Literature Circles

Literature circles are designed to provide small group discussion time about the novel
as you are reading the novel. One of the most important skill you will be practicing is
effective question writing (see handout on question generation).

Instructions:

1. The novel is “chunked” into three sections. For each section or chunk, you will read
it in advance and prepare your reader’s journal notes for that chunk AND you will
prepare five discussion questions for that chunk. Date and sign the reader’s journals
you have prepared for each section of the novel.

You will write your questions index cards. Make sure you sign and date each card.

At the end of the discussion time, you will place your reader’s journals and discussion
questions with your notes into your group’s folder, which will be handed in for
evaluation. Each group member will be evaluated on his or her own notes and
questions.

2. On the group discussion dates:

designate one person to be the discussion facilitator (draw straws, take turns).
take turns sharing the technical insights (observations about character,
vocabulary, allusions, symbolism, themes, connections, imagery, etc.) you got
from your reading and ask or answer any questions prompted by this discussion.
discussion facilitator collects the five questions each person has written on their
index cards.
facilitator should start by selecting questions that deal with the personal
response to the text and then mix in some matter questions. Layered questions
should come near the end of the discussion.
a good discussion has the following characteristics:
members ask additional questions of clarification.
members extend or add to other people’s insights.
facilitators recognize when discussion is slowing down
and moves to a new question.
remember - your multi-layered questions will prepare you for the in-class blog
post that will come the next day.

Evaluation

I will circulate during the literature circle meetings and listen to your discussions.
During your meetings I should observe the following:

Equal participation (taking turns, offering ideas)

Encouragement (encouraging others to share ideas, supportive comments)
Active listening (nodding, asking for clarification, taking down notes)
Open body language (eye contact, facing each other)
On task discussion

Literature Circle Meeting Rubric

 R Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Communicati Participation in Participation Participation in Participation in
on meeting in meeting meeting meeting
demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates
/10 limited some good excellent
communicatio communicatio communication communication
n skills n skills skills skills
Application Discussion All five All five All five
/10 questions may questions are discussion discussion
be incomplete complete and questions are questions are
but still provide complete and complete and
provide some opportunities provide sophisticated
opportunities for opportunities and provide
for meaningful meaningful for deep opportunities
discussion discussion discussion for deep
discussion

Reader’s Journals Rubric

R Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Knowledge Notes are Notes are Notes are Notes are
complete but complete, plot complete and thorough and
lacking enough events detailed detailed
detail to detailed Understanding understanding
demonstrate Understandin of most of all elements
sufficient g of some elements of of the text
/20 understanding elements of the text demonstrated
the text demonstrated
demonstrated
Thinking some attempt some insights show insights show
to understand inferences strong ability to make
inference, identified, questioning connections at
some questioning skills and is the highest
questioning, shows ability able to make level and to
enough to to understand some understand
show basic some connections deeply buried
/20 comprehensio complex ideas among and inferences -
n of text but between ideas questioning
connections shows probes
may not be that are
made or may complex and
be simple abstract
connections
only