1. Reaction Journals

2. Keys To Success: 1. Use a DIFFERENT topic sentence for EACH entry.
2. Write your REACTION to the chapter – NOT A SUMMARY.
3. Use specific examples from the book to support your topic sentence.

3. Example #1
I wonder why the author included Lennie’s mouse problem in this chapter.
What do you expect to learn in this paragraph?

4. Example #1
I wonder why the author included Lennie’s mouse problem in this chapter. I think it is obvious without details about how Lennie killed all of the mice that he has some sort of mental illness. Maybe the author was just attempting to emphasize Lennie’s disability more. I don’t think that Lennie carrying a dead mouse in his pocket and petting it was a necessary bit of information to include.

5. Example #1
There were enough instances to show Lennie’s problem in this chapter. I assume that the author was just supporting the fact that Lennie is not very bright. I don’t think that the author needed to include everything about Lennie and mice.

6. Example #2
I liked the way the author described the initial setting in the story.
What do you expect to learn in this paragraph?

7. Example #2
I liked the way the author described the initial setting in the story. This description not only sets the mood and tone for the scenes to follow, but also for the rest of the book. Steinbeck describes it so that you can picture every detail in your mind: the Salinas River “deep and green,” the Galiban Mountains “strong and rocky,” and then he put all of the features together to form a picture-perfect image. It takes an accomplished author to make you feel as if you are actually standing there beside the characters, taking in the backdrop.

8. Example #3
I found that this chapter was realistic because John Steinbeck made George and Lennie’s friendship have ups and downs.
What do you expect to learn in this paragraph?

9. Example #3
I found that this chapter was realistic because John Steinbeck made George and Lennie’s friendship have ups and downs. I was surprised when George got so mad at Lennie because of Lennie’s mental state. I wonder how I would act if I was Lennie and George was yelling at me for something I couldn’t handle. I liked the way the author described the ending of chapter 1 in the settings details. I predict that George will get used to how Lennie acts further in the book.
Were your expectations met?