Literature Circles

Job Description Packet

Reading for meaning is a collaborative process. As we discuss with others we deepen our understanding of the story. Your job is to write down five open-ended questions on the Discussion Director Homework worksheet that will lead your group in a discussion of what they have read.

Sample open-ended questions:

1. What might happen if . . .?2. How is . . . like . . .?3. Do you agree with . . . why or why not?4. What feelings did you have when . . .?5. What do you think is the most important moment in the story?6. If the story were to continue, what do you think might happen next?7. What was going through your mind while you read this?8. What questions did you have when you finished this section?9. Did anything in this section of the book surprise you?10.What are the one or two most important ideas?

Create your own interesting questions. Avoid factual, one right answer questions. Often these questions start with who, what, when, were, and why.

How to Present the Questions to Your Group Write down at least five good discussion questions on a the Discussion Director

Homework worksheet.

Ask one question at a time and try to get as many responses from your group as possible.

Do not let one person dominate the group. Everyone should participate.

Encourage everyone to address their comments to each other, not just to you, the Discussion Director.

After the discussion is complete, write down some of the opinions that you found interesting.

Discussion Director

Name: ___________________________________ Date: ___________

Book: ____________________________________________________

Assignment: page __________ to __________

Question #1: ______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Question #2: ______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Question #3: _____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Question #4: _____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Question #5: ______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Discussion DirectorHomework

Directions: After preparing your questions, write down each team memberʼs most memorable responses to a question.

Team Member 1:

Team Member 2:

Team Member 3:

Team Member 4:

Discussion DirectorClasswork

Good readers develop new vocabulary as they read. Your job is to pick at least five new vocabulary words from your reading that are:

1. Unfamiliar to you, but you can figure them out from using context clues.

2. Interesting describing words

3. Puzzling to you

How to Present the Questions to Your Group As you are reading, search for five vocabulary words. Select the five words that

you are presenting to your group.

Complete the Vocabulary Enricher Homework worksheet.

Present the new vocabulary words to your group and complete the Vocabulary Enricher Classwork worksheet. Your group will share what they think the word means and then you will share your homework.

As a group, select one of the five words to add to our word wall. Write your word on a word wall paper and give it to the teacher.

Vocabulary Enricher

Name: ___________________________________ Date: ___________

Book: ____________________________________________________

Assignment: page __________ to __________

Word #1: Word #1:

page #: Write the sentence from the passage. Circle the selected word.

Dictionary definition with a meaning that applies to the passage.Dictionary definition with a meaning that applies to the passage.

Write an original sentence using the vocabulary word.Write an original sentence using the vocabulary word.

Word #2: Word #2:

page #: Write the sentence from the passage. Circle the selected word.

Dictionary definition with a meaning that applies to the passage.Dictionary definition with a meaning that applies to the passage.

Write an original sentence using the vocabulary word.Write an original sentence using the vocabulary word.

Vocabulary EnricherHomework

Word #3: Word #3:

page #: Write the sentence from the passage. Circle the selected word.

Dictionary definition with a meaning that applies to the passage.Dictionary definition with a meaning that applies to the passage.

Write an original sentence using the vocabulary word.Write an original sentence using the vocabulary word.

Word #4: Word #4:

page #: Write the sentence from the passage. Circle the selected word.

Dictionary definition with a meaning that applies to the passage.Dictionary definition with a meaning that applies to the passage.

Write an original sentence using the vocabulary word.Write an original sentence using the vocabulary word.

Word #5: Word #5:

page #: Write the sentence from the passage. Circle the selected word.

Dictionary definition with a meaning that applies to the passage.Dictionary definition with a meaning that applies to the passage.

Write an original sentence using the vocabulary word.Write an original sentence using the vocabulary word.

Directions: Share your vocabulary words with your group members. Read the sentence with word from the text first. Then have the group members share their ideas of what the word means. Write down their thoughts. After that, share the actual definition and your original sentence. Choose one vocabulary word to add to the word wall. Put a star next to its box on this page and write the word on one of the word wall papers and give it to the teacher.

Word #1:

My group thought this word meant . . .

Word #2:

My group thought this word meant . . .

Word #3:

My group thought this word meant . . .

Word #4:

My group thought this word meant . . .

Word #5:

My group thought this word meant . . .

Vocabulary EnricherClasswork

Good readers make connections between important ideas and their own lives, the lives or others, or other books. Your job will be to make connections:

1. Between characters

2. Between settings

3. Between problems in real life or in other books

4. You may also make comparisons to other authors or works of art.

How to Present your Connections to Your Group Complete your Capable Connector Homework worksheet.

Read the connections you have made to your group.

Discuss the connection you have made with your team. Be specific and explain with details the connection you have made.

Ask the group for their input on your connections.

As a group, generate one more connection from the pages you read for your assignment.

