Intel® Teach Program
Essentials Course
Literature Circles
Unit Author
First and Last Name
Kaylee Jackson Co-taught with Beth Doran
School District
MAS
School Name
MAS
School City, State
Milwaukee, WI
Unit Overview
Unit Title
Literature Circles
Unit Summary
This unit is an extension of an independent reading unit. In this independent reading unit, students
were put into literature circles based on their current reading ability and interest. Students meet
weekly to discuss their book and share insights and questions. Each meeting, students complete a
specific role. Those roles range from discussion director to word finder. This unit will integrate their
weekly meetings with the Web 2.0 tools. The integration of this unit is to further their understanding
of Web 2.0 tools in addition to their independent novel.
Within this unit, students will create a series of blogs. These blogs are written as “a day in the life” of
a specific character from the book. Students will also make a glogster poster on their given book.
Each poster has specific requirements, but can be put together with creativity. Finally, students are
required to answer discussion questions based on their books.
Subject Area
Reading – Literature Circles
Grade Level
7th grade with Special Education support
Approximate Time Needed
Ten 40 minute classes
Unit Foundation
Targeted Content Standards and Benchmarks
Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using
technology. Students:
a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to
support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital
environments and media.
Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems and operations. Students:
a. understand and use technology systems.
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Intel® Teach Program
Essentials Course
Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes
Students will analyze their literature circle book.
Students will evaluate and extend their literature circle book.
Students will illustrate their literature circle book.
Students will increase their SRI scores.
Students will use character traits and plot to create a character’s personal journal.
Curriculum-Framing Questions
Essential
How do I become a more independent reader?
Question
Unit
Questions
How do you connect to a character?
Content
Questions
What is a glogster?
How do you depict text with images?
What is a blog?
Assessment Plan
Assessment Timeline
Before project work begins
 SRI – to
determine
current
independent
reading levels
for leveled lit
circle groups.
Students work on projects
and complete tasks
 Students will
blog a “day in
the life of a
character”
 Students will
answer
discussion
questions on
wiki discussion
board.
After project work is
completed
 Students will
make a
glogster
poster book
analysis.
 SRI – to
determine an
increase in
student’s
independent
reading level.
Assessment Summary
Students will be assessed on their ability to create a glogster poster book analysis. They will
characterized three of the main characters, describe the setting, write a complete and accurate
summary, choose an excerpt and explain why it was chosen, and finally write a recommendation to
entice someone else to read the book. This unit is to help students increase their independent
reading skills and growth will be determined by their SRI reading assessment scores taken before and
after this unit.
Students understanding of the different aspects of reading was monitored throughout the unit by
conducting conferences.
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Intel® Teach Program
Essentials Course
Unit Details
Prerequisite Skills
Ability to use a computer.
Ability to comprehend lit circle book.
Instructional Procedures
Day 1- Students will successfully log onto all 3 websites. (http://litcircles11.wikispaces.com
http://kidblog.org/home.php http://www.glogster.com )
Introduce kidblog – Day in the life of a character
Day 2- Students write first blog and post link on appropriate wiki page. Each student needs to
comment on another group member’s blog. Introduce glogster poster assignment to give students
time to look through examples and come up with ideas.
Day 3- Students will meet with their lit circle group and carry out lit circle job/role.
Day 4-6 – (Over spring break. If students are unable to get computer/internet access at home, they
will draft their assignments on paper and will have time to complete the internet portion when they
return.)

Students will write another blog.

Students will work on glogster assignment either on paper or on the website.
Day 7- Students work on glogster with teacher modeling specific features.
Day 8- Students work on glogster with teacher modeling specific features. Students will answer
discussion questions on wiki page and comment on group members responses.
Day 9- Finish glog poster. Post on glog and blog link on their wiki page.
Day 10- Students comment on group member’s glog and blog through wiki discussion board.
Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction
Special Needs
Students
Books are leveled to each student’s ability. This is co-taught between regular
education teacher and the special education teacher with each student’s IEP
goals in mind. There will also be extra time given to complete each task and
graded according to ability level.
Nonnative
Speakers
N/A
Gifted/Talented
Students
Books are leveled to each student’s ability. Their discussions will involve more
high level thinking.
Materials and Resources Required For Unit
Technology – Hardware (Click boxes of all equipment needed)
Camera
Laser Disk
VCR
Computer(s)
Printer
Video Camera
Digital Camera
Projection System
Video Conferencing Equip.
DVD Player
Scanner
Other
Internet Connection
Television
Technology – Software (Click boxes of all software needed.)
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Intel® Teach Program
Essentials Course
Database/Spreadsheet
Image Processing
Web Page Development
Desktop Publishing
Internet Web Browser
Word Processing
E-mail Software
Multimedia
Other
Encyclopedia on CD-ROM
Printed Materials
Written copy of instructions, copies of discussion questions
Supplies
Laptops, Lit circle books,
http://litcircles11.wikispaces.com
Internet Resources
http://kidblog.org/home.php
http://www.glogster.com
Other Resources
N/A
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