ENG2D

Mr. Colbourne
Reader Response Journal
The Lottery, The Man From the South, It's Complicated, or The Flying Machine
Reader Response Journals are an effective means of collecting and assessing textual material.
They also provide students with opportunities to employ a range of skills to assess and acquire an
understanding of texts. *The final copy of your Response Journal should be typed.
In the top left hand corner of your page, you should include the following:
Your Name
ENG2D
Mr. Colbourne
Due Date

*This set-up should be standard for most assignments

You should have 3 separate paragraphs to your journal:

The first 1/3 of your journal must be a summary of the text. Your summary should be
approximately 10 sentences in length; therefore, you need to focus upon the key details of the text.
Make sure that you write in proper paragraph format.
The second 1/3 of your journal must consist of a literary analysis of the text. This section
should include three of the following:
the meaning/importance of the title
discussion of the character(s)
identification of the setting and explanation of its importance
explanation of the theme(s)
identification and explanation of the main conflict
The final 1/3 of your journal must make connections between the text and the real or fictional
worlds you know. *Make sure you explain your connection(s) in detail. This section can/should
include:
connections to short stories, plays, or movies that you have studied
connections to songs, movies, or television shows
connections to current events and/or historical situations
connections to human nature or society in general
connections to your own experiences or the experiences of someone you know
* single space withing each paragraph
*Your Response Journal should be approximately 1.5 pages in length
Due Date _______________________________________________________________________

ENG2D
Mr. Colbourne
Response Journal Rough Work
Use this sheet to help you develop your work for each of the three sections of your Response Journal.
Once you have finished your rough work, you will need to use your rough work to complete the
paragraphs for each of the three sections.
Summary
In point form, identify (in order) the fifteen (approx.) main points of the plot of your novel.
1.

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2.

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3.

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4.

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5.

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6.

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7.

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8.

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9.

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10.

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11.

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12.

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13.

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14.

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15.

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Literary Analysis
Identify three elements of your novel and discuss each one in detail. You can choose to
discuss the meaning of the title, a character(s), a theme, the setting, or the main conflict.
Literary Element
1.___________________________

Explanation of its Meaning/Importance

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2.__________________________

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3.__________________________

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Connection
You need to connect your novel to another story that we have studied this year or to some other
text/personal experience. You need to have at least three good points to explain how your chosen
connection relates to your novel.
What are you connecting the novel to?

Explanation

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point #1 ______________________
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point #2 ______________________
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point #3 ______________________
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