Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Class
PERSONAL
READING
READ WIDELY
It is easier to read texts that you like and this is a good starting point but it is
important to explore other subjects and genres. You never know what you might
enjoy if you never try.
There is no single list of types but here are some:
Circle or highlight those that you have read and/or like to read.
Novel
Poem
Drama
Short story
Magazine
article
Newspaper
article
Webpage
Fan-fiction
These texts are often grouped together in genres. A genre is a group of texts
that have many common features these include:
A message or an idea that the author For example, in Tomorrow When the War Began
wants you to think about
by John Marsden, an important message is that
when people are faced with challenges they
learn a lot about themselves and the way they
cope.
The style of writing or the way the
book is written and the language
used
When you read with a text, make links between the text that you are reading and your
own personal experiences and knowledge of the world around you. You may also
make links to other texts that you have read before.
Another thing to think and write about is how the ideas in a text have changed or
supported your thinking.
Before reading the text
I thought
I guess
I believed
I suspect
I am unsure
My attitude was
I felt
persuaded/entertained
I was reminded of
T
Text
ext Name,
Name, author
author and
and
character/setting/language/
character/setting/language/
idea
idea
Reading
Reading about
about ...................
................... made
made me
me
feel
feel that
that society
society should......
should......
This
This text
text helped
helped me
me understand
understand ....
....
As
As II read
read the
the text,
text, II felt
felt ....
....
(inspired/sad/angry/concerned..or
(inspired/sad/angry/concerned..or
any
any other
other emotion):
emotion):
It is useful to make notes about the main impressions and ideas that you get
after reading a text. Here is a simple diagram that is one way to do this. This
one is to respond to a character but it could be for other ideas or features :
Genre: NZ fiction
Date finished: .
Cross Tides made me think about what it would be like to live in the 1820s. I dont know what I
would do if I was forced to marry a whaler more than double my age by a drunk step-father and
taken away to a different country known for having a bad reputation and known to have natives
that are cannibals. I wouldnt know what to do if I was the only white woman living in that area
and the only sixteen year old girl. I wouldnt know what to do if a handsome Maori preacher
became my love interest and was eventually brutally killed in a whale chase. This all happened to
Lizzie Dawson.
It made me think about how life would have been living on a whaling station having to bear the
pungent and putrid smell of both sea-water and rotting whale flesh. The water would have been a
reddish brown colour because of the whale carcass that the whalers tore apart, flinging the
unnecessary parts into the sea, marking and showing the sign of death.
I put myself in Lizzies shoes, because then life would have been so hard, while now, living in the
present, things and situations are so different! Life is a lot easier now because we have loving
families, no whaling stations, technology and homes. In New Zealand we have enough food to
eat while in the 1800s, there wouldnt have been nearly as much food as we have now.
Cross Tides made me think about how lucky I am. I have a loving family, loving friends and a
good education. This book inspired me to think of others more, because everyone has different
problems and that Im not the only one with a heavy burden to carry.
Here are some useful starters for your journal entries:
Character
The main character in this text made me feel/reminded me of ...I felt like this because...
I couldnt understand/didnt like why the main character...
The main character had to face huge challenges. One of these was... If I were in that
situation I would...
I felt angry/disappointed/excited/uplifted...when the main character...
Setting
I loved the way the author described...
The place setting of this text reminds me of...
The environment for this text was so peaceful/harsh/rugged/sterile...It seemed like this
because...
Theme/Main Idea
This text made me think more about...
This text made me want to find out more about
I felt angry/disappointed/disheartened/sad/inspired/amused by some of the events in
this text. For instance...
I could relate/identify with the issues or ideas in this text as...
Structure/Style
I liked how the author used...(symbols/images/interesting words)
I liked the way the author used...(letters, diary entries, chapter headings.
Timeline
TERM ONE
TERM TWO
TERM THREE
TERM
Response 1:
Response 3:
Response 5:
Resp
FINISH BY:
FINISH BY:
FINISH BY:
Response 2:
Response 4:
Response 6:
FINISH BY:
FINISH BY:
FINISH BY:
Rule up a table similar to the following one and fill it out as you read:
No
TEXT TITLE
AUTHOR
TEXT TYPE
SUBMITTED
E.G.
DESERT FLOWER
Waris Dirie
Autobiography
13th March
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Evaluation of my Learning
FINIS
Resp
FINIS
Think about the goal that you set at the beginning of this
unit:
How successful was I in achieving this goal?
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
At the end of the year, on refill, answer the following questions and hand to your
teacher:
What did I learn about myself as a reader from completing this unit?
How did my teacher help me and/or how could my teacher help me with my
personal reading?