English IIIH
C.R.I.S. JOURNAL
GUIDELINES for READING and WRITING
Both good reading interpretation and good writing involve
Contemplation, Retrospection, Introspection, and Style. Interestingly
enough, these four areas just happen to correspond with the thinking
skills defined in Bloom's Taxonomy.
OVERVIEW
CONTEMPLATION--prolonged or careful attention to and study of
something. The reader or the writer gains knowledge of something, and
then works to comprehend it. He/she can paraphrase, or describe in
relation to that new knowledge, but that data is followed up with
commentary about the topic. Areas requiring contemplation may be
characterization, ideas, symbolism, plot incidents, and many more.
(Inference. Focus on what the author said.)
RETROSPECTION/REFLECTION--reflection on, or surveying of things from
the past and present. These may be past historical events or ideas
and events you read in the past in literature. The reader/writer
notices connections between something he is reading now, and
something he has read before. A theme may be similar; a character may
be reminiscent of some previously studied character; a theory or
action may remind the reader/writer of a similar one in history, or
current events. (Text to text or world connections. Focus on what the
author said.)
INTROSPECTION--reflective examination of one's own thoughts and
sensory experiences, and life. The reader/writer compares and
contrasts newly acquired knowledge with experiences from his/her own
life. (Text-to-self connections. Focus on what the author said.)
STYLE--the manner in which the writing is delivered. When reading,
one notices and analyzes the style of the piece being read; when
writing, one develops his/her own style and makes choices to best
achieve that style. Readers can determine a characteristic style for
most writers, yet at the same time style will vary slightly with the
purpose of the writing. This area of reading/writing correlates
strongly with the analysis level of thinking, but can also pull in
synthesis and evaluation. Style analysis includes structure
(organization), diction, tone, syntax, figurative language, irony,
and many more. (Literary analysis. Focus on how the author said it.)
DIRECTIONS: This is an ongoing assignment that will be completed
throughout the year. As you complete each reading assignment, use
post-it notes to flag passages and incidents that you would like to
talk about in relation to the four areas described above. In each
reading assignment, you should flag 5-6 passages or lines because
they are thought provoking, or disturbing, or revealing, or because
they remind you of an idea or situation you've encountered
previously. Before you actually write the journal, sift through the
passages you've flagged and pick the ones you wish to discuss in the
journal.
ASSIGNMENT:
1. CONTEMPLATION--Pick one passage or incident that stands out to you
for some reason. Perhaps it is an idea you think is important, or an
idea you find appealing. Perhaps it is a character or a conflict you
find intriguing. Perhaps it is something you've never heard of
before. Describe or paraphrase the item you've selected. Give a brief
commentary about the item. Explain its importance, or its disturbing
nature, or whatever. Give the page number.
2. RETROSPECTION/REFLECTION--Pick a second passage. This one should
be one that you can connect with something else you've previously
read either in history or literature (Text-to-text or text-to-world).
Explain the passage from the book and then explain how it is similar
to an idea from current events, history, or literature. Give the page
number.
3. INTROSPECTION--Pick a third passage. This one should be one that
you can connect with on a personal level (Text-to-self) Explain the
passage and then relate it to an anecdote from your life. Give the
page number.
4. STYLE--Pick a fourth passage. This one should be fairly long--two
or three paragraphs, or at least eight or nine sentences. You will
have to write, type, or photocopy this passage, and include it as
part of your journal (write it directly on the page, or paste a
photocopy onto a blank page). This passage should be selected on the
basis of writing technique. Pick a passage that strikes you as
particularly vivid and effective. Select on the basis of diction,
imagery, details, irony, syntax, metaphor, or some type of figurative
language. Use a highlighter to identify the techniques that interest
you. In your commentary about this passage you should identify the
technique used, why it is effective, and how it furthers the plot,
characterization, or ideas of the novel you are reading.
GRADING RUBRIC
Each student will be assessed based on the degree to which the
journal meets the following criteria.
1. Student identifies, contemplates, and comments about a passage in
each reading assignment.
2. Student identifies, and comments retrospectively or reflectively
about a passage in each reading assignment.
3. Student identifies, and comments introspectively about a passage
in each reading assignment.
4. Student identifies and analyzes the style of a passage in each
reading assignment.
5. Passages in each journal show depth and richness of thought or
style.
Student Models of Good CRIS Journals
Contemplation
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. As Montag floated down the river
(140), and walked into the circle of men with books hidden in them,
he slowly conformed to those men. But this conforming was different
than the conforming at the beginning of the book. Montag conformed to
be individualistic. Montag conformed to the ideas of thinking for
himself, voicing his opinions and acting according to his own
conscience. By conforming to Faber and the men in the circle, he
became an individual, an individual that was part of a group of
individuals. This group of individuals acted as one hand, but each
one had his own thoughts, feelings, and opinions. That is the perfect
median between conformity and individualism.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. When Montage is told to burn the
books and the house all by himself, why doesn't he suspect something
(117)? If Beatty is trying to fire Montag, then why doesn't he do it?
