Junior Honors English
Literature Circles
Name:______________________
Date:__________________
Contents:
Pg. 2…………….Introduction to Literature Circles (orange sherbet)
Pg. 3-4 …………Overview of individual and group requirements (orange sherbet)
Pg. 5-8………… Information on dystopian literature (sunshine)
Pg. 9…………….Class Expectations (ruby)
Pg. 10-19…….. Individual role sheets (institutional)
Pg. 20…………..Meeting notes template (lilac)
Pg. 21…………..Calendar (robin’s egg)
Student Target:
Students will explore the genre of dystopian literature.
Students will analyze how different authors approach dystopian themes.
Students will work collaboratively in a group setting to enhance their learning of new
material.
Students will continue to examine the essential questions of the course:
What can one do when faced with lack of power and choice?
How does one balance individualism with responsibility to community?
What is the American dream and is the attainment of it possible for every
member of society?
Why are some members of society more susceptible to alienation than
others?
Classroom Target:
Students will respect their individual responsibility to their group as well as their own
learning and conduct themselves in a mature and appropriate manner at all times during
literature circle group meetings.
Introduction to Literature Circles
Definition of Literature Circle:
In literature circles, small groups of students discuss a piece of literature in depth. The discussion
is guided by students' responses to what they have read. You may hear and talk about events and
characters in the book, the author's craft, or personal experiences related to the story.
Literature circles provide a way for students to engage in critical thinking and reflection as they
read, discuss, and respond to books. Collaboration is at the heart of this approach. Students
reshape and add onto their understanding as they construct meaning with other readers.
Finally, literature circles guide students to deeper understanding of what they read through
structured discussion and extended written and artistic response.
Perhaps the easiest way to understand what literature circles are is to examine what they are not.
Literature Circles are . . .
Literature Circles are not . . .
Reader response centered
Teacher and text centered
Part of a balanced literacy program
The entire reading curriculum
Groups formed by book choice
Teacher-assigned groups formed solely
by ability
Structured for student independence,
responsibility, and ownership
Unstructured, uncontrolled "talk time"
without accountability
Guided primarily by student insights and
questions
Guided primarily by teacher- or
curriculum-based questions
Intended as a context in which to apply
reading and writing skills
Intended as a place to do skills work
Flexible and fluid; never look the same
twice
Tied to a prescriptive "recipe"
You will work with group members to teach each other about the novel you are assigned. There
are some requirements to fulfill while reading, and it is up to both you and the whole group to
complete these requirements. Be flexible, as some of these requirements are subject to change.
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Individual and Group Requirements
Literature Circle
INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS - Each person must complete each of the tasks:
1. Write at least 4 journal entries over the book. Each entry needs to be at least ½ – ¾ page.
Your journal can also serve as a discussion prompt in your group. When journaling, you can
use the Active Reader chart or use these prompts/suggestions:
a. Short summaries to keep the plot line straight
b. Personal reactions to specific events, characters
c. Projections about future events
d. Connections to your own life or the “real world”
e. Questions for clarification
**DUE: Submit hard copy (typed, 12 point font, 1.5 spacing) of journals at the
beginning of the discussion days.
2. Assume the roles of the rotated positions:
a. Discussion Director (this doesn’t mean this person asks all the questions)
b. Summarizer (succinct & sequential)
c. Passage Analyst
d. Question Connector
e. Vocab Enricher
**The paper work for all these roles will be compiled in a Group Report; it needs to
be submitted to teacher on the day your group presents (hardcopy).
3. Reflection Paper: At the end of the Literature Circle, each person must write a typed, 2-3
page response about the overall Lit. Circle process. What were your likes/dislikes? How was
the process beneficial? What would you change? What did each group member do to help or not
help—especially during discussion and presentation preparation? Use 12-point font, Times New
Roman, double-spaced, and proper mechanics/conventions.
**DUE: Hard copy due of presentation.

Turn Over for
Group Requirements
& other pertinent
information
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GROUP REQUIREMENTS: Collaborate, delegate, and pull your weight to achieve these objectives.
