Do you have a middle school student who loves to read nonfiction? Or are you struggling to add more nonfiction reading into your lessons? Either way, this reading response journal can help. This packet will challenge your students to summarize and analyze nonfiction literary elements using textual evidence and critical thinking. The standards-based questions are open-ended enough to use with a variety of middle school books.
Response prompts are provided in two formats: ten whole page worksheets for distribution one day at a time, or a packet to be folded and stapled into a fourth-page student booklet. Either way, two weeks worth of reading response questions are included.
Nonfiction Genre tasks include:
- Analyze text structure
- Identify supporting details
- Analyze an illustration
- Construct a diagram
- Identify the central idea
- Define academic vocabulary
- Evaluate persuasive language
- Consider a different format
- Compare information from multiple sources
- Each day, summarize the text
Teacher Prep
First, choose whether you will distribute full page handouts or have students create a nonfiction study mini-book. For full page handouts, simply print as many copies as needed of each page. These handouts also include editable text boxes in the header so that you can change the title or assign specific pages.
For mini-books, pages 15-20 are formatted for double-sided printing. Print or copy pages 15/16, 17/18, and 19/20 back-to-back.
You can then assemble the mini books yourself or have students do this part. Cut each page along the solid horizontal line. (If you have access to a paper slicer, this is an easy time saver for you!) Stack the half-page sheets so that page 1 is facing up and is at the bottom of the stack, with 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 above. Then straighten the pages and staple on the dotted line. Fold and enjoy your booklet!
How to Use this Nonfiction Reading Response Journal
Full page
Have students complete page 4 in class before beginning their books. Distribute pages 5-14 one day at a time. If students are reading a class novel together, you may pre-plan which pages to assign each day and edit those pages at the top before photocopying. This format also makes it easy to differentiate for students who need fewer response tasks.
Mini-book
Have students complete page 1 of the nonfiction mini-book before they begin reading. If students will be participating in book clubs or literature circles in which they will read the same book, they should first agree upon stopping points for each day to avoid spoilers.
For a Preview
Download my FREE Sample Nonfiction Reading Response student booklet, which includes only the fourth-page foldable mini booklet.
Related Resources
If you love this Nonfiction Reading Journal, you’ll also appreciate the packets for these other genres. Biography, fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, realistic fiction, and scifi/dystopian are all available separately or in a money-saving bundle.