates. Your dialectical journal for each section is
NOT due on the same day as the reading.
Chapter
Due Date for Reading
Due Date for Dialectical
Journal
1-5
6-11
12-20
21-28
29-31
January 15 or 16
January 22 or 23
January 29 or 30
February 5 or 6
February 11
January 17
January 24
January 31
February 7
February 12 or 13
Potential Journal Topics
Here are some possible topics for your Dialectical Journal. You are not limited to the topics below, this is
merely a starting point.
society
style
foreshadowing
themes
point of view
setting
characterization
satire
connotation of words
gothic theme
repetition for effect
motifs
gender roles
references that apply to the title (TKAM)
changes in tone
symbolism
courage
racism/prejudice
style
femininity
coming of age
author’s style (diction, syntax, etc.)