1. Group Discussions: Each group needs to conduct a successful discussion each block period (not
Wednesdays – use these days to work on your individual requirements). Successful discussions
mean that ALL members complete their work ahead of time and engage in meaningful
conversation about the novel they are reading. All handwritten work should be collected and
stapled or paper-clipped and turned in as a packet on these days.
2. Presentation: Prepare a presentation about the book (or apply to film analysis). Requirements
to come.
3. ALL members must contribute and participate in the discussions, presentation preparation,
and presentation delivery.
4. Push each other to learn!
Due Date
Assignment
Individual: 4 Journals
Individual: Reflection Paper
Group Report:
Group Report:
Group: Presentation
Individual Grades:
 Journals: each will count as a formative assessment (4 total)
 Role Duties: each will count as a formative assessment (4 total)
 2-3 page response paper: this will count as a formative assessment (1 total)
Total grades: 9 assignments
Group Grades:
 Presentation: 100 points
*This will be a summative assessment
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DYSTOPIAN LITERATURE:
A DARK VISION OF THE FUTURE
What is a DYSTOPIA? To put it as simply as possible, a dystopian novel can be described as a dark
vision of the future.
Here are a few other definitions:

"An imaginary, wretched place, the opposite of Utopia." (Cassel's Concise English Dictionary)

"An imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives." (Merriam-Webster's
On-line)

"The word 'dystopia' is the commonly used antonym of 'eutopia' [i.e. utopia] and denotes that class
of hypothetical societies containing images of worlds worse than our own. [...] Dystopian images are
almost invariably images of future society, pointing fearfully at the way the world is supposedly going in
order to provide urgent propaganda for a change in direction." (Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia of
Science Fiction)

"[...] dystopian fiction looks at totalitarian dictatorship as its prototype, a society that puts its whole
population continuously on trial, a society that finds its essence in concentration camps, that is, in
disenfranchising and enslaving entire classes of its own citizens, a society that, by glorifying and
justifying violence by law, preys upon itself. [...] dystopian society is what we would today call
dysfunctional; it reveals the lack of the very qualities that traditionally justify or set the raison d'être for
a community."
(Erika Gottlieb's Dystopian Fiction East and West: Universe of Terror and
Trial)

"A dystopia is any society considered to be undesirable, for any of a number of reasons. The term
was coined as a converse to a Utopia, and is most usually used to refer to a fictional (often near-future)
society where current social trends are taken to nightmarish extremes. […] Often, the difference
between a Utopia and a Dystopia is in the author's point of view. […] Dystopias are frequently written
as warnings, or as satires, showing current trends extrapolated to a nightmarish conclusion. […] A
dystopia is all too closely connected to current-day society." (Wikipedia On-line Dictionary)
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
An undesirable, horrifying, or dark vision of society
Dehumanization and an oppressive environment or government
Questioning or criticism of society
Warning to readers about our own society
Paranoia and suspicion which creates ambiguity about good and evil
An attempt to achieve a utopian society which goes awry
An individual rebellion or resistance movement which reacts against the dystopian
power structure
o Questioning of technology, science, or an overly rational approach to solving
problems of humanity
o Extreme interpretation of laws
o Setting is usually a dark vision of the future, but sometimes the setting is ambiguous
or suggestive of an archaic society with barbaric practices and traditions
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SETTINGS
Dystopian depictions are always imaginary. Although Hitler's Third Reich and Stalin's Soviet Union
certainly qualify as horror societies, they are still no dystopias. The very purpose of a dystopia is to
discuss, not depict contemporary society or at least contemporary mankind in general. Dystopian
depictions may borrow features from reality, but the purpose is to debate, criticize, or explore
possibilities and probabilities.
Dystopia is not really about tomorrow, but rather about today or sometimes yesterday. Nevertheless,
dystopian stories take place in the future in most cases.
THEMES
The leitmotif of dystopias has always been oppression and rebellion. The oppressors are usually more
or less faceless; the oppressors are almost always much more powerful than the rebels. Consequently,
dystopian tales often become studies in survival.
