4H T2c My Non-fiction Reading Diary Entries

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4H T2c My Non-fiction Reading Diary Entries

The Story Behind This Task

Why we’re doing this

Stories don’t grow out of nowhere. Even the most imaginative novel is full of real ideas about science, history, psychology, or everyday life. At the same time, non‑fiction books about people, events or discoveries often feel like stories too. By reading a non‑fiction book alongside two novels, you’ll learn to see how facts and fiction can work together to give you a deeper view of the world.

What you’ll be doing

While you’re reading your non‑fiction book, you’ll keep a short diary. After each chapter you’ll note the main idea, then choose one or two prompts to think about. You might ask yourself: How does this connect to your own life? Does it remind you of something in a novel or film? What does it tell you about people or society? You can also note new vocabulary, jot down a question you have, or sketch a symbol that captures the chapter. Each entry should take around ten minutes, just enough to capture your thoughts while they’re fresh.

How this helps you grow

This diary isn’t about right or wrong answers. It’s about making the book meaningful for you. Writing down your reactions helps you remember what you’ve read and prepares you to compare your non‑fiction book to the novels you’re reading later. It also ties into our See the Human project: by reflecting on hoops (expectations), hurdles (challenges) and wheelbarrows (strengths), you’ll discover more about yourself and how you relate to people and ideas in the wider world.

Duration

You have five weeks to finish your novel and 3,5-4 weeks to finish the task.

Rubric

Under construction; the examples in the explore phase serve as examples of what your diary entries should look like.

Vocab

related to:
– The examples from books used in the explore phase
Like:
onomatopeia (how you describe words that are sounds) such as —black hole – a place in space with so much gravity that nothing can escape, not even light.

event horizon – the edge around a black hole; once you cross it, you cannot get back out.

singularity – the very centre of a black hole where all the matter is squeezed into a tiny point.

metaphor – a way of describing something by saying it is another thing to show a picture in your mind.

habit – something you do often, almost without thinking.

compound – made of many small parts added together.

identity – the idea of who you are and what makes you different from others.

coping – dealing with a difficult situation and trying to manage it.

trauma – a very bad experience that causes a lot of stress or pain.

outcome – what happens at the end of an action or situation.

routine – things you do in the same order or at the same time every day.

reflection – careful thinking about something that has happened or about your own feelings.

pressure – the feeling that you have to do something, often because of others’ expectations.

cognitive – connected to the mind, thinking or understanding.

myth – a traditional story that many people believe, often used to explain why things are the way they are.

imagined – created in your mind; not real.

co‑operate – to work or act together with other people.

alienation – the feeling of being alone or not part of a group.

revolution – a big change in the way something works or how people think.

fiction – stories that are invented and not true.

Grammar

Helpful grammar to watch for

  • Talking about now and habits: You’ll see the present tense used to describe facts and routines, like “gravity slows down time” or “I scroll on my phone every evening.”
  • Telling stories: Past tense forms (“Theo became dependent on pills,” “Anne felt sad inside”) show events that happened before.
  • Adding extra information: Some sentences include extra details using words like who, which or that — for example, “a point called a singularity,” or “characters who create their own myths.”
  • Comparisons and metaphors: Writers often compare one thing to another using words like like or as, such as “like crossing the event horizon.”
  • Explaining reasons: Look for words that link actions and results, like because, so and therefore (“your outcomes are the result of your habits”).
  • Questions for thinking: Many examples end with a question (“What new shared story could inspire people?”) to invite you to reflect.
  • Imagining possibilities: Words like could or might are used to talk about ideas that aren’t certain (“could work as a metaphor”).
  • Punctuation tools: Colons (:), dashes (–) and brackets ( ) help writers organise information and highlight important parts.

Useful words and phrases

  • Science words: Terms such as black hole, event horizon and singularity describe ideas from astronomy.
  • Feelings and mind: Words like trauma, sadness and coping help talk about emotions and mental health.
  • Self‑improvement: Phrases like small daily actions, habits and identity show how choices build who we are.
  • Story connections: Names of books and characters (for example, Lies of Silence, The Goldfinch, Anne Frank, The Bell Jar, Earthlings) help you link different texts.
  • Thinking and believing: Verbs such as believe, imagine, feel and think are useful when discussing stories and personal reflections.
  • Connecting words: Words like however, also, because and for example guide you from one idea to the next.

Year and level

Year 4

B2/C1 Reading
B1/B2 Writing

Learning Goals

Nadat je deze taak af hebt kan je de onderstaande leerdoelen afvinken op je leerdoelenkaart.

Schrijven (B2)


Link naar volledige leerdoelen kaart

De bovenstaande leerdoelen voor schrijven en lezen zijn terug te vinden op de leerdoelkaart B1 voor moderne vreemde talen (MVT). Zie deze link voor het volledige overzicht van de B1 MVT leerdoelen.

Other Learning Goals

You can explain big ideas in your own words.
After reading a science, self‑help, biography or history text, you can pick out and describe the main idea using simple language, including any new vocabulary.

You can connect different kinds of books.
You understand how to look for links between a non‑fiction text and a novel, such as similar themes or experiences, and you can explain why those links are interesting or important.

You can relate what you read to real life.
You understand how the stories you read connect to your own feelings or to issues in society, and you can write about these connections in a thoughtful way.

You can use English accurately and creatively.
When writing your diary entries, you can use the right verb tenses, linking words and relative clauses, and you can include subject‑specific words to make your meaning clear.

You can create a short, creative note.
At the end of your reflection, you can write a catchy question or statement that sums up your ideas and invites further thought.

You can organise your reflections step by step.
By following the quick capture, reflection and creative note stages, you understand how to structure your diary writing so that your ideas flow logically and make sense.

Mining Expeditions

4H T2c

This mining expedition has not been made available yet.

Task / Project Content

Produce Phase – Instructions for the diary [4H.T2c] 1 Step
Phase Content
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