Dialectical Journals

Dialectical Journals

What should I Do? • Connect to the topic with substantial evidence (note: substantial doesn’t necessarily mean long!) • Be INSIGHTFUL! – illuminate a new idea using your quote (make an assertion) • Explain HOW • How does your quote provide evidence for your insight? • How does it connect to your topic? • What effect did the author achieve? • How did he do it? • Explain WHY • Why in the world should I care about that? • Why is this quote significant to the novel? • How does this quote contribute to the overall meaning? • How does it connect to bigger ideas? (think theme!)

RUBRIC Evidence Commentary RED Provides limited discussion regarding the purpose of the literary element/topic used within the passage, as well as the relevancy of the passage as a whole. He/she presents limited perspective overall and contains plot summary. His/her entry may contain lapses in diction or syntax and may contain grammar or usage errors; however, the prose is usually clear. YELLOW Presents adequate perspective, but it is less sophisticated and less insightful than higher scoring entries. His/her entry may contain lapses in diction or syntax and may contain grammar or usage errors; however, generally the prose is clear. GREEN Effectively discusses the purpose of the literary element/topic used within the passage, as well as the relevancy of the passage as a whole. He/she presents an insightful and/or unique perspective that the average student does not offer. In addition, his/her diction and syntax is especially advanced and/or effective. • RED • Quote doesn’t accurately back up topic • YELLOW • Quote backs up topic but only loosely connects to commentaryand/or is not as well-chosen as a “green” quote • GREEN • Quote is strong and well-chosen: clearly backs up the topic and connects to the commentary

Let’s see it! (green) • Diction (word choice): • Mark Antony says, “When the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept; / Ambition should be made of sterner stuff” • Shakespeare contrasts the words cried and wept here to indicate Caesar’s deep sorrow and lamentation for the tears of his people. While both words similarly convey the shedding of tears, their connotations differ greatly. Babies cry when they are hungry, children cry when they skin their knees, and girls cry at sappy movies. Weeping conveys a much deeper distress. Wives weep when husbands die in battle, husbands weep when learning their wives have a terminal illness, and parents weep when losing a child. Through this word choice, Antony is subtly implying that Caesar felt more sorrow seeing the tears of his people than the people who were crying.

Another green!

yellow

red

Now, your turn • Using the assertion you wrote after individually annotating the passage from Cry, the Beloved Country, write a DJ entry • You will have to make up a topic that relates to your assertion, pick a quote that backs it up, and write insightful commentary on HOW your quote backs up your topic/assertion and WHY it is significant • Finish for homework

Revising Your DJ • Take out the DJ you finished for homework last class. • Go through the following checklist with your DJ, making notes on the page. • First, look at your quote. • Did you pick out a good example of your topic? • Is it obvious when you read your quote that it relates directly back to the topic? • Did you only pull the most significant parts? • Now, your commentary. • Is it in 3rd person? – GOOD! • Is there any summary or paraphrase? -- BAD • Are you just telling what it’s saying? – BAD • Did you explain how your evidence relates back to your topic? – GOOD! • Did you illuminate a new idea for the reader? – GOOD! • Did you explain how the author achieved that effect? – GOOD! • Did you tell us why it’s significant? – GOOD!

Re-write #1 • Now, let’s revise your DJ. • Remember, writing is a PROCESS! It takes several (sometimes many) tries before you get it “right” • Use the marks you made from the previous checklist to guide your revision/re-write.

Peer Edit • Trade with the person sitting next to you. • On your partner’s DJ, examine their evidence. Does it clearly connect to their topic? • Then, look at their commentary. Label the following with something positive (asterisk, smiley face, etc): • Insight • “How” • “Why” • If they are missing one of the above, make a note. • Circle the following: • 1st or 2nd person • Summary • Repetition

Re-write #2 • Switch back with your partner. • Look over their comments and ask for clarification if necessary. • Now, re-write your DJ using your comments and your peer comments as a guide. • This will be a QUIZ GRADE so really put some effort behind it! • Use a new sheet of paper and only write your student ID at the top. DO NOT WRITE YOUR NAME.

Peer evaluation • Write your student ID on the rubric sheet I provide you. • Staple it to your DJ. • Put your newly revised DJ attached to the rubric up on the front table. • There shouldn’t be your name, just your student ID number! • One person at each table grab enough DJs for each of the members of your group to have one. • Check that no one at your table has yours. If they do, switch it out with another table. Mix them back up if you switch!

Peer evaluation • Score the DJ using the first rubric on your sheet. Don’t forget to add your student ID #. • Pass to the left. • Score your new DJ using the next rubric. • You will score and pass until everyone has seen all the DJs at your table. • Once your table has finished, have one person take your group’s DJs and turn them in to the basket.

Dialectical Journals