To: From: Professional Language Arts Teachers Dr. James Scott, Prestwick House Inc. Subject: Response Journals Thank you for your interest in the Prestwick House Response Journals. I hope that this sample pack, composed of prompts from a variety of our favorite Response Journals, will demonstrate the effectiveness of the program. Combined with our Teaching Units or your own knowledge of the book, Response Journals offer your students the opportunity to develop and explore new ideas by using writing prompts to link the books they read with personal experiences from their lives. Our program is perfect for integrating your class writing assignments with some of the world s greatest works of literature and for making sure your students keep up with their reading assignments. One of the greatest benefits offered by our Response Journals is flexibility. There are many ways that you can use them to fit your personal teaching style. They are fully reproducible, so you can hand a copy to each student and give him or her a choice of topics for daily or weekly writing assignments. Another popular way to use these books is to assign a topic for your students to write about in the first ten minutes of class. This is an innovative way to get your students thinking about the book, which will make your discussion session much livelier. Any way that you decide to use our Response Journals, I hope that they can help make your job easier. To supplement them, we include a reproducible, multiple-choice test for an objective measurement of your students comprehension. If you have any further questions about our Response Journals or any other Prestwick House product, please do not hesitate to call us at (800) 932-4593. We are always happy to hear from our customers and colleagues. P. O. Box 658 Clayton, DE 19938 Tel: 800.932.4593 Fax: 888.718.9333 www.prestwickhouse.com
Table of Contents Note to Teacher.......................................................3 Note to Student.......................................................4 Class Record Sheet....................................................5 Response Sheet.......................................................6 Sample Response Journals Frankenstein........................................................7 Red Badge of Courage.................................................9 The Bean Trees.....................................................10 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer........................................12 Additional Samples Test..............................................................13 Student Answer Sheet...............................................14 Answer Key........................................................15 Frequently Asked Questions..........................................16 Response Journal List of Titles........................................17 Order Form.........................................................18
Response Journal To The Teacher In order to allow the teacher maximum flexibility in his or her approach, we have grouped the prompts by sections. The teacher may, therefore, assign specific prompts or allow the students to select one or more prompts from each section For Frankenstein, we also have these materials: Teaching Unit Activity Packs Book Audio Video See our catalogue, visit our web site at www.prestwickhouse.com, or call 1-800-932-4593 for more information. We provide the teacher with other available resources that may help in teaching the book. 3
Response Journal To The Student Although we may read a novel, play, or work of non-fiction for enjoyment, each time we read one, we are building and practicing important basic reading skills. In our ever-more complex society, in which reading has become more and more crucial for success, this, in itself, is an important reason to spend time reading for enjoyment. Some readers, however, are able to go beyond basic reading techniques and are able to practice higher thinking skills by reflecting on what they have read and how what they read affects them. It is this act of reflection that is, stopping to think about what you are reading that this journal is attempting to encourage. To aid you, we have included writing prompts for each section; however, if you find something that you wish to respond to in the book more compelling than our prompts, you should write about that. We hope you enjoy reading this book and that the act of responding to what you have read increases this enjoyment. After you read the indicated sections, choose the questions to which you will respond. Keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers to these prompts, and there is no one direction in which you must go. We encourage students to go beyond simple memorization and to apply concepts in the book to their own lives. 4
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. Student Name You can keep separate records for Response Journals with this reproducible Class Record Sheet. Class Record Sheet
Frankenstein Response Sheet Name Section Date For consistency and ease of use, these Response Sheets can be distributed for student writing. 6
