DIALECTICAL JOURNAL

di•a•lec•tic (n) 1. The art or practice of arriving at

the truth by the exchange of logical

arguments.

DIALECTICAL JOURNAL

Discover the “KEY” to the text In everything we read, the author attempts to reach

a TRUTH or convey a certain meaning Our goal when we read is to arrive at that TRUTH However, often times upon reading something for

the first time, we have a lot of questions. It is these questions, that when discussed, help us to figure out the meaning/truth of what we are reading.

Preparing for your Lit. Circle Meeting For every Lit circle meeting, you must

come prepared with something insightful about the book to talk about.

You will prepare a Dialectical Journal,

a “DJ” for short

Don’t Let Your Group Down

Before each meeting you will do a DJ for the pages you read (written on chart in Lit Circle binder

and in your planner) and bring it (and the book) to each Lit. Circle mtg.

Each DJ is worth 25 points. If you haven’t read, you can’t do a DJ, so it is very important to stay on top of reading.

What does a DJ look like? It is a 2-column chart:

Of Mice and Men DJ#1

Concrete Details from text My thoughts, reactions, analysis

For example, when Lennie feels Curley’s wife’s hair, she says, “Don’t you muss it up” (90).

How naïve can she be! I can’t believe she thinks this guy with big bear hands can be gentle—that’s HUGE foreshadowing. Don’t you get to know a guy before letting him feel you?

In addition, when Curley’s wife starts screaming, Lennie breaks her neck and comments, “George’ll be mad if you

yell” (91).

Lennie is such a child; he has no cognition of the severity of his situation yet. It seems he has no sense of cause and effect, he only knows how to follow directions.

What does a DJ look like?

The LEFT side is where you copy the text in CD format.

Transition, contextual lead-in, “quote” (citation).

What does a DJ look like?

The RIGHT side is where you put your thoughts, reactions, and analysis.

You can write when you are confused, think of a prediction, can connect or relate to the story/character, if you find symbolism…

What does a DJ look like?

This is the side you will think of first… the parts that make you go “hmmmm,” “ahhhhh,” “huhhh?” or “ewww”

… you get the idea?

You may want to mark these parts of the book with stickies so the DJ won’t slow your reading so much.

Examples of DJ entries Were you confused when you read?

Sample DJ entry

Concrete Details from text My thoughts, reactions, analysisFor example, in the bunkhouse, Carlson says, “Look, Candy. This ol’ dog jus’ suffers hisself all the time. If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head…why he’d never know what hit him” (44).

I noticed that everyone on the ranch has a blatant disregard for Candy’s old dog. Now that the dog is no longer of use to anyone, the ranchers just want to dispose of him. I wonder if Steinbeck is using the killing of the dog to represent what happens to people that are weak and no longer needed? Is there a place for weak people in the society George and Lennie live in?

Copy the part of the text that confused you. (CD format w/quote!)

Write your question and try to explain it. (I.e attempt to answer it on your own without asking the teacher.)

Examples of DJ entries Could you connect/relate to the story, or did it remind you of another

story/movie/novel?

Sample DJ entry

Concrete Details from text My thoughts, reactions, analysisIn addition, in the bunkhouse, Carlson says, “Look, Candy. This ol’ dog jus’ suffers hisself all the time. If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head-” he leaned over and pointed, “-right there, why he’d never know what hit him” (45).

Today it is not unusual to put an animal to sleep if it is suffering; it is considered the humane thing to do. This reminds me of the time we had to put our golden retriever, Cider, to sleep. He had severe arthritis in his hips and couldn’t walk down the steps of the deck to go to the bathroom. It was such a difficult decision because we knew how much we would miss him, but weighing our own selfish wishes with the amount of pain he was in convinced us to have him put to sleep.

Copy the part of the text that you related to. (CD format w/quote!)

Explain what that connection is for you.

Examples of DJ entries Were you able to predict the ending or other events in the story?

(Foreshadowing)

Sample DJ entry

Concrete Details from text My thoughts, reactions, analysisFor example, when Lennie and George first arrive at the ranch, Lennie foresees that they will have trouble, and he says, “Le’s go George. Le’s get outta here. It’s mean here”(33).

Lennie says this after being warned by George about Curley’s wife. Lennie feels frightened by her presence and senses that trouble is looming. I believe that Steinbeck is foreshadowing a disastrous event that will take place in the novel. It will involve Lennie and Curley’s wife, as he is the character who is feeling the most threatened.

Copy the part of the text that made you think of a possible outcome. (CD format w/quote!)

Explain your prediction and why you believe that will happen.

*Limit one per DJ

Examples of DJ entries Were you able to analyze a character or event?

Sample DJ entry

Concrete Details from text My thoughts, reactions, analysis

For instance, at the end of the book, Curley’s wife tells Lennie, “I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella” (89).

Curley’s wife attempts to reach out to others and share her disappointment that she married a man who doesn’t really love her but just wants to show her off. Sadly, Lennie can’t understand her, nor can he empathize with her pain. When Curley’s wife shares this frustration, she gives an indication as to why she flirts for attention.

Copy the part of the text you analyzed. (CD format w/quote!)

Explain what you were able to infer and what insight it gave to into the event or character.

Examples of DJ entries Were you able to pick out any symbolism in the story that led you to

understand a character or an event better?

Sample DJ entry

Concrete Details from text My thoughts, reactions, analysisFurthermore, George and Lennie first arrive at the Salinas River on their way to the ranch and see “willows fresh and green with every spring, … sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs,” and “the split-wedge tracks of deer that come to drink in the dark” (1).

This place symbolizes serenity with all the vivid nature description. This will either contrast with something stark in the future or it will come back to this place of safety. Since it later George tells Lennie to come back here, I think this place represents his “happy place.”

Copy the part of the text with the symbol. (CD format w/quote!)

Explain the symbolism and what insight it gave to into the event or character.

Technicalities you must know At minimum, find 5

quotes to respond to. (That really means do

7) Find sentences in the

book that catch your attention

Make sure they are something you can write a few sentences responding to it

Technicalities you must know

For each CD, write at least 3 sentences responding to it

Be insightful—avoid short or simplistic sentences

Sentences should connect/relate to each other in some way (not sound like a list)

At minimum, find 5 quotes to respond to.

(That really means do 7)

Find sentences in the book that catch your attention

Make sure they are something you can write a few sentences responding to it

Technicalities you must know

Must be complete sentences Spelling and grammar count Write neatly

REVIEW The LEFT side is

where you copy the text in CD format.

Transition, contextual lead-in, “quote” (citation).

At least 5 CDs

The RIGHT side is where you put your thoughts, reactions, and analysis.

Types of responses: confused (questions), predictions (foreshadowing), connections to the story/character, symbolism

3+ related sentences for each CD

What if I’m absent for a Lit. Circle meeting?

You will miss out on the group discussion but you are still responsible for completing a DJ

You know all the meeting dates in advance and you know you will have a DJ for each meeting, so THERE ARE NO EXCUSES for not knowing

Turn your DJ into your group binder the day you return to class

DJ: Why? (just in case you forgot) Dialectical Journals are a way to help you arrive at

the truth/meaning of a piece of literature Writing Dialectical Journals forces you to ask

questions and get responses that will help you to better understand a text, sometimes even without the teacher’s help

You will be sharing your Dialectical Journals with your lit. circle groups starting tomorrow at your first meeting