I chose a
book for the students to read since it was their first exposure
to Literature Circles. I chose The Phantom Tollbooth by
Norton Juster. This book was selected because the genre fit with
my teaching strategies of using rich language in student’s
writing.
Students
used Literature Circle Role Sheets to help focus their thinking
and extend their comprehension as well as the subsequent
discussion. I also encouraged students to extend the discussion
by using follow-up questions, asking partners to explain their
comments, sharing connections, etc.
Each group
would read 2 chapters a day. Students would rotate through their
roles of: Summarizer, Vocabulary Finder, Question Writer, and
Story Mapper. These roles and their written responses were kept
in a folder designed by each student. As students finished their
two chapters and written response they would meet in a
literature circle discussion group and share their role sheet
comments.
After the
book was completed each person completed an illustration of a
scene from the book with an accompanying caption. The following
day, I presented the students with a list of Extension Projects
for their consideration. These project ideas included: board
game, bookmark, CD cover, journey map, postage stamp, and
accordian book.
