Diary entries are great for using content. Social Studies teachers like to use it to allow students to personalize historic figures and events. Science teachers could really have fun with this also. Can you imagine writing a diary entry as the heart? Language Arts teachers also enjoy using this to increase the amount of writing in class in order to practice correct grammar, spelling and sentence structure. Diary entries are helpful to find out how much a student really knows or feels about a piece of content. They can be done in class or as homework for review. Diary entries use multiple intelligence learning styles also and is a great option to give students for differentiated instruction work sessions. The following are used during a diary entry activity:
- Linguistic Multiple Intelligence Learning Style
- Intrapersonal Multiple Intelligence Learning Style
Writing of course uses the linguistic multiple intelligence learning style. Students really need to be creative and get into the persona of the character they are writing as. It is a nice alternative to give for expository writing due to the content it can use.
I believe that diary entries should be written solo using the intrapersonal multiple intelligence learning style. They should not be written in a partner or group situation because diary entries are personal. If a student has a difficult time doing this alone then you can offer that student an alternate assignment using other multiple intelligence learning styles but using the same content. Offering students a choice of activities based on different multiple intelligence learning styles is one way to differentiate instruction in the your classroom and increase the interest in your students.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico offers over 50 multiple intelligence learning style activity templates, like the diary entry above, that can help you differentiate instruction for you work sessions. They all come with rubrics. Check it out! You can also get advice from Kasha Mastrodomenico by connecting with her on Linkedin.com.
Written by,
Kasha Mastrodomenico
http://www.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com
kasha@socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kasha-Mastrodomenico