Literature circles
in the 6-12 content areas
What Are Literature Circles?
 Student-led book groups
 A way to give students choice in their reading
 An opportunity to move
beyond the textbook
 A student-led exploration
of content-area reading
 A way to increase
individual student
accountability
 A way to get students to
emotionally and intellectually
connect with the historical and
contemporary time periods and
people they’re studying
Why Literature Circles?
Literature Circles
Text
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Assessment
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Discussion
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Traditional Method
Multiple novels used
Multiple reading levels for students
of varying abilities
Multiple variations on a theme
Multiple points of view
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Authentic assessment
Student-centered
Emphasis on evaluation and
analysis
Individual and group assessments
possible
Frequent small group discussions
Student-led discussions
Most students are engaged
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Single text used
All students read the same book,
regardless of reading level or
interest
Only one protagonist/point of view
is offered
Daily pen-and-paper quizzes
Book report
Emphasis on content, recall-based
learning
Individual assessment
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Whole class discussions
Teacher-led discussions
Most students remain unengaged
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Key Benefits:
 Helps students put a face on historical periods and cultural regions
 Differentiation (EEN, ESL, at-risk, struggling readers)
 Multicultural perspectives (can offer more than one P.O.V.)
 Student-centered
 Authentic assessment
 Flexible – multiple scheduling options
 Encourages discussion – requires engagement and focus!
Literature Circles: Best Practice!
When reading has meaning and purpose, students’ attitudes about schools improve (Burns,
1998). Using current young adult literature makes reading more accessible and meaningful to
students!
Literature circles offer:
 Small group instruction and student centered learning
 Collaborative learning with heterogeneous ability groups
 “less able students need more able role models,” which is provided by
heterogeneous grouping (Atwell, 1987)
 Flexibility
 A social studies teacher said, “I never thought I could pull this off with thirty-six
students in a class; however, with these techniques, I could have a hundred kids
during a forty-three minute period. Size no longer matters!” (George and Stix, 2000).
Literature circles promote student independence.
 The ability to have some independence is a key factor in students’ enjoyment of classes
(Atwell, 1987)
 “By selecting their own reading material, students feel a sense of ownership in the
curriculum and are likely to take responsibility for completing the reading” (George and Stix,
2000)
Literature circles build on students’ desire to interact with their peers.
 “Almost two-thirds [of adolescents] most appreciated school as an occasion to meet and
mix with other [students]” (Atwell, 1987)
 “In considering the realities of adolescence, if we know that social relationships come first,
it simply makes good sense to bring those relationships into the classroom and put them to
work” (Atwell, 1987)
Literature circles facilitate critical thinking and motivate students to invest in the topic of study.
 Communication during literature circle discussions is an opportunity for students to practice
articulating their thoughts, listening to others, and to accept other points of view (Burns,
1998).
Literature circles mimic real-life, adult learning.
 “I talk about books, authors, reading, and writing as a natural extension of my life as a
reader. My students had little opportunity…for congenial talk about literature” (Atwell,
1987)
 The literature circle format is similar to adult book clubs, professional learning communities,
and other forms of learning and work.
Atwell, N. (1987). In the middle: Writing, reading, and learning with adolescents. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann.
Burns, B. (1998, October). Changing the classroom climate with literature circles. Journal of adolescent and adult literacy, 42(2).
George, M.A. & Stix, A. (2000). Using multilevel young adult literature in middle school American studies. Social studies, 91(1).
