INDEPENDENT READING JOURNAL FORMAT
Name: ___________________
Period: _______
Novel/Author: The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitgerald) Pages read: _Ch.1 - 3___
Textual Evidence (direct and indirect
quotes & brief summary)
Analysis / Synthesize / Evaluate (next to
each quote or summary)
“It was the kind of voice that the ear
follows up and down, as if each speech is
an arrangement of notes that will never
be played again” (Fitzgerald, 2004).
SAMPLE DIRECT QUOTE
Ex: “direct quote”
(You need 2 quotes: 20 pts.)
Fitzgerald (2004) refers to Mr. Gatsby:
“A man of dreams…”
Ex: indirect quote (You need 2: 20 pts.)
 Tom Buchanan was described as a
wealthy, arrogant and muscular
man in chapter one.

 Nick is describing his cousin Daisy
and her demeanor toward others;
she seems to be an annoying
character
What can you infer from the quote?
What effect does it have on you, the
reader? Analysis (20 points)
Ex: Brief synopsis (20 points) of what you
read in these particular pages:
 This part of the novel (ch.1)
described how the main character
(name) had to grow up quickly. He
experienced many hardships at
home which led him to make
important decisions about his life.
 Chapter 2 focused….
 Chapter 3 described…
Apply background knowledge/sources to
formulate interpretation – Synthesize (20
points)
 The character of Tom seems to
contradict Nick’s character so there
may be some kind of conflict.
Your evaluation of text:
 The first chapter was very
interesting because I noticed how
Sam experienced difficult things in
his life since his adolescence; he
had to grow up quickly because of
these experiences.
 Chapter two seemed boring at
first, but then I learned…
 The last chapter caught my
attention because…
UPDATES:
1- You will continue with your journals for QTR 2 until we ended the novel.
2- You need at least 2 direct quotes, 2 indirect quotes and a brief summary to
obtain an A in this assignment with at least one APA Citation too.
3- The log will be completed for the four chapters we read bi-weekly.
Novel list:
Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)
The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)
The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller)
OR
Any nonfiction story that reflects one’s journey to self-discover or self-expression.
Introductory activity: Discuss the following with your LITERATURE CIRCLE
 Novel’s historical context (Based on what time period? What was
happening then?
 Who is the author? Discuss biography of him/her
 Setting (actual time & place of novel)
 Protagonists (main characters)
 Synopsis (brief discussion of plot)