Constructing Readings in a Literary Community

Activity #1 Read Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin silently. Notice any lines that resonate with you. These might be lines that amuse, offend, or surprise you or that you find memorable, elegant or puzzling. Simply notice any lines that catch your attention in any way.

Activity #2: Jump In Reading AKA Popcorn Reading Now lets read the story aloud and do it in a manner called Jump In or Popcorn Reading. Start at the beginning of the story. When you stop, you may Popcorn another reader, or someone may just Jump In when you stop. Again, notice any lines that resonate with you.

Activity #3 Pointing Call aloud lines or phrases from the text that moved you, touched you, or resonated for you in any way. These are the lines that struck you as memorable, important, shocking, or especially interesting for any reason at all or for no reason that you can name. –No one has the exclusive right to any line –If someone calls out a line, you are free to call it out, too. –There is no limit to how many times a particular line can be called out.

Activity #4 Writing About a Line We have now had three experiences with the text –We have read it silently –We have heard it read with Jump In/Popcorn Reading –We have heard parts of it read again in Pointing. Now it is time to write about the story.

Activity #4 Writing About a Line Select the line of the story that you find most important to its meaning or possibly the most interesting or puzzling in the context of the story. –Discuss that line and explain its role in the story and why you find it is so important or interesting or puzzling. –This might be one of the lines you pointed to or heard somebody else point to, or some other line entirely. –Just write the line at the top of your page and take off from there. –Complete this Activity in your Evernote Writing Notebook.

Activity #5 Sharing Writing in Groups Find two other people with whom to share your writing. Read what you have written rather than just tell about it. After you have heard each others writing, please be prepared to report on how similar or different your writing pieces were and what sorts of issues were raised by your group about the story.

Activity #6 Reporting and Publishing Now that you have all heard each others writing pieces, Id like to hear from groups what you found others writing about –How much agreement did you note in how different members of the group saw the story, etc. –I would also like to hear some sample pieces –You can volunteer to read your own. –You can volunteer a member if you heard a piece in your group that offered you a new or surprising or especially illuminating perspective on the story.