If Beatty already knows that Montag had books, then why wasn't he
under arrest before? I think Beatty is trying to build Montag's
record of criminal activity. First, the books he had. And second, the
murder of Captain Beatty.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. "Montag's face was entirely numb and
featureless; he felt his head turn like a stone carving to the dark
place next door, set in it's bright border of flowers. Beatty
snorted, "Oh, no! You weren't fooled by that little idiot's routine,
were you? Flowers, butterflies, leaves, sunsets, oh hell! It's all in
her file. I'll be damned! I've hit the bull's-eye. Look at the sick
look on your face. A few grass blades and the quarters of the moon.
What trash. What good did she ever do with all that? (113)" This was
disturbing to me because it makes me thing that Clarisse was a set
up. I know that she probably wasn't and that Beatty just thinks that
Montag was beginning to think like her, but the way he said, "Oh no!
You weren't fooled by that little idiot's routine, were you?..." It
makes me wonder if Clarisse was just a set up for Montag by Beatty to
see if he would react in a certain way. Like if he would go astray or
stop being a fireman, and indeed if Clarisse was a set up, it worked.
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. One part of this book that
really stood out in my mind was all of Chapter 5 (pg. 40-50). This
chapter discusses the relationship between bank workers and farmers
and responsibilities of each one. The reason I really like this was
because you could see the differences in lives. The book show how the
farmers could not do anything because of the drought and they were
losing all their money. It portrays them as the innocent victims.
They have spent their whole lives working on the farm, trying to make
the best of it. They have suffered for it and one day, a
representative from the bank comes and tells them they have to get
off. The bank worker hops in a tractor and starts plowing down the
farm, just leaving the families standing there in shock. They are
told that they must be out of the house in a few hours. This portrays
these bank workers as the rabid hunters. They are evil and come to
take over people's lives and stop all over them. Yet, the reason the
bank workers have this job is the same reason the farmers fight to
stay and that reason is to fed their families and keep them safe. So,
in a way, it makes the relationship between the two opposites kind of
contradicting.
Retrospection/Reflection
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. When Montag is running away from the
law and the news , and law authorities were chasing him with hounds
(121-165), it reminded me of a movie The Fugitive . In the move these
is a man that is running away from the law and hounds are chasing him
and he is broadcast all over the TV. This connection is important to
me because it paints a picture for me as I am reading through the
book while the case is going on.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. Of course this entire book is
basically about book-burning, and in this passage Granger is talking
about how they used to burn books, out of fear mostly. And now that
only place the books remained was in their minds, their memory. (150152). A short while back there was this young, smart boy talking some
about ancient Greece. He mentioned that we, on our time, didn't know
much about that time because of how they had burned the books and the
libraries. So if all the books disappeared, how are we supposed to
know anything about "old times"? Books contain much knowledge, and we
could lose that, Just like in ancient Greece and Fahrenheit 451.
Introspection
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. "And then he was a shrieking blaze, a
jumping, sprawling gibberish mannikin, no longer human or known, all
writhing flame on the lawn as Montag shot one continuous pulse of
liquid fire on him. There was a hiss like a great mouthful of spittle
banging a red-hot stove, a bubbling and frothing as f salt had been
poured over a monstrous black snail to cause terrible liquifications
and a boiling over of yellow foam...Beatty flopped over and over and
over, and at last twisted in on himself like a charred wax doll and
lay silent. (119)" This passage is so detailed, but sounds so gross
if you really think about it. When I was in eighth grade going to
Farrer, I remember a specific guy named Ray. He always bothered me
constantly. I'd remember his dumb comments he'd say, just so someone
would laugh. I never did. Even with the bad treatment he received, he
was still happy and I respected that in him. Well, in the next few
months he and I had a couple of classes together and we became pretty
good friends. But one day I realized that Ray hadn't been at school
for a couple of days. The second day that he was absent, I came home
from school and was watching the news and they were talking about a
lady who was doing something with gasoline in her basement and
somehow was lit on fire and was killed. I thought it was sad, but I
didn't really think much more about it until the day Ray came back
and told me that the reason why he had been gone for so long was
because the person who burnt was his mother. He described in graphic
detail his mom running up to him with fear in her eyes pleading for
help. "I did all I could," he said, "squirting her off with water
while she stopped, dropped and rolled., but it was too late. She was
covered with fire. I fought till the end, but at the end there was
nothing even the doctor could do. My mom lay dead on the ground. She
was like a rag doll lying down. How would you feel if you saw your
mom like this? How would you feel?" Even though this was a different
kind of situation, the way he described her was how Bradbury
explained Beatty.
