What are literature circles?
As we read Lois Lowry’s novels Gathering Blue and The
Giver, you will be meeting with a small group of your
classmates to discuss the novel (s) you are reading.
Each individual group member will have a certain “role” in
which he or she will have to fulfill a particular assignment
for the reading each week. You will meet on Mondays to
decide on who will fill each role.
On Fridays, your group will meet to share your role and
discuss the reading from the week. You will also discuss
the “big questions” for the week.
At the end of the unit, your group will complete a project
together. More info to come! 
• Connector
• Illustrator
• Passage Picker
Lit Circle Roles
• Discussion Director
Discussion Director
• Your job is to create at least three questions to discuss
with your group members after you have finished reading.
• These questions should be about the “big ideas” from
the book.
• Usually, the best discussion questions come from your
own thoughts, feelings, and concerns as you read.
• Also, keep up with what roles your group members have
by writing them down.
Connector
• Your job is to tell the class what connections you make
between this week’s reading and our real lives.
• You may connect the reading to your own life, to what
happens in your school, or in your community.
• You may also relate it to movies, the news, television
shows, or other books.
• There are no right or wrong answers here—whatever
the reading connects you with is worth sharing.
Illustrator
• Your job is to draw some kind of picture related to the
reading. It can be a sketch, cartoon, diagram, graph, or even
a stick-figure scene.
• The picture can be about something that is specifically
talked about in the reading, or something that the reading
reminded you of, or a picture that conveys any idea or feeling
you got from the reading.
• Label your drawing to help explain it to your group.
• Color helps your group members see your illustration.
• Allow your group members to comment on and discuss your
illustration.
• Be sure to post your drawing in the classroom after you
have shown it to your group.
Passage Picker
• Your job is to choose at least two passages of the reading that you feel
are important enough for your group to hear again.
• The idea is to help people remember some interesting, powerful, funny,
puzzling, or important parts of the book.
• You will provide the page number of each passage and the first two
words so your group members will be able to find the passage. (I will
give you a chart.)
• Also, write down the reason for why you chose this passage to share
with your group members.
• You can read passages aloud yourself, ask someone else to read them,
or have people read them silently and then discuss.
What makes a good
discussion?
Empathetic Listening
Responding to Others
Give your complete
attention to the
speaker, showing the
people in your group
that you value their
thoughts.
Expand on your
group members’
ideas by sharing
your own thoughts
and feelings about
what they contribute
to the conversations.
Tell me more about….
Clarifying: Probe to
understand each
other’s ideas.
Sharing Ideas and
Justifying Opinions:
Share parts of the
book that are
important to you and
explain why they are
important. Justify
your opinions.
What do you mean….?
What do you think….?
I think….because….
I wonder….
I was surprised….
This part reminds me of…
I noticed….
I didn’t understand….
I wish….
Preparing for Discussion…
Before you meet with you literature circle,
choose a part of the book that….
Makes you wonder
Was your favorite part
Makes you laugh
Reminds you of another
book
Makes you sad or
upset
You don’t
understand
Reminds you of
something that has
happened in life
Discussion Elements
Focused on discussion
Active participation
Piggybacking off of
others ideas
Disagreeing
constructively
Taking turns to let others
speak
Supporting opinions with
evidence
Looks Like:
Sounds Like:
Discussion Elements
Looks Like:
Sounds Like:
Focused on discussion
Eyes on speaker
Hands empty
Sit up (No Sleeping!)
Mind is focused
Speaker’s voice only
Paying attention
Voices low
One voice at a time
Active participation
Eyes on speaker
Hands to yourself
Head nodding
Talking one at a time
Appropriate responses
Nice comments
POSITIVE attitudes
Piggybacking off of
others ideas
Listening
Paying attention
Taking Notes
Polite responses
Waiting for other people
to finish
Disagreeing
constructively
Looking at the speaker
Nice face, nice looks
POLITE responses
Let people finish talking
Quiet voices
Taking turns to let others
speak
One person speaking
Attention to speaker
One voice
Supporting opinions with
evidence
Use your book and notes
Piggyback off of others
Help others find evidence
Ms. Everett’s Rules for Lit
Circles
All group members must…
• read the whole novel (s) you are assigned
• come to lit circles prepared (with book, reading
charts, and lit circle role work)
• participate in discussions
• stay on task!!
• be respectful of other group members (by
paying attention, listening, and responding)