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Content Area Project 1

Content Area Project

Jennifer Sommer

Marist College


Literature Review

First introduced by Eeds and Wells in 1989, literature circles remain a popular and

powerful way to engage students with both fiction and nonfiction texts in any content area and at

any grade level (Thein, Guise, & Sloan, 2011, p. 15). Based on the tenants of social learning

theory, literature circles operate around the idea that people can learn from one another and

benefit from knowledge that is socially constructed (Stewart, 2009, p. 29). Although they now

come in many shapes and forms, literature circles are traditionally defined as small collaborative

student-led discussions centered on student selected texts (Thein et al., 2011, p. 15). Groups

consist of 4 to 6 students all reading the same text and are typically formed based on student

interest in a text. However teachers may also choose to group students based on reading level by

giving each group a text appropriate for their level of reading. Furthermore many teachers

choose to assign roles to students such as discussion leader, literary luminary, connector, and so

on, particularly when students are unfamiliar with literature circles (Stewart, 2009, p. 29).

Students rotate through these roles, which provide a way to focus student attention on different

aspects of the same text so that each student “functions as an expert in their assigned task”

(Whittingham, 2013, p. 54).

Extensive research on the subject has shown many advantages to traditional literature

circles. As Bowers-Campbell (2011) notes literature circles have been shown to increase student

motivation and engagement, encourage higher level thinking, improve comprehension and

deeper reading of the text, and promote life-long reading habits (p. 557). Thein, et al. (2011) also

mentions advantages such as improving student problem-solving skills, decision-making skills,

and academic achievement (p. 15). The collaborative nature of literature circles has also been

shown to help create classroom community and help enhance student social and communication


skills (Whittingham, 2013, p. 54). Furthermore literature circles have some distinct advantages

over traditional, single book, teacher-led discussions because they enable the teacher to more

easily differentiate content and allow for more students to be engaging in discussion at once.

Literature circles also encourage more authentic student centered and led discussions than the

traditional teacher-led format, where the teacher asks all of the questions and the students

provide answers (Whittingham, 2013, p. 54). As a result students become leaders in the

classroom and can take ownership of their learning (Whittingham, 2013, p. 54). Finally these

collaborative reading groups provide students with an authentic experience similar, in many

ways, to the real world book clubs that many adults participate in.

That being said, traditional literature circles do have some disadvantages. As Bowers-

Campbell (2011) mentions literature circles do not guarantee “natural and sophisticated

discussion” (p. 577). In fact the roles that so many claim focus students may also lead to more

inauthentic and stilted conversations in which students merely provide the answers from their

role worksheets rather than engaging in meaningful discussion of the text (Bowers-Campbell,

2011, p. 588). Furthermore literature circles are susceptible to disruption from absenteeism and

can often be dominated by a few outspoken students (Bowers-Campbell, 2011, p. 558). Bowers-

Campbell (2011) even notes that once the teacher is out of earshot literature circles may provide

an environment for bullying or other off task behaviors (p. 588). Even when students do stay on

task, Thein, et al. (2011) explains that “literature circles do not provide challenges” to student

beliefs or enable students to experiment with alternate stances and as a result are not conducive

to discussing the multicultural and political texts that our diverse learners so desperately need (p.

21). Finally literature circles take significant class time to start and maintain.


Online literature circles offer an alternative to this traditional method and may be able to

mitigate some of these issues while capitalizing on the advantages of traditional literature circles

and helping students to develop 21st century skills (Moreillon, 2009). Furthermore online

literature circles inherently take advantage of literacy strategies that support student literacy such

as writing to learn.

Online literature circles function in many of the same ways as a traditional literature

circle. The teacher still acts as a facilitator and students still work in collaborative student-led

groups of 4 to 6 students but instead of using class time to engage in literature circle discussions,

they are conducted on an online platform. Research shows that online literature circles have been

successful on a variety of media platforms such as Facebook, blogs, edmodo, email, chat rooms,

discussion boards, and more.

Twenty-first century or new literacies are the skills necessary to succeed in 21st century

society. They include skills such as the ability to navigate nonlinear texts, communicate via

technology, evaluate sources, and create and post information digitally (Karchmer-Klein &

Shinas, 2012, p. 289). These are important skills students will need to succeed in our technology

laden society; as Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz (2011) note it is “not possible to adequately prepare

students for reading and writing in the 21st century without incorporating new literacies” (p. 29).

