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JMJ English 11ABCD Quarter Learning Logs Guide Questions.

For every selection, choose two questions to answer. Do NOT copy the questions anymore. Go answer right away. =============================================== Sample Questions Guide for Reading Prose Fiction Initial Response 1. What is your first reaction to this selection? 2. Do you associate the selection with any life experience you have had? 3. Did you enjoy the story? 4. How did the story affect you? Did any characters affect you? If you could be any character who would you be? How did you picture the setting? Did the setting have any effect upon you? Initial Understanding 1.Were any parts confusing? 2.What happens? (Map the events) Is there a protagonist ? Antagonist? What conflicts do the characters have? Is the conflict internal or external? When does the conflict reach a critical point? How is the problem solved? Where and when did this story take place? Who is telling the story? What is the point of the story? What do you think might happen to the characters? Developing Interpretation What is the historical context of the story? When was it written? How is that time reflected? What is the significance of the tile? How did the characters change? How are the characters developed? From what point of view is the story told? What atmosphere is created? What details contribute to the atmosphere? How did you determine the theme? What literary techniques are used ( e.g. dialogue, conflict, sub-plots, foreshadowing, imagery)? What type of narrative is this ( e.g. adventure, historical, science fiction)? What is the authors 1 Developing a Critical Stance Is this story plausible? Why? In your opinion, is this a good story? Why or why not? Would you say this is a traditional story or one in which the author is trying something new or unique? What connections are there between this work and other selections you have read? Would you like to read something else by this author? Why or why not?

style ( e.g. diction, sentence structure, organization)?

Sample Question Guide for Reading Prose Nonfiction Initial Response What is your opinion on this topic? Does this selection appeal to you? Did you enjoy reading it? Of what event does this remind you? How did this selection affect you? Does the author say anything with which you can identify? Does this description make sense in relation to your experiences? Did you get a sense of character for any of the people involved or was the information purely factual? Initial Understanding What are the main points or events? What does this selection tell you about the topic? How are the ideas ( or story) organized? What is the authors purpose? What does the author think about the topic? What is the selections overall message? Does it appeal to the emotions? Intellect? Both? Is this selection based upon fact or opinion? Has the author done anything in particular to bring the subject matter to life? Developing Interpretation What qualities of the authors style can be identified ( e.g., word choice, rhetorical questions, anecdote, narrative, use of dialogue, commentary)? What is the authors tone ( e.g., personal, objective, or combination)? What picture of the author emerges? Is the treatment sympathetic? Balanced? Biased? Does the selection shed light on social and political realities? What literary devices did the writer use to communicate the ideas ( e.g., flashback, parallelism, irony, images, repetition)? Developing a Critical Stance Why did the writer consider the subject worthy? Is this information useful? Why has the writer said this about the subject? Do you trust the information? Is it accurate? Up to date? Is the author qualified to write about this topic? In what way? Is this a good piece of prose? Why or why not? What does the selection not address?

Sample Questions Guide for Reading Poetry Initial Response What is your first reaction to this poem? How does this poem make you feel? Have you felt this way before? Of what does the poem remind you? What pictures did the poem give you? What did you think about while hearing/reading this poem? What would you like to ask the poet? Initial Understanding What content is the poem exploring? How is the poem shaped? What sounds are there ? What is the most important word? Phrase? Line? Developing Interpretation What is the subject of the poem? What is the thought or image? What is the poets attitude? What is the theme of the poem? What type of poem is this ( e.g. , narrative, lyrical, dramatic) ? What sound device are used ( e.g., rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, repetition)? What figurative language is used? How would you describe the poets style? How does this poem relate to the historical or social context in which it was written? Developing a Critical Stance In your opinion, is this a good poem? Why or why not? Is this poem effective? What makes it work? Is this poem unique? Why? If you were writing this poem, what would you change? Keep? How would you predict others might respond to the poem? Does this poem call To mind any other literary work? If so, what work? Why?

Sample Questions for Reading Plays Initial Response Developing Interpretation Can you imagine a What details performance of the contributed to the play? Where and when did atmosphere? Tone? this play take place? What did you most Was this play enjoy? Least enjoy? Who are the central written by a characters? playwright or was it What did you think created by a theater about as you read What problems did collective? this play? the characters face? What type of drama Did the problems is it ( e.g., comedy, Did the play remind reach one main tragedy, you of anything in climax or were there docudrama)? life? many smaller points of climax What was the effect What pictures/ throughout the play? of the language used words/ incidents ( e.g., poetic, stand out in your Were the problems naturalistic, mind? solved? dialect)? How did you feel about the characters? How did the characters affect you? What would you like to ask the playwright? Were there stage directions in the text? What was the point or purpose of the play? How did the playwright use literary devices ( e.g., irony, symbols, images)? Dramatic devices ( e.g. , scene changes, sounds, props)? How does this play relate to the historical or social context in which it was written? What is the playwrights style? Initial Understanding What happened? Developing a Critical Stance Why did you or did you not enjoy the play? What is your general impression? Is the play plausible ( plot, character, setting)? What would you say were the outstanding parts? Weak parts? Is the play tightly scripted or is there a lot of room for interpretation by a director and actor? Would you say this is a traditional play or is there anything about it you would call experimental? If you could change anything about the play, what would you change?

Sample Question Guide for Viewing , Listening, Responding to Television, Radio, Film, and Video Texts Initial Response What is your initial reaction to this presentation? How does this presentation affect you? What personal connections and associations can you make? What impressions stand out in your mind after listening/ viewing? Did you enjoy the presentation? Initial Understanding Who is communicating? What is being communicated? To whom it is communicated? Is there an editorial point of view? What medium carries this text? What technology is used to make this text? What is the purpose? To entertain? To inform? To persuade? What are the main points or events? What were the effects of technical aspects on you? Developing Interpretation What were the outstanding parts of the presentation? What were the weak parts? What are the noteworthy technical aspects of this production ( e.g., camera shots or angles, layout, setting, lighting, sound effects, special effects, etc)? What use is made of language, image, and / or symbol? Is it effective? Developing a Critical Stance What are the assumptions behind the presentation? What are the biases? What values are implicit in the presentation? Why was this medium chosen for this topic? Is this presentation accurate? Realistic? Artistic? Do you think that this presentation is successful? Why or why not? What adaptations to other mediums could be made? What are the advantages and limitations of this particular medium? Does this presentation remind you of other literary work?

* These questioning suggestions are adapted from: R. Huntsman, 1990; L. Rhodes and C. Dudley- Marling, 1996.