LITERATURE CIRCLES Strategy for Discussion and Analysis

Students will participate in Literature Circles to analyze and discuss short stories and review short story elements. Participation in the Lit. Circles will include: 1. Student-generated open-ended questions, which will be created as a homework assignment. 2. Participation in Circle discussions 3. Adherence to behavior guidelines to be discussed in class. Literature Circles Goals

Questioner - The questioner is responsible for writing down any questions the group discusses about the literature. The questioner should also ask the group if they had questions while they were initially reading the literature. The questioner should also write down any conclusions the group comes to regarding those questions. Literature Circles Roles

Passage Finder - The passage finder is responsible for finding a few special sections or quotations for the group to discuss. The sections or quotes should be especially interesting or thought provoking and should prompt insightful discussion. The passage finder will write down the main points of the discussion surrounding those quotes or sections of text. Literature Circles Roles

Connector - The connector is responsible for making connections between the literature and the world. The connector can relate the literature to personal experiences, current events, or other writings on the same topic. The connector will write down all connections on a sheet of paper. Literature Circles Roles

Leader - The leader is responsible for keeping the group on topic. When the discussion veers off topic, it is the leader’s responsibility to get the group back on track. In addition, the leader will summarize the main points of the discussion and report back to the class during the class discussion. Remember that when the class uses evaluation sheets, you are responsible for the requirements listed on the evaluation sheet in addition to the role responsibilities. Literature Circles Roles

Take a moment to write your name on the card and list the roles according to what you would most like to do. (1=the role you like the best; 4=role you’d like the least) Literature Circles Roles

Let’s practice: Passage Finder Connector Questioner Leader Literature Circles Roles

For each reading, you will Mark good passages (what stands out to you) make note of any questions you have about the text construct two good questions to discuss during the Lit. Circle meeting. Since you are to construct 2 good questions for each reading, let’s look at what to avoid in order to create a good question and what to do in order to create a good question. Literature Circles Daily Homework

Generic (Bad) Questions : Have “yes” or “no” answers (ex: Did you like the book?) Can be answered by recalling information directly from the text (ex: Who married Romeo and Juliet in his secret chamber?) Can be answered without reading the text (ex: Who is the main character in the book?) Are worded in a manner that makes the questioner’s opinion known (ex: Shouldn’t Atticus have been more attentive to his children?) Literature Circles Constructing Questions

Good (Higher-level) Questions : Are focused (deal with a very specific incident, idea, character, or plot element) Are open-ended (can have a variety of correct answers, not “yes” or “no”) Are meaningful (make the reader think, not recall, enhance the reader’s understanding of the text) Are clearly-worded (reduce the chance that the question could be misunderstood; help the reader understand the logistics of what is expected.) Literature Circles Constructing Questions

You will evaluate each of your group members, using this rubric: The columns are to be checked only if the behavior is exhibited. Each Circle member will fill out a chart every day the Circles meet. The teacher will evaluate each student’s daily performance by “averaging” the peer evaluations for each day. In addition, the teacher will observe each Circle and evaluate using the same evaluation sheet. NamePrepared?Participated?Thinking SkillsSocial Skills Member 1 Member 2 Member 3 Member 4 Literature Circles Peer Evaluations

You will evaluate each of your group members, using this rubric: Instructions: “Prepared” column to be checked off only if group member has done the reading and has two good questions to discuss. “Participated” column to be checked off only if group member participates the entire period. NamePrepared?Participated?Thinking SkillsSocial Skills Member 1 Member 2 Member 3 Member 4 Literature Circles Peer Evaluations

You will evaluate each of your group members, using this rubric: Instructions: “Thinking skills” column to be checked off only if the group member makes statements that show s/he is thinking about the text. Examples include making connections, judgments, or inferences about the text. NamePrepared?Participated?Thinking SkillsSocial Skills Member 1 Member 2 Member 3 Member 4 Literature Circles Peer Evaluations

You will evaluate each of your group members, using this rubric: “Social skills” column to be checked off only if the group member exhibits encouragement, makes appropriate comments, exhibits respect, actively listens (doesn’t “zone out”), and provides feedback. NamePrepared?Participated?Thinking SkillsSocial Skills Member 1 Member 2 Member 3 Member 4 Literature Circles Peer Evaluations

After the unit, the teacher will count the number of checks each student has earned from peers and teacher evaluations. That total will be divided by the total possible checks to determine the student’s average for literature circles. The literature circle grade will count as a major grade for the unit. Literature Circles Grading