While many may assume today’s students, who are digital natives, are already proficient with

technology, they still have much to learn about its professional uses and so on (Karchmer-Klein

& Shinas, 2012, p. 292). Online literature circles give students the opportunity to practice using

whichever platform the teacher chooses as well as practice communicating using technology.

They also present a unique opportunity for students to practice integrating hypermedia and

hypertext within their writing (Vacca, et al., 2011, pp. 31). These online literature circles can


also be extremely engaging and motivating for these digital natives who enjoy working with

technology.

Online literature circles provide teachers and students with a written transcript of the

meetings. This helps hold students accountable for staying on task and participating; in fact

Bowers-Campbell (2011) observed that shy students were equally heard in this method as those

who are more vocal (p. 564). Transcripts also provide students with a way to retrospectively look

at their growth as a reader and writer over the course of the literature circle (Bowers-Campbell,

2011, p. 563). This can in turn promote student metacognition (Moreillon, 2009). Teachers can

also use these transcripts as a form of assessment that can be more reliable than observations of

traditional literature circles because the teacher can monitor all that is said in each literature

circle meeting, rather than only hear snippets of each group’s meeting as she walks around the

room. Furthermore the fact that these transcripts are permanent enables absent students to easily

catch up on what was missed (Bowers-Campbell, 2011, p. 562).

One of the most obvious advantages of online literature circles is that the written element

capitalizes on the comprehension strategy of writing to learn. As Bowers-Campbell (2011) notes

“written responses to literature provide a powerful means of preserving those special transactions

with books that make reading a rewarding and personal journey” (p. 564). Vacca, et al. (2011)

also notes the importance of writing in improving comprehension and literacy: “writing in

response to reading allows learners to share their thoughts and feelings about a text, construct

meaning, and improve fluency” (p. 387). The online forum, with the exception of the chat room

platform, also gives students time to think about their answers and thus craft thoughtful

responses and comments that they may be less likely to make during rapid classroom dialogue

(Bowers-Campbell, 2011, p. 564). Another positive is that students within the same book group,


particularly in the discussion board setting, can have multiple conversations simultaneously

within the confines of different threads (Bowers-Campbell, 2011, p. 564). Thus increasing

student participation and allowing students to engage in the thread topics that most interest them.

The teacher can also participate in multiple conversations, which can help encourage divergent

and deeper thinking as well as send students a message that the teacher and student are co-

learners (Vacca, et al., 2011, p. 43). Teacher involvement can be particularly helpful in

mitigating many of the issues raised by Thein, et al, (2011) who notes that teacher guidance is

warranted when the instructional goal is critical examination of the text” (p. 23). Online literature

circles provide teachers with a way to interact with all groups equally and ensure that they can

intervene to ensure higher level examination and thinking.

It should be noted that contrary to popular belief online literature circles lack of face to

face communication does not make the experience impersonal; in fact Bowers-Campbell’s

(2011) showed that groups actively worked together to create socially constructed knowledge

and students reported that they felt a sense of responsibility and comradery towards the other

members of their groups (p. 560-562). Whittingham (2013) also reported that online literature

circles created a community of learners in his classroom (p. 57). Thus it seems clear that online

literature circles can be a powerful tool for building classroom community and highlighting the

value of socially constructed knowledge.

Despite their advantages, online literature circles are not easily thrown together in an

afternoon. In order to successfully implement online literature circles, teachers need to

adequately train and model for students what is expected of them (Bowers-Campbell, 2011, p.

559). Stewart (2009) suggests providing students with in class demonstrations and behavior

guides that say things such as online literature circles look like posting your tasks on time,


collaborating with group members and the teacher, and asking team members for help (p. 31).

Some of the guidelines Vacca, et al., (2011) provide for blogging such as treating classroom web

space with the same respect as classroom space, conducting yourself professionally, posting only

things you are proud of, and being respectful of others are also appropriate (p. 42). Teachers will

also need to ensure that whatever platform they choose has appropriate privacy settings for their

students (Stewart, 2009, p. 31).

Overall online literature circles offer teachers a unique new way to engage today’s

technology driven students in the discussion of a variety of texts. This method would work at

most grade levels and across content areas and will help students improve both old and new

literacies.


