The document discusses the benefits of using literature and inquiry circles in the classroom. It outlines several reasons for using this approach, including engaging students, fostering collaboration and comprehension, and allowing for differentiated instruction. It then describes the inquiry process, which involves immersing students in topics, investigating questions, discussing ideas in small groups, intensifying research, and publicly sharing learning. Sample activities, roles, and a meeting calendar are provided to illustrate what inquiry circles may look like in practice.

1. Literature & Inquiry Circles for deeper comprehension December 2009 Jen McCarty & Jessica Crooker

2. Why are you interested in Literature and/or Inquiry Circles? Engage students in reading content texts Offer choice to increase “buy in” Differentiate for a diverse population of students Push students to be seekers of knowledge Foster thinking skills Allow students to explore areas of interest Promote ownership of learning

3. Comprehension Test Read the passage provided. You may read it as many times as needed until you feel you understand it well. A short comprehension quiz will follow.

4. Comprehension Quiz How many reasons are there for studying this system? What is the nature of the in vitro capsid assembly reaction ? Current research focuses on what details of sequence-specific recognition? How many “hot spots” dominate the affinity? In what form are there examples of RNA where affinity and specificity are defined by structural elements?

5. What strategies did you use to reconstruct your understanding? Reread, reread again... Slow down. Question: What does this mean?? Connect to prior knowledge: genetics, DNA… Visualize: diagram of DNA? Proteins attached to surfaces Sift through details; figure out main ideas Infer: author must be a scientist or researcher Quit out of frustration!!! Did these techniques lead to clear understanding of the text?

6. Lesson #1 About Comprehension With all the tools of proficient readers, why was the passage still difficult to understand? “… the prime determinant of understanding is prior knowledge . Period, point blank, case closed.” “ Most ‘reading difficulties’ are really prior knowledge problems” (Harvey & Daniels 2009)

7. Why Literature & Inquiry Circles? Engagement: choice and collaboration Comprehension and collaboration are closely connected Research says instruction on specific reading strategies have positive effects on comprehension Comprehension can be taught simultaneously with small-group inquiry

8. Benefits of Small Group Work Lifelike; generate energy for challenging work In small groups, we are smarter Diversity is an asset Engaged, interactive learning Differentiated instruction Employers increasingly require collaboration Well-structured=enhances student achievement Harvey & Daniels 2009

9. Inquiry-oriented models Project-based learning Expeditionary learning Problem-based learning Group investigations Inquiry groups Study groups Topic studies Guided inquiry Inquiry circles Literature circles Question circles Writing circles Peer writing groups Negotiated curriculum Multi-genre projects Simulations

10. What does inquiry look like? Managed choice for students Book choice Article Section of the chapter Mini-lessons strategies for comprehension small group communication Groups of desks/tables/chairs for group discussion

11. Steps in Inquiry Process appear linear, but are actually recursive Immerse

12. Immerse invite curiosity, build background, find topics Teacher Students Invites curiosity, questioning Express their own curiosity Shares own curiosity Explore, experience, and learn Models personal inquiry Wonder and ask questions Demonstrates questioning & finding a topic Read, listen, and view to build background Immerse students in topics to build background knowledge Connect new information to background knowledge Confers with groups & individuals Meet with teams to set schedules, ground rules, and goals

13. Investigate develop questions, search for information/answers Teacher Students Flood students with resources and materials Articulate thoughts and questions about own interests and experiences Model how to read with a question in mind Listen, talk, read, view to gain information Demonstrate how to determine importance, take notes (post-it, code) Develop questions; then read, listen and view to answer them Helps students sharpen inquiry focus Use text and visual features to gain information Confers with groups & individual Meet with teams to set and monitor schedules and task completion

14. Small-group discussion Discussion Directions: 1. Golden Lines (5 minutes) Each person chooses one line to share (interesting, agree/disagree, made you think…) Read the line to group and say WHY you chose it (no discussion yet, share only) Give each group member a turn to share their golden lines. 2. Post-its/Interactive Discussion (5 minutes) Someone shares a post-it thought. Group members discuss their thoughts/comments until that point is exhausted or everyone has shared. Each person must share AT LEAST one post-it thought. Discussion must sustain for a minimum of 5 minutes.

15. Small-group discussion 3. Further Inquiry—Closing the Discussion (3-5 minutes) As a group, come up with at least TWO questions relating to the reading that could potentially be further investigated. You may need to revisit the reading or reflect on the discussion. What are you still wondering about? Did anyone pose a question during discussion that went unanswered? Did you have a question during the reading that was never answered?

16. Coalesce intensify research, synthesize information Teacher Student Show how to infer answers and draw conclusions Engage in deeper reading and research Engage students in guided discussion and debates Keep asking: So what? What about this really matters? Share how to evaluate sources Conduct “people” research: interviews, surveys, focus groups Teach interviewing strategies Synthesize information to build knowledge Confer with groups and individuals Meet with teams to monitor schedules, complete specific tasks and plan for sharing

17. Go Public share learning, demonstrate understanding, take action Teacher Student Co-construct expectations for final project Co-construct expectations for final project Share widest range of possibilities for sharing/performing Demonstrate learning with performances, posters, models, essays, poetry, etc… Helps students find real audiences Become teachers as they share knowledge Responds, assesses, and evaluates projects Reflect on their knowledge building, cooperative processes & changes in their own beliefs or behaviors Helps students share learning by taking actions Take action through writing, speaking, community work, advocacy

18. Next steps… Coalesce What do we collectively know about our new topic? What do we want to know now? Who will research these questions? How many diverse resources can we include? Information, opinions, written texts, videos, music, cartoons, pictures/photographs, maps, charts, graphs Go Public How can we best share this information with others?

19. Review of the process Immerse Teacher introduces topic Students read a short common text to build background Investigate Mini-lesson: Listening to Your Inner Voice Post-it Noting and Summary Discussion Coalesce Determine interests for further investigation Regroup by interest area Go Public Share learning with other classmates

20. Getting the most out of discussion Give each member of the group a job with certain responsibilities. Group facilitator, time manager, organizer of materials, group-teacher liaison If the group is to work effectively, each person must do his/her job. Participation and self-control are important ingredients in successful inquiry projects.

21. During-reading activities Story Map Concept Map 3-2-1 Double Entry Journal Circle, Triangle, Square What? So What? Now What? KWL Coding the Text Provide thought-provoking during- reading activities. Then, let students use it during discussion.

22. What should students do during inquiry time? Read to themselves Read to each other Conduct research online Respond in writing and/or drawing Respond by talking Develop interview questions and conduct pract interviews Contact specialists and experts Maintain research notebook Plan to actively use knowledge and take action

23. Sample Calendar Inquiry Model: Literature Circle-Week 1 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday -form groups -set a reading schedule -KWL -mini-lesson: during reading activity -inquiry time -inquiry time -discussion director meeting -discussion #1 -teacher observes -student reflection -mini-lesson: new during reading activity -inquiry time

24. Assessment & Evaluation “ We grade the learning, not the knowing.” Assessment fills us in on what students are doing & how effective our instruction has been Teachers reflect, revise, and reshape instruction Evaluation gives a value to what students have learned Body of evidence: work samples, student talk, performances, artifacts, conference notes Individual accountability=key to small-group assessment