Introduction Introduction to Literature to Literature

CirclesCircles

Mrs. LehrmanMrs. Lehrman

66thth Grade Class Grade Class

Lawson Middle Lawson Middle SchoolSchool

What are Literature What are Literature Circles?Circles?• Literature Circles are Literature Circles are small reading groups. small reading groups. Each group consists of 4 Each group consists of 4 or 5 students.or 5 students.

• Each group gets to choose Each group gets to choose its own book to read.its own book to read.

• Students read and respond Students read and respond to the book.to the book.

• Students meet and discuss Students meet and discuss the parts of the novel by the parts of the novel by doing various jobs.doing various jobs.

What are Literature What are Literature Circles?Circles?• Each group divides the Each group divides the book into sections and book into sections and has due dates for the has due dates for the assignments.assignments.

• Once or twice a week Once or twice a week (usually Tuesdays (usually Tuesdays and/or Fridays), and/or Fridays), groups get together to groups get together to talk about what talk about what they’re reading.they’re reading.

How Literature Circles How Literature Circles WorkWork• Every week, each group Every week, each group gives itself a reading gives itself a reading assignment.assignment.

• In preparation for each In preparation for each week’s Literature week’s Literature Circles meeting, Circles meeting, students read their students read their assigned pages/chapters assigned pages/chapters andand complete one of four complete one of four or five Literature or five Literature Circles jobs.Circles jobs.

Literature Circles JobsLiterature Circles Jobs

• Discussion Discussion Director/Job checkerDirector/Job checker– Writes high-level Writes high-level questions to be used questions to be used for group discussionsfor group discussions

– Checks for completion Checks for completion of assignmentsof assignments

– Evaluates Evaluates Participation/Monitors Participation/Monitors discussion for equal discussion for equal participationparticipation

•Word FinderWord Finder–Locates and defines unknown Locates and defines unknown

and/or interesting vocabulary words and/or interesting vocabulary words

in the bookin the book

•ConnectorConnector–Takes events from the book and Takes events from the book and

connects them to real-life experiencesconnects them to real-life experiences

-Text to self, text to text, text to world-Text to self, text to text, text to world

Literature Circles JobsLiterature Circles Jobs

Literature Circles JobsLiterature Circles Jobs

• Passage Picker/ Passage Picker/ Literary LuminaryLiterary Luminary– Picks 4 passages of text Picks 4 passages of text to share with the group to share with the group

– States the reasons for States the reasons for the selectionsthe selections

– Figurative language & Figurative language & vivid descriptionsvivid descriptions

• IllustratorIllustrator– Illustrates scenes from Illustrates scenes from the bookthe book

Literature Circles Literature Circles MeetingsMeetings• Students find a spot in Students find a spot in the classroom to meet.the classroom to meet.

• They bring their books They bring their books and completed job sheets.and completed job sheets.

• Students talk about what Students talk about what they read, and they they read, and they share, one at a time, share, one at a time, their job sheets.their job sheets.

• During meetings, it’s During meetings, it’s everyone’s job to………talk!everyone’s job to………talk!