Dialectical Journals
What They are used to share what you as the reader viewed as important and share what you thought Show that you read and understood what you read Make connections
How to: First Find an important quote from the reading Quote Response Melba Beal’s grandmother “Even when the battle is long and the path is steep a true warrior does not give up. If each one of us does not step forward to claim our rights, we are doomed to an eternal wait in the hopes those who would usurp them will pray benevolent. The Bible says, WATCH, FIGHT, and PRAY” (3). I can infer that Grandma India is a woman of faith and a role model to Melba. When the grandmother states that “warriors (do) not give up” I think that she is a strong woman who refuses to give up when things get rough. When she puts her faith in a greater being, such as God, I think she has more strength to overcome adversity. Melba’s strength, hope and courage are all tested in this experience and I can’t help but wonder if having a strong woman like her grandmother contributes to her journey. Respond to the quote by making inferences, connections, asking question, making predictions, or reactions. Make sure to cite the quote
How to Cont. Your quotes should be important to the story and characters. It is great if you found something funny, but unless it was part of something important you should choose something else Quotes should be directly from the text Responses should be complete sentences. Responses should be reflective, so that means they need to be more than one simple sentence
Dialectical Journals: Things to look for Contrasts and contradictions When a character acts differently than what is expected STOP and think why that may be. Words of the Wiser When a character (Usually older) takes the main character aside to give them advice STOP and think. What advice are they giving and how might the effect the main character. Often times writers use older characters to portray the theme of a story
Dialectical Journals: Things to look for Cont. AHA Moments When a character learns, finally understands, or realizes something. Think: How might this change the situation or the character? AHA Moments, when they are life lessons, often help point to the theme Again & Again When you notice a word, phrase, or situation, keeps repeating itself. Why is this? Why might it be important?
Dialectical Journals: Things to look for Cont. Memory Moment When the story is interrupted to share a memory. What is the memory? How does it connect to the present? Why would the author stop the story just to share this memory? Tough Question When the character asks themselves a tough question STOP and think about how you would answer it. Tough questions are not knowledge based. They often have to do with morality. Other things are okay too, but these are the clues to the conflict, themes, and what may happen next in the story.
Try and change up your responses. Not everything should be a connection or an inference. Try to employ different strategies when responding to quotes.