Non-Fiction Journal

WOW Non-Fiction Journal

Journal Instructions: While you read your non-fiction book, keep track of how individuals or groups of people are identified, categorized or discriminated against based on their gender, age, social class, religion, race, and national origin.  Pay close attention to who has privilege and why, and who are the oppressed and why.  Another aspect to consider is how people define themselves and how they are defined by others and are different from others.  What are the consequences of the way individuals are defined?

Requirements: 10 journal entries which include a quote and reference to a page number on one side, and your comments and thoughts on the other side.  Your comments should explain and discuss how the passage reflects on the themes of questions of identity, discrimination, privilege, and/or oppression.  Remember to have a conversation with the text and cover the scope of the book.  Each of your entries should be 100-150 words.

Here’s how to set up your journal:

Place the quote in the left column (you only need to include the first 8 words) along with the page number.

In the right column, write your thoughts based on the criteria found in the journal instruction description above.

The journal can either be typed or hand written.  All are due on Monday, October 13^th (30 formative assessment points possible).

Grading Criteria: 10 entries, follows format, legible, covers scope of novel, thoughts show depth and are purposeful (that is they don’t appear to be hastily done with little thought).  If you don’t meet the basic standards, then your journal will be returned to you without a grade.  You’ll need to resubmit the journal for a grade.

Quote and Page Number	Your Thoughts
Ex from “Ain’t I a Woman?” “he says women can’t have as much rights as men, ‘cause Christ wasn’t a woman! Where did your Christ come from? From God and woman! Man had nothing to do with Him”  p. 68	This passage is towards the end of Sojourner Truth’s speech. At first I thought Truth was talking about being black and not being able to vote, but she really is talking about being a woman and not being able to vote.   She is arguing that denying women the right to vote because “Christ wasn’t a woman” is illogical because ultimately, a woman created Christ.  She uses logic to counter the man’s logical fallacy. She is also frustrated by being denied the right to vote even though she is as strong, smart, and capable as a man (or even more so.) Here, Truth turns her gender into a point of pride and power, rather than one of weakness and servitude, by arguing that without a woman, there would be no Christ. Rather than being ashamed of her identity as a woman, she is proud of it.  (145 words)
Ex. From “The Way To Rainy Mountain”