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Lizzy went to a ball with her
family. There she met Mr. Bingley and his friend Mr. Darcy. During
one of the dances Mr. Bingley told Mr. Darcy to ask Lizzy to dance
with someone who was slighted by other men (56). Once I was at a
school dance and I was talking to my friends, there were four boys
and four girls all standing next to each other, and a slow dance came
on. All my friends got asked to dance except me. I was crushed. I had
not ideas what to do, so I just stood there looking absolutely
stupid. I wish I could have been like Lizzy and laughed about it.
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. "‘Gi' me that mouse!' But Lennie
mad an elaborate pantomime of innocence. ‘What mouse, George? I ain't
got no mouse.' George held out his hand. ‘Come on. Give it to me. You
ain't puttin' nothing over.' Lennie hesitated, backed away, looked
wildly at the bruch line as though he contemplated running for his
freedom. George said cooly, ‘You conna give me that mouse of do I
have to sock you?' ‘Give you what, George?' ‘You know what I want. I
want that mouse.' Lennie reluctantly reached into his pocket. His
voice broke a little. ‘I don't know why I can't keep it. It ain't
nobody's mouse. I didn't steal it. I found it lyin' right beside the
road.'" (pg. 8-9) Lennie found a mouse on the side of the road so he
put it in his picket so he could stroke it while he walked along. But
George didn't agree with his idea so George took it and threw it in
the bushes. The when George told Lennie to go and get some wood for a
fire, Lennie went and go the mouse again. So George wanted it back
and that is when they got into this conversation. This is almost
exactly like the other day when I was babysitting my neighbors. The
little girl I was watching wasn't supposed to have candy before
dinner, but she took some anyway and put it in her pocket. Then I
told her to give it to me and she did. Then I hid it in the cupboard.
When I went to check on her little sister, she got into the cupboard
and took the candy again. When I came back downstairs, I saw her
reach in her pocket to get the candy, so I found it again. And this
is just like the book because Lennie doesn't want George to know that
he has the mouse and the little girl didn't want me to know that she
had the candy.
Style
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. "There must have been billion leaves
o the land: he waded in them a dry river smelling of hot cloves, and
warm dust. And the other smells! There was a smell like a cut potato
form all the land, raw and cold and white from having the moon on it
most of the night. There was a smell like pickles form a bottle and a
smell like parsley on the table at home. There was a faint yellow
odor like mustard form a jar. There was a smell like carnations form
the yard next door. He put down his hand and felt a weed rise up like
a child brushing him. His fingers smelled of licorice. (144)" In this
passage Bradbury uses the senses to describe o the reader what the
forest is like. He uses smells that are common so that the reader can
smell the forest around them. This passage shows how Montag is slowly
becoming mor in tune with his surroundings. It even describes how his
hands, the rebel part of him, smell. Connecting him to the forest, as
he soon will become.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. "‘At the count of ten. Now! One!
Two!' He felt the city rise. ‘Three!' He felt the city turn to its
thousands of doors. Faster! Leg up, leg down! ‘Four!' The people
sleepwalking in their hallways. ‘Five!' He felt their hands on the
doorknobs! The smell of the river was cool and like a solid rain. His
throat was burnt rust and his eyes were wept dry with running. He
yelled as if this yell would get him on, fling him the last hundred
yards. ‘Six, seven, eight' The doorknobs turned on fie thousand
doors. ‘Nine!' He ran out away from the last row of houses on a slope
leading down to a solid, moving blackness. ‘Ten!' The doors opened.
(138-139)" This passage shows Bradbury's ability to manifest
suspense. It's maddeningly slow, leaving the reader in suspense.
There is a sense of hopelessness (five thousand doors) and a glimmer
of hope (the river). All the time you feel Montag's emotions and
exasperation as he passes on running for the river.
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. "The day was going fast now. Only
the tops of the Galiban mountains flamed with the light of the sun
that had gone from the valley. A water snake slipped along on the
pool, its head held up like a little periscope. The reeds jerked
slightly in the current. Far off toward the highway a man shouted
something, and another man shouted back. The sycamore limbs rustled
under a little wind that died immediately." (pg. 8) I love nature,
and the way this setting was described almost makes me feel like I'm
actually there. I love how the author described the sunset on the
mountain tops, "flamed with the light of the sun.." It sounds so
beautiful and so real. Describing the snake as a periscope was so
perfect. You totally get a feel for the image. The sounds of the men
shouting in the distance and the rustle of the sycamore limbs creates
a peaceful setting.
Carroll, Lewis. Alice in Wonderland. "‘What a curious feeling!' said
Alice. ‘I must be shutting up like a telescope!' And so it was
indeed; she was now only ten inches high, and her face brightened up
at the thought that she was now the right size for going through the
little door into that lovely garden" (pg30). The way the author used
shutting up like a telescope to signify shrinking in size leaves a
picture in my mind. I think he used this simile because Alice is
totally shot out from her world from this point. She is no longer
herself and she doesn't know who she is because she keeps changing
sizes.