Implications for Teaching/Reflection

Online literature circles provide an excellent avenue for the discussion of literature and

informational texts within the secondary level English Language Arts classroom. Like traditional

literature circles, they enable teachers to easily differentiate texts based on student interest or

reading/ability levels while supporting collaboration, social construction of knowledge, and

increased comprehension and literacy skills. Unlike traditional literature circles, online literature

circles offer teachers a unique opportunity to incorporate 21st century skills into their classrooms

and support student literacy through the authentic task of writing on a chat room, discussion

forum, or other online platform. The research clearly highlights these positives and thus should

encourage all teachers to incorporate online literature circles within their classrooms.

I will use this strategy in my English classroom as an alternative to the traditional

literature circle. One idea I had for using this strategy in my future classroom is in a 12th

grade

personal discovery and memoir unit. Rather than have the whole class read the same memoir and

risk having some students be unable to connect with the main character, I would instead offer

students a choice between 4 or 5 memoirs, depending on the size of my class. To do this, I would

first choose 4 or 5 memoirs with a range of characters that students may identify with; some

memoirs I might consider are The Reason I Jump, The Glass Castle, The Pact, Persepolis, and

When I was Puerto Rican but texts would obviously be better chosen based on my knowledge of

my students. I would then introduce the texts to all of my students and ask them to rank them

with 1 being the memoir they would like to read the most and 5 being the memoir they would

like to read the least. I would then try to place students in literature circle groups so that all

students received either their first or second choice. After assigning groups and having them

discuss reading schedules, I would need to explain to students how the online literature circles


would function and what my expectations are. Furthermore, I would need to teach them how to

interact appropriately in an online environment, giving them concrete examples of what should

and should not occur on these discussion boards. To further support the online literature circles,

beyond teacher monitoring and comments, I would use in class time to discuss with students how

they think the circles could be improved and to have students discuss overarching literary themes

and memoir techniques that occur within all the memoirs. That way, students can begin to

understand the genre more fully and will be exposed to other memoirs beyond the one they

selected for their literature circle.

To assess my students, I will examine the number and quality of posts on their literature

circle discussion boards, looking for evidence that will support their attainment of my student

learning outcomes which will be based on Common Core Standards. For example I could look

through the message boards for evidence of a student’s ability to cite textual evidence to support

their opinion, which is 12th

grade Common Core Literature Standard 1. Furthermore in addition

to these transcripts additional assessments such as in class oral questioning and observations of

whole class and small class discussions and self/group evaluations can determine how effectively

the online literature circles are working and how they can be improved. These reflections can

also serve as a way to support and assess student metacognition.

I was drawn to online literature circles for many reasons but one of the main ones was the

potential they have to increase student understanding of texts. While traditional literature circles

can increase student understanding through the social construction of knowledge and choice,

which helps engage students in the reading process, I think the most significant advantage online

literature circles offer is their ability to naturally harness the power of writing to improve

understanding and comprehension. Traditional literature, of course, can and do incorporate


writing to learn strategies but these are often posed as additional work for students whereas

online literature circles embed writing into the discussion. This makes the experience more

authentic. Furthermore the type of writing occurring in these online environments is important

because it harnesses the essence of what writing to learn activities should be according to Vacca,

Vacca, and Mraz (2011) who note instructional activities such as these often produce “writing

that is tentative and unfinished because they represent a way for students to explore ideas and

clarify what they are thinking about” (p. 284). Online literature circles, particularly on the

discussion board platform as opposed to the chat room platform, fit this definition well because

as Bowers-Campbell (2011) noticed students in online literature circles worked together to

construct meaning by one student offering tentative ideas about meaning and then other group

members confirming, adding, or further discussing those ideas until the group came to a

consensus of meaning (p. 562). Thus the writing that occurs in these settings allows students to

explore meaning in a safe environment with the support of their teacher and classmates. As a

result this written communication can help improve student comprehension and 21st century

communication skills.

While I could certainly support literacy within my classroom with other methods, I think

online literature circles represent a novel way for me to engage students in reading, writing, and

discussion around texts while improving their literacy, communication skills, and

comprehension. I particularly think that teachers who teach subjects other than ELA will find

this strategy useful because it can enable them to take advantage of the usefulness of literature

circles without sacrificing significant amounts of class time that they may need to deliver

content. Overall, I am excited about the prospect of implementing this method in my future

classroom and think other teachers will be as well.


