Supporting Learning in Book Clubs Historical Fiction, Fantasy and beyond Eileen Murtaugh

Unit Alignment MAISA Oakland Schools Units Calkins 3-5 Kit Calkins at many levels Free Cycles

Writing about text Crucial to understanding of the deeper meanings of text Important to balance amount of reading and amount of writing If they cannot write down what they think, how will they be able to share deeper in their groups?

How to do this… Show exemplar examples Have them discuss why the samples work Chalk talk to discuss weaknesses/strengths of samples They need to be able to elevate their thinking on their own, so they can be a productive member of a group Create a common language

Notice and Note Signposts Words of the wiser Contrasts and contradictions Again and again Memory moment Aha moment Tough questions http://murtaugh.weebly.com/reading-sign-posts.html

Set Club Norms

Now they have common language and norms, what next.. Now they can write long about an idea and they have common language…begin book clubs WAIT!!! I don’t have enough books….

Building Your Collection . . . . Multiple Copies 2-8 ish Second and Charles Salvation Army Book Drive To start, Few themes, More Choices (at least 2 books for each theme) Build as you get more sets to add more themes For struggling readers, Match their book’s theme with your read aloud. Match their book’s theme with a picture book the class has read

Launching Book Clubs “There is no such thing as a struggling readers just kids with the wrong books” Kylene Beers Give kids CHOICE Set up tables with books grouped by band Keep your groups 3-5 kids Have students submit their top 2-3 selections on a sticky note or via a goggle doc Goal is NOT for kids to read one book but to read several books before the unit is over in one era Aiming for Instructional level NOT independent b/c students are supported by their peers

Band Research N, O, P, Q (30-40ish) R,S,T (high 40-50ish) U.V.W (60ish) X,Y, Z Higher up the bands you go the more careful you need to be about inappropriateness

But I have a level 28 reader . . . LRC teacher or LSS teacher could team teach the unit Book on tape and allow level 28 reader to join a more advanced book club (with care, remembering that each time a reader does this they are not growing in the same way as their counter parts who are reading vs. listening to the book) Join classes so the low kids can form one group or mix all your kids to better meet needs Match the student(s) with a book for which they extensive background knowledge

But I have a level 28 reader . . . Increase the number of conferences Read aloud the first chapter Support readers with book trailer, movie trailer, super bowl commercial Match book with time period being studied as a mentor (HF) Use time travel books like Magic Tree House, Who was. which can be found at lower levels Start a chart with Students Use laminated charts that they can wipe off Decrease the amount of paperwork Perhaps allow one set of paperwork for the whole group

Constitution

Changing Gears

Historical Fiction Book Clubs Eileen Murtaugh & Kate DiMeo In Collaboration with: Becky Allen & Stephanie Dukus Lake Orion Community Schools

How this might look in Gr. 4 Whole Class Study of WWII Holocaust* Students read at least 2 books on the topic Whole class study of Slavery/Civil War* Students read at least 2 books on that topic OR Whole class study of Slavery/Civil War Some students do that topic and others move into other eras Pairs can also branch off after the clubs start to die off . . *These historical topics have been selected based on their high level of interest and accessibility of low level texts Why we chose the topics we did Bonus Social Studies Levels

How this might look in Gr. 5 and up Whole Class Study of WWII Pacific* Or Whole class study of the Great Depression Kids Do NOT follow suit on Era however struggling kids may want follow that era or kids whose passion has been ignited Encourage in partners to keep the era going . . . Consider this. . .In writing kids study Revolutionary War in 4th grade, in Social Studies the kids studied Revolutionary War at the end of 5th grade. Do you want them to study it in Historical Fiction as well? What about your struggling kids? Consider your affinities . . .. Skills you are teaching are transferable

Choosing Anchor Texts Read Alouds-Fiction Novel Non-fiction Song or video and photographs

Building Your Collection . . . . Multiple Copies 2-8 ish Second and Charles Salvation Army Book Drive Few Topics More Choices Bonus Social Studies Non-Fiction Struggling Reader I Survived Who was? Magic Tree Hourse Dan Gutman and Me Series

Setting up Non-Fiction to Support Your Unit Map or a chart-laminated Photos-laminated 1 everybody article (green) 2-3 easy articles 2-3 picture books 2-3 NonFiction books You can have more than one text set bin per era, but keep the text set small-no more than 10 items Kids will be energized and engrossed in the topic they study. Try to find Who was . . .or What was books to match the time period. Multiple copies would be best. Historicalhelper.weebly.com