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 journal pages and entries to make the junk journal more than just a thematic art project.
It will become an interactive type 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 in the Bespoke ELA Junk Journal Novel Project 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.
Journal options for this project include:
Journal #1: All About the Author
Journal #2: Most Important Word
Journal #3: Protagonist Characterization
Journal #4: Antagonist Characterization
Journal #5: Symbol from the Story
Journal #6: Personal Connection
Journal #7: Text-to-Text Connection
Journal #8: Text-to-World Connection
Journal #9: Song Connection
Journal #10: Art Connection
Journal #11: Analytical Paragraph
Journal #12: Highlighting + Annotating a Passage
Journal #13: Soundtrack of the Text
Journal #14: Character Time Capsule
Journal #15: Page Design— Explain the Connection
Journal #16: Primary Conflict of the Text
Journal #17: Would You Recommend This Book?
Journal #18: Write Your Own “How” or “Why” Question and Answer it!
Journal #19: Most Important Relationship in the Book
Journal #20: Page Design #2— Explain the Connection
If you would like a bundle of these journals ready to print and use with your students along with a PowerPoint tutorial on how to compile a Junk Journal Novel Project, click here to check out the bundle from Bespoke ELA.
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. The Junk Journal Novel Project includes 20 journal options for you to use with your students for this project. Select any combination of journals to use with your students.
Have you ever made a junk journal? What other creative novel projects do you like to use with your students? Leave us a comment below. We’d love to hear your ideas!
Related Resource
About the Author
Meredith is the founder and creator of TeachWriting.org and Bespoke ELA. She has taught high school English for 10+ years in Dallas, Chicago, and New York City and holds a M.A. in Literature from Northwestern University. She has always had a connection to the written word-- through songwriting, screenplay writing, and essay writing-- and she enjoys the process of teaching students how to express their ideas. Meredith enjoys life with her sweet daughter and Yorkie.