"Junk Journal" Novel Project for ANY NOVEL: A Creative Way to Express Analysis
- Zip
What educators are saying
Description
For this creative project, students will create a "junk journal" representation of their interpretation of a novel. This project works for any text in secondary ELA and presents an engaging way for students to interpret literature.
What is a “junk journal”?
While junk journals can vary from person to person, they generally share one primary characteristic: the journal is made with mostly a mix of found and recycled materials.
In essence, a “junk journal" is a journal that is created out of “junk,” or trash, as well as any “found” objects from paper to napkins to ribbons to flowers to drawings to stamps to anything that a person finds interesting to add to the journal. In its pure sense, a “junk journal" is an art project that serves as an expression of an idea of theme.
How do we use this creative project in ELA?
For ELA class purposes, students will add in specific pages and entries to make the junk journal more than just a thematic art project. It will become a journal that explores key literary elements and techniques about a text. As students create their “junk journals,” they should select images, designs, words, drawings, paintings, colors, patterns, etc. that purposefully and symbolically connect to the text. They will also add in journal assignments to make the journal reflective of the selected text.
To create the actual pages of the journal, students can simply take any kind of paper— construction paper, magazine pages, envelopes, etc.— and fold the pages in half to form the foundation of a book that will become the journal. Then, students will add in any combination of the literary journal assignments included here in this bundle. Students can turn these journal assignments into entire pages of the junk journal, or they can integrate specific writing assignments into a pocket on a page or as part of an entire image on the page.
This is a creative project that allows students to express their understanding and analysis of a text in a way that makes sense to them. It allows students to express their understanding in a visual and written way.
While the creative component of the journal is open-ended, you can assign any combination of the journal assignments included in this bundle to make it more objective to grade. For example, you can require that students select a specific number of journal assignments to integrate into the journal. The number of requirements can be modified according to your students' needs. Depending upon the class, you might require that students select five journals to include in their journals, or even ten. I like to allow students the choice of which journals they will include, but you have the freedom to assign specific ones and allow students to choose others -- or any combination therein. I have included 20 journal options for you to use with your students for this project. Select any combination of journals to use with your students.
PERKS FOR YOU:
*Join the Bespoke ELA Blog to gain access to 100+ FREE resources that are not here on TpT!
* Be sure to click the "FOLLOW" button that is located next to my picture in the profile so that you can hear about sales, new products, and freebies!
* Don't forget to leave feedback to EARN POINTS that turn into cash towards future purchases!
==============================================================================
Follow Bespoke ELA for UPDATES, ANNOUNCEMENTS, & FREEBIES
Standards
Reviews
Questions & Answers
