English 12—Mr. Nauss
“Dialectical” means “the art or practice of arriving at the
truth by the exchange of logical arguments”
(disctionary.com)
Dialectical / Visual Notebook
Your dialectical
notebook must prove
that you are a
thinker. You are
proving that you have
had insightful
thoughts about what
you have read.
The Thinker is a bronze and marble
sculpture by Auguste Rodin, whose first
cast, of 1902, is now in the Musee Rodin,
in Paris.
Refer to your hand-outs
Choosing Quotations

You are choosing
quotations to write about.
Choose quotations that
are both interesting and
important. Choose
quotations that you like
and can respond to.
Choose quotations that
make you think.
Poor Choices will hurt
your notebook!
What do I write?



Your entries will include genuine responses to
the text. This includes personal reflection and
connections, literary techniques and qualities
(descriptive language, diction, figurative
language, allusion, characterization, plot
development, etc.) and most importantly, what
you think the author is trying to tell us.
The most important thing to remember is
that your observations should be specific
and detailed. DO NOT SIMPLY
PARAPHRASE THE PASSAGE!
Respond, Analyze, and Evaluate
Basic Personal Responses
--show insight***
 Raise questions about the beliefs and
values implied in the text
 Give your personal reactions to the
passage / reflect upon them
 Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of
the author or character(s)
 Tell what it reminds you of from your own
experiences
 Write about what it makes you think or
feel
 Agree or disagree with a character or the
author
Analytical Responses
 Analyze the text for use of literary
devices (tone, structure, style, imagery)
 Make connections between different
characters or events in the text
 Make connections to a different text (or
film, song, poem, etc…)
 Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of
the author or character(s)
 Analyze a passage and its relationship to
the story as a whole
Organize Your Entries into
Paragraphs
Each response should contain the
following elements:
(1) Provide a brief (two or three sentences)
explanation of context for your quotation.
(2) Provide your original thoughts/perspectives
on the quotation (your personal insights)
(3) Point out what elements of fiction are the
focal points of the passage and/or comment
on the use of literary devices/techniques.
(4) Include a closing remark. SAMPLE

Should I write or type these?
You must type your final drafts and
include a word count.
 Use MLA to cite quotations by author
and page number.
 You may be given class time to work on
your entries. Some students may
choose to work on drafts in class and
type final copies at home.

Visual Component!
IDEAS
THEMES
USE VISUALS AND TEXT
SYMBOLS
COLOUR
SEND MESSAGES WITH VISUALS
CREATIVITY
METAPHOR
Format
Be sure to include a brief explanation of
the meaning/intent of your visuals.
 Make sure your visuals can actually do
what you think they do!

Visual Component
Use your two pages to convey important
ideas from each chapter.
 It may or may not be related to your
chapter passage.
 Make your visuals “tell a story”!

TRY THIS:
Find an important idea from the
chapter.
2. Think of how you can visually present
this idea.
3. Think of ways to make this visual
connect more specifically to the novel..
Do this by adding details to your visual.
4. Finally, make sure to provide a clear
and detailed explanation of what you
intended your visuals to do.
1.
Visuals and Text
Combining words and images is a
powerful tool for self expression. Once
you've written your journal entry let the
words conjure up images and illustrate
the page to express the feelings behind
the words. Words and images
compliment each other very well and
help you see deeper into their meaning.
Your pages should push the convention
of how images and text are combined.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD