LITERARY CIRCLES
AP and COLLEGE NOW
JAY
You choose which of the works you will read if you are interested in the extra credit. The fifth week of the
nine weeks will be reserved for the “official” circle meeting. You will then attend a meeting with the teacher
before school. Circles will be formed the first week or so of each nine weeks during class taking about 5
minutes to organize and choose jobs. Circles must be at least three people but no more than 5. If circles do
not form naturally, the teacher will make adjustments.
POSTINGS ON NICENET.ORG
Individually you will be required to do at least two postings for your selected work under the appropriate
topic in your class on nicenet.org. I have posted a general statement. Respond to it or to comments about it
made by others. You will need to have all posts finished before the general group discussion.
The Circle—
For each literary circle you must have finished the entire book BEFORE the first group meeting. The circle
members have the prerogative to request the removal of any student who is not contributing to the group.
GROUP MEETING (before the fifth week of the nine weeks)
Your group will need to decide the roles each person will assume. (During the year you will rotate
roles.)
Discussion Director: Your job is to develop a list of questions about the work that your group can discuss.
Your questions should require thought and get everyone talking and sharing opinions and reactions. Be sure
to include questions that explore theme and characters. (For nonfiction explore purpose(s) and effect(s) of
the work on the readers and the success of each.) Also examine literary techniques, structure and style. You
should have MORE questions than can be answered. You are also responsible for having particular passages
to support ONE of your questions on theme or character. (Nonfiction support author’s purpose/intent/reason
for writing.)
Passage Master: You will locate at least four passages from different parts of the story that your group
should reread, discuss, and think about. Passages should be important for everyone to notice, remember, or
think about. Choose a variety of passages, not all the same type. For at least one of them, you are to do a
preliminary style analysis and be able to walk your group thorough the passage. Be sure to include specific
diction, use of detail to develop theme or character, syntax, structural organization, etc. (nonfiction should be
basically the same—character will be the real people discussed and described.)
Summarizer: You will be responsible for providing the group with a SWBS(somebody wanted but so)
statement for the work. You need to do more than one if the work is divided into major parts. You will also
provide a one to two sentence statement for the major characters describing their major function in the work
and have at least three passages from the work that supports your statement. You should be able to
summarize the author’s style of writing and explain how it functions in terms of the theme. (Nonfiction
needs to have a statement that summarized the purpose of the author and whether or not it is realized. You
need statements about the personalities and their relationships with support. You need to deal with the style
as usual.)
If there are more than three people in the circle—
The fourth person will also be a passage master; the fifth person will also be a summarizer.
Each person is responsible for having the particular materials prepared and ready for the group’s discussion.
The written items assigned to each person need to be typed and ready. All materials will be turned in when
you come to the whole groups general discussion during the 5th week of the nine weeks. NO late items will
be taken.
FIRST DISCUSSION
On the chosen day of the literary circles, each circle will meet and discuss the items provided by each
member. This time needs to be used wisely in order to accomplish the assignments. All work is due before
the 5th week discussion..
The Discussion Director is charged with leading the group and providing a written summary of the
discussion at the end of the period. Encourage members to make connections to other works and media.
Note responses and particularly page numbers/passages that support points. List contributor’s names.
Call on the Passage Master. The Passage Master will lead the group through the prepared passage and have
the group discuss at least one of the other passages for style and significance to the work as a whole.
List contributors’ names
Call on the Summarizer. The Summarizer will present his information and ask for any discussion on the
characters. During the circle discussion, he will have the members discuss the SWBS statement, the accuracy
and quality of the character statements, and will encourage them to provide more passages and examples for
support or the character descriptions. He will list contributions and names of contributors.
1. These items prepared ahead of time will be turned in. Put the particular person’s name on these
items.
a. List of questions from the Discussion Master
b. The one question with its passages of support prepared by the Discussion Master
c. The one passage previously analyzed by the Passage Master (be sure to include all major
stylistic items)
d. The original SWBS and character statements by the Summarizer along with the author’s style
as it effects theme explanation.
After the group meets, these items will be added to the above to all be turned in together.
1. SWBS statements on which all agree that successfully present the heart of the text.
2. A one-page, typed, annotated listing of major characters describing their functions in the story with at
least 3 quotes to support each statement.
3. A close reading done by the entire group of one of the passages selected by the Passage Master.
4. A list of connections to other works, events, films, music, art, etc.
5. List of contributors from each person.
GENERAL GROUP DISCUSSION BEFORE SCHOOL. 6:50 IN ROOM 101. Be on time.
All students will meet with the teacher for this discussion. This will be scheduled for one morning of
the 5th week. No make ups will be scheduled.
ALL of the above items are necessary for the final awarding of points. Each person must clearly identify his
particular work.
The final determination of points will be based on the above items and on the observations made by the
teacher of the circle’s discussions.
FINAL MEETING
You must attend a session with the teacher during the 4th week of the six weeks. You are responsible
for being at the scheduled meeting. At this meeting you will be expected to show your expertise on the
work. You may bring your novel with notes and pages marked.
Missed sessions WILL NOT be rescheduled. This activity is entirely extra credit and not open for make-up.
Sessions will be before school or after school.
Students will receive points based on quality of the individual and group materials, the small circle
discussion and teacher listens to groups, and the final large discussion with the teacher.