1. Grade 9
Literature Circles

2. What are they? You must read one novel; you can read many novels.
A chance to read a novel of your choice (limited by me, sadly)
A chance to work independently while reading and completing assignments
A chance to work with a group to make connections (synthesize!) between the novel and videos we watch, poems we read, quotes we analyze, etc…
A chance to work with a group to help you understand what is happening in your novel
A chance to have discussions with a group about your novel
You must read one novel; you can read many novels.

3. Yeah, but what am I being marked on?
Journal/Notes assignments (90 Marks)
Two Journal Responses (10)
Journal 1: After 5 discussions
Journal 2: At the end
Individual Assignment (50 marks)
Connects to theme
Variety of ways to show your learning
Group Project (25 marks)
Shares book with others
Self-Assessment for discussion
Set a new goal for the next discussion
Refer to rubric on back
***The numbers in parenthesis are the marks each assignment is worth***

4. What will I be working on?
Reading skills
Finding key quotes
Understanding symbolism, theme, and character development
Speaking Skills
How to have academic conversations
How to listen to others and respect their opinions.

5. What am I expected to do? Read. Talk. Write. Create.
Work with a group.
Work independently.

6. How do I know what book to pick?
Listen to the book talk I present now.
Some books have VERY limited numbers, so not everyone will be able to read those books (Lullabies & Ender’s Game)
Think of what YOU like to read, and what interests you.
Take a piece of scrap paper, and write your name on it
Choose two novels that you’d like to read, and write them on one side of the paper
On the other side, write one novel that you do not want to read
I will do my best to give you one of your top two choices

7. What ties these novels together?
Our Main Questions
“How does the individual fit into society?”
“What power do others have over us?”
“How do people respond to injustice?”
“What role does fear play in making people docile?”
“How does the past influence the present?”
“Who is in control of our lives?”
Lucius Accius: “Oderint dum Metuant”
“Let them hate, as long as they fear”
Accius was a Roman playwright, known for his tragedies
This famous quote was later used by the Roman Emperor Caligula

8. What ties these novels together?
Prelapsarian Society
Postlapsarian Society
A reference to “the fall of Man” before being expelled from the Garden of Eden
Before the fall, “Man” is innocent
Before the fall, “Man” is unspoiled
Here, society is idyllic, peaceful, pure, perfect
A reference to “the fall of Man” after being expelled from the Garden of Eden
After the fall, “Man” is imbued with knowledge; innocence is lost
After the fall, society is corrupt, and there is no chance to return to Eden
Hope is lost; feelings of abandonment prevail
Nostalgia, a desire to return to the past, takes over; the past is seen as perfect, with the present seen as broken
ALL of the novels this semester share the idea of pre-lapse and post-lapse society. This does NOT mean any of the books have religious connotations to them, however. This is just one out of many ways to connect all of the novels together.

9. What ties these novels together?
Ender’s Game & Heart of Darkness
Colonialism
Xenophobia
Power of the state
1984 & Fahrenheit 451
The role of Technology
Dystopia
Nostalgia
Lullabies for Little Criminals & Ender’s Game
Childhood innocence
Reality: Friends & Enemies
Control
Abandonment vs Compassion
1984 & Heart of Darkness
One man’s journey against/toward corruption
The destruction of an entire nation/society
The loss of identity
The power of ideology