As the citizens of dystopian societies often live in fear, they become paranoid and egoistical, almost like
hunted animals. Dystopian citizens experience a profound feeling of being monitored, shadowed,
chased, betrayed or manipulated. The factors that trigger this paranoia may be either very evident and
explicit or more nuanced and implicit. As a result of this fearful atmosphere, dystopian heroes become
dehumanized.
The dehumanization of society may also be connected to the benefits and hazards of technological
progress. In Dystopia, the borderline of humanity is often blurred and the very concept of humanity
distorted.
Finally, dystopian stories tend to explore the concept of reality. In many dystopian tales the people in
general and the heroes in particular get manipulated beyond reality.
AESTHETICS
Dystopian stories frequently take place in landscapes which diminish people, like large cities with
mastodontic architecture or vast wastelands devastated by war and pollution. Dystopian societies are
usually, but far from always, battered and worn-out. They may be colorless or kaleidoscopic, but always
visually obtrusive.
For uncertain reasons, dystopian movies often use film noir features like dim rooms, rain wet asphalt,
disturbing contrasts, symbolic shadows etc. Much of the action takes place during night in many
dystopian stories. Possibly, this reflects the thematic relationship between dystopian fiction and film
noir.
Generally speaking, the environment plays an active role in dystopian depictions. The environment is
not only a fancy background, but emphasizes the message. A prominent example is Blade Runner
where there can be no doubt that the USA has become completely commercialized and the world is in
a state of terminal decay.
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DYSTOPIAN LITERATURE
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The title is drawn from the temperature at which paper catches fire,
and the novel is set in a dystopia where all books are banned. The
protagonist is a fireman whose primary duty is to burn books and
punish book readers and owners. Eventually, he rebels, joins an
underground of book lovers, and surrenders to his own literary
desires, but leaves his known world behind. What would it be like to
live in a world where we not only didn't have to read, but actually
were not allowed to read?
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Atwood's novel fits into the dystopian genre with its bleak depiction
of a near-future in the republic of Gilead set in the "postcatastrophe" United States. The protagonist lives in this world
which enforces a rigid distinction of gender roles through brutal
suppression of dissent. The world of Gilead is threatened with
physical destruction by a slow process of environmental collapse,
precipitated by nuclear plant accidents and chemical hazards.
Women in the novel are strictly confined to domestic spaces of food
preparation and sexual reproduction. The Guardians with their
machine guns at the ready insure that women play their roles. Those
women who sought to maintain their pre-catastrophe abilities to
read, write, and participate in the public sphere were rounded up and
sent to "colonies" or simply killed.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Written in the 1930s, this grim view of a plastic world, in which
science and technology condition the people to passivity, is a
warning against false optimism and the dangers inherent in
scientific progress. Huxley got it: man's obsession with material
goods and movement away from moral and spiritual values leads to
a dystopian society. The book is a warning of where our society
could be headed.
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The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Set in a dystopian future when the earth has finally suffered a
disastrous calamity at the hands of man. Two of the survivors, an
unnamed man and his young son, try to make their way through the
devastated landscapes and scavenge whatever scarce food they can
find. They must dodge gangs that will murder, rape, or enslave anyone
they find; killing people just to eat them. It’s a world of anarchy where
the strongest prey on the weak; the present is bleak, and the future even
more grim. The man’s wife committed suicide rather than try to
survive, and the man carries a gun with two bullets, one for him and
one for his son, if they find themselves with no escape. His love for
his son, though, keeps him going.
Anthem by Ayn Rand
Tells the story of one man’s rebellion against a totalitarian society.
When the novel’s hero, Equality 7-2521, commits the unpardonable
crime—independent thought—he sets himself in conflict with
the moral strictures of his world—a world in which all expressions
of individualism have been suppressed, where the very word “I” has
been banished from the language—a world of joyless, selfless men
permitted to exist only for the sake of serving the group.
