DIALECTICAL JOURNALS

Think of your dialectical journal as a series of conversations with the texts we read. The
process is meant to help you develop a better understanding of the texts. Use your journal
to incorporate your personal responses to the texts, your ideas about possible controversial
content and why some may have challenged the book or got it banned; the valuable
lessons the book offers readers; and events that take place throughout the novel. You will
find that it is a useful way to process what you’re reading, prepare yourself for group
discussion, and gather textual evidence for your persuasive essay.

PROCEDURE:
o As you read, complete a dialectical/double-entry journal of at least 15 quotes.
Choose quotes that you think are significant to plot or theme. Several of these quotes
should be ones you feel would cause someone to challenge the book’s inclusion in a
library or classroom. Record them on the left-hand side of your paper, or you can
make a chart like the sample below (ALWAYS include page numbers).

o Create a table with two columns. On the left-hand side, write the entire
quote and cite the page & paragraph number. On the right-hand side,
write your response to the text (ideas/insights, questions, reflections, and
comments on each passage) in complete sentences.
o You must label your responses using the following codes:
o (Q) Question – ask about something in the passage that is unclear
o (C) Connect – make a connection to your life, the world, or another text
o (P) Predict – anticipate what will occur based on what’s in the passage
o (CL) Clarify – answer earlier questions or confirm/disaffirm a prediction
o (CH) Challenge – someone may find this objectionable for students to
read
o (R) Reflect – think deeply about what the passage means in a broad sense –
not just to the characters in the story/author of the article. What conclusions
can you draw about the world, about human nature, or just the way things
work? Is there a valuable lesson that could be pulled from the passage?
o (AM) Aha Moment – when a character realizes or finally understands
something
o (L) Life Lesson – the character learns from another character
o (E) Evaluate - make a judgment about what the author is trying to say or make
a judgement about why the specific content being discussed in the passage
may be considered controversial

*Each passage must relate to one of the codes above – use a variety. Using the same code for
most of your entries will result in a lower score
Sample Dialectical Journal entry for To Kill a Mockingbird
Passage with page & paragraph number Your ideas/insights, questions, reflections, etc.
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, (L) This is a life lesson that Atticus teaches the
instead of getting the idea that courage is a children. He has the children read to old Mrs.
man with a gun in his hand” (Pg. 149/Par. 3) Dubose, who kicks a morphine addiction before
she dies. He considers Mrs. Dubose the most
courageous person he knows, more
courageous than he is when he shot the mad
dog.
CHOOSING PASSAGES FROM THE TEXT:
Look for quotes that seem significant, powerful, thought provoking or puzzling. For example, you
might record:

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

o Passages that remind you of your own life or something you’ve seen before
o Structural shifts or turns in the plot
o A passage that makes you realize something you hadn’t 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 character or setting
o Passages that may contain controversial language or issues

RESPONDING TO THE TEXT:

You can respond to the text in a variety of ways. The most important thing to remember is that
your observations should be specific and detailed. You can write as much as you want for each
entry. You can choose to type and save your journals as word documents, or you can write by
hand in a notebook while reading.

Basic Responses
o Raise questions about the beliefs and values implied in the text
o Give your personal reactions to the passage
o Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or character(s)
o Tell what it reminds you of from your own experiences
o Write about what it makes you think or feel
o Agree or disagree with a character or the author

Sample Sentence Starters:

I really don’t understand this because…
I really dislike/like this idea because…
I think the author is trying to say that…
This passage reminds me of a time in my life when…
If I were (name of character) at this point I would…
This part doesn’t make sense because…
This character reminds me of (name of person) because…
I can see where some may find this passage controversial because…
A value lesson that can be learned from this book is…

Higher Level Responses

o Analyze the text for use of literary devices (tone, structure, style, imagery)
o Make connections between different characters or events in the text
o Make connections to a different text (or film, song, etc.)
o Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or character(s)
o Consider an event or description from the perspective of a different character
o Analyze a passage and its relationship to the story as a whole
o Raise questions or evaluate possible controversial language or issues
o Analyze/Evaluate valuable lessons that can be pulled from the reading