Reading and Reflecting on Migration Updates
How
to Use the Journal Page in Your Classroom
Journaling helps students reflect on information they read.
Writing also prepares them for thoughtful small group or whole class
discussions.
Read Journey South Migration Updates
together as a class. Invite students to revisit the information in small
groups or independently and collect their thoughts on their journal
pages.
Here's how:
1. In the left-hand column of the journal page, students write a sentence or excerpt that sparked their interest. You may also ask them to choose an excerpt they would like the class to talk about together.
2. In the right-hand column of the page, students write their thoughts, discoveries, opinions, questions, predictions, or connections about the excerpts selected.
For students who are new to reflective response, use questions to facilitate their work:
- Which part of today's news surprised you?
- What information can we use to make predictions about what might happen next?
- Which sentences or paragraphs made you think about new questions?
Sentence starters such as these are also a way to help students collect their thoughts:
- I discovered . . .
- I think . . .
- I noticed . . .
- I predict that . . .
- This sentence reminded me of a time when I . . .
3. Share these journal reflections in small groups or as a class.
4. Build a booklet throughout the season. Invite students to collate journal pages into a booklet.
Assessment note: You and students can also use the journal pages to assess their emerging understanding. Read student reflections together and discuss their thinking. Or collect the booklet or pages periodically and use Post-it Notes for your comments.
Journal Page
Collecting My Thoughts