Lesson Examples

Below are two lessons that I would use in my implementation of online literature circles

in a 12th

grade ELA memoir unit on personal discovery. It should be noted that these two lessons

are interconnected to act as an introduction to online literature circles but they should not

necessarily be taught in succession. These lessons will help prepare students to succeed when

implementing this new strategy:

Lesson 1: Online Literature Circle 101

Thinking About

Planning:

Pre-Planning Info:

What previous content is important in teaching this lesson?

What have students already learned that is necessary to

learning the content of this lesson?

o Student’s previous experiences with classroom

discussions and classroom etiquette as well as their

experiences analyzing literature and using computers

and the Internet.

Content Information:

What rational is there for teaching this content?

o In order for students to engage in effective online

literature circle discussions, they must first understand

the expectations put in place for them and how to

conduct themselves in an online environment. This is

particularly important for students who do not have

online literature circle experience.

Is there specific information from previous assessments that

supports teaching this specific lesson?

o I have surveyed my students and found out that none

of them have participated in an online literature circle

before.

What standards does this lesson address?

o CC.11-12.SL.1 - Initiate and participate in a range of

collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and

teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12

topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and

expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

o CC.11-12.W.6 – Use technology, including the

Internet, to produce [and] publish writing products.

o CC.11-12.W.10 - Write routinely over extended time

frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and


shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two)

for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

What goals do you have for this lesson?

o Students will be able to…

1. Understand how to use Edmodo to conduct

literature circle discussions.

2. Identify appropriate and inappropriate online

literature circle behavior.

3. Evaluate the effectiveness of literature circle

discussions based on their knowledge of

appropriate and inappropriate literature circle

behavior.

Language Information:

What vocabulary will be challenging? Will students need

discussion skills?

o Students will need to understand the following

vocabulary to participate effectively in this lesson:

thread, post, discussion board, reply/comment, and

etiquette.

o Students will need discussion skills.

What other language demands are there for this lesson?

o As seen in the student learning outcomes, students will

need to understand, identify, and evaluate.

Thinking About

Instruction:

Engagement/Motivation:

How will you engage your students?

o Students will complete the following do now prompt:

write your 5 best tips for having an effective literature

discussion.

How will you connect to their previous experiences?

o I will ask students to think about previous experiences

they may have had during class discussions, literature

circles, or book clubs to begin a discussion about what

is appropriate and inappropriate behavior which can

then be compiled or extended to a list of rules for

online literature circles.

Explicit Instruction:

Direct Instruction- I will introduce students to the Edmodo

discussion boards, highlighting the vocabulary words

identified above, and how to create and post for their online

literature circles.

Guided Practice- Students will then work with a partner, log

on to Edmodo to set up their accounts, and practice creating

posts, etc. Students will also practice their understanding of

online literature circle etiquette with their partner by

examining a mock online literature circle transcript from the


forum and filling out the practice literature circle evaluation

sheet.

Independent practice- For homework, students will use the

platform to rank the memoirs I have chosen from the one they

are most interested in reading to the one they are least

interested in so that I can place them into literature circle

groups based on interest.

Closure:

How will the key points of the lesson be summed up? What

questions or prompt will you use to reflect on their learning?

o Students will demonstrate their understanding of

online literature circle etiquette with a literature circle

evaluation sheet.

Thinking About

Assessment:

Type of Assessment:

Will you be using formative or summative assessment as part

of this lesson or some combination?

o Formative.

What assessment strategies will you be using?

o Oral questioning and observations, discussion board

posts, and literature circle evaluation sheet.

Assessment Content:

How will you know your students have met the objective?

o I will measure each student learning outcome (SLO) as

follows:

SLO #1 – Observation of practice with partner

and ability to post their book preferences on

the discussion boards.

SLO #2 – Oral questioning during discussion,

the literature circle evaluation sheet, and

discussion board posts.

SLO #3 – Literature circle evaluation sheet

activity and observation of students completing

the sheet.

