What would be the most appropriate writing form for students to evaluate literature by recording their thoughts?

The most appropriate writing form for students to evaluate literature by recording their thoughts is response journals. Response journals allow students to express their personal reactions to a text, encouraging them to analyze characters, themes, and their emotional connections to the story. This reflective practice fosters critical thinking and deepens comprehension by prompting students to articulate their ideas, questions, and insights about the literature they are engaging with.

In contrast, while story maps serve to outline the plot and major events of a narrative, they do not necessarily require personal evaluation or reflection. Summaries focus on condensing the material into a brief overview, which limits the opportunity for personal interpretation. Guided questions can stimulate discussion and thought but may not provide the same level of personal engagement and exploration that response journals do. Therefore, response journals uniquely support students in evaluating and processing literature on a deeper level.