Where do journals fit in the grading scheme?
Grades: 20% for attendance at, preparation for, and participation in class discussion and performance of literature. Responses to the next day's assigned readings, in journal form, are due at the beginning of each class. 50% of the final grade will be based on the overall quality of the journal. The reading journals can be prepared in advance of arriving in Oxford. 30% of the final grade will be determined by a take-home final exam. In other words, because the daily journals enable you to do well in class participation, they are worth ultimately 70% of the grade.
Class participation (20%) includes sharing in class from what you have written in your journal about that day's assignment: one of the goals of the course is better spoken as well as written communication. Our primary concern is not organized discussion of a topic, as in a speech contest, but rather each individual learning to speak about feelings as well as thoughts, as well as learning to listen and concentrate when others are speaking.
50% of the final grade will be based on the overall quality of the journal: an "A" will be given only for a journal going well beyond the minimum number of pages for class participation. If one tried to earn an "A" on quantity alone, an average of 2.5 pages of 250 words each would be required for each assignment.
(To calculate how many words per page you average, take an average line, count the number of words, and multiply that times the average number of lines per page. That is your average per page. Then multiply that times the number of pages to see how many words approximately are in your journal. Number of words, however, is less important than quality.)
When grading on quality, special attention will be paid to the end of the journal, where you add pages about your response to 19th c. Oxford, without having to respond to assigned readings (though credit will also be given for working in quotes to show assimilation of the assigned reading). For some idea of how a teacher grades a reader response journal on quality see the grading rubric below.
Why two slim spiral journals?
Reading notes, in a journal, on the material assigned for the next day are due at the beginning of each class. (I will then use these journals to organize the next class, when they will be returned to you. ) Hence two reading journals, 1 & 2, are required, one to be retained while the other is turned in, and vice versa. Because I have to haul these journals everywhere on our excursions, I want them to be as slim as possible. (You can always start new ones if you fill up one.)
Why are both journals due before the first class has begun?
You must have two reading assignments completed BEFORE YOU COME TO THE FIRST CLASS! Please note that because we have lost so many classes due to day-long trips, the reading for the first day is twice as heavy and both journals (the second with the writings on the readings for the second day) are due then. The first journal will be returned in class, the second retained.
What should I write about in the journals?
These are what are known as "reader-response" journals. You can write whatever you like about any aspect of the readings assigned for that day as long as you are proving that you read the material, but you must include at least one quote with page nos. from the readings. The goal is to record your responses as you read, including feelings, memories, associations, guesses about what will happen next, opinions, etc. (see sample prompts below).
Can you show me some examples?
Yes, here are some examples, though rather brief, and from different classes:
https://webspace.utexas.edu/lmitch03/www/journalpage.html
https://webspace.utexas.edu/lmitch03/www/journalpage.html
http://www.geocities.com/adecuir81/journal.html
Reader's Response Journal Prompts: a revised version of those at http://www.lowndes.k12.ga.us/lhsweb/reader's_response.htm
1. Overall, what kind of a feeling did you have after reading a few paragraphs of this work? After reading half of the book? After finishing it?
2. What do you feel is the most important word, phrase, passage, or paragraph in this work? Copy it and explain why it is important.
3. Do you think the title of the book is appropriate? Is it important? Explain.
4. From whose point of view is the story told? Why do you think the author chose that point of view?
5. Describe your favorite character and tell why you made that choice.
6. Describe the character you like the least. What do you dislike about the character?
7. Does anyone in the work remind you of anyone you know? Explain.
8. If you could be any character in this work, who would you be? Why?
9. Are any of the characters good role models? Why do you think so?
10. Write an imaginary conversation that you have with a character or with the author of the book.
11. Do any incidents, ideas, or actions in the work remind you of something that happened to you? Explain.
12. Describe a struggle or conflict in the book. Who is struggling and why? Did one of the characters win?
13. Are there any parts of this novel that were confusing to you? If so, describe them and explain your confusion? You might begin the journal entry with the words, "I wonder why...."
14. Are there any parts of the book that were surprising to you? If so, describe them and explain why. You might begin the journal entry with the words, "I was surprised when...."
15. Describe the setting of the work, including the time and the place. Would you like to live in that place during that time period? Why or why not?
16. Do you feel the author expresses an opinion in this work? What is it? How do you know? Do you agree with the author? Why or why not?
17. Would you change the ending of this story in any way? Tell your ending. Why would you change it?
18. Sometimes books leave you with the feeling that there is something more to tell. Did this book do that? What do you think might happen?
19. Do you like the book? Why or why not?
20. Would you like to read something else by this author? Why or why not?
How does one judge the quality of reader response journals?
Here is my adaptation of one set of rules used by one teacher, from
http://sheffner.home.pipeline.com/pdf_resources/journal_rubric.pdf .
10
Entries contain predictions, comparisons, contrasts, reactions, questions,
opinions, response . Summary is limited to explanations necessary for the
reader to make sense of the entry. Evidence from the text is used to support opinions. Entries are in paragraph form. Journal is complete and legible.
8
Entries contain predictions, comparisons, contrasts, reactions, questions,
opinions, response . Summary is not limited to explanation of original
thoughts. Little evidence, other than the required quote, from the text is used to support opinions. Some paragraph structure is evident. Journal is complete and legible.
6
Entries contain predictions, comparisons, contrasts, reactions, questions,
opinions, response . Summaries are more prevalent than original thoughts. Entry lacks textual evidence. Entries consist of several sentences. Journal is complete and legible.
4
Journal consists of summary. Few entries contain original thoughts extended from the text. Incomplete journal. Frequent grammar and spelling errors. Entries are brief sentences.
2
Entries are too brief to contain complete summaries or extensions. No
Evidence from the text is used. Incomplete journal. Mechanical problems
are severe enough to cause comprehension problems for the reader . No
new vocabulary is included.
0
Incomplete journal. Incomprehensible because of language structure,
spelling, and/or penmanship.