Capable Connector

CONNECTION IDEAS

Capable Connector

ILLUSTRATOR

! This Illustratorʼs Work" " " " Another Illustratorʼs Work"

CHARACTER

! Character in This Book" " " " Character in Another Book"" Character in This Book" " " " Someone Elseʼs Life

" Character in This Book" " " " Your Life

SETTING

! Setting in This Book"" " " " Setting in Another Book"" Setting in This Book"" " " " Real Life Place

PROBLEM

! Problem in This Book" " " " Problem in Another Book"" Problem in This Book" " " " Problem in Real Life

AUTHOR

! Problem in This Book" " " " Problem in Another Book"" Problem in This Book" " " " Problem in Real Life

Name: ___________________________________ Date: ___________

Book: ____________________________________________________

Assignment: page __________ to __________

Page #: Paragraph:

Connection I Made:Connection I Made:

Type of Connection: Text to Text Text to Self Text to WorldType of Connection: Text to Text Text to Self Text to World

Page #: Paragraph:

Connection I Made:Connection I Made:

Type of Connection: Text to Text Text to Self Text to WorldType of Connection: Text to Text Text to Self Text to World

Page #: Paragraph:

Connection I Made:Connection I Made:

Type of Connection: Text to Text Text to Self Text to WorldType of Connection: Text to Text Text to Self Text to World

Capable ConnectorHomework

Directions: After presenting your connections, write down your groupʼs feedback and connection.

" Step #1: Share your connections.

" Step #2: Discuss the questions below.

Did anyone share the same connection in your group?" yes" " no

Generate a connection to share as a group that is different from one of the ones you recorded for homework.

Page Paragraph

Connection I Made:Connection I Made:

Type of Connection: Text to Text Text to Self Text to WorldType of Connection: Text to Text Text to Self Text to World

Capable ConnectorClasswork

The job of the Artful Artist is to draw anything about the story that you liked, including any of the following options:

1. a character2. the setting3. a problem4. an exciting part5. a surprise6. a prediction of what will happen next7. anything else

You will complete your drawing on the Artful Artist Homework worksheet.

You will also write a paragraph explaining why you chose to draw what you drew.

Your drawing must be neat and colored.

How to Present your Artistry to Your Group Share your picture with your group. Discuss what you used as inspiration and

why you drew what you did.

Artful Artist

Name: ___________________________________ Date: ___________

Book: ____________________________________________________

Assignment: page __________ to __________

Paragraph Explaining Your Artistry: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artful ArtistHomework

Good readers show insight about what they have read and reflect on the story. Your job is to select a passage from your reading that you find interesting, funny, puzzling, important, or a good example of descriptive writing. You decide which passages or paragraph are worth looking at again and decide how you will share them with the group. You can either read them to the group and discuss them, or select someone in the group to read them, or as the group to reread them silently and then discuss why they are interesting paragraphs. Remember to look for passages that:

1. Puzzled You

2. Surprised You

3. Were Informative (You Learned Something)

4. You Agree or Disagree With

5. Were Funny

6. Helped You with a Reading Skill

7. Are a Good Example of Descriptive Writing

How to Present your Thoughts to Your Group Complete your Literary Luminary Homework worksheet.

Decide how to share the passage. (Remember you can read it, someone in your group can read it, or it can be read silently.)

After rereading the passage, discuss the passage with your group. Discuss why you selected the passage. Do your group members agree with you? If they disagree with you, get their point of view.

Using your Literary Luminary Classwork worksheet, write down any additional insights your group might have on the passage you chose or other passages in the book.

Literary Luminary

Name: ___________________________________ Date: ___________

Book: ____________________________________________________

Assignment: page __________ to __________

Page #: Paragraph

The main idea of this passage is . . .The main idea of this passage is . . .

I selected this passage because . . .I selected this passage because . . .

Literary LuminaryHomework

How are you going to reread the passage with your group?

I am going to read it aloud.

I am going to ask a group member to read it aloud.

We are going to read it silently.

Directions: After reading the passage, discuss your reasons for choosing it and then complete the discussion guide.

Summarize your groupʼs comments about the passage you selected.

Were there any other passages that stood out in the reading to other group members? (This section is optional.)Were there any other passages that stood out in the reading to other group members? (This section is optional.)

Page #:

Paragraph:

What stood out?

Page #:

Paragraph:

What stood out?

Page #:

Paragraph:

What stood out?

Literary LuminaryClasswork

Book: ____________________________________________________

Assignment: page __________ to __________" Date: ___________

The Artful Artist will complete this worksheet on Literature Circle days when you meet with your group. The roll of the Teacherʼs Helper is to ensure that all assignments are complete, shared with the group, collected and turned in. This person must monitor the time and must check to see that the group is participating and cooperating during Literature Circle time.

NameHomework Complete

(Y, N)Turn Taken

(Y, N)Participation

(Y, N)Cooperation

(S, U)

Teacher’s Helper

Key

Y - Yes N - No

S - Satisfactory U - Unsatisfactory