"Readers must analyze and think, producing their own understanding, not simply remember information provided by teacher or textbook." --Robert E. Probst, 1994, English Journal

 "Writing is both a process of doing critical thinking and a product communicating the results of critical thinking." --John Bean, 1996, Engaging Ideas

 Goals for Student Interaction with Texts and Writing Materials while working in a literature circle:

1. Students will learn about others.
2. Students will learn how texts operate, how they shape our thought and manipulate our emotions.
3. Students will learn about cultures and societies, their varying concepts of the "good life," of love and hate, justice and revenge, good and evil, and other significant issues of human experience.
4. Students should learn how context shapes meaning.
5. Students should learn about the processes by which they make meaning out of literary texts.
6. Students will effectively use a variety of writing strategies to encourage reading comprehension, critical thinking, and communicate their understanding of texts to others. --Probst, 1994

 How To Set Up Literature Circles

 Choosing Books:

 The books from which you will choose are:

Just Like Martin by Ossie Davis, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, Fortune's Journey by Bruce Coville, A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck, Woodsong by Gary Paulsen, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor, Stotan by Chris Crutcher, I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, and The Watsons Go To Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis.

 Preparing Students for Literature Circles

 Advance preparation is crucial! Prior to the first meeting of the groups, we will want to go over:

1. an explanation of each role you will be using
2. how to write fat questions
3. how to choose appropriate passages
4. summarizing a chapter

 Prior to starting the novels, we will practice with short stories or picture books. The entire class reads the story, and then we'll practice all of the roles we'll be using. We will discuss various questions and passages you find and write about them. It may take several short stories before we feel comfortable with the system.

 Organization:

 The more organized the program, the better the literature circles run. Each group will have the:

1. a two pocket folder with brads, labeled with the title of the book
2. a sheet for role assignments, which students fill out to show the rotating roles
3. a sheet of reading assignments for particular days.
4. a Daily Group Record Sheet to each group for self-evaluation of the group members
5. each folder will contain several writing ideas. Literature circle members may choose from the list. You will need the cooperation of the entire group to complete the writing assignment. These are due the last day of the unit.

Novel Title: ______________________________

 Lit Circle Meeting # 1: Date: ________ Read Pages: __________

 Discussion Director: _______________________ Summarizer: ___________________

 Passage Master: ______________________________

Lit Circle Meeting # 2: Date: ________ Read Pages: __________

 Discussion Director: _______________________ Summarizer: ___________________ 

Passage Master: ______________________________

 Lit Circle Meeting # 3: Date: ________ Read Pages: __________

 Discussion Director: _______________________ Summarizer: ___________________

 Passage Master: ______________________________

 Lit Circle Meeting # 4: Date: ________ Read Pages: __________

 Discussion Director: _______________________ Summarizer: ___________________ 

Passage Master: ______________________________

 Lit Circle Meeting # 5: Date: ________ Read Pages: __________

 Discussion Director: _______________________ Summarizer: ___________________ 

Passage Master: ______________________________

Lit Circle Meeting # 6: Date: ________ Read Pages: __________

 Discussion Director: _______________________ Summarizer: ___________________ 

Passage Master: ______________________________

 Lit Circle Meeting # 7: Date: ________ Read Pages: __________

 Discussion Director: _______________________ Summarizer: ___________________

 Passage Master: ______________________________

 Name: ______________________________________ Book: _____________________

 Assignment: page ________ to page ________ Literature Circle's Name: _____________

 Your job is to develop a list of questions that your group can discuss about this part of the novel. Your questions should be ones which require thought and get everyone talking and sharing their opinions and reactions. The best discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings, and concerns as you read. Do NOT write questions that call for a simple "yes" or "no" answer or a factual detail!

 Order for Leading Your Group Discussion

1. Pose each one of your questions to your group for discussion Minimum of 4 questions.
2. Ask for each member of your group to state their comment/questions about this section of the novel. Lead your group in response to what each person says.
3. Call on the Passage Master.
4. You fill out the Group Record sheet, with input from your group members
5. After discussion is completed, assign roles for your next reading and make sure everyone gets a new role sheet, including absent members.
6. Call the teacher over. Be ready to discuss items on the Group Record sheet.

Discussion Questions or Topics for Our Lit Circle:

 2.

 3.  

4.  

 What did you think about......? (name a specific event, action, or character's action)

 Why do you think that.......?

