Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
Step1
Tie the journal to some in-class activity. You can require your students to write about what they are reading or about a period of history the class is studying.
Step2
Make the requirements clear. Give your students a handout telling them how much and how frequently they have to write and what is required from each journal entry.
Step3
Give your students plenty of examples. Remember, they may not be familiar with journal writing. Do a journal together as a class when you are starting the project. Read examples of particularly good student journals to them at least once a week.
Step4
Check the journals every week. Initially, grade your students on the quality of the writing rather than punctuation, spelling and grammar.
Step5
When you return their journals, have your students correct some or all of their writing. When they turn in their corrections, you can grade them for spelling, punctuation, and grammar as a second step. This allows you to address both content and structure without overwhelming your students.