7th Grade Jots Checklist:
(Note: These are used for work habits HW check, not qualitative reading grades.)
Jots: Beginning of 7th Grade
Purpose: To keep track of important details, ideas, and
questions as you read. You will use these jots later to develop
deeper ideas.
Directions: While you do your reading homework, jot down
details, ideas, or questions you have about your book. Remember
to practice the strategies and structures we teach in class!
Checklist:
❏ IDEAS: I jot ideas about characters, important details,
or thoughtful questions. Some of the time I write
deeper ideas.
❏ EVIDENCE: I keep track of quotes, page numbers, or
retells* to support my thinking.
❏ VOLUME: I write a 1-2 pages of jots.
❏ HEADING: My heading for each entry contains the
date, the book title, pages read, and whether it is CW
(classwork) or HW (homework).
Readers know they need to support their ideas with evidence
from the text. So...
What counts as evidence???
★ A quote of dialogue:
○ “ ‘I’m Robot Man,’ little Freak would go,
making these weird robot noises as he humped
himself around the playground” (p.2).
★ A quote from the narrator:
○ “I never had a brain until Freak came along
and let me borrow his for a while” (p. 1).
★ A retell of a moment, scene, or detail.
○ On page 1, Max describes how he used to kick
anyway who tried to touch him.
★ A mix of retell and quoting!
○ On page 3, Max describes the way Grim never
says Max’s father’s name. He only calls him
“Him, like his name is too scary to say.”
*Retell= Restating what happens in the text (paraphrasing)
7th Grade Jots Checklist: September-November
(Note: These are used for work habits HW check, not qualitative reading grades.)
Jots: Beginning of 7th Grade
Purpose: To keep track of important details, ideas, and
questions as you read. You will use these jots later to develop
deeper ideas.
Directions: While you do your reading homework, jot down
details, ideas, or questions you have about your book. Remember
to practice the strategies and structures we teach in class!
Checklist:
❏ IDEAS: I jot ideas about characters, important details,
or thoughtful questions. Some of the time I write
deeper ideas.
❏ EVIDENCE: I keep track of quotes, page numbers, or
retells* to support my thinking.
Readers know they need to support their ideas with evidence
from the text. So...
What counts as evidence???
★ A quote of dialogue:
○ “ ‘I’m Robot Man,’ little Freak would go,
making these weird robot noises as he humped
himself around the playground” (p.2).
★ A quote from the narrator:
○ “I never had a brain until Freak came along
and let me borrow his for a while” (p. 1).
★ A retell of a moment, scene, or detail.
○ On page 1, Max describes how he used to kick
anyway who tried to touch him.
❏ VOLUME: I write a 1-2 pages of jots.
❏ HEADING: My heading for each entry contains the
date, the book title, pages read, and whether it is CW
(classwork) or HW (homework).
★ A mix of retell and quoting!
○ On page 3, Max describes the way Grim never
says Max’s father’s name. He only calls him
“Him, like his name is too scary to say.”
*Retell= Restating what happens in the text (paraphrasing)
Weekly Reading Reflection Rubric:
Reading Reflection
Rubric
Reading Reflection Rubric
Purpose: To use writing as a way to grow bigger, better, more
interesting ideas about your novels.
Purpose: To use writing as a way to grow bigger, better, more
interesting ideas about your novels.
Directions: Flip through the jots you have about your book.
Choose an idea or scene you want to EXPLORE. Using
sentence starters and/or prompts, write a page to grow your
ideas.
Directions: Flip through the jots you have about your book.
Choose an idea or scene you want to EXPLORE. Using
sentence starters and/or prompts, write a page to grow your
ideas.
Checklist:
❏ 2 Points: It is clear that I use the thinking I’ve done
along the way (my jots) to explore ideas and come to
new and/or more sophisticated understandings. I use
sentence starters and/or prompts to show thinking.
❏ 1 Point: I always include multiple pieces of evidence
and explain how it supports my thinking. (Quick retell
of a scene, pg. #, and/or a quote)
❏ 1 Point: After I finish writing, I circle/underline a
meaningful idea or question that sparks new or
interesting ideas and/or enriches my thinking about the
text.
❏ 1 Point: I write one to two full pages.
Checklist:
❏ 2 Points: It is clear that I use the thinking I’ve done
along the way (my jots) to explore ideas and come to
new and/or more sophisticated understandings. I use
sentence starters and/or prompts to show thinking.
❏ 1 Point: I always include multiple pieces of evidence
and explain how it supports my thinking. (Quick retell
of a scene, pg. #, and/or a quote)
❏ 1 Point: After I finish writing, I circle/underline a
meaningful idea or question that sparks new or
interesting ideas and/or enriches my thinking about the
text.
❏ 1 Point: I write one to two full pages.
My Grade: ______
My Grade: ______
Reading Notebook (RNB) Rubric
7th Grade Unit 1 RNB Grade
Expectation:
5
4.5
4
Over the course of my notebook, my
thinking consistently becomes deeper
than where I started with my first
noticing.
I use my RNB to
grow meaningful
ideas..
___/5
I keep track of
evidence to
support my
ideas.
___/5
I put forth effort
to keep my
notebook
organized.
___/5
It is clear that I’m consistently
practicing a variety of close reading
skills.
It is clear that I’m practicing the
reading tips (noticing “signposts”)
and strategies (using the anchor
questions) to push my thinking.
3
2.5
2
Some of the time, my thinking
becomes deeper than where I
started with my first noticing.
Usually, my jots retell the plot of
my book without showing my
thinking or ideas.
My ideas don’t seem to change
or grow as I read. I stick to
basic or obvious ideas. I might
not try a variety of reading
strategies.
There is little or no evidence that
I’m trying the different strategies
I’ve been taught.
Sometimes, I use the reading
tips (noticing “signposts”) and
strategies (using the anchor
questions) to push my thinking.
I rarely use the reading tips
(noticing “signposts”) and
strategies (using the anchor
questions) to push my thinking.
On every page, I include evidence to
support my ideas.
Some of the time I have
evidence to back up my ideas.
I rarely use evidence (examples
or quotes) to prove my ideas.
All of my evidence has a page
number.
Some of my evidence has a
page number.
My evidence does not have a
page number.
When jotting, I consistently label
the reading tips (“signposts”).
When jotting, I sometimes
label the reading tips
(“signposts”).
When jotting, I rarely label the
reading tips (“signposts”).
My notebook is somewhat
organized, but I could show
more awareness of structure
and organization to more
clearly express my ideas. I
sometimes forget to write the
teaching point and/or partially
complete the “Do Now.”
My notebook is messy and
disorganized, failing to show
awareness of structure and
organization. My work is short,
rushed, or incomplete. I rarely
write the teaching point and/or
complete the “Do Now”.
Over the course of my notebook, I use
a variety of evidence:
- quotes from the narrator
- a quote of dialogue
- a retell of a moment, scene,
or detail
- a mix of retell and a quote
I clearly take pride in my work, and
put effort into my RNB. I
consistently write the teaching point
and put thought and effort into the Do
Now. I consistently use structures
that help organize my thinking and
present my ideas clearly.
All pages have a thorough and
complete heading, which contains
the date, the book title, pages read,
and whether it is CW (classwork) or
HW (homework).
14.5/15= 97%
14/15= 93% 13.5/15= 90%
10.5/15=70% 10/15=67%
Final Grade =
3.5
Some of my pages have a
heading or part of a heading.
13/15= 86%
12.5/15= 83%
12/15= 80%
My pages rarely have a heading
and/or are minimally labeled.
11.5/15= 77%
11/15= 73%