Frankenstein Author s Introduction 1. This section of Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley in 1831, thirteen years after the publication of the novel in 1818. It has been speculated that her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, actually wrote it, but that has not been proven. The Author s Introduction gives us a fine glimpse into Mary Shelley s creative mind. We learn of her childhood daydreams, her imagination, and her writings, in which she says, I did not make myself the heroine of my tales. Think back on the Each creative prompt writing is preceded you by have a done during your schooling. Using the Author s short reference Introduction to the book, as a model, evaluate your own past writing in a one-page which allows essay. students Include to things follow how the chronology imaginative of the you book. think like where you think your ideas come from, your writing is, and how much of your writing is centered on yourself. 2. How Frankenstein came to be written by Mary Shelley in 1816-1817 is interesting. She had run away to Switzerland with the married man who would later become her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Because they and some friends were housebound because of incessant rain, they decided to have a competition to see who could write the best ghost story. Frankenstein won. It is written in a style called Gothic Horror or Gothic Science Fiction. Works referred to as Gothic have a style, which has elements of gloom, the grotesque, or the supernatural, and often take place in centuries past. Usually, castles and large country homes are involved. Write a plot for a story in the Gothic style. Be sure to include when and where the story is set, details about the main character and at least three other characters, what the most exciting part of the story would be, and how it ends. 3. The author states that, in her novel, she wished to preserve the truth of the elementary principles of human nature. She cites four other literary works that she feels do this. They are: The Iliad, The Tempest, Midsummer Night s Dream, and Paradise Lost. Look up these works in a dictionary or encyclopedia. List the author of each and write a summary of what the work is about. 7
Frankenstein Letter I 4. The novel opens with a letter from Captain Robert Walton to his sister, Mrs. Saville, in England. Captain Walton is one of many characters who will narrate parts of the novel. We meet him in the frozen North. He is the owner and captain of a ship in Russia, and he is preparing to set out on a sea journey north with the desire to add to the betterment of mankind by the enterprise he has embarked upon. In his letter, he writes, do I not deserve to accomplish some great purpose? Dreams of great accomplishments are not only for characters in fiction. Using Captain Walton s letter to his sister as a model, write a letter to someone close to you telling of a secret dream you have for a worthwhile accomplishment in your own life. 5. Captain Walton seems to feel much affection for his sister, Margaret, as this letter shows. We do not know whether or not his sister shares this level of affection for her brother. It could be that she resents him for leaving her, or it could be that she resents the fact that she would never be allowed to pursue such an adventure herself because of the century in which she lived. Complete the following dialogue that Margaret might have with her best friend about her brother and his adventure: Friend: Margaret: Ah, I see you ve just received a letter from Robert. You must be so proud of his daring and of his being able to leave all the comforts here to go off to all that snow and ice. Well, Diana, I m really not so proud of him. What do you think of that? I think he 8
Red Badge of Courage Chapter V 10. In the battle described in this chapter, Stephen Crane writes three things about Henry: He suddenly lost concern for himself... He became not a man but a member. He was welded into a common personality... Write about a time that you felt that you were an important part of a group; how did it make you feel, and why do suppose you felt this way? 11. The color red is used symbolically throughout this novel to stand for other things (wounds, blood, war, rage, etc.) Write about other colors which you feel have symbolic associations. Can you relate any feelings that you have felt or experienced regarding colors? For example, many people feel irritable on Blue Mondays or wouldn t like it if someone called them yellow. Explain any of your color associations. Chapter VI 12. This chapter begins with Henry feeling very satisfied with himself because he found that he was not a coward. In a letter to a friend, write about a time when, like Henry, you have felt proud of yourself. 13. Henry s bravery is proven to be short-lived, and when the enemy charges again, he runs, as the novel says, displaying the zeal of an insane sprinter. If you can understand why Henry ran this time after not wanting to finish the battle, explain it to a friend who doesn t get it. 9
The Bean Trees Chapter Five Harmonious Space 17. Spending every day at Kid Central Station does not seem to be helping Turtle. In your opinion, what does Turtle need in order to begin recovering from her past negative experiences? 18. Compose an ad in which you are looking for a roommate; be sure to include any requirements or restrictions you have. What problems can you foresee in living with a roommate? 19. Give your reaction to the first house Taylor visits. Do you think this would be a good home for Taylor and Turtle? Why or why not? Do you find Taylor s encounter with the people there humorous or not? Explain. 10
The Bean Trees Chapter Six V alentine s Day 20. Mattie s place serves as a sanctuary for illegal aliens. What insight does this give you about Mattie s personality? How would you feel about working at Mattie s place? What is your opinion of the illegal immigration problem in the U.S.? 21. Taylor has a fear of tires because she witnessed one explode. Has you or someone you know ever experienced something suddenly, either positively or negatively, that left a permanent impression? Explain the situation and the effects it left. Some prompts are generalized 22. and provide Taylor impetus explains, for For studentprise. to explore Nothing their on earth own was truly harmless. Do you know anyone that Lou Ann, life itself was a life-threatening enter- lives. displays a similar nervous habit, and is this person aware of the condition? 23. How do you define friendship? What similarities and differences do you and your best friend share. How did you become friends? 11
