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Journals are much like diaries. A journal is a collection of thoughts, pictures, mementos and special things that you would like to remember forever. Some journals are very fancy; others are plain. Either type is filled with important bits and pieces of someone's life.
Journals give us a fascinating glimpse into history--some very famous people have kept journals. President Abraham Lincoln kept a journal. Kings and queens have written their thoughts and dreams in journals that are now preserved in museums. Many famous movie stars have also kept journals!
A journal is a simple thing to create. All you need are a few supplies and a lot of imagination. In the years to come, your journal will be a wonderful reminder of what you were thinking and experiencing at different times in your life. Here's what you need to make your own journal:
Heavy paper for the cover
Sheets of lined paper to write your thoughts on
OR sheets of plain typing paper
Colorful markers
White glue or tape
A clear plastic binder that will hold all the pages together
Your thoughts, dreams, poetry, drawings, pictures, whatever you want to preserve
1. With a marker, draw a design on the cover. Fill it in with other markers in your favorite colors. Or, with your parent's permission and help, design a cover on the computer and print it out.
2. Assemble the journal pages. The cover goes first. Next, put the sheets of lined or plain paper behind the cover. You might want to use another sheet of heavy paper for the back of your journal. Insert the pages into the clear plastic binder.
3. Get creative! Write poems, glue or tape in pictures cut from magazines of your favorite movie stars or musicians, or cut out and include pictures of your favorite animals. You can even attach pictures of your friends and family to your journal pages. Don't forget to include pictures of yourself!
4. Save a football program from your school, newspaper clippings that mention you, birthday party invitations, movie ticket stubs.
5. Write down what you did on special occasions like holidays, what you got for your birthday, who your best friends are. You might even want to include comments on school assignments, or attach a report you wrote. Grade cards would be interesting to keep, too.
6. Keep a list of your favorite television shows and songs. In years to come it will be fun to look back and see if you remember them.
7. Record everything in your journal that is important to you!
Journal keeping is so fun and easy that you may find that one journal isn't enough. Your journal can be as personal or as silly or as crazy as you like. The possibilities are endless!
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