The Process
Before:
1. Choose your topic
2. Choose your books
3. Group your students
4. Plan unit, timeline, and assessment
5. Create group binders
6. Introduce students to the discussion process (model)
During:
1. Spend time in the beginning monitoring and explaining
2. Visit just 2-3 groups per day (tape the rest, if necessary)
3. Read and comment on binders each day
4. Clarify questions about books or content-area knowledge
5. Have fun!
After:
1. Plan a strong, authentic assessment
2. Ask students to reflect on and evaluate the process
3. Adapt plans for next time!
Literature Circle Roles:
 Analyzer – examines characters
 Connector – between novel and real life
 Discussion Director – drives discussion
 Evaluator – analyzes writing style
 Evaluator of Literary Terms – looks for literary language
 Illustrator – illustrates important aspects of the novel
 Investigator – looks for articles about topics introduced in novel and/or
literary analysis/reviews of the novel
 Summarizer – takes notes on the reading
 Text Connector – connects the novel with ideas in the class textbook
 Word Detective – looks for and defines unfamiliar vocabulary
Possible Assessments:
 POWERPOINT/BOOK TALK
o Explain how Stargirl illustrates various theories of prejudice.
o Explain how The Giver fits the established model of utopias
 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES
o The United States should intervene in civil wars to prevent
atrocities like those seen in First They Killed My Father and
Forgotten Fire.
o Medical insurance companies should be required to cover
residential treatment for mental illness to prevent problems seen
in Cut and Saint Jude.
 BIOGRAPHICAL POSTER
o Important immigrants to the U.S. (Immigrant Unit)
o Key Figures of World War Two (Holocaust Unit)
 DEBATE
o Should America open its borders to all immigrants?
o Should English be the official language of the United States?
o Could the Holocaust have been prevented?
 LETTER TO THE EDITOR
o Problems with modern society (Utopias Unit)
o Prevention of Discrimination (Prejudice Unit)
 RESEARCH PAPER
o Mental Illnesses and their Treatments (Mental Illness Unit)
o Immigration Policy throughout U.S. History
How Do You Find Books?
Cooperative Children’s Book Center - http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Milwaukee Public Library – www.mpl.org
Amazon.com
Morton Grove Public Library - http://www.webrary.org/
Teaching Books.net
Possible Units
Science Fiction:
 Feed – MT Anderson
 Dooms Day Book – Connie Willis
 Hominids – Robert J Sawyer
 Neuromancer – William Gibson
 I, Robot – Isaac Asimov
 The Andromeda Strain – Michael Crichton
 Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card
Teen Issues
 Chinese Handcuffs- Chris Crutcher
 Stargirl – Jerry Spinelli
 The First Part Last – Angela Johnson
 Speak – Laurie Halse Anderson
 Cut – Patricia McCormick
 Dreamland – Sarah Dessen
The Holocaust
 Night – Elie Wiesel
 Crimes of War – Peter Hogg
 Milkweed – Jerry Spinelli
 I Have Lived a Thousand Years – Livia Bitton-Jackson
 Run, Boy, Run – Uri Orlev
 Village of a Million Spirits – Ian Macmillan
Utopias
 Animal Farm – George Orwell
 1984 – George Orwell
 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
 Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
 The Giver – Lois Lowry
War and Oppression
 Forgotten Fire – Adam Bagdasarian
 Zlata’s Diary – Zlata Filipovic
 First They Killed My Father – Loung Ung
 When the Emperor Was Divine – Julie Otsuka
 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
 Night – Elie Wiesel
Herstory: Mulitcultural Women’s Literature
 The Joy Luck Club – Amy Tan
 How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents – Julia Alvarez
 The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros
 Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston
 Love Medicine – Lousie Erdrich
 The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
Controversial Social Issues
 America – ER Frank
 Boy Meets Boy – David Levine
 Fat Kid Rules the World – KLGoing
 Luna – Julie Ann Peters
 Godless – Pete Hautman
 The First Part Last – Angela Johnson
Novels in Verse
 What My Mother Doesn’t Know – Sonya Sones
 Locomotion- Jacqueline Woodson
 What is Goodbye – Nikki Grimes
 Spinning Through the Universe – Helen Frost
 One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies – Sonya Sones
 Stop Pretending– Sonya Sones
 Out of the Dust – Karen Hesse
 Keesha’s House – Helen Frost
Immigration
 Kira-Kira – Cynthia Kadohata
 Fresh Girl – Jaira Placide
 A Step From Heaven – An Na
 Born Confused – Tanuja Desai Hidier
 Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt
 Behind the Mountains – Edwidge Danticat
 Call me Maria – Judith Ortiz Cofer
 Ask Me No Questions – Marina Budhos
 The Circuit – Francisco Jimenez
 The House on Mango St – Sandra Cisneros
War
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For Whom the Bell Tolls – Hemingway
All Quiet on the Western Front – Remarque
A Separate Peace – Knowles
When the Emperor Was Divine – Otsuka
Code Talkers – Bruchac
When I Was a Soldier – Valerie Zenatti
Comm Arts 10 Literature Circles (War Themed Novels)
Which book will you choose????
