Assertion Journal BUNDLE #2: A Year of Quotations for Analysis and Response

Challenge your students to blend close reading and argumentation skills as they broaden their world views!

Assertion journals--written responses to pithy quotations--are an integral part of my classroom. Through them, students learn to think critically, analyze, and argue. They are frequently cited by my students as one of the most helpful and enjoyable assignments of the entire year. This product contains a second collection of quotations, presented attractively with unique pictures and backgrounds. While they are organized thematically, many quotations apply to multiple concepts and can be used however you see fit in your own room. I have also included my student overview, rubric, annotated exemplar, and student exemplars. While the quotation pages are not printer-friendly, I have included a simple black-and-white quote list at the beginning of each section with the full quotation and author name listed.

Take advantage of the "illustrated quotation" trend and put these thought-provoking statements in front of your students to prompt deeper thinking and discussion!

Contents:

Terms of Use and Credits

Alignment to Standards

Assignment Overview

Rubric for Journal Entries

Annotated Teacher Example (a NEW example for this bundle!)

Student examples

Journal Prompts, arranged by topic. Each topic contains the following: Cover page, index of quotations, quotations (one per page)

Assertion Journals have been a successful part of my AP Language and Composition classroom. I have used them in three ways:

-Online, independent writing that is self-directed

-In-class journaling linked to discussion and/or class skills

-Thought-provoking classroom decoration

Benefits:

-Students are exposed to a wide variety of perspectives.

(When I chose the quotations for each section, I considered: 1) the suggested author list supplied by AP, 2) racial and cultural diversity of the authors, 3) accessibility as a standalone journal prompt that requires little to no background knowledge to understand, 4) the author's level of insight into the concept at hand based on experience or expertise.)

-Students must apply close reading skills and argumentation skills to respond to each quotation.

-Students are always free to defend, challenge, or qualify the prompts, so they gain invaluable experience in developing and justifying their opinions.

A few additional features:

Each section is packaged separately within a zipped file as a PowerPoint with PNG images. Fonts and graphics (and copyrights!) are preserved, but you have flexibility in how to use the product in your classroom. Add, delete, or move the quotes/sections around as you wish!

If you're wondering about how I use assertion journals in my classroom, you can check out the blog post I wrote about them here.

A friendly note: This work is protected by copyright. You may use my products in your classroom, but you may not distribute them (this includes posting them online for public access). The copyright information on each page must remain intact. If you are interested in sharing with your colleagues, please send them the link to my store! Multiple license discounts are available.

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