Reflecting on Weekly Hummingbird Journal Questions

How to Use the Journal Page in Your Classroom
Journaling helps students reflect on things they read and experience. Writing also prepares them for thoughtful small group or whole class discussions. Each Hummingbird Migration Update includes at least one journal question.

Some questions require little prior knowledge and others require students to dig into slideshows, readings, or data. Students can work in small groups or independently to discuss or reflect on the question and pose a response.

1. Use questions to stimulate thinking about the topic, especially for students new to journaling and reflective response. Some examples:

  • What have you experienced, learned, or observed that could help you answer this question?
  • What useful information can you (or did you) discover in the Update, slideshow, or observers' comments?
  • How would you revise your answer now that you have discovered new information?
  • What new questions do you have?

2. Encourage students to revisit and revise their responses as they gain new insights and information.

3. Share these journal reflections in small groups or as a class. Students should keep these pages in their Hummingbird Migration journals.

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
Hummingbird Journal Questions: My Thoughts