For this unit, you will work in a group with other students. Each group will read its own novel. The following
books are available for groups to read and discuss. Read each description and rank your choices from “most
interested” to “least interested.” Your teacher will then distribute books to groups… read carefully and choose
well!
Book One:
What is it like to be a young woman in a war? This is the true story of one girl's experience in the Israeli national army.
Valerie begins her story as she finishes her exams, breaks up with her boyfriend, and leaves for service with the Israeli
army. Nothing has prepared her for the strict routines, grueling marches, crummy food, lack of sleep and privacy, or
crushing of initiative that she now faces. But this harsh life has excitement, too, such as working in a spy center near
Jerusalem and listening in on Jordanian pilots. Offering a glimpse into the life of a typical Israeli teen, even as it lays bare
the relentless nature of war, Valerie's story is one readers will have a hard time forgetting.
Book Two:
Narrator Ned Begay, a Navajo grandfather telling his story to his grandchildren, starts with his early schooling at an Anglo
boarding school, where the Navajo language is forbidden. The story continues as, at 16, he enlists in the U.S. Marines
during World War II and is trained as a code talker, using his native language to radio battlefield information and
commands in a code that was kept secret until 1969. In this novel, the author presents a clear historical picture of young
men in wartime, island hopping across the Pacific, waging war in the hells of Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima.
Nonsensational and accurate, this tale is quietly inspiring.
Book Three:
This is the story of Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to an antifascist guerilla unit in
the mountains of Spain during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. It tells of loyalty and courage, love and defeat, and the
tragic death of an ideal. In his portrayal of Jordan's love for the beautiful Maria and his superb account of El Sordo's last
stand, in his brilliant travesty of La Pasionaria and his unwillingness to believe in blind faith, the author creates a work at
once rare and beautiful, strong and brutal, compassionate, moving and wise. Critics say that it stands as one of the best
war novels of all time.
Book Four:
This coming-of-age novel tells of struggles between prep school classmates when a love-hate friendship leads to violence
and betrayal. The context of the story is World War II. The war is always in the background and is reflected in the story
on a number of levels, from the internal to the external. The war’s presence is felt through reports from the frontline,
recruiters who visit the school, and the juniors and seniors who wrestle with the question of whether to enlist. War
influences the games that are played and they boys’ views of themselves and their peers. At the same time, from another
perspective, this book is a story of friendship and the effort to find oneself. The main character’s discovery that the real
enemy is not across the ocean but in his own soul is convincing and moving.
Book Five:
This heartbreaking, unsentimental novel describes in poetic detail the hardships of a Japanese family living in an
American internment camp during World War II. After the father is imprisoned for “questioning” after Pearl Harbor is
attacked, the mother is forced to move with her son and daughter to an internment camp, abruptly severing her ties with
her community. The next three years are spent in filthy, cramped and impersonal lodgings as the family is shuttled from
one camp to another. Events are viewed from numerous characters' points of view, and the different perspectives are
defined by distinctive, lyrically simple observations. The novel's honesty and matter-of-fact tone in the face of
inconceivable injustice are the source of its power. The novel's themes of freedom and banishment are easy to see and
reflect upon.
