1. Questioning Exploring Writing in the Middle School

2. Introduction Welcome! Are you looking for something that is not just a middle school language arts program? Great Books Roundtable is for you!

3. Program Overview Great Books Roundtable preserves the features that have made Great Books programs unique and exciting for more than forty years — a focus on the Shared Inquiry ™ method of learning supported by high-quality literature.

4. Sample Unit – “ Wolf ” We are going to use “ Wolf ”, with the video that depicts a middle school classroom working on pre- discussion activities, discussing the selection, and completing post- discussion activities including writing.

5. Questioning, Exploring and Writing in the Middle School PREREADING QUESTIONS Please tell us who you are and what interests you in Questioning, Exploring and Writing in the Middle School? 1.______________________________ 2.______________________________ 3.______________________________ 4.______________________________

6. Skills Roundtable provides a superb framework for teaching the skills of Reading Comprehension Critical Thinking Speaking Vocabulary Writing

7. The Teacher ’ s Role As a Shared Inquiry leader, you do not impart information or present your own opinions, but guide participants in reaching their own interpretations. You do this by asking thought-provoking questions and by being an active listener.

8. Questioning TEACHERS -The key to a great discussion is learning how to ask questions STUDENTS – It is more important to question answers than to answer questions

9. 4 Types of Questions Factual Interpretive Evaluative Speculative

10. Questioning The SI Method distinguishes four levels of questions Factual – Only one correct answer based on evidence from the text Interpretive – More than one answer that can be reasonably supported by evidence for the text Evaluative – Ask you to decide if you agree with the authors point of view in light of your own experience Speculative – Requires you to make a judgment based on information from outside the text

11. Types of Questions One answerFactualNeeds text evidence Two or more answers InterpretiveNeeds text evidence Two or more answers EvaluativeNeeds text + personal knowledge Two or more answers SpeculativeLeads one to make a Judgment

12. Questioning What types of questions are these for the story “ Wolf ” ? 1.What kind of dog is Wolf? 2.What are some animal instincts you recognize in your pet? 3.What influences you more genetics or upbringing? 4.Where in the story does Eisley act similar to Wolf? Different from Wolf? 5.According to the author, what kind of power does the remote past have? 6.Why does Eisley tell Wolf that there is something in us that we both had better try to forget? 7._______________________________________________? 8._______________________________________________? 1-F 2-S 3-E 4-I 5-I 6-I 7-__8-__

13. What makes a good interpretive question? Genuine doubt about the answer(s) Care about the question Discussible Clear Specific to the selection

14. Why Interpretive Questions? Allows for different opinions to be accepted or rejected without judgments Builds critical thinking skills by leading students to  develop ideas  offer evidence from the text  respond to the opinions of others Allows for a student centered discussion sharing ideas from quality literature addressing great ideas and issues effecting middle schoolers

15. Interpretive Questions What makes an effective interpretive question? Doubt Interest Evidence Clarity Specificity

16. Interpretive Questions Need … Doubt (yes, no different answers) – Are there times when the power of the distant past confronts our present circumstances? Interest Why does Eisley tell Wolf that “ there is something in us that we had both better try to forget ” ? Evidence At the end of the story, why does Easley call the bison fossil “ our bone ” ?

17. Interpretive Questions Need Clear Is Easley saying that people as well as animals are what we and “ and can not be otherwise because of the shadows? Specific Why does Easley tell us that “ even to me the shadows had whispered – to me, the scholar in his study ” ?

18. Sequence of Questions OPENING QUESTION OPENING QUESTION (1 question) Introduces and explores ideas, topics, and themes FOCUS QUESTION FOCUS QUESTION (1 question) Examines a central point of the text CLUSTER QUESTIONS CLUSTER QUESTIONS Establishes relevance revolving around the focus question Interprets a passage, explore a quotations, etc. FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS (asked of students to probe and clarify) “Are you saying that...” “Where in the text did you find support for that?” “What do you mean by...” “Tell us more about...” “Do you agree with Sally when she says……”

19. Great Books Shared Inquiry An active and collaborative search for answers to questions of meaning presented by a text

20. Leader ’ s Steps in Preparing a Selection 1. Read twice and take notes 2. Turn notes & reactions into questions 3. Test for answers and evidence 4. Revise your questions, if needed 5. Select questions for SI Discussion

21. Step 1: Read the text and take notes Mark anything that you: find puzzling (?) think is important (*) feel strongly about (!)

22. Step 2: Turn Your Notes into Questions Character motivation Unusual language Important details Ambiguous words/phrases Making connections

23. Step 3: Test for Interpretive Questions How many answers do I come up with? (two or more) Where do I find evidence to support these answers? (back to the text)

24. Step 4: Revise Your Questions What makes an effective interpretive question? Doubt Interest Evidence Clarity Specificity

25. Step 5: Select Questions for Shared Inquiry Discussion Group questions that deal with the same problem of meaning Choose a focus question Form a cluster of related interpretive questions

26. Teacher ’ s Preparation STUDY THE STORY FORMULATE QUESTONS REVIEW RULES USE A SEATING CHART Focus Question: ______________________ Answer: _____________________________ What do you mean by______? Have you heard an idea you disagree with? What do you think of ___’s_idea? Where do you find that in the text? AGREE QUESTIONS DISAGREE NEW IDEAS

27. Discussion of Wolf

28. Writing Writing is thinking on paper. Knowing what you think and how to back it up is the first step SI Discussion prepares students to explore ideas and conclude an evidenced point of view Writing then becomes how to construct that on paper. Roundtable included a full featured writing component on CD ROM

29. Roundtable Features High-quality literature In-depth reading, critical thinking, and writing activities Teaching and learning in stages Differentiated instruction Common Core and 21 Century Alignments Assessment options Standards-and research-based learning Renowned professional development

30. Benefits For Teachers... Paradigm shift in the way you teach Integration of 21st century skills in your class Integration of the reading and writing processes Meeting of Common Core and state standards Assessment of students in order to meet AYP Flexibility to differentiate

31. Benefits For Students... Improves reading comprehension, critical thinking, speaking and writing skills Growth as independent learners and thinkers Participation in a collaborative classroom Development of cognitive, emotional and social intelligences Opportunity to learn and practice 21st century skills

32. Materials Roundtable leader Materials include: Leader's Edition Audio CDs CD-ROM Activity Instruction Cards Roundtable Road Map Posters and Bookmarks (The materials also include a student anthology)

33. For More Information For more information contact Marg Mortimer Marg.Mortimer@greatbooks.org 800-222-5870 x7123 or visit our web site at www.greatbooks.org/roundtable