An overview of using literature circles with no roles, no limits on reading with primary and intermediate students, engaged in reading texts about Indigenous People. This includes suggestions for using common text to build background knowledge.
2. There is great success in engaging
students with text and conversation
using literature circles
Literature Circles
STUDENTS
Within these groupings,
choose
their
own
books
are never
assigned
roles
read at
their own
pace
engage in
conversations
keep journals
about readings
and conversations
are taught
comprehension
strategies
3. Day 1: Introduction of book conversations
• Model and practice with poems
or short texts
• Ask the students:
“What comes to mind when you
read this?
SAY SOMETHING.”
8. Small Group Discussion: Fishbowl
• Model ‘say something’ with the whole class
• Select a diverse group of student volunteers to volunteer to
‘say something’ to another piece of text
• Remaining students observe and record ‘what works’ in the
discussion
• Collect the observaAons
• Group for criteria for a group discussion
• Givens:
– All voices are included
– The conversaAon change, deepens, extends my thinking
• Students reflect: what you should have noAced about my
parAcipaAon today
9. Criteria for an effective group discussion:
•all voices must be included
•everyone must feel included
•everyone’s ideas are respected
•the discussion moves us to new understandings
10.
11.
12.
13.
14. Building Background Knowledge:
see-think-wonder
• Present an image to the class
• See-think-wonder
• In groups, students examine different images and
apply the same strategy: see-think-wonder
• Students can provide a capAon for their image.
• Share images and capAons.
• Students write ‘the story behind the pictures’
15. Building Background Knowledge:
turn and talk
• Present an image or a quote or a few frames from
a graphic novel to the class
• Turn and talk
• In partners, students examine different images or
frames and apply the same strategy: turn and
talk
• Link the images or the frames
• Students write ‘the story behind the pictures’
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. Teaching Response Writing
• Model the wriAng from a picture book or a previously read class
novel.
• Choose your quote or event.
• Write this and your thinking, talking aloud about the decisions you
are making as a writer and thinker.
• Have the students analyze your wriAng. “What worked well?”
• Create a ‘messy’ list of the criteria (what worked well).
• Students write their response, using the criteria.
• Circulate as the students are wriAng, giving feedback
– What’s working?
– What’s not?
– What’s next?
– Conference with ALL students and use this Ame to acknowledge what
is working and to extend thinking.
21.
22.
23. Aboriginal Leader Project, as
culmination to a literature circle
unit on residential schools
Catherine Feniak and Shelley
Steer, gr. 6/7, Lord Kitchener,
Vancouver
27. Building Background Knowledge:
visual images and writing in role
• Read a poem to the students
• Invite them to sketch as you read
• Aeer reading aloud twice, give each student a
copy of the poem to reread personally
• Gallery walk the images
• Students write in role in response to the poem
or its connecAon to the theme or big idea of
your unit
43. Books - Primary
• The Seven Teachings Stories Series
• Strong Readers – MéAs Series
• Strong Readers – Northern Series
44. Books - Intermediate
• He Who Dreams – Melanie Florence
• Abnormal (Billy Buckhorn trilogy) – Gary Robinson
• Diamond Willow – Helen Frost (not AB author)
• Red Wolf – Jennifer Dance (not AB author)
• The Girl with a Baby – Sylvia Olsen
• Dogsong – Gary Paulson
• Sweetgrass – Jan Hudson
• Honour the Sun – Ruby Supperjack
• Wenjack – Joseph Boyden
• The Secret Path – Gord Downie (and video)
• Tales from Big Spirit – 8 graphic novels