A Ba-jillion Ways to Respond to Literature
Purpose of RR:
Method of providing a quick summary about the reading and gives you an opportunity to reflect on what
you have read for the week.
RR will vary from reading to reading:
Rather than responding the same way each class, I want you to vary the way you respond to the reading.
Therefore, during our unit you will be required to turn in one reading response each
Monday. In total, you will have to turn in three reading responses. Each response will be worth 30 points.
Some of the ways you will respond to readings may include:
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Create a poster illustrating themes or main ideas with explanation.
Design a book jacket/textbook cover with explanation of your thinking (Explanation must be eight
sentences)
Create a dialogue/script depicting an idea, chapter, etc. from an article or book (Script must be at least
one page, double spaced).
Develop a /brochure/poster of the big ideas to advertise what you have learned.
Be a critic and review the book/article for a newspaper, journal, or TV show (Bonus points for
pretending you are on a TV show and making a video).
Pretend another character from a different book you have read is added to the book. Show how he
or she would react and interact with the characters from The Outsiders.
Research the setting/context for the reading, describing additional details.
Research the author and present this information to the class.
Try to draw parallels between the content of the reading and your life experiences
Write poetry expressing the ideas in the text or your response to them (15 line minimum).
Create a collage depicting ideas or issues explored in the text with an explanation.
Draw cartoons depicting significant ideas/issues in the text (Must be eight “cartoon boxes” long).
Write a letter recommending the text to a friend or family member.
Write a new experience, narrative, example, etc. that could be added to the book/article.
State your reasons for liking/disliking the text
Try a top ten list: “Top ten reasons I want to date Ponyboy.”
Write a letter to the author asking questions and/or offering feedback.
Try to think about the text as a concept map. How would you organize the information? Why did you
organize the information this way?
Record quotes/images/passages you find important. Explain why you find them important (Include at
least 8 artifacts).
Record all your questions-what you don’t understand, wonder about, etc. Questions should be thoughtful
and give insight into your comprehension of the text (Must have at least 12 questions)
Stop periodically and write a paragraph or so about what you are thinking in response to the text. (Must
be at least three paragraphs)
Jot down stories or experiences you’ve had that passages in the text remind you of.
Graffiti/Wordle a large piece of paper. Scribble words and pictures that remind you of sections of the
text. Explain your reasoning (explanation must be at least 8 sentences)
Create a timeline to organize major ideas or to connect the article/book with other texts.
Complete a “before, during, and after” response to the text in which you write a paragraph
predicting what you think the author will say, stop midway through and respond to what has been
said so far, and write again after completing the reading to sum up your thoughts.
Write a “What if…?” addition to the text. For example, what if Johnny hadn’t killed Bob?
Turn for Grading Expectations for all Reader Responses (RR)
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***One of your three reading responses must be one of the bolded
options. For each bolded option, the response should be one to two
pages in length, double spaced (whether typed or hand written).
All three reading responses should include:
 Your name
 Your class period
 The date
 Citation information (i.e.: Page numbers from where you have found your information) (6 points)
 Summary of Important Events from the Reading (8 points)
 A thorough analysis of the reading (8 points)
 What have you learned about yourself or about the world from the various readings (8 points)
Reading Response Score Card
Fair Reader Response
70%-79%
Citations (page numbers)
are missing
Demonstrates a lack of
summary and a lack of a
thoughtful analysis.
Anything that is deemed to
be lower than a 70% will
be given an “Incomplete”
and will need to be redone
within three days in order
to receive credit.
Good Reader Response
80%-89%
Citations (page numbers) are
included, but lack information
necessary to find it again for later
reference.
A somewhat detailed analysis of the
article. Includes some important
events from the chapter and some
reflection, but the analysis is
generally incomplete.
Excellent Reader Response
90%-100%
Citations (page numbers) are thorough
and includes ALL necessary information
to find it again for later reference
A thorough and detailed analysis of the
article of the reading which includes:
 The important events from the
chapters
 Your interpretation of the events
 What you have learned about
yourself or about the world from
reading these chapters