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Dialectical Journal Instructions Summer

The document provides instructions for completing dialectical journals - an assignment meant to help students develop a better understanding of course readings through conversations with the texts. Students are directed to choose passages from readings and record them in a T-chart, along with responses in the right column consisting of ideas, questions, reflections, analysis, or comments on each passage. Examples of effective passage selections and response techniques using observations, insights, and critical questions are provided to help students engage deeply with the readings.

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627 views2 pages

Dialectical Journal Instructions Summer

The document provides instructions for completing dialectical journals - an assignment meant to help students develop a better understanding of course readings through conversations with the texts. Students are directed to choose passages from readings and record them in a T-chart, along with responses in the right column consisting of ideas, questions, reflections, analysis, or comments on each passage. Examples of effective passage selections and response techniques using observations, insights, and critical questions are provided to help students engage deeply with the readings.

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D IALECTICAL J OURNALS

The term Dialectic means the art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving question and answer.
Think of your dialectical journal as a series of conversations with the texts we read during this course. The process is meant to
help you develop a better understanding of the texts we read. Use your journal to incorporate your personal responses to the
texts, your ideas about the themes we cover and our class discussions. You will find that it is a useful way to process
what youre reading, prepare yourself for group discussion, and gather textual evidence for your
assignments.

P ROCEDURE :
o As you read, choose passages that stand out to you and record them in the left-hand column of a T-chart (ALWAYS
include page numbers, paragraph numbers or line numbers).
o In the right column, write your response to the text (ideas/insights, questions, reflections, analysis, and comments on
each passage)

Sample Dialectical Journal entry:


Passages from the text Pg# Commentary
1. "The yellow marks in my college 82/1
textbooks...did not help me very
much.

2. "Annotations do make me read a 87/2


lot slower and I wish I didn't have to
do them. It is so much harder to
fake read if you have to annotate
like we have to do now. So now I
actually read, because it's too hard
to fake annotate"

C HOOSING P ASSAGES FROM THE T EXT :


Look for quotes that seem significant, powerful, thought provoking or puzzling. For example, you might record:

o Effective &/or creative use of stylistic, rhetorical, or literary devices


o Passages that remind you of your own life or something youve seen before
o Structural shifts or turns in the reading
o A passage that makes you realize something you hadnt seen before
o Examples of patterns: recurring images, ideas, colors, symbols or motifs
o Passages with confusing language or unfamiliar vocabulary
o Events you find surprising or confusing
o Passages that illustrate a particular moment in time
o If you find an extremely long passage that moves you, dont hesitate to use it, just employ ellipses () to shorten your
writing load. Youll have the page number so that if you decide to share your entry, the class can easily find and read
along

R ESPONDING T O THE T EXT :


Your observations should be specific and detailed. Below are a few sample techniques for responding to the text.

I. OIC (Oh-I see!)

OBSERVATIONS (list or 1 sentence): literary/rhetorical elements and brief explanation of how it displays the
elements; connects to a larger focus area (ex. authors purpose, tone, connotation, etc.)

INSIGHTS (5-7 sentences): Conclusions SUPPORTED BY THE TEXT about topic; understandings about motivation,
cause/effect, significance to the topic; connections to self (experience), other texts (fiction or non-fiction) or world
(current events, geography).

1
2
CRITICAL QUESTIONS (1): (Why. . ? How. . ?) question related to the topic/text, avoid yes/no or short answer
questionsthey must relate to the quote and prompt thoughtful responses.

II. Sample Sentence Starters

Sample Sentence Starters for Beginners:


I really dont understand this because
I really dislike/like this idea because
I think the writer is trying to say that lead to . . . .
This passage reminds me of a time in my life when
If I were (name of character) at this point I would
This person reminds me of (name of person) because

Higher Level Responses


Analyze the text for use of literary devices (tone, structure, style, imagery) and how they contribute to the purpose
Make connections between different events in the text
Make connections to a different text (or film, song, etc.)
Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author
Analyze a passage and its relationship to the purpose of the whole
Qualify a position the writer takes

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