Book Six:
This novel is narrated by Paul Bäumer, a young man of nineteen who fights in the German army on the French front in
World War I. Paul and several of his friends from school joined the army voluntarily after listening to the stirring patriotic
speeches of their teacher, but after experiencing brutal basic training and the unimaginable brutality of life on the front,
Paul and his friends realize that the ideals of nationalism and patriotism for which they enlisted are simply empty clichés.
They live their lives in the trenches trying to survive and to understand the war that has brought them there.
Now that you have read about each novel, rank them across the following spectrum. Use the book numbers (1-6)
to indicate your choices.
Most
Interested
______
Least
Interested
______
______
______
______
______
Your name: _________________________________
Is there anyone in class with whom you know you would NOT work well? If so, list the name(s):
_______________________________________________________________________________
Is there anything else I should know, or any questions you have? __________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
When I Was a Soldier by Valerie Zenatti
Group Members:
Lisa B.
Lisa C.
Amanda H.
Bethany G.
Emily B.
Timeline:
Assignment:
pages 13-55
Due:
Wednesday, Dec. 20
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Lisa B. – Discussion Director
Lisa C. – Evaluator
Amanda – Investigator
Bethany – Summarizer
Emily - Analyzer
Assignment:
pages 56-85
Due:
Wednesday, January 3
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Emily – Discussion Director
Lisa B. – Evaluator
Lisa C. – Investigator
Amanda – Summarizer
Bethany - Analyzer
Assignment:
pages 86-127
Due:
Friday, January 5
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Bethany – Discussion Director
Emily – Evaluator
Lisa B. – Investigator
Lisa C. – Summarizer
Amanda - Analyzer
Assignment:
pages 128-158
Due:
Monday, January 8
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Amanda – Discussion Director
Bethany – Evaluator
Emily – Investigator
Lisa B. – Summarizer
Lisa C. - Analyzer
Assignment:
pages 159-195
Due:
Wednesday, January 10
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Lisa C. – Discussion Director
Amanda – Evaluator
Bethany – Investigator
Emily – Summarizer
Lisa B. - Analyzer
Assignment:
pages 196-235
Due:
Friday, January 12
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Lisa B. – Discussion Director
Lisa C. – Evaluator
Amanda – Investigator
Bethany – Summarizer
Emily - Analyzer
Analyzer
Your Name:
_______________________________
Your Novel:
_______________________________
Chapters:
_______________________________
The purpose of this role is to analyze one of the
characters in the novel. When you read your
assigned chapters, focus on what the main characters
are saying, doing, and feeling. Then, complete the
assigned graphic organizer.
Tips: if possible, choose a character to focus on
before you read the passage. Think about what
makes the character unique – what makes the person
tick? – and look for examples and quotes to back
yourself up.
Character you are analyzing: ________________________________
Why did you choose this character to analyze?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Write down two quotes from the character:
Write down two things other characters say about this
character:
What does the author want you to feel about this
character?
What hints does the author give you as to what is
coming next in the story?
Discussion Director
Your Name:
_______________________________
Your Novel:
_______________________________
Chapters:
_______________________________
As the Discussion Director, your mission is to develop a list of five thought-provoking questions that your group
might answer as it discusses this section of the novel. Your role is to develop questions that allow the group to
focus on the main ideas, events, or themes in the text. Questions should not deal with small facts or details –
instead, focus on the big picture.
Some possible question topics are:
 Do you like or dislike a particular character? Why or why not?
 How would the story be different if the characters had to chosen a different action than the one taken?
 What do you think will occur next in the story? Why do you believe this?
 Why do you think the author wrote the characters or story the way s/he did? How could s/he have made
the book different?
 If you were the author, what would you change?
When you present to your group, mark the question you believe is your best and that will create the most
discussion. If your group can’t contribute an idea, share one of your responses to get the discussion rolling. After
the question has been discussed, summarize the answers of the group. If the discussion stalls, move on to
another question. At the end of the discussion, ask the group if there is a question of their own that they wish to
discuss.
