TKAMB Reading Journal Assignment

To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Journal

Developing your own style of note-taking and responding to reading is vital for growing as a reader and writer. The purpose of this assignment is to guide you into finding your own approach to grapple with our reading and respond. This is worth 50 points.

Directions:

After reading each chapter, respond to your reading of that chapter by finding three new vocabulary words and selecting two of the following prompts. Do not give a plot summary; rather, try to think and react with your feelings and mind to what you read. You must do each of these prompts at least twice  in the course of reading the novel. In each entry, include--

1. Chapter #
2. Three new vocabulary words with definition (from the pre-reading vocab list
3. At least two of the 10 prompts from below in a 4-5 sentence, single paragraph response.

Response Prompts:

1. Questions: Write as many questions as you can based on the reading. Offer possible answers, or educated guesses, to your questions.
2. Quotations: Copy down three to four quotations that are exceptionally well-written, beautiful, or intriguing. Explain why they stand out to you.
3. Reactions/Life Experience: Keep a record of your emotional responses to the most critical events or moments of character development in the chapter. Comment on how these things are similar to or different from things from your own life experience, and why 1-2 specific passages cause a certain emotional response in you.
4. Evaluation: Comment on whether the plot events and character development in this chapter were done well or not done well by the author. If done well, what about them was so effective? If not done well, what would have made them effective? How does this compare to the same  elements in other works of literature?
5. Characters: Choose one or two characters from this chapter. Are they likable or unlikable? How does the character change (dynamic) or stay the same (static) in this chapter? How would you describe his or her personality? Who does this remind you of from your own life?
6. Mood: What is the most joyful, funniest, or saddest incident? What is the most exciting, unusual, or mysterious incident? Does the mood change or shift? How?
7. Tone: Find a moment when the author or a character speaks with a specific sort of tone. How is this tone established, and why is it appropriate at this point in the story?
8. Author: Why did the author include all the elements in this chapter? What does the author want to convey, establish, or teach?
9. Writing: What did you learn about writing from reading this chapter? Does the book give you any ideas for writing your own story? List facts, ideas or examples of literary devices and discuss.
10. Predictions: How do you think events will proceed? What evidence is there from this chapter?