dialectical journals

3 Levels of Reading Reading on the Line (Literal) Reading Between the Lines (Inferential) Beyond the Lines (Thematic)

First Level of Reading Literal Understanding & Remembering Find meaning directly in the text Mentally answer the questions “Who?” “What?” “When?” and “Where?” READING ON THE LINE

Second Level of Reading Inferential Applying & Analyzing Readers interpret what is in the text Key concerns are : -What does the passage represent, suggest, or personify? -What does a certain allusion or metaphor mean? - You are analyzing, interpreting, classifying, comparing, contrasting and finding patterns. READING ________________ BETWEEN THE LINES

Third Level of Reading Thematic BEYOND THE LINES ___________________ Evaluating & Creating Readers move beyond the text to connect literature to their own experiences as well as with universal meaning.

Reading Beyond the Lines (continued) Ask: “How does this text connect with my life?” “How does it connect to life for all people?” “How does it connect with my ideas about morality or values?” What perceptions about life in general is the author communicating to me?” “What do I think of these perceptions?”

“Dialectical” means “the art or practice of arriving at the truth by the exchange of logical arguments” (dictionary.com) Your task is to arrive at the “truth” of a written work through responses to quotations and the incorporation of visuals.

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.

When I read, I think

What is a dialectical journal? A dialectical journal is a running dialogue between you, the reader, and what you are reading. This is done by recording notes in the form of quotations and then commenting upon what you have recorded.

What do I write? How do I write it? A dialectical journal takes the form of a double entry notation, with the quotation located on the left side of the page and your reaction on the right side.

What do I write? On the left: On the right: A Quotation that: May hit with some force; May make you think or question; That strikes you as significant; That has layers of meaning to decipher. Explanation of why you chose the quotation: Question: Ask questions while you read. Analyze/Evaluate: Form opinions both while you’re reading and after you’ve finished. Develop your own judgments about the characters and your own ideas about events Interpret: determine the meaning of what you’ve read Reflect: what does the quote say about all people and humanity? In other words reflect on the universal themes. Literary Techniques: Comment upon when and why they are used.

First, pick out a significant quote. Next, transcribe it into your journal (on the left side of your page). Now, write your response to the quotation (on the right side. For example . . .

Dialectical Journal :An Upheaval” by Chekhov The reader gains a substantial amount of knowledge from the very first sentence. Most of which requires reading between the lines. Although the first word of Chekhov’s story is “Mashenka,” we learn that she indeed is not terribly important within the world of the story, that is, the other characters do not see her as important. Chekov quickly gives us her story within the commas. We will learn that despite her education, she is relegated to a lowly position within the Kushkin household. The peacefulness of her walk is destroyed by the “terrible turmoil” the household is in. The theme of power vs. powerlessness is subtly suggested here. “MASHENKA PAVLETSKY, a young girl who had only just finished her studies at a boarding school, returning from a walk to the house of the Kushkins, with whom she was living as a governess, found the household in a terrible turmoil” (1).

Dialectical Entries Quote: “And I wish my name was Cassandra or Alexis or Maritza – anything but Esperanza…” ( 17). Reflection on quote: I think every girl wishes she could change her name at some point in time. I tired of my own name growing up because there were 3 other girls with the same name in the class. Esperanza, meaning hope, is a beautiful name and I wonder how anyone would want to change it. I don’t think this is about names, but about one’s identity and being comfortable with it. Esperanza wants to change her name so it will sound Western, modern like the other girls. It is sad when trying to fit in keeps us from feeling pride about ourselves.

Some Dialectical Journal Sentence Starters Sample Sentence Starters: “I really don’t understand this because…” “I really dislike/like this idea because…” “I think the author is trying to say that…” “This passage reminds me of a time in my life when…” “If I were (name of character) at this point I would…” “This part doesn’t make sense because…” “This character reminds me of (name of person) because…”

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? include genuine responses to the text. include personal reflection and connections Analyze literary techniques and qualities (descriptive language, diction, figurative language, allusion, characterization, plot development, etc.) most importantly, what you think the author is trying to tell us. Respond, Analyze, and Evaluate

What do I write? 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

7th Grade Sample Dialectical Journal Sally Student Teacher ELA 1 17 May 2012 Dialectical Journal – 1984 Quotation Response p. 270 “‘And you consider yourself morally superior to us, with our lies and our cruelty?’ ‘Yes, I consider myself superior.’ …It was a sound track of the conversation he had had with O’Brien, on the night when he had enrolled himself in the Brotherhood…” Who decides what’s right and what’s wrong? Winston thinks he’s better than the Party because he isn’t cruel and doesn’t lie, yet he pledged to do whatever it took to bring down the Party. Is he right because he has good reasoning, or is he just as wrong because of the things he is willing to do in the name of the greater good? I’m sure some villains have perfectly sound reasoning and worthy causes, but they’re bad because they wreak havoc and cause harm. We can say that a person is good because they have positive goals, but what if they reach those goals by putting others at risk? Are they still a good person, or a bad person? Do the means or the ends determine right or wrong?

Grading: For a high score, the following must be present… Features detailed, meaningful passages & quote selections Coverage of text is complete & thorough Journal is neat, organized, & professional looking; student has followed directions for organization of the journal.