(lit circles)
 Small groups of students gather together to
discuss a piece of literature in depth.
 Groups meet on a regular, predictable
schedule to discuss their reading.
 Usually 3-5 students
 Different groups read different books
 45 minutes: Read lit circle book and take notes as you
read .
 10 minutes: Complete your job for the day (all work
will go in your group’s folder).
 10 minutes: Discuss with your group what you
accomplished in your job (about 1-2 minutes per
person). Every member must share.
 25 minutes: Complete daily activity with your group
members (this will usually be turned in to the box).
 Be sure that your table is cleaned up and organized
at the end of the class period
 Count the books and stack them
 Put all job packets in the group’s folder
 Put folders on the back desk
 Organize and stack headphones
 Put discs with the stereo
 Throw trash away
 Put supplies away
 Straighten the desks
 Your job is to write a summary of what
happened in your book today-the gist, key
points, main highlights, the essence of the
reading. A good summary will provide me
with character names, a description of
events, and at least one quote from the
book.
 Your summary must be at least 60 words.
 Your job is to make a thinking map covering
something important from the chapters. It
could have something to do with a character,
the plot or the setting.
 You must also come up with a symbol to
represent the chapter as well as a clear
explanation on why you think that symbol
represents the entire chapters from today.
 Your job is to write down questions about
cause and effect from the chapters. Take at
least 3 questions back to the group to
discuss but you must write 5. Make sure you
know the answers to your questions and
where to support those answers in the text
before asking your group members to
answer.
 Your job is to write down questions about
how the characters are feeling. This is a little
tricky because exact answers may not be
found in the passage, but you should find
the areas of the text where can answers can
be inferred.
 Your job is to locate a few (3-5) special sections
of the text that you would like to read aloud to
your group. This can be a quote of importance
or a passage that you thought was surprising,
insightful, confusing, enlightening,
controversial, etc..
 When presenting your passage to the group ask
them to follow along as you read it aloud and
then ask “Why do you think I chose this
passage?”. When your group is finished
discussing your first selection repeat the same
procedure until each passage you chose has
been examined by your group.
 Your job is to find at least 5 connections
between your book and the outside world.
These connections can be text-to-self, textto-text, or text-to-others. There are no right
or wrong answers, but your connections
should be thoughtful and encourage
discussion between group members.
 Your job is to either make a prediction or
inference (include textual evidence). You
will also write an opinion statement and a
question you have about the story from the
day’s reading.
 When all groups have finished their book Tuesday,
February, 24th), you will then work on a book project.
 You will have some class time to work on this project,
but some of it may need to be completed at home or at
Homework Help Center.
 Your project will be a book trailer. We will work on this
in the lab the week after we finish our books. You will
have different options of how to make your book
trailer. We will view these trailers in class.
 A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin
 The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
 Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
 The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
 The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
 The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
 Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli
 Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor
 When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly
Willis Holt
 The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
 Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
 The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
 Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
 No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman
 Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli
 Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor
 When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by
Kimberly Willis Holt