Name _________________________________
Date _______________
WELCOME TO SOPHOMORE HONORS ENGLISH!
For your summer assignment, you will be working closely with The Hunger Games. In addition to
the Booknotes the whole school is completing, you will be completing a dialectical journal.
Please pay close attention to the directions and review the rubric in order to understand how
you will be graded. An electronic copy will be available on Mrs. Statler’s website if you
choose to download it and type right into the format. Both the Booknotes and journal should
be completed by the time you return to school; please have electronic copies saved so that
you can upload them to our turnitin.com class accounts once they are created. Please feel
free to email Mrs. Statler or Mrs. Feuerborn if you have any questions regarding the
assignments.
monique.statler@sausd.us
Mrs. Statler
joyce.feuerborn@sausd.us
Mrs. Feuerborn
DIALECTICAL JOURNALS
The term “Dialectic” means “the art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation
involving question and answer.” Think of your dialectical journal as a series of conversations
with the texts we read during this course. The process is meant to help you develop a better
understanding of the texts we read.
PROCEDURE:
o As you read, choose passages that stand out to you and record them in the left-hand
column of a chart (ALWAYS include page numbers).
o In the middle column, explain to the reader what is happening in the book at that
moment.
o In the right-hand column, write your response to the text (ideas/insights, questions,
reflections, and comments on each passage)
o If you choose, you can label your responses using the following codes:
o (Q) Question – ask about something in the passage that is unclear
o (C) Connect – make a connection to your life, the world, or another text
o (P) Predict – anticipate what will occur based on what’s in the passage
o (CL) Clarify – answer earlier questions or confirm/disaffirm a prediction
o (R) Reflect – think deeply about what the passage means in a broad sense – not
just to the characters in the story. What conclusions can you draw about the
world, about human nature, or just the way things work?
o (E) Evaluate - make a judgment about the character(s), their actions, or what
the author is trying to say
o Complete journal entries of at least 1-2 passages for each chapter. Please vary your
responses. These third-column responses should average 100 words each, so please
select at least twenty (20) quotations you can really discuss, break apart, and use to see
a greater significance.
o All final journals should be typed in 12pt, Times New Roman font. We will set up a
turnitin.com account on the second day of class, and you will be turning your journal in
to that account once it is established.
Name _________________________________
Date _______________
Sample Dialectical Journal entry: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Quotation
“He said it began the
summer Dill came to us,
when Dill first gave us the
idea of making Boo Radley
come out” (3).
Context
Analysis
The narrator, Scout, is casually
discussing how her brother broke
his arm and is relating that
incident to the summer that her
friend Dill came to visit.
The repetition of the pronoun “it” three
times in this paragraph creates suspense
and serves as a lead in to the flashback
of three years ago. The reader
questions how Jem “got his arm badly
broken” and wonders what the “it” is
that began when Dill arrived. The
reader questions what events from three
years ago led to the accident. The
mystery further intensifies with the
children’s antics of touching Boo’s
house and culminates at the end of the
chapter with the “flick” of a shutter.
Why is Boo a “malevolent phantom”
and why are the children afraid to touch
the house? But more importantly, how
does “it” lead to the breaking of Jem’s
arm? By provoking these questions,
Harper Lee sets the mysterious tone of
the novel.
CHOOSING PASSAGES FROM THE TEXT:
Look for quotes that seem significant, powerful, thought provoking or puzzling. For
example, you might record:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Effective &/or creative use of stylistic or literary devices
Passages that remind you of your own life or something you’ve seen before
Structural shifts or turns in the plot
A passage that makes you realize something you hadn’t seen before
Examples of patterns: recurring images, ideas, colors, symbols or motifs.
Passages with confusing language or unfamiliar vocabulary
Events you find surprising or confusing
Passages that illustrate a particular character or setting
Name _________________________________
Date _______________
RESPONDING TO THE TEXT:
You can respond to the text in a variety of ways. The most important thing to
remember is that your observations should be specific and detailed. You can write as
much as you want for each entry. The sentence starters are just ideas. Please use
sentence variety and vary the beginnings and structure of your sentences, and please
use the analysis section to really dig deeper into the text.
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(Connection) This reminds me of another specific incident (text-to-self, text-to-world, text-totext) when . . .
I infer / conclude that . . . because
Based on this line, I predict . . . (expound)
I am confused here because . . .
These words/actions reveal _____ about the character because . . .
This line reinforces the theme of . . . (explain)
The author’s tone/attitude (specify) is revealed when . . .
The author’s figurative language (metaphor, simile, symbolism, etc.)
The author’s use of imagery . . .
These details show / reveal . . . (explain)
The author’s use of diction (word choice) demonstrates . . .
The syntax (sentence structure and length) here (serves what purpose?) . . .
The purpose of the (repetition, simile, allusion, statistic, etc.) is to. . .
This reveals the theme of ________ because. .
Basic Responses
o Raise questions about the beliefs and values implied in the text
o Give your personal reactions to the passage
o Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or character(s)
o Tell what it reminds you of from your own experiences
o Write about what it makes you think or feel
o Agree or disagree with a character or the author
Higher Level Responses
o Analyze the text for use of literary devices (tone, structure, style, imagery)
o Make connections between different characters or events in the text
o Make connections to a different text (or film, song, etc…)
o Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or character(s)
o Consider an event or description from the perspective of a different
character
o Analyze a passage and its relationship to the story as a whole
Name _________________________________
Date _______________
Grading Dialectical Journals
A
Quotations
and Plot
Details
Detailed,
meaningful
Interpretation
Thoughtful,
avoids cliches
Literary
Elements
Questions and
Connections
Discusses
diction,
imagery, syntax,
etc and how
these contribute
to meaning
Insightful
personal
connections,
thoughtprovoking
questions
Coverage of
text
Covers text
thoroughly
Presentation
Neat, organized,
looks
professional,
follows
directions
B
C
D
Less detailed
but still good
Few good details
Hardly any good
details
Vague,
unsupported, plot
summary
Plot summaries
and paraphrases
Lists literary
elements but little
discussion of
meaning
Few literary
elements, almost
no discussion of
meaning
Few connections,
obvious questions
Few
connections, no
questions
Covers most
parts, but quickly
Way too short
Neat but hard to
read, doesn't
follow directions
Hard to read,
doesn't follow
directions
Intelligent,
discusses
theme
Includes them
but doesn't
explain how
they
contribute to
meaning
Some
personal
connections,
questions
arise from
text
Covers
important
parts
thoroughly
Neat and
readable,
follows
directions