Chris Turner

October 11, 2004

 

Procedural Mini-Lesson:

How to Write a Journal

 

Overview:

In this lesson, students are asked to write a journal entry from a character from one of their favorite stories.  The students will see how to write a journal and how to write a story from a completely different person’s perspective.  (26-30 minutes)

 

National Standards:

  1. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning and enjoyment)
  2. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts.

 

State Standards:

    • 1.04 – Reflect on learning experiences by evaluating personal circumstances and background that shape interaction with the text.
    • 1.01 – Explore expressive materials that are read, heard and viewed by generating a learning log or journal.
    • 5.01 – Increase fluency, comprehension, and insight through a meaningful and comprehensive reading program by analyzing the effects elements such as plot, theme, characterization, style, mood, and tone.

 

Materials Needed:

 

Procedure/Assignment:

            (4-6 minutes) “Many of you have one; many of you have written in one; everyone has heard of one; so tell me, what is a journal?  What is the purpose of the journal?”  Wait for response.  “To give you an example of what a journal is, in case you have never written one, here are a couple I have written recently.”  Incorporate the students into the journal by writing about something that happened in class.  “Journals are used to express feelings.”  Show an example from your journal on the overhead.  “They have different purposes – sometimes to express personal feelings that no one else to read, sometimes written with the intention to show someone else.”

(2 minutes) “What are some of your favorite books you have ever read?  And from that, name your favorite characters from those books.  You can even tell about a character you liked from a book you didn’t like.”  Write some of these on the board to give the class help in picking someone who they would like to write about.

(10 minutes) “Now let’s practice writing journals from someone else’s point of view.  Go inside the heads of your character.  Imagine how that character feels at a certain point in the book or at the end of the story.”  (Give example:  “How did Ender feel when he realized he destroyed the entire Bugger race?”)  You may want to turn the lights down and have a time of quiet so the students can really focus and get into the heads of their character.  “Now I want everyone to write a journal entry from the point of view of your character.  I’ll give you about 7 minutes.  If you need longer, that’s ok.  Write whatever comes to mind.  Don’t proofread; just write.”

(5-7 minutes) “Is everyone about done?  What do we have?”  Now you can give some students the opportunity to share either with a partner or with the rest of the class.  Ask questions like:  “Who did you pick?  From what story?  Why did you pick this person?  What did you write?”

 

Conclusion:

            (5 minutes) “Journals are a very good way to do character analysis.  How better analyze a character than to write a journal from their point of view?  What was the purpose of journals?”  Wait for answer.  “I want to encourage all of you to begin or continue writing in a journal outside of class.  It can be a great way to share something about yourself and keep it completely private.  It is also really neat to look back three months or two years later and see how you have changed or matured; or what concerned you enough to write about.  I hope you all start journaling at least once a month.”