Information Circles/Literature Circles Gold  Trail  

October  28,  2014  

Faye  Brownlie  

Background  knowledge  has  a  greater  impact  on  being  able  to  read  a  text  than  anything  else.  

     -­‐Doug  Fisher,  Richard  Allington  

•  Choice  •  ConversaIon  •  Clear  expectaIons  

Background Knowledge Close Reading Think Aloud

inquiry

How do animals adapt?

Why is this adaptation the best for this environment?

•  Examine  the  pictures,  the  capIons  and  the  graphics,  the  text  

•  Look  for  what  strikes  you,  what  jumps  out  as  unique  and/or  important  to  remember  

•  Place  3  post-­‐it  notes  on  3  different  points  that  support  your  inquiry/argument  

•  Come  to  the  circle  to  start  the  conversaIon  with  the  informaIon  behind  the  post-­‐it  notes  

ScholasIc  

Inquiry Circles •  Choose  your  inquiry  quesIon  •  Model  how  to  ask  quesIons  from  an  image,  within  the  framework  of  the  quesIon  

•  Fishbowl  an  inquiry  circle  conversaIon  •  Other  student  observe  for  ‘what  works’  •  Build  criteria  for  effecIve  group  behaviour  

Vocabulary/terms   Images  

Ques3ons   Key  ideas  

Inquiry Circles •  Select  4-­‐5  different  arIcles,  focused  on  central  topic  or  theme.  

•  Present  arIcles  and  have  students  choose  the  one  they  wish  to  read.  

•  Present  note-­‐taking  page.  •  Student  fill  in  all  boxes  EXCEPT  ‘key  ideas’  before  meeIng  in  the  group.  

•  Students  meet  in  ‘like’  groups  and  discuss  their  arIcle,  deciding  together  on  ‘key  ideas’.  

•  Students  meet  in  non-­‐alike  groups  and  present  their  informaIon  from  their  arIcle.  

The  10  Greatest  Canadian  Environmentalists  –  Discovery  Series,  ScholasIc  

Another Book Intro: Students  need:  •  strategies  to  hook  them  into  reading  

•  mulIple  ways  into  the  books  

•  an  opportunity  to  apply  the  strategies  you  have  been  teaching  

•  opportuniIes  to  talk  with  others  about  their  thinking  about  their  reading  

•  Ime  to  read  independently  

The Plan •  Distribute  5-­‐6  different  first  pages  •  Have  students  read  the  page  •  Students  sketch  what  they  ‘see’  on  the  page  •  Students  circle  powerful  words  •  Students  ask  quesIons  around  the  text  •  Students  meet  with  others  reading  the  same  page  and  compare  their  notes  

•  Students  meet  with  others  not  reading  the  same  page  and  compare  their  notes  

•  Students  read  independently,  in  the  novel  of  their  choosing  

What  made  the  conversaIon  work  well…  

•  Linked  comments  to  each  other  •  Drawing  a`enIon  to  other  points  not  picked  up  •  No  interrupIons  •  Eye  contact  with  speaker  •  Inclusive  language…”maybe,  what  about…”  •  Returned  to  text  for  verificaIon  •  Came  prepared  •  Non-­‐threatening  prep  –  variety  of  ways  in  •  Analyzed  language  •  Makes  me  want  to  read  the  passage  •  Almost  felt  like  I  had  read  it  •  Text  to  text  connecIon  

Graphic Novels

Graphic Novels

Highwater  Press,  Portage  and  Main  

Primary Literature Circles – acknowledging Lisa Schwartz,

Teacher Consultant, and Michelle Hikida, Teacher Librarian, Richmond

•  Read  a  picture  book  to  the  class.      •  As  you  read,  each  student  writes  2/3  words  or  sketches  on  a  post-­‐it  note,  and  places  the  post-­‐it  on  the  page  where  the  connecIon  is  made  

•  Reread  the  book,  expanding  on  the  connecIons  as  you  read  

•  Students  in  small  groups,  discuss  the  book  and  their  connecIons  

Focus  for  Discussion:    ConnecIons  

There is great success in engaging students with text and conversation

using literature circles

Literature Circles

STUDENTS Within these groupings,

choose their own

books

are never assigned

roles read at

their own pace

engage in conversations

keep journals about readings

and conversations are taught comprehension

strategies