Reading Journal Requirements and Expectations
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Journals will be submitted on or before the Friday of each week it is
due.
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Entries should be carefully edited for all fifth grade givens,
including spelling, capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure and
grammar.
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Each entry should thoroughly answer the question or prompt. Details
from the text to support your thinking must be provided.
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Use the rubric as a guide and always submit your best work.
Reading Journal Due Dates
Week of:
October 5 Find
at least 10 examples of the following poetic devices: personification,
alliteration, onomatopoeia, idioms, similes,
and/or metaphors
October 19 Who
are the main characters in the story and where does the story
take place? List at least 3 things that you like and
dislike about each of the main characters and tell why.
November 2 Pretend
you are a reporter. Your assignment is to write an article
outlining the facts of the story. Remember to include an
appropriate headline.
November 16 Tell
about a connection you had while reading the book. Tell how
it reminds you of yourself, of people you know, or of something that happened
in your life. It might remind you of other books,
especially the characters, the events or the setting.
November 30 Write
a letter to the author telling him or her what you thought of
the book. Remember to use friendly letter format, as well
as specific examples from the text.
December 14 Explain
how the main character has changed as the story has
progressed. Include a description of the character’s
personality traits and characteristics, and how he or she has grown or changed
as events have unfolded in the story.
January 4 Write
about the book’s setting. Tell where and when the
story
takes place. Compare the setting in the text to where you
live now and the current time period in which we live.
January 18 Compare
yourself to one of the main characters in the book.
Describe how you and the character are alike and different. Use
specific examples from the text to support your thinking.
February 1 If
you were the author, would you have ended the story the same way or would you
have ended it differently? How would it end and why? What
would you change?
February 22 Write
about whether you would recommend this book to another reader or not and why.
If you enjoyed the book, to whom would you recommend it? Give
specific examples from the text to support your thinking.
March 8 Describe
the character that you admire the most or dislike the most, and tell. Be
specific.
March 22 Write
a clear and concise summary of the text. Remember to
include the setting and time period, important events from the beginning,
middle, and end of the story, as well as a description of the main characters.
Briefly explain the theme or message.
April 5 If
I could be any character in this book, I would be…because…
Use
evidence and details from the story to support your choice.
April 26 If
you could call the author of your book on the phone, what questions would you
ask him or her, and why?
May 10 Write
about the author’s message. What is the moral,
lesson, or theme of the story? Use specific examples and
evidence from the text to support your thinking.
May 24 Describe
what you would have changed about this book. Explain why
you would have made these changes.
June 7 Write
about one or two new insights or understandings you have after having finished
your book. Reflect on the characters or theme of the story.
What issues, problems, or feelings does the book make you think about,
and why?