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

• • • RED • Quote doesn’t accurately back up topic YELLOW • Quote backs up topic but only loosely connects to commentary and/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 • • •

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.

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!

Juxtapostion “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou “The free bird leaps...and dares to claim the sky.... But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through” (Angelou 1-10).

The author compares two birds as symbols of two different types of people. She coincides herself with the “bird that stalks down [its] narrow cage.” The “cage” symbolizes the restrictions put in Angelou’s rights because she is a black woman. The author faces discrimination which causes her to “stalk” around thinking about when she will be treated equally. This bird contrasts sharply with the “free bird [that] leaps...and dares to claim the sky.” This bird symbolizes a free white man that has minimal restrictions other than the law. She believes that he could do anything, unlike herself, who couldn’t do anything even if she wanted to. Overall, Maya Angelou juxtaposes herself with a white man through the two birds to show the extreme contrast of lives.

YELLOW Self-

“I won’t let [my mother] change

Acceptance (“Two Kinds”

me, I promised myself. I won’t be what I’m not.” (Tan 2)

by Amy Tan)

The narrator feels pressured by her mother to be what her mother wants her to be. Her mother pushes her to do many different activities that she has no interest in doing. She also wants her daughter to excel in a certain activity although that may not be her daughter’s own dream. The narrator feels pressured to live out her mother’s dream instead of her own. She then promises herself to never change for anyone and to be her own person and live out her own dream. All the activities that her mother compelled her to do never interested her nor was she good at them. Therefore she pledged to follow her own dreams and goals. The narrator accepted that she was never going to be what her mother wanted her to be, which was perfect. She acknowledged that fact and allowed herself to stray from her mother’s idealistic path that she paved for her and start her own.

Symbolism “Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers...” (Paton, 111) The quote symbolises the pain shared through the country by people of all races, genders, and ages. The second sentence on shows that nobody wants the child, who represents the South African people, to be greedy, too compassionate, or be stricken with grief.

RED

Political "It is not permissible to add to one's

The government at Johannesburg is very efficient in making the

possessions if

wealthier community happy. The

these things can

continue to raise taxes and make

only be done at the cost of other

the cost of living more expensive

men. Such development has

and it takes a toll on the lower

only one true

class. The higher class citizens

name, and that is exploitation." Chapter 20, pg.

benefit and earn more but all while “stealing” from the unfortunate

45

ones.

RED The Moon and the Great Snake - Co Sket Lo Cot Voice

“..But the sun had him; and he smashed him into thousands of little pieces, all of different colors from the different parts of his painted body..” Lines 32-33 The voice within in this text gives life to this story. The words of the war chief that narrates this story, can give the reader an opinion on how to feel about a certain character. The way he describes the sun as a malevolent entity, gives immense emotion and life into the sun, in that he seems like a furious soul that is defending who he truly loved, his wife, the moon.

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 3 rd 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: • • • 1 st or 2 nd Summary person 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.