Data Analysis:

How will you collect data from your assessments? How will

you look for patterns in the data? What will you do with the

info you collect? What will you do with the student who has

not met the objective? What will you do for the student that

has gone beyond the objective?

o How I collect data from my assessments will depend

on the type of assessment I am using. For those

assessments that are worksheets or forum posts, I will

be able to look these over to see if students have met

the objective that assessment is targeting. For

observation and oral questioning, I will create a


checklist for each student so that I can mark off if and

when I observe or hear them answer a question that

shows they have met the objectives.

o To look for patterns in my data, I can use a tool such

as excel to compare which objectives were met and

which were not. If the majority of the students have

not met an objective then I will have to reteach the

concept or skill in a new way. If only a few students

have not met a certain objective, I will speak with

them privately or in a small group in order to give

them support and find out why they are struggling. For

those students that may surpass the objective, I will

consider providing them with more challenging

material in the future.

Thinking About

Practical Matters:

Materials*:

o SmartBoard/projector

o Teacher created online discussion boards with faux

discussion

o Choose Your Memoir Sheet with book descriptions

o Computers with Internet connection

o Literature Circle Evaluation Sheets

Lesson Plan:

Do Now

As students enter the room, I will ask them to complete the following

Do Now in their notebooks which will be projected on the

SmartBoard: write your 5 best tips for having an effective

literature/book discussion.

Creating Online Literature Circle Rules

I will explain to students that we will be engaging in online literature

circles during this unit and then ask students to share out their

answers to the Do Now while I record some of them on the

SmartBoard. I will then pose the following questions: which of these

rules do you think we will need to have successful literature circles in

an online environment? Which rules should we add? What behaviors

do you think will make a literature circle unsuccessful?

The final rule list will look something like this:

Online Literature Circle Discussion Rules

1. Complete assigned readings, post, and comments on time.

2. Be respectful of group members, online classroom space, the

teacher, and yourself.

3. Use good grammar, spelling, and punctuation.


Introducing Edmodo and How Online Literature Circles Work

Using the SmartBoard and a computer, I will logon to the Edmodo

site and show students how it is already broken up by literature circle

group by title. Once students have chosen and been placed into

literature circle books I will give them access to their literature circle

group’s discussion board with the appropriate code.

I will show students how to create a new thread, post, and reply. I

will explain the meaning or ask students to explain the meaning of

these terms as we go along. To showcase these skills, I will post our

list of class rules into a discussion thread which everyone can access.

I will then have students work in pairs of their choice to create their

logins and accounts. I will give them access to our classroom

Edmodo with our classroom code which I will write on the board.

Students will then practice commenting by replying to our class rules

thread by writing I agree to abide by these rules or something similar.

I will explain to students that this will be seen as a written

commitment of their agreement to follow these rules.

Evaluating Literature Circles Practice

Students will also practice their understanding of online literature

circle etiquette with their partner by examining a mock online

literature circle thread from the forum and filling out the practice

literature circle evaluation sheet, which will be collected.

Book Introductions and Choice

I will give students a book choice sheet with titles, authors, pictures

of books, and jacket descriptions for each of the following memoirs:

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wells

The Pact by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck

Hunt

The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

When I was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago

For homework, students will use Edmodo to rank the memoirs I have

chosen from the one they are most interested in reading to the one

they are least interested in so that I can place them into literature

circle groups based on interest. I will assure students that I will do my

best to put them in one of their two top choice groups if possible.

That being said, I will take into consideration student personalities

and abilities when making group decisions.

*Lesson materials are provided in the appendix


Lesson 2: Creating Effective Prompts for Discussion

Thinking About

Planning:

Pre-Planning Info:

What previous content is important in teaching this lesson?

What have students already learned that is necessary to

learning the content of this lesson?

o Students will need to use our previous discussions of

online literature circle etiquette, expectations, and

requirements as well as their reading of their assigned

memoir reading assignment.

Content Information:

What rational is there for teaching this content?

o To aid meaningful literature circle discussions,

students need to learn how to create prompts or

questions to keep the conversation going and how to

incorporate textual evidence in their answers and

questions.

Is there specific information from previous assessments that

supports teaching this specific lesson?

o No but research shows that students may often rely on

superficial questioning without proper teaching of how

to ask questions.

What standards does this lesson address?

o CC.11-12.SL.1 - Initiate and participate in a range of

collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and

teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12

topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and

expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

o CC.11-12.W.6 – Use technology, including the

Internet, to produce [and] publish writing products.

o CC.11-12.W.10 - Write routinely over extended time

frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and

shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two)

for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

What goals do you have for this lesson?

o Students will be able to…

1. Create discussion prompts that elicit insightful

conversations and encourage the expression of

multiple perspectives.

