The document provides guidance for students taking on different roles to collaboratively discuss and understand a text. It outlines the roles of Summariser, Vocabulary Extender, Artful Artist, Clever Connector, Discussion Director, and Character Captain. For each role, it describes the key tasks and provides criteria for success, as well as suggestions to go beyond the basic requirements.

1. The role of the Summariser is to prepare a concise
description of the key points in the set reading.
You can write in paragraphs to read to your group or make dot points to
guide an oral presentation. This should be at least half a page. Ask
yourself:
• Have I included all the key information?
• How can I include all the important information?
• Is the summary from the right part of the book?
• What is the main idea of the book? What is the author’s intention?
• Who are the main characters?
• What is the setting? When? Where? Why?
• What part do I like the most?
• Is my summary correctly sequenced?
• Have I used descriptive words? Can I improve the words I have used?
Success Criteria:
• Write at least a paragraph (5-6 sentences).
• Demonstrate an understanding of the text.
• It is written in your own words.
• Include the important parts of the story in sequence.
• Give your opinions of the book so that people can
reflect and share their thoughts and understandings.
Going Beyond:
• Include quotes to support your summary.
• Include the moral and meaning of the story.
Summariser

2. The role of the vocabulary extender is to check and
share the definitions of unfamiliar terms or phrases you
encounter in the text.
You will locate at least three interesting words or phrases in the text that
that you don’t understand or words that you think might be challenging for
others. You will then need to explain these terms or phrases to the group
so that they will understand them.
Success Criteria:
• 3 words or phrases have been located.
• Find the appropriate meaning of the word in context.
• Follow the steps
1. Write the sentence you have found in the book
(including quotation marks and page reference).
2. Locate and write the meaning of the unknown word/phrase.
3. Write in your own words what the sentence means.
• You have helped your group to have a better understanding of the
vocabulary in the text.
Going Beyond:
• Locate more than three words.
• Use Google ‘define’ to find out how to pronounce the
word.
• If the word is a homophone write the alternate meaning.
• Locate synonyms for the word.
• Create your own sentence using the word.
Vocabulary
Extender

3. 1. Illustration
Prepare an illustration of a key section of the text you have just read. You
might draw a character, a moment or a setting. Remember you need to be
able to justify why this part is a key section of the text. You may like to take
notes to prompt you during your discussion.
2. Map
Construct a map that shows where events took place in the section of text
you just read. Label when and where they happened. Remember, a setting
may be inside a building, city, country or whole continent.
3. Storyboard
Using pictures, create a storyboard that shows the sequence of events in
the section you have just read.
The role of the Artful Artist is to choose one of
the three options below to articulate your
understanding of the text as a visual
representation.
1. Illustration 2. Map 3. Storyboard
• My illustration is
clear and easy to
understand.
• My illustration
reflects what is
important in the
story.
• I can justify my
choice of
illustration.
• Use arrows to
show where events
took place.
• Important places
are included.
• The map is labelled
to make it clear.
• Pictures are
in order.
• Includes clear
illustrations so it is
easily understood.
• More than 2
pictures in the
sequence.
• The main points
are represented.
Artful Artist

4. Find a way to connect what you have read in this text to something that
you have seen or experienced before. Try to connect to:
• something in your own life - text to self
• another book/movie/TV show/advertisement - text to text
• something occurring in the world - text to world
Success Criteria
• You are confident in sharing your ideas.
• You must write at least a paragraph (5-6 sentences).
• Give at least two pieces of evidence (examples from
the book) to support your connection and make links
to the pages in the book where the evidence is.
• You prompt others to think so that they add to your
ideas and share their own connections.
Going Beyond
• Draw an illustration of your experiences and write
down the similarities with the book.
• Find multiple connections.
• Use a procedure/organiser to record and compare
your connections to what has happened in the text.
The role of the Connector is to make connections with
other literature, authors, movies and life experiences.
Clever
Connector

5. The Discussion Director involves others in a
conversation about the text by getting them to think
and talk about the section they have just read.
—You will need to think of five open-ended and thought provoking questions
that will get your group discussing what has happened in the section of the
text that you have just read.
• “What if . . . . . .”
• “What do you predict . . . .”
• “How is this like . . . .”
Success Criteria:
• You have followed the 3 steps:
1. Write five open-ended questions
2. Write your responses to your 5 questions
3. Write the page numbers where the answers/ideas
can be found
• Ask cognition (thinking) questions that require deep answers.
• Everyone in the group is encouraged to share and justify their ideas.
• You are involved in the discussion - not just asking the questions.
Going Beyond:
• Create a variety of questions using a range of
question stems.
• Have notes about where clues for answers can be
found in the text.
• Write more than 5 questions.
• Think of new ways (green hat) to present your work e.g. quiz.
• Put extra detail into your questions.
Discussion
Director

6. You will need to explore how your character has developed over this
section of the text. You should put yourself in the character’s shoes and
explain the section of the story from the character’s point of view. Consider
who is the most influential character, and then:
 How the character is feeling and why
 How the character reacts to different events
 How the character interacts with other characters
 What the character thinks about what others have done.
Success Criteria:
• You have written at least a paragraph (5-6 sentences).
• Explain the section of the story from the character’s point
of view.
• Show how your chosen character is integral to the story.
• Use key words or quotes to support your point of view.
• You have helped your group to have a better
understanding of the character’s thinking.
Going Beyond:
• Share your thoughts on what you thought about the
character’s thinking. Do you agree with what they did?
• Draw a picture of your character.
• If there was to be a movie of your book, who do you think
would play your character? Why?
The Character Captain explains the thinking
of a character and the role they have played
in the section of the story.