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 North Signs of Spring updates together as a class. Invite
students to revisit the information in small groups or independently and
collect their thoughts on journal pages (right). Here's how:
1. In the left-hand column of the journal page, students write an excerpt from the update. The excerpt should be one that sparked their interest! You may also ask them to choose an excerpt — a sentence or paragraph — they would like the class to talk about together.
2. In the right-hand column of the page, students write their thoughts about the excerpts selected. Encourage them to include discoveries, opinions, questions, predictions, and connections.
For students who are new to journaling and 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 week?
- Which sentences or paragraphs made you think about new questions?
Sentence starters 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
Signs
of Spring Updates: My Thoughts