2. Understand the different types of

questions/prompts that may occur in a

literature discussion.

Language Information:

What vocabulary will be challenging? Will students need

discussion skills?


o The vocabulary students will encounter during this

lesson will vary based on their chosen memoirs.

o Students will need discussion skills.

What other language demands are there for this lesson?

o As seen in the student learning outcomes, students will

need to create and understand.

Thinking About

Instruction:

Engagement/Motivation:

How will you engage your students?

o Students will complete a Do Now which asks them to

create a prompt based on their first reading

assignment.

How will you connect to their previous experiences?

o I will ask students to share the different types of

questions they have heard people ask about literature

or they usually ask friends about literature and then

link this to how we can create better prompts.

Explicit Instruction:

Direct Instruction- I will talk to students about the different

types of questions/prompts that may come up in a literature

circle discussion as well as give them examples and think

aloud through my process of creating a prompt.

Guided Practice- Students will work in their literature circle

groups to create a question/prompt for each type of question.

Independent practice – Students will work independently to

fill out the creating prompts worksheet.

Closure:

How will the key points of the lesson be summed up? What

questions or prompt will you use to reflect on their learning?

o The creating prompts worksheet will help students

reflect on and walk them through the process of

creating prompts.

Thinking About

Assessment:

Type of Assessment:

Will you be using formative or summative assessment as part

of this lesson or some combination?

o Formative.

What assessment strategies will you be using?

o Observation and oral questioning, creating prompts

worksheet, and discussion board posts.

Assessment Content:

How will you know your students have met the objective?

o I will measure each student learning outcome (SLO) as

follows:

SLO #1 –Discussion board posts, creating

prompts worksheet, and observations.

SLO #2 – Types of questions notes sheet and


observations.

Data Analysis:

How will you collect data from your assessments? How will

you look for patterns in the data? What will you do with the

info you collect? What will you do with the student who has

not met the objective? What will you do for the student that

has gone beyond the objective?

o How I collect data from my assessments will depend

on the type of assessment I am using. For those

assessments that are worksheets or forum posts, I will

be able to look these over to see if students have met

the objective that assessment is mentioning. For

observation and oral questioning, I will create a

checklist for each student so that I can mark off if and

when I observe or hear them answer a question that

shows they have met the objectives.

o To look for patterns in my data, I can use a tool such

as excel to compare which objectives were met and

which were not. If the majority of the students have

not met an objective then I will have to reteach the

concept or skill in a new way. If only a few students

have not met a certain objective, I will speak with

them privately or in a small group in order to give

them support and find out why they are struggling. For

those students that may surpass the objective, I will

consider providing them with more challenging

material in the future.

Thinking About

Practical Matters:

Materials*:

o SmartBoard/projector

o Creating Prompts Worksheet

o Types of Questions Notes

o Index cards for Do Now

Lesson Plan:

Do Now

As students enter the classroom, I will instruct them to complete the

following Do Now on an index card, which I will provide: Now that

you’ve read the first section of your memoir, create a prompt or

question that you believe would be a good discussion starter.

Types of Prompts

I will then introduce students to the various types of

prompts/questions as follows:

Asking Basic Facts


Making Predictions

Explaining Why or How

Making Connections or Comparisons

Giving Opinions

I will also give them examples/ask students who believes they have a

question from their do now that fits into one of the categories.

Students can volunteer their index cards and we can place them under

the various categories on the board. I will also think aloud through

the process of creating prompts.

Group Practice Creating Prompts/Questions

Students will work in their literature circle groups to create a

question/prompt for each type of question.

Independent Practice/Homework

Students will work independently to fill out the creating prompts

worksheet. Students will finish this sheet for homework and then post

their best prompt from the sheet on edmodo as a separate thread as a

way to start the first discussion.

*Lesson materials are provided in the appendix


References

Bowers-Campbell, J. (2011). Take It out of Class: Exploring Virtual Literature Circles. Journal

Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(8), 557-567.

Karchmer-Klein, R., & Shinas, V. (2012). Guiding Principles for Supporting New Literacies in

Your Classroom. Reading Teacher, 65(5), 288-293.

Moreillon, J. (2009). Learning and Teaching in WANDA Wiki Wonderland: Literature Circles in

the Digital Commons. Teacher Librarian, 37(2), 23-28.