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
The hideous prospect of a sudden, irreversible wave of radioactive death
was as omnipresent as the sky, and as difficult to face as the sun during
the worst years of the Cold War. The sleepy river community of Fort
Repose, Fla., found ways to ignore the threat most of the time. Randolph
Bragg, the languid young descendant of the town's founder, and his
neighbors persisted in an easy confidence that nuclear war couldn't really
happen. Then, suddenly, The Day arrives. All at once the 20th century
comes crashing down, and the nightmare of survival begins.
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Literature Circles – Class Expectations
Pre-Reading:
1. Use a calendar to plan the reading schedule and distribute the group roles. The roles
should rotate from member to member with each meeting.
During Reading:
2. For homework read the assigned number of pages and prepare the provided role sheet
before class time.
3. Read the description of your role on the role sheet. During and after reading, answer the
questions on the sheet to get ready for your participation in the group.
Class-Time:
4. All group members need to have the book and their role sheet out on their desks at the
beginning of the discussion. Desks are in a circle in a DEK. Discussion Director selects a
timekeeper to help manage the group’s time.
5. The Discussion Director begins the discussion by asking the Summarizer to go first.
6. The Discussion Director then asks one of the below-the-surface questions he/she has
prepared. Group discusses the question, taking notes.
7. After the Director has asked all questions, the Passage Analyst shares his/her passage
prepared for the day. The Passage Analyst reads the passage and group members
discuss, taking notes.
8. After the Passage Analyst finishes, the Essential Questions Connector identifies specific
passages in the text that address one or more of the essential questions. Group members
discuss and take notes.
9. The Vocabulary Enricher will interject as needed to define terms or look them up (if a
new one has been added to the list).
During discussion:
10. Members of the group should take care to make connections during each discussion
time. It is one thing to discuss the book, but members should also expect these
connections:
a. Text to Text: Are there similarities or differences between the book you
are reading now and one that was assigned for another class or that you
have read for pleasure at another time?
b. Text to Self: In what ways can you identify with the characters or
circumstances in this book? What kinds of personal/emotional reactions
do you have to specific parts of this book?
c. Text to World: In what ways is this book reminiscent of current events
or “real world” issues?
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Discussion Director
Role:
The Discussion Director is the group facilitator for the day. The DD’s job is to keep order, keep
everyone focused and working and communicate with the teacher whenever necessary. The
Discussion Director is also in charge of making sure everyone speaks and is heard. In this role,
you are most like a teacher, helping students understand the material.
Process:
Pre-meeting:
Complete the reading and write at least three compelling under-the-surface questions that will help
the members of the group better understand the reading you have just completed. The
questions should focus on the reading for the day but may ask group members to make
connections to prior reading or make predictions about what’s coming up. Write your
questions in the space below.
During the Meeting:
1. Make sure all participants have the required materials and have arranged the desks to make
discussion easier.
2. Select a timekeeper to keep track of progress during the group meeting.
3. Call on the summarizer to give a brief summary of the night’s reading. All members are
taking notes on anything they didn’t get from the reading.
4. Ask for any additions/corrections. (5 mins for Steps 3 & 4)
5. Ask the under-the-surface questions prepared for the day, allowing for discussion of each
one. All group members should be taking notes on the discussion. (5-7 mins).
6. Call on the Passage Analyst to present his/her passage for the day. Group members discuss
and take notes (5 mins).
7. Call on the Essential Questions Connector to present his/her connections. Group members
discuss and take note (5 mins).
8. As the discussion takes place, call on the Vocabulary Enricher as needed to define terms or
direct questions about the meaning of term to the Vocabulary Enricher. Ask the Vocabulary
Enricher to share his/her list of terms and definitions. At this point, you may ask the group
if any new terms need to be added to the list.
9. Ask for any remaining questions/comments (3 mins).
10. Make sure all group members know what next assignment and their role for the next
discussion.
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Name:
Discussion Director (individual role sheet)
Title/Author:
Pages(s):
Meeting Date:
Under-the-Surface Questions (why, how, should, could, would):
 1.
 2.

3.
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Summarizer
Role:
The job of the summarizer is crucial in making sure that all group members understand the basic
information in each section of the assigned text. In the group meetings, the summarizer will
get the group going by giving an accurate, concise version of the events of the assigned
reading. This will serve to remind everyone of important points and help all members of the
group start the day’s discussion with the same information.