 What do you think will happen......? (ask for predictions of events and characters' actions)

 What is happening at the part where.......?

 What do you think ______________ (event/incident) means?

 Name: ______________________________________ Book: _____________________

 Assignment: page ________ to page ________ Literature Circle's Name: __________

 Locate 3 passages of the story that your group should reread, discuss, and think about.

 Passages should be important things for everyone to notice, remember, or think about.

1. Choose a variety of passages, not all the same type--here are suggestions:

• surprising/startling
• confusing (something you wonder if other people "got")
• descriptive writing: figurative language, strong verbs, etc. (identify literary devices)
• important (maybe a clue? foreshadowing?)
• controversial event (elicits different opinions from group members)

1. Make sure everyone opens to the right page and help him or her find where the passage begins.

2. Either read it aloud yourself, have everyone read it silently, or ask someone to read it.

3. Tell your reasons for selecting each passage; ask for comments. Do they agree with your choices?

Page _______ Paragraph(s) ______ The first 3 words of the paragraph are:

This is interesting (or puzzling) because:

Page _______ Paragraph(s) ______ The first 3 words of the paragraph are:

 This is interesting (or puzzling) because:

 Page _______ Paragraph(s) ______ The first 3 words of the paragraph are:

 This is interesting (or puzzling) because:

Name: ______________________________________ Book: _____________________

 Assignment: page ________ to page ________ Literature Circle's Name: __________

 Your job is to prepare a brief summary of today's reading. The other members of your group will be counting on you to give a summary that conveys the key points, the main highlights of today's reading assignment. It is a good idea to jot down the main events on scratch paper before you complete this form. Be sure to write your summary in complete sentences !

 When you have finished your summary, give this section a short title--something that captures the main idea.

 My Title for the Section:

Summary:

____________________________________________________________(finish on back of sheet if necessary)

My comment or question about this part of the book is:

 My group agreed that my summary was complete and accurate _______yes ________ no (if no, add what is missing on the back of the sheet)

 Name: ______________________________________ Book: _____________________

 Assignment: page ________ to page ________ Literature Circle's Name: _________

 Following the group meeting, the Discussion Director will complete this form with the help of the group members.

1. Two topics which generated the most discussion today were:

 2. As a group, we agreed one of the most important or intriguing passages in this section was about: (this may or may not be one that the Passage Master selected)

1. Group Participation Today: (Write the number that corresponds to each member's participation after the person's name on the line provided for you- including your own.) You need to consider if the reading was complete, whether the member contributed relevant information, listened to other members, and otherwise fulfilled his/her duties.

1. Found Poetry: Find a passage in the novel and compose a "found poem" using the passage's words. Write a one paragraph (7-8 sentences) explanation as to why you choose this passage. It should not reflect a random selection. (20 points)

 

2. Advertisement: Write an advertisement for a particular character from the character's point-of-view. Examples might include Charlotte in CHARLOTTE'S WEB offering her spider babies for adoption, Chillingsworth in SCARLET LETTER might advertise his healing herbs, or a soldier in ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT advertising his need for waterproof boots. (15 points)

 

3. Poetry Collection: Create a collection of poems relating to characters and incidents in your book. Each poem must be accompanied by an explanation (4-5 sentences) of its applicability to the novel. Everyone in your group must write or collect two poems. Together, create a cover and back for your collection and bind the poems within it. Be creative in your cover design. Possible poetic forms for you to choose are: "I Am Poem" (as one of the characters), a "found poem", an acrostic poem based on the title of the book, and miscellaneous rhyming and free verse poems. You can use published poems that relate to your novel, also. (60 points)

 

4. Create a game similar to Trivial Pursuit or Pictionary which reflects the details of your novel. (50 points)

 

5. Write an interview of several characters in your novel. (15 points)

 

6. Create a crossword puzzle using information from the novel. (15 points)

 

7. Create a character collage. It must have the character's name, a picture depicting your perception of what the character looks like, words and pictures that define the character and the title of the novel. The collage should have at least 20 images and be colorful and creative. (50 points)

 

8. Write an interview of several characters in your novel. (15 points)

 

9. Create a crossword puzzle using information from the novel. (15 points)

 

10. Create a character collage. It must have the character's name, a picture depicting your perception of what the character looks like, words and pictures that define the character and the title of the novel. The collage should have at least 20 images and be colorful and creative. (50 points)