We will soon read an excerpt from Walden by Henry David
Thoreau in which he recounts the two years he spent living in a cabin in the woods.
Chris McCandless, the protagonist in Jon Krakauer's true story Into the Wild, is a sort of modern-day Thoreau.
As
you read the book, you will keep a dialectical (the art or practice of
arriving at the truth through logical argument) journal. This is a
double-entry journal in which you write a passage from the book (include
page number) in the left column and your response in the right column.
Do two entries per chapter.
When you finish the book
(on or before Monday, Nov. 26) you will make an appointment with me
during nutrition, lunch or after school to explain your journal to me. I
will listen and ask questions. It will take about 15 minutes. Then I will give you a grade on the
spot and you keep your journal. You do not have to wait until Nov. 26th. If you finish sooner, you
may make an appointment sooner.