Stewart, P. (2009). Facebook and Virtual Literature Circle Partnership in Building a Community

of Readers. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 28-33.

Read Write Think. (2009). Creating Prompts. Retrieved from

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1165/prompts.pdf

Thein, A., Guise, M., & Sloan, D. (2011). Problematizing Literature Circles as Forums for

Discussion of Multicultural and Political Texts. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy,

55(1), 15-24.

Vacca, R.T., Vacca, J.L., & Mraz, M. (2011). Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning

Across the Curriculum (10th

ed.). Boston, Ma.: Pearson.

Whittingham, J. (2013). Literature Circles: A Perfect Match for Online Instruction. Techtrends:

Linking Research And Practice To Improve Learning, 57(4), 53-58.


Appendix

This appendix includes the following documents, which work in conjunction with the

lessons provided:

Choose Your Memoir Information Sheet

Practice Literature Circle Evaluation Sheet

Types of Questions Notes

Creating Prompts Worksheet


Choose Your Memoir Information Sheet

Below are descriptions of several memoirs. Read them over and rank your choices with 1 being the most

interested and 4 being the least interested. Be sure to post your choices on the discussion forum.

“Chosen by Essence to be among the forty most influential

African Americans, the three doctors grew up in the streets of

Newark, facing city life’s temptations, pitfalls, even jail. But

one day these three young men made a pact. They promised

each other they would all become doctors, and stick it out

together through the long, difficult journey to attaining that

dream. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt

are not only friends to this day—they are all doctors. This is a

story about the power of friendship. Of joining forces and

beating the odds. A story about changing your life, and the

lives of those you love most...together.”

– Good Reads

________

“You’ve never read a book like The Reason I Jump. Written

by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very

charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-

kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks,

feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine.

Parents and family members who never thought they could

get inside the head of their autistic loved one at last have a

way to break through to the curious, subtle, and complex life

within.” – Amazon.com

________

“Esmeralda Santiago's story begins in rural Puerto Rico,

where her childhood was full of both tenderness and domestic

strife…Growing up, she learned the proper way to eat a

guava, the sound of tree frogs in the mango groves at night,

the taste of the delectable sausage called morcilla, and the

formula for ushering a dead baby's soul to heaven. However,

when her mother, Mami, a force of nature, takes off to New

York with her seven, soon to be eleven children, Esmeralda,

the oldest, must learn new rules, a new language, and

eventually take on a new identity.” – Amazon.com

________

“The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and

redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply

dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's

brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's

imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to

embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest

and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the

idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of

raising a family. As a result the Walls children learn how to

take care of one another. The Glass Castle is truly

astonishing--a memoir permeated by the intense love of a

peculiar but loyal family.” – Good Reads

________


Name: _______________________ Date: _______

Practice Literature Circle Evaluation Sheet

Read through the discussion board transcript on our Edmodo site entitled Practice Literature

Circle Discussion. Using your experiences with previous discussions and what we have

discussed in class about what makes an effective and ineffective literature circle discussion work

with your partner to answer the questions below. Be sure to provide evidence from the discussion

transcript to back up your answers!

What are 3 positive behaviors you noticed when reading the transcript?

Behavior 1: ___________________________________________________________

Person Responsible for the Behavior: _____________________________________

Evidence from the Transcript: ___________________________________________

Behavior 2: ___________________________________________________________



Behavior 3: ___________________________________________________________



What are 3 negative behaviors you noticed when reading the transcript?

Behavior 1: ___________________________________________________________




Behavior 2: ___________________________________________________________



Behavior 3: ___________________________________________________________



Choose one member of this literature circle and set a goal for that person that

will help them and their group have a more successful online discussion

during their next meeting.

Person: __________________________________________________________

Issue/Evidence of Issue: ____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Goal: ____________________________________________________________

How will this goal improve online literature circle discussions? _____________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________


Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________

Types of Questions Notes

Type of

Question Definition Class Example(s) My Example(s)

Asking Basic Facts

Making Predictions

Explaining Why or How

Making Connections or Comparisons

Giving Opinions

Content Area Project 1 Content Area Project Jennifer ...€¦ · Content Area Project 4 Online...

Documents

Transcript of Content Area Project 1 Content Area Project Jennifer ...€¦ · Content Area Project 4 Online...