Process:
Pre-meeting:
As you read, take brief notes on the major events or mark them in your book with a highlighter or
post it notes. After you finish, go back over the places you marked and select the most
important for inclusion in your summary. Write a concise summary in the space below.
During the meeting:
When called on by the Discussion Director, read your summary to the group. Make sure group
members are taking notes on the most important information. After you read, ask for
questions, corrections or additions to your summary.
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Name:
Summarizer (individual role sheet)
Title/Author:
Page(s):
Meeting Date:
 Summary:
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Passage Analyst
Role:
The Passage Analyst finds quotes or longer passages from the assigned reading that are important
for understanding the themes and ideas in the book—especially as they relate to the study of
dystopian societies. Think about how ideas in the book remind you of other books you have
read, movies you have seen, or events that are happening in the news.
Process:
Pre-Meeting:
Read the assigned pages of the book, paying attention to those sections that are important for
understanding what the author is trying to say about dystopia. Identify two passages or
quotes that you believe are especially significant to the author’s point. Write the page
numbers and part of or the entire passage below. Write a brief description of the significance
of the passage.
During the Meeting:
1. When called on by the Discussion Director, read the passage(s) you have selected
aloud, asking group members to find the passages in the book and read along. Make
sure the other members of the group have noted the page number(s) of the selected
passages in their notes.
2. Share your interpretation of the passage and find out what other group members
think of the passage.
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Name:
Passage Analyst (individual role sheet)
Author/Title:
Page(s):
Meeting Date:
 Passage #1 (Page __________):
a.
Summary or Quote:
b.
Significance:
 Passage #2 (Page _____________):
c.
Summary or Quote:
d.
Significance:
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Essential Question Connector
Role:
The Essential Question Connector has the job of using characters and events in the book to connect
to the courses essential questions, especially in terms of our study of dystopia.
-What can one do when faced with lack of power and choice?
-How does one balance individualism with responsibility to community?
-What is the American dream and is the attainment of it possible for every member of society?
-Why are some members of society more susceptible to alienation than others?
Process:
Pre-meeting:
Read the assigned part of the text, highlighting or otherwise marking the parts of the selection
that apply to the essential questions. Choose three selections (quotes, passages) and write the
page numbers.
During the meeting:
When called on by the Discussion Director, share your selections with the rest of the group,
having them note the page number(s) and the connections to the essential questions you have
found. Make sure that all members of the group understand the connection your are making
by asking for clarification questions.
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Name:
Essential Question Connector (individual role sheet)
Author/Title:
Page(s):
Meeting Date:
1. Passage:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________ .
Connection:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________ .
2. Passage:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________ .
Connection:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________ .
3. Passage:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________ .
Connection:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________ .
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Vocabulary Enricher
Role:
The Vocabulary Enricher finds vocabulary (this can mean terms, allusions, and references) from the
assigned reading that is important for understanding the text. It is important for the person in
this role to define possible words that may not be known by their peers. Think about it this
way: if you “kind of know what it means but can’t really explain it” – then define it!
Process:
Pre-Meeting:
Read the assigned pages of the book, paying attention to those terms that are important for
understanding. Make a list of these words and the page numbers on which they can be found.
Define each term, making sure to include the correct definition (some words have 8
definitions but most likely only one is the most contextually appropriate).
During the Meeting:
1. When called on by the Discussion Director, read the definition(s) you have found,
making sure the other group members have noted the definition if it was unclear or
unknown to them.
2. Share your list of words with your group, making sure each member has a definition of a
word they did not know. Collect any words that your group members may have
questions about and add them to your list – define these additions before passing in
your work.
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Name:
Vocabulary Enricher (individual role sheet)
Term (pg. #):
Definition:
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Lit Circle Meeting Notes Template
Date:
Page #s:
1. Summary Notes:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Director Question Notes:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Passage Notes:
a. Page number(s), Passage 1:
b. Significance of Passage:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
c. Page number(s), Passage 2:
d. Significance of Passage:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Essential Questions Notes:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Vocabulary List:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
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