Question One: _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
I believe the correct response is: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
My group said: _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Question Two: ________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
I believe the correct response is: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
My group said: _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Question Three: _______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
I believe the correct response is: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
My group said: _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Question Four: ________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
I believe the correct response is: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
My group said: _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Question Five: ________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
I believe the correct response is: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
My group said: _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Question Six: _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
I believe the correct response is: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
My group said: _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Evaluator of Literary Terms
Your Name:
_______________________________
Your Novel:
_______________________________
Chapters:
_______________________________
The goal of the Evaluator is to find examples of literary terms, like analogies, metaphors, similes, foreshadowing,
etc., and to share them with the group.
As you read, see what passages jump out at you. After you identify literary language, fill out the Evaluator sheet.
Make sure to describe what about the passage caught your attention.
When your group meets, read your three selections aloud. Ask your group members why they think you chose
the passages. Then explain why you chose each. Try to guess why the author used this language. Is it
effective? How would the passage sound without it, or with a different type of literary language? See what new
ideas you can share.
Types of Literary Language:
Analogy
Metaphor
Foreshadowing
Simile
Hyperbole
Alliteration
Allegory
Symbol
Flashback
Irony
Satire
Euphemism
Selection One is on page _____ at the (circle one) top middle bottom.
Quote: _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Type of literary language: ________________________________________________
This is effective / ineffective (circle one) because: _____________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
My group members thought _______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Selection Two is on page _____ at the (circle one) top middle bottom.
Quote: _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Type of literary language: ________________________________________________
This is effective / ineffective (circle one) because: _____________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
My group members thought _______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Selection Three is on page _____ at the (circle one) top middle bottom.
Quote: _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Type of literary language: ________________________________________________
This is effective / ineffective (circle one) because: _____________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
My group members thought _______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Investigator
Your Name:
_______________________________
Your Novel:
_______________________________
Chapters:
_______________________________
The job of the investigator is to read the assigned section in the
novel and then do a little outside research to find out what other
readers have thought about the novel. You will be looking for print
and/or electronic literary analysis, printing/copying the review, and
then sharing it with your group.
Some good places to find literary analysis are:
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Source Information:
Books from the IMC, like:
o
A Student’s Guide to Ernest Hemingway
o
Understanding A Separate Peace
o
Readings on All Quiet on the Western Front
Electronic research engines in the IMC, like EBSCO,
SIRS, or Badgerlink
Websites like www.mpl.org or www.amazon.com
Books from the public library system
I would NOT recommend using Google, Ask Jeeves, etc… they
will give you shallow observations and summaries, not analysis!
Title of Article (if applicable): ___________________________________
Title of Book/Journal: ______________________________________
Author(s): _________________________________________________
Date published: __________________________________
This review/article says (summarize): _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
I think this article is important and relevant because: ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Summarizer
Your Name:
_______________________________
Your Novel:
_______________________________
Chapters:
_______________________________
The role of the summarizer is to “sum up” what
happened in the story and process it into an easily
read format.
When reading your assigned chapters, focus on the
main events. Then, summarize the key points on
the graphic organizer. Look for changes in
characters, major plot points, and the setting(s).
This is a very important role, because when your
group is ready to complete the final assessment,
you will be able to look over the “Summarizer”
sheets to help you remember the details.
Character Development (Who are they, what do they do, how do they change?)
Character
Description
Actions
1.
2.
3.
4.
Plot Sequence (What order do events happen in)?
1.
___________________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________________
Important Changes or Developments:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Predictions for the next chapters (what do you think will happen next?)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Literature Circles: Individual Grade Sheet (Sample)
Name ________________________________________________________
Group ________________________________________________________
Day One Sheet
_____________
Day Two Sheet
_____________
Day Three Sheet
_____________
Day Four Sheet
_____________
Day Five Sheet
_____________
Day Six Sheet
_____________
Final Project Grade
_____________
Comments: