Senior Journal Project

The Senior Journal Project is a project based on The Diary of Samuel Pepys, a collection of writings by an English historian whose detailed accounts of British politics, society, and life were important in documenting events from the 17th century.

You will be documenting some of the more important and meaningful events, experiences, and happenings that have occurred during your senior year. Think of this as you creating your own personal yearbook or scrapbook.

Journal Requirements

1.Five pages. Each page of the diary must be neat and attractive in appearance with a border around the page to allow for binding. Pages must be at least 8 ½”x 11” but no larger than 12” by 12” (scrapbook paper size). Pages must be glued to cardstock, affixed to album pages or attached to some other type of sturdy background material. Sheet protectors are acceptable but not required.

2.Journal entries must be informative, descriptive, and reflective.

Written entries must include the following:

  • date
  • a title or headline
  • a brief but detailed description of the event
  • your personal reflections or thoughts about the event. Comments that reflect your views, concerns, or issues are appropriate.
  • an interesting opening paragraph, not a generic starter such as “Today is/was…” Voice, tone, style, and diction in the writing will be considered for determining each page’s score.

3.Entries should cover such topics as: current events, political news, school events, holidays, sporting events, natural disasters, education, friends, family, and personal accomplishments. The five pages should reflect a variety of topics, otherwise there will be a loss of points. The writing should be autobiographical, a minimum of 200 words per page, andtyped. Writing must be in paragraph form and grammar, spelling, and mechanics will factor into the score. Use only the front side of the paper.

4.Each page must have a colorful illustration, souvenir, photo, brochure, memorabilia, or scrapbooking art. Illustrations may be drawn, downloaded, or attached, and may be any size that fits in the diary. The best illustrations are personal and not generic or unrelated to the student.

5.Due date is May 1, 2015(five pages=100 points).

PLUS decorated COVER=20 points)

This project is homework, not classwork.

6.The journal must be neatly bound. The cover should be attractive, decorated, reflect you and/or your year, and contain your name and the year. Neither staples nor paper clips may be used to hold the pages together. Covers made out of notebook paper are not acceptable. A binder, scrapbook album, or handmade cover is suggested. The cover will be worth 20 points.

Sample Journal Entries