Reading With Roles
Literature Circles
As a class we will read four novels throughout the year. In class the students will be broken up into two groups which will become their reading families. Within their family each student will be given a different role daily. Each role has a responsibility/assignment to complete for in-class meetings. Below is a list of the roles:
1. Discussion Director
2. Literary Luminary
3. Summarizer
4. Language Lover
5. Travel Tracer
The novels we will discover include; Summer of the Monkeys, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Color of my Words, and a novel to come. Each novel will be completed over the course of three weeks. During those three weeks students will have assignments to complete. When the novel is finished the student will need to complete a poster and project to finalize their learning.
Dates of novels:
Summer of the Monkeys:
Start: 10/05 End: 10/23
Island of the Blue Dolphins:
Start: 11/30 End: 12/18
The Color of my Words:
Start: 2/22 End: 3/12
Undecided Novel:
Start: 4/19 End: 5/7
All posters/projects will be due the following Monday after we have ended the novel. Except Island of the Blue Dolphins, that poster/book report will be due when students return from winter break.
1. Discussion Director
2. Literary Luminary
3. Summarizer
4. Language Lover
5. Travel Tracer
The novels we will discover include; Summer of the Monkeys, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Color of my Words, and a novel to come. Each novel will be completed over the course of three weeks. During those three weeks students will have assignments to complete. When the novel is finished the student will need to complete a poster and project to finalize their learning.
Dates of novels:
Summer of the Monkeys:
Start: 10/05 End: 10/23
Island of the Blue Dolphins:
Start: 11/30 End: 12/18
The Color of my Words:
Start: 2/22 End: 3/12
Undecided Novel:
Start: 4/19 End: 5/7
All posters/projects will be due the following Monday after we have ended the novel. Except Island of the Blue Dolphins, that poster/book report will be due when students return from winter break.
Reading Roles
Discussion Director: Leads groups discussion. This involves developing a list of questions that the group might discuss about the section of the novel to be discussed for that meeting. Questions should be open-ended. Use How to Lead a Literature Circle worksheet as an outline. Overall try to involve everyone (each role) in the discussion, and remember to keep the group on task.
Literary Luminary: Reads aloud notable parts. Passages of text that are thought-provoking, funny, interesting, disturbing, or powerful. The quotations are copied down with properly cited page numbers. Student may read the passages out loud themselves or ask other group members to read. Comments and discussion are encouraged and welcomed after reading passage.
Summarizer: This role involves preparing a brief summary of the reading that was assigned for that day's meeting. The summary should include the main ideas or events to remember, major characters, symbols or other significant highlights of the passage.
Language Lover: This role is to record important words for that day's reading. Words that are unusual, unknown, or that stand out in some way are usually chosen by the student. Their page number and definition is also recorded.
Travel Tracer: This role involves recording where the major shifts in action or location take place in the novel for the reading section. Keeping track of shifts in place, time, and characters. Student's role is to describe each setting in detail, using words or maps that illustrate the action.
Discussion Director: Leads groups discussion. This involves developing a list of questions that the group might discuss about the section of the novel to be discussed for that meeting. Questions should be open-ended. Use How to Lead a Literature Circle worksheet as an outline. Overall try to involve everyone (each role) in the discussion, and remember to keep the group on task.
Literary Luminary: Reads aloud notable parts. Passages of text that are thought-provoking, funny, interesting, disturbing, or powerful. The quotations are copied down with properly cited page numbers. Student may read the passages out loud themselves or ask other group members to read. Comments and discussion are encouraged and welcomed after reading passage.
Summarizer: This role involves preparing a brief summary of the reading that was assigned for that day's meeting. The summary should include the main ideas or events to remember, major characters, symbols or other significant highlights of the passage.
Language Lover: This role is to record important words for that day's reading. Words that are unusual, unknown, or that stand out in some way are usually chosen by the student. Their page number and definition is also recorded.
Travel Tracer: This role involves recording where the major shifts in action or location take place in the novel for the reading section. Keeping track of shifts in place, time, and characters. Student's role is to describe each setting in detail, using words or maps that illustrate the action.
