Literature+Circles



=Literature circles=

Literature circles are structured book discussion groups. Each literature circle has 3 to 6 members and each group is given a role. The set time for working in the literature circles is of about 40/50 minutes.

**Roles**

 * Discussion Director
 * Summarizer
 * Character Analyser
 * Connector
 * Word Wizard
 * Illustrator
 * Predictor
 * Culture Collector

**Rules for discussion**
Quiet voices Role rotations Coming prepared each day Being respectful & responsible Active participation

Downloadable Worksheet

**Discussion director**
1. Your role is to think of questions for the group members to discuss. It is important to ask questions that promote thinking. Avoid asking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions. You need a minimum of three questions. You are also responsible for making sure each person gets a chance to talk in the group.

2. Ask your group questions like: • Why do you think ...? • Why do you think the author ...? • Do you agree with ...? • What do you think will happen ...? • Did anything in this section of the book surprise you? • Which character in this story did you like best? Why? • What do you think will happen next? (To be used for a longer story)

**Summariser**
Your role is summarising the story. The other members of your group will be counting on you to give a summary that will remind them of the key points, the main ideas and the action that occurs in the story. Supporting details and/or evidence from the reading selection, along with your interpretations, are important to include in your summary.

**Character analyser**
Your role is to write about the characters. Name at least three of their characteristics and provide supporting evidence. You can compare the characters to people you know.

Connector
Your role is to make the connections to what happens in the story to real life (people, places or events). Determine if the events could happen and make connections to you or somebody you know. You can also compare events in the story to other stories you’ve read that are similar. Think about: • What has happened in your life that is similar to some of the things that are happening to the people in the story? • Do any of the characters remind you of people that you know? How? Why? Do any of the characters help you to understand the thinking of real people that you know? • Have you ever had thoughts or feelings similar to those of any of the characters in the story? • Does anything in the story remind you of something in the news or something that you have read?

**Word wizard**
Your role is to enrich vocabulary by finding new words in the story and write about what they mean based on the context of the story. You should have at least six words. The words should be new, unfamiliar words used in an interesting way in the reading passage. Descriptive words are always a good choice. You will also teach these words to your group. Include the page the word occurs on and the reason you picked the word.

Culture collector
Your role is to look at the story and note both differences and similarities between the culture represented in the story and your own culture. For example, as a culture collector, you might think about the theme of the story and talk about whether or not this theme is important in your own culture.

Your role is to make an illustration of a specific time in the reading selection. Your illustration can be a scene, poster or comic strip.
 * Illustrator ( ** Optional)

Your role is to predict what will happen next. You can predict what a character will do,
what event will happen or what will take place next. When you are making predictions, you will need to predict based on something from the text and your own feelings about why you think it will happen next.

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Roles adapted from www.worksheetplace.com and M. Furr, 2003