Materials

Ø Students will need a paper back, three bracket folder (color code at teacher’s discretion) to record journal entries.

Ø Copies of a letter inviting students to correspond with the teacher and classmates during reading workshop

Ø Copies of literary journal procedures and a list of questions students may answer while they are writing

Ø Example of a student journal entry

Ø A “mailbox” for students to place their journals in for teacher responses

Time Required

Approximately 20 minutes

Objectives

NCTE English Language Arts Standards

Ø 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts…

NCSCS English Language Arts Standards

Ø Competency Goal 1: The learner will use language to express individual perspectives drawn form personal or related experience.

1.02: Explore expressive materials that are read, heard, and viewed by:

-generating a learning log or journal.

Purpose of Mini-lesson

The purpose of this mini-lesson is to inform students about the literary journal process. This mini-lesson should be conducted at the beginning of a reading workshop, or when the teacher wants to begin literary journals in his/her classroom. Taking the time to go over expectation and processes of producing a literary journal will help the students understand what you, as a teacher, expect from them, as readers and writers, and will help the reading workshop run more efficiently.

Activity

The mini-lesson will consist of a discussion about procedures in writing a literary journal response. I will provide students with a letter inviting them to participate in literary journal writing as well information about the process of writing in their journals. Students will also be given a handout containing questions that they might want to answer in their journal and a list of expectations for the journal entry. Students will also be shown an example of the type of journal entry I prefer them to write. We will then discuss any questions or comments they may have about the procedure. After the mini-lesson, students should be able to begin reading in their selected novels and writing journal entries.

Script

Note: Prior to this lesson, students were asked to bring journals to class

Today, I would like to begin class by handing out a letter inviting each of you to begin writing in your literary journals. This letter consists of the information I expect to see in you r journals, as well as, how our reader’s workshop will run. Notice that I have hole punched the letter for you to place in you journal. Please take a few moments to place this in the front of your journal.

Now I want to hand out a list of questions and expectations for you to refer to while writing a letter in your journal. Let’s first take a look at the letter I passed out and discuss what I expect for you participation in reading workshop.

First, notice that reading workshop will be conducted in a two- week cycle. This means that you will be expected to read a book of your choice every tow weeks as a minimum requirement. The first week of the cycle you will write a letter to me an dthe second week o fthe cycle you will write a letter to a classmate. (The students may not understand this and may need extra coaching or the information explained more simplistically. The teacher could say, “For example, if you start reading a book this Monday, you will need to have at least one letter written to me by this Friday and at least one letter written to a peer by next Friday.”) You may all feel free to write more letters if necessary.

Letters may be turned in to me at any point during week one of the cycle. When you write a letter to me, please place your notebook in the mailbox located beside my desk. I will respond and grade the letter and return it to you promptly. Your letters will be graded on a concise summary, rich content (answers questions appropriately and with thought), and the appropriate letter form.

Now let’s go over the rules for what the letter should consist of. Please look at the second hand out I have provided. (An overhead transparency may be used here to give students a visual aid to express your statements and expectations clearly.) The rules are as follows:

1. Date- Top of the page on the right

2. Greeting- Dear Mrs…

3. Author and title at the beginning of the entry (in the first sentence)- Be sure to underline the titles of books

4. Paragraph 1- Summary of the book

5. Paragraph 2- Answer 1 or more of the questions provided

6. A closing- i.e. Sincerely, __________

Notice that I have given you a list of questions to use in your response. You will need to refer back to these questions when writing so make sure they are securely placed as page 2 in your notebook behind the letter I gave you. (The teacher may want to allow students time to do this while in the classroom.)

Now that you have organized your folder, I want to show what I believe to be a good example of a letter in a journal. (Hand out copy to students as well as display an overhead of the letter. Leave some time for discussion at this point.)

Now let’s change the focus to what I expect for peer responses. We all need to respond with our thoughts, feelings, and experiences and talk like READERS. This means you should be thoughtful in your response and offer your personal insight to reading. Do not just say, “Good job.” (If possible, the teacher may want to show students an example of peer responses.)

That is all the information I have for you today. Are there any questions? (Teacher should allow for discussion and student response.) Remember that you literary journal will not only help you keep track of your growth as a reader, but will also help you learn and develop your letter format.