Literature Circles
Process
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You will build your reading calendar together, based on how
many pages/chapters your book contains.
You will keep up with your reading, and participate in
discussions in your small group based on those readings.
You will assume a variety of roles during the reading and
discussion of your book and use those roles to prepare for
discussions with your group.
Student Reading Roles
Students will fill a different role each day from the day before, and groups will decide at the beginning of the
unit who will fill which roles on which days. Each role offers a different “take” or approach to the text. By
trading roles, you will engage in the novel in a variety of ways each week, capitalizing on your strengths and
shoring up your weaknesses. For each role/duty, you will be expected to post written work online on My
Teacher Pages the night that you are preparing for that role.
The Roles
The Duties
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To develop a list of at least six thoughtful, open-ended questions to guide discussion.
To locate at least four key passages that your group will explore in greater depth.
To write/draw at least three connections between the book and the world we live in.
To prepare a brief summary that highlights the key aspects of the reading.
To identify and define at least four difficult or unknown words in the night’s reading.
To dig up background/historical information on the novel/author/ relevant issues.
Discussion Direction*
Key Passage Location
Real World Connection
Summary*
Vocabulary Enrichment
Related Research
*You must always have these two roles assigned – every day you discuss. Depending on how many people
are in your group, you may choose to assign multiple roles to people every day, or focus on one or two roles
that you feel are pertinent for discussion for the next day. Each role must be fulfilled at least once during
the Literature Circle Unit, and no one student can take one role more than twice.
A Typical Day
The day before a scheduled class discussion, the Discussion Director will post questions for discussion on
My Teacher Pages by 6:00pm. Everyone else in the group will post the work they have done to prepare for
the discussion by midnight. Also, each group member, including the Discussion Director, will post a reply
to one of the discussion questions by midnight. Your response doesn’t have to be longer than a paragraph
or so, but it should show some thoughtful reflection on the question. Group members are welcome to post
replies to other answers or new responses, as long as they have posted at least one response by midnight.
Between midnight the night before and the time of the discussion the next day, the Discussion Director is
responsible for printing all of the work that has been posted online, so that the group has at least one copy
in class to work from during their discussion. That copy will be filed in the classroom, for the future
reference of both the group and the teacher.
Assessment:
It’s not my job to direct your group, only to oversee and ask pertinent questions to help you further your
discussion and understanding of the novel you’re reading. I will check the message board every day to make
sure each individual is completing his/her work. Remember, the message board time stamps your
submissions, so I know if you work was late! I will also walk around during discussion to determine your
level of participation. When I sit with your group, please continue with discussion; ignore me unless you
have a specific question for me. Your participation grade for the unit will be based on your participation
with your group, your attendance for discussions, the completion of your assignments for your roles, an
evaluation of your participation by your fellow group members, and my overall evaluation of your group’s
focus and productivity.
More Information on Roles for Discussion
Each post on the My Teacher Pages should be posted in the correct
location on the message board to receive credit. Each must be posted
under your full name:
 your role for this discussion
 the reading assignment (page or chapter numbers)
 your work for your role
1. Discussion Direction
You should develop a list of at least 6 questions to cover the “big ideas” from the previous night’s
reading. Don’t worry so much about small details; focus on understanding the novel and its
characters. The best discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings and concerns
as you read. You should ask open-ended questions rather than yes/no questions.
2. Key Passage Location
Your job is to locate a few (at least four) special selections/passages from the previous night’s
reading. On the message board, indicate the location of the passage and your reasons for
choosing it. What did you find interesting or remarkable about the passage? In class, read each
passage aloud and discuss each individually with the group.
3. Real World Connection
Your job is to find connections (at least three) between the book you’re reading and the world in
which we live. These can be connections to your own life, happenings at school or in the
community, to similar events in other times/places, to other people or problems in the world.
The connections can be to other works of literature you’ve read, songs that you’ve heard, etc.
4. Summary
Your job is to prepare a brief summary of the previous night’s reading. The other members of
your group will be counting on you to get the day started with a one or two minute recap of the
important events/ideas from the reading. On the message board, write at least a paragraph,
underlining the key points. Don’t plagiarize this, yo. You know how to write a summary.
5. Vocabulary Enrichment
Your job is to locate and define important/previously unknown words from the night’s reading.
On the message board, identify the word in its context (copy the sentence and underline the
word), record the page number, write the definition (from a dictionary). You must define at least
four words each time you fill this role, but if there are more that you think are important, define
them as well. During discussion, instruct your group as to the meaning and significance of these
words and the author’s choice to use them.
6. Related Research
Your job is to research some background information on any topic related to your book. Don’t
limit yourself to the author of the book (though this is usually a good start). Think about the
time period and the context in which it was written. Think about general topics, such as
geography, weather, culture, history, names of characters, settings, etc. This is not a formal
research report, just a way to gain further insight about the events of your book. Be sure to write
your own summary of the information you find and include your sources in your post.