Lesson Directions for All Students

Name/Number- ______Literature Circles Title ______Chapters Page #’s Due Date Grade/Comment s

1. READ!!!

Read the entire selection. Some parts of this packet need to be done as you go. The others can be completed at the end of the week’s reading assignment.

2. Discussion Director/Questions

As you read, write down at least ONE question (THREE if you are the Discussion Director). The questions should be 'Fat' questions that require more than a yes or no answer. They should start with “How or Why” or be double questions (ex. “Will he ______, and if so what will happen?”), and they should be about an interesting part of the story. You may be using this question in your group discussion.

3. Select Vocabulary Words

Select one word that you do not know or do not know well. Based on the context clues around the word you picked, try to guess the meaning of that word. Then look up the word and write only the definition which seems to fit the way it is used in the novel. Don’t write every definition of the word! The vocabulary finder will teach you the other vocabulary words.

4. Summarize

As you read, write the important events found in the reading. Organize the events in order. Then use these notes to do a summary of the reading. Your job is to find the most important parts of the reading, not every single detail. If you are the Summarizer, during the discussion: Present your summary and explain why you feel the events you included are important. Share your passage and discuss your reason for choosing it.

5. Write Connections

As you read you should be making connections in your mind and writing them down. . Make sure they are strong connections. Write down three connections; one text-to-text, one text-to-self, and one text-to-world.

6. Predict/Infer

As you read you should be making predictions & inferences in your mind. Write them down at least 3 times during your reading. Remember, you make an inference by looking for clues in the writing and using them to form an idea that is not directly written in the book. Then make sure you quote sentences from the story to back up your inferences. Everyone will do this, but only the Predictor will share his/her thoughts.

7. Illustrate As you are reading, decide which character, scene or emotion is the most important and you want to illustrate to share with your group. You may illustrate or do a comic strip in the space below. You will need to write a brief description of what the illustration represents including: the characters involved, what is happening, and the page number where the event occurs.

Summary

As you read, write the important events found in the reading. Organize the events in order. Then use these notes to do a summary of the reading. Your job is to find the most important parts of the reading, not every single detail.

Important Events (quick notes) Summary

Summarizer Only: One passage that was interesting/funny or I chose this passage because. . . important in the text was:

Page Number-

If you are the Summarizer, during the discussion: Present your summary and explain why you feel the events you included are important. Share your passage and discuss your reason for choosing it. Vocabulary

As you read, write down ONE (THREE if you are the Vocabulary Finder) important words, along with the page on which they appear, take a guess at their meaning, and write the definition from the dictionary. Include words that are unfamiliar, interesting or that you think are important to the story. Vocabulary Page # My Best Guess Dictionary Definition Word Questions (Discussion Director)

As you read, write down at least ONE question (THREE if you are the Discussion Director). The questions should be 'Fat' questions that require more than a yes or no answer. They should start with “How or Why” or be double questions (ex. “Will he ______, and if so what will happen?”), and they should be about an interesting part of the story. You may be using this question in your group discussion.

Some questions/topics that I think the group should discuss are:

1. Question:______Answer: ______2. Question:______Answer: ______

3. Question:______Answer: ______

Connections As you read you should be making connections in your mind and writing them down. . Make sure they are strong connections. Write down three connections; one text-to-text, one text-to- self, and one text-to-world.

Event in the story Connection Text-to-text 1-

2- Text-to-self

3- Text-to-world

If you are the Connector, share your connections with the group and describe how it helps you understand the reading. Share any other thoughts on the reading and predictions for the rest of the book.

Predict/Infer

Your job before the discussion: As you read you should be making Predictions and Inferences in your mind. Write them down at least 3 times during your reading. Remember, you make an inference by looking at clues in the writing and using them to form an idea that is not directly written in the book.

Make sure you quote sentences from the story to back up your inferences. What is your opinion about the main What does it say in the book to make Day 1: Prediction (What will happen character at this point in the book? you think that? (Why?) next?)

What is your opinion about the What does it say in the book to make Day 2: Prediction (What will happen current problem at this point in the you think that? (Why?) next?) book?

What is your opinion about the main What does it say in the book to make Day 3: Prediction (What will happen character or the current problem at you think that? (Why?) next?) this point in the book?

During the discussion: Share your connections with the group and describe how it helps you understand the reading. Share any other thoughts on the reading and predictions for the rest of the book. Illustration

As you are reading, decide which character, scene or emotion is the most important and you want to illustrate to share with your group. You may illustrate or do a comic strip in the space below. You will need to write a brief description of what the illustration represents including: the characters involved, what is happening, and the page number where the event occurs. If you are the Illustrator, during the discussion have your group tell what they think your illustration represents and how it relates to the book. You may tell them what you intended in your illustration. Add your thoughts about the reading throughout the discussion.

Characters Involved: What is happening:

Illustration