journal writing

1. Journals
Learning Goals
1. Develop journal writing skills

2. A journal is a personal writing piece. Unlike
paragraphs, it is a time for reflecting on a
question or topic, and having a “discussion” about
it.
You should separate your journal into at least two
paragraphs. Paragraphs should be focused on
clear, separate ideas.
Even though journals are “free flow” writing, they
still need to be polished, and often revised.

3. 
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Reflection- on the overall meaning of the quote or
topic, and on specific key vocabulary
Connections- personal and global
Predictions- What will happen if these
practices/problems continue?
Implications/consequences are considered and
discussed
Solutions are offered
All Points of View are considered
Questioning
A sense of the writer comes through

4. Which is a stronger journal? Why do you think that?
Russel’s quote talks about being afraid of
animals with threatening behavior. Many people
have issues with animals who can be potentially
threatening. Sharks are in this category,
because they are large, they have lots of teeth,
and when people encounter them, they are in an
unfamiliar environment. Sharks, therefore, seem
more threatening than they are.
People are afraid of sharks because they
don’t know a lot about them. The movie
Sharkwater is very enlightening and informative.
Rob Stewart swam with the sharks, which
proves that they are not dangerous. People
should get better educated before they
stereotype sharks badly.
Russel’s quote looks at the idea of point of view,
and basically says that you see what you expect to
see. He means that if people have a fear of sharks,
they take notice of their rows of teeth, and of the
few yearly shark attacks. They usually miss,
however, the footage of people happily swimming
and touching sharks.
It reminds me of what a fortune teller once told
me, “You always find what you are looking for.” In
the same way that I always find stress (because I
expect it), people gravitate to media stories about
sharks, because that’s what they are looking for.
The implication of this is that people are
ignorant, and will remain ignorant. We need to
challenge ourselves to look beyond stereotypes
and our own biases, and make informed factual
opinions.

5. The journal on the right is the STRONGER journal
Why is this journal stronger?
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It includes a reflection of the topic
It includes personal and global
connections
It discusses possible future implications/
consequences
It provides possible solutions to problems
How could this journal improve?
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It could make some predictions about the
future if these problems continue
It could consider the other point of view
It could ask some rhetorical questions
Russel’s quote looks at the idea of point of view,
and basically says that you see what you expect to
see. He means that if people have a fear of sharks,
they take notice of their rows of teeth, and of the
few yearly shark attacks. They usually miss,
however, the footage of people happily swimming
and touching sharks.
It reminds me of what a fortune teller once told
me, “You always find what you are looking for.” In
the same way that I always find stress (because I
expect it), people gravitate to media stories about
sharks, because that’s what they are looking for.
The implication of this is that people are
ignorant, and will remain ignorant. We need to
challenge ourselves to look beyond stereotypes
and our own biases, and make informed factual
opinions.