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Wrap-up 72. Write a report that contains your opinion about why you liked or did not like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. 73. In comparing the ways your life and the life of Tom Sawyer are different, write about which single difference you think is most important. 74. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn have many character faults, as well as some The Wrap-up section covers honorable traits. Choose one of the boys and make a list of what you the entire book. would consider his faults and his good traits. 75. Becky Sharp s future life might have the makings of a good novel. Write a plot which would feature Becky still living in St. Petersburg at age twentyfive and not yet married. 76. Do you think that some of Tom s adventures were just too unbelievable, even for a novel? Relate why you think this is or is not true. 77. Write down a list of three things you did not like about The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and three things that you did. Explain why you felt this way. 78. In this novel, St. Petersburg is a town where everyone knows everyone else, and a general kindliness and order prevails. Write a comparison of this fictional town and the one in which you live. Try to include both the good and bad points of each town. 79. If the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain (real name, Samuel Clemens), were still alive, what would you say in a letter to him about his writing? 80. Later in life, Mark Twain continued the story, but this time, he wrote about Huck. Why do you suppose he chose Huck as the main character? Which person, Tom or Huck, would you have wanted to know about more? Explain. 12
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer T est 1. Which of the following is not an accurate statement about this novel? A. The author shows an interest in the dialects spoken in this region. B. All the characters in this novel are depicted as realistic, believable figures. C. The novel is a series of episodes, rather than a tightly plotted novel that builds to a climax and conclusion. D. Both A and B. E. A, B, and C. 2. We may infer that Tom represents the author s point of view regarding A. civilization. To assure that students do B. democracy. understand the book, we provide C. war. a multiple-choice comprehension D. crime. test. 3. Tom trades for enough tickets to win a Bible because A. he is mad at Sid for tattling and wants to get a Bible before Sid does. B. they are difficult to get. C. he wants the attention and admiration of all the other children. D. he is mocking Sunday school and the whole idea of memorizing verses. 4. We may say of Sid that the author A. uses Sid as a mouthpiece for his own views. B. uses Sid as an opposite for Tom. C. believes that Sid is the ideal model that both Tom and Huck should work toward. D. Both A and C. E. A, B, and C. 5. Injun Joe kills the doctor because A. the doctor refuses to pay him for the grave robbing. B. he wants to frame Muff Potter for the murder. C. he is evil and doesn t need a reason to murder. D. the doctor s father had him put in jail for vagrancy. 13
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Test Student Answer Sheet Name: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 14
The Pearl Test Answer Key 1. A_ 2. D 3. E 4. B 5. A 6. A 7. B 8. C 9. C_ 10. B 11. D 12. E 13. A Answers are available to teachers only. The key corresponds 14. B to the Student Answer Sheet format for easy grading. 15. D 16. C 17. C 18. B 19. C _ 20. A 15
Response Journal FAQ What is a Response Journal? Our Response Journals present a series of activity prompts for writing to the students. How will using the Response Journals benefit my students and me? Different books can be taught at the same time. Students who would not normally be exposed to certain books now will be. Writing on personal subjects appeal to many otherwise reluctant students. On what level are Response Journals written? Response Journals are appropriate for both middle and high school students. They work especially well with weaker readers. What do the Response Journals look like? Each book is 8 1/2 x 11 inches with a saddle-stitched binding and a full-color, coated cover. The length of each book varies, according to the number of prompts. Usually, books run between 28 and 44 pages. Each book contains prompts, test, answer key, a Class Record Sheet, and a Response Sheet. Are the Response Journals reproducible? All Response Journals are copyright protected, but may be reproduced by the purchaser for use in his or her own classroom. Are the questions multiple choice or matching? Neither. Questions are non-objective; students should be able to write answers to the prompts from their own experiences. What kinds of questions do you employ? We ask students to put themselves into various situations: characters in the book, their own lives, history, film, or other literature. They then: write diary entries compose letters construct dialogues supply alternate endings or titles speculate on characters fates etc. Do you include questions on literary terms? No. If you want this type of questions, consider using our Teaching Units. We do, however, include a multiple-choice test you can use to check for student comprehension. How many prompts are included? The prompts range from 50 to 100, covering the entire book, arranged chronologically. What types of books are appropriate for Response Journals? Any kind of book will work. We have Response Journals on plays, non-fiction, and novels. 16
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