Literature Circles

We have made a start on our literature circles.

Yesterday, we chose the book we would like to read from a choice of seven and then formed groups according to our book choice.

We then discussed the roles set and listed below to be sure we understood each one:

1. Discussion Director
2. Illustrator
3. Connection Maker
4. Literary Luminary
5. Summariser

Here is the list of groupings with each book choice, a summary of each book and a description of each of the five literature circle roles.

Students are expected to read assigned chapters at home in time for the next session. Please encourage your child to refer to the role descriptors, so they can take notes as they read the book.

Book	Group Members/Summary
My side of the mountain	Choleang, Sienna, Am, Champei Book Summary: This tells a story of a boy who really wants to get away from it all.So, he leaves home to live in the mountains, where he learns to live off the land and gains a sense of independence and adventure before he finally reunites with his family.
Hugo Cabret	Zach, Kimvibol, Ravi, Glenn, Julian Book Summary: Orphan Hugo Cabret lives in a wall. His secret home is etched out in the crevices of a busy Paris train station. Part-time clock keeper, part-time thief, he leads a life of quiet routine until he gets involved with an eccentric, bookish young girl and an angry old man who runs a toy booth in the station. The Invention of Hugo Cabret unfolds its cryptic, magical story in a format that blends elements of picture book, novel, graphic novel, and film.
Iqbal	Hyeyoon, Ellie, Anna, Poppy. Book Summary: Fatima is a child slave in Pakistan. Bonded to Hussain Khan three years earlier to pay a debt her parents owed the moneylenders, Fatima spends each day weaving carpets in a factory with other children. At the end of each day, if the work is up to his standards, Hussain Khan erases one of the lines representing Fatima's debt from the slate that hangs above her loom. But somehow all the lines on Fatima's slate are never erased, nor are any of the other children's lines.
Clay Marble	Donghan, Hye Joo, Mayor Book Summary: It tells the story of a young girl and her family, innocent civilians caught up in a war being fought between that dictatorship and outside governments trying to remove it from power. As the narrative recounts the hardships that Dara and her family encounter as they struggle to stay together and to survive, the novel explores themes of self-confidence and the nature of family.
Write before your eyes	Dani, Sonya, Chung Yi, Nisa. Book Summary: TWELVE-YEAR-OLD GRACIE IS always flying under the radar of her overworked parents and outspoken siblings. But when she buys an old journal at a yard sale, Gracie is stunned to realise that everything she writes in the journal comes true—though sometimes in unexpected ways.

1. Discussion Director

Create 12 thoughtful questions for your group to answer orally. You must create three discussion questions from each level (literal, inferential, interpretive, and my own thoughts). You may choose from the question starters given, or design your own. These questions must relate to the section of the text you were assigned. Don’t worry about the small details; your task is to help people talk over the big ideas in your reading and share their reactions.

When your group meets, you facilitate the question and answer session. Be sure to encourage all group members to contribute, as well as include your own thoughts.

     2. Illustrator

Create artwork of a particular aspect of the story that you felt was important to share with the group (e.g., a significant character, a problem, an exciting part, etc.). This may take one of many forms: a cartoon, a collage, a scene, a map, or an organizational chart/timeline. You also need to write a detailed explanation as to the significance of the picture. Your explanation is not just a description of the picture – be sure explain why you chose to illustrate this particular section and share something that can’t be seen by looking at the picture.

    3. Connection Maker

Connecting prior knowledge and experience to reading deepens comprehension.You are to find six connections to share with your group. We look at four types of connections in literature:

Text-to-Text (T -T): These are connections made between the text you are reading and what you have read elsewhere.

Text-to-World (T-W): These are connections made between the text you are reading and the bigger issues and events of the world.

Text-to-Self (T -S): These are connections made between the text you are reading and your own experiences.

Text-Within-Text (T-W-T): These are connections made between the text you are reading and another section of that same text.

Label the type of connection you are making and explain the connection. The connection codes are in the parentheses above. In your connection, be sure to explain both parts. This includes explaining part of the book the connection relates to and the connection you made. 

When your group meets, share your connections and invite group members to share a connection they made during the reading. There are no right answers here: whatever the reading connects you with is worth sharing (just be sure to provide evidence from the novel)!

    4. Literary Luminary

Select six passages from the text that are important or interesting. Mark these passages with a sticky note and write the page/paragraph on the sheet. After you choose your passages, you must explain the author’s purpose for each passage. In other words, what message was the author trying to get across or why was that part included?

When your group meets, you may read the passages aloud to the group, or ask another person to read the selection. After your group reads each one, discuss why the author included that part in the story. Allow your group members to share their thoughts first. Then share what you wrote.

    5. Summariser

Write a brief summary of the reading – beginning, middle, and end. Be sure you have included the answers to the following questions: Who? (character names), Did What? (the events), When?, and Where? (the settings). Be sure to use complete sentences.When your group meets, share your summary. After your group has discussed your summary, you need to decide on a ONE or TWO-SENTENCE summary of your reading. Be sure the key point of the chapter is your focus.