Literature Circle Guidelines

            When the class divides into small groups to discuss an assigned portion from our literature selection, having specific roles and responsibilities in the groups helps each person engage more actively in the discussion and think more deeply about the book.  Below is a list of roles that will either be assigned or chosen when we break into small groups.

Roles & Responsibilities

Discussion Director

·         Clarifies the assigned question or topic

·         Facilitates group discussion; helps everyone stay on task

·         Asks questions not only about plot, characters, and setting but also deeper critical thinking ones

·         Makes sure that everyone has a chance to speak

Illustrator

·         Draws a sketch to represent a scene from the assigned portion

·         Ties the sketch into the specific discussion points

·         Uses the drawing to further discussion

Luminary

·         Looks in the book for specific quotes that pertain to the assigned question or topic

·         Finds quotes from the book that are powerful, funny, important, puzzling, or worth hearing

Word Nerd

·         Selects words from the text that are unusual or difficult

·         Asks the rest of the group for definitions or finds definitions from dictionary or phone app

Connector

·         Points out relationships between the text and real world situations

·         Compares characters, setting, or plot to similar situations or events

Summarizer

·         At the end of the discussion, summarizes the main points and provides a big picture perspective

·         If applicable, shares the gist of the discussion with the rest of the class

Writing 2 Class Notes -- Week 10 (November 3)

Greetings!

We had a good class time.  Last year, my students noticed that many Thursdays were overcast, sometimes making our room a bit dreary.  This year, so far, we've had bright sunshine coming through the windows.  I'm loving it!

Our Quick Write assignment this week was to write something about role models.  November 1 was All Saints Day, and I think it's good to take time to think about those people who are valuable examples to us.  

Our Words of the Day were:

res publica -- Latin, res, "thing," and publica, "of the public" -- a public affair, of or belonging to the state or commonwealth

res non verba -- Latin, res, "thing," non, "not," verba, "words" --  deeds, not words

restaurateur -- French restaurater fr. Latin restaurator, "restorer" -- the owner or manager or a restaurant

     [Note: We talked for a bit about how the word that meant "restorer" became the word that means an owner of a restaurant.  I love making those connections between original roots of a word and the current day meaning.  Our language is so very rich!]

I gave the students back their rough drafts of the Extended Definitions or Classification Essays.  I mentioned some common mechanics/grammar errors (contractions, noun/pronoun agreement, commas, etc.), but I took most of the time to talk about building good introductions and conclusions.  The three elements that every introduction should have are a strong thesis statement, an attention grabber/common ground establisher, and a "road map."  In other words, the introduction should tell the readers the subject and opinion (thesis statement), answer the question, "Why should I care?" and tell the readers where the essay is headed (road map.)  The conclusion should mirror the introduction:  restate the thesis, tell the readers "where you've been" (a summary) and leave the reader with something to think about.  For the Final Drafts of these essays, I want students to underline the thesis statement in their introduction.  If they can't find that one sentence that tells their subject and opinion, it may be that they don't have a clear thesis.  Also, using the rubric that I handed out to them, I want them to do a self-evaluation of their essay.  They should look at the categories and think about where their own essays would be graded.

Students were to have finished A Connecticut Yankee for this week.  For those who are still reading, please finish for next week.  We read a few portions aloud and discussed both the humor woven in the book and the sadness with which the book ended that seemed opposed to the general tone of the book.  I have a links below to some articles written about this ending.  One commentary noted that Twain was following a familiar "Voyage" plot, and therefore had to return to his own time and place.  Since he couldn't stay in Camelot, it might make sense to Twain to not leave all of the improvements in the hands of the simple, superstitious people there.  Read the articles and tell me what you think!

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Final Draft of Extended Definitions or Classification Essays

-- Underline thesis statement in Final Draft

-- Complete self-evaluation using rubric

-- Bring Baseball Questions to class

Links for this week:

Class Notes

What not to do in an Introduction Video

Introduction Paragraph

An Explanation of ACY's Ending

A Note about the Final Word

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Prichard

Final for Great Sherlock Holmes Stories

What Makes a Hero?

Is Holmes a hero?  What qualities do you admire in heroes?  In at least 3 paragraphs, discuss whether or not Holmes possesses these qualities, using examples from the text.  Specific instances and quotes should support your comments.  You may want to consider whether some of the flaws Watson acknowledges keep Holmes from becoming truly heroic in their eyes.  Feel free to compare Holmes with other literary characters.