Literature Circles: Week 2

So folks we just wrapped up the second week of Literature Circles with one more to go before we spend the time drilling and prepping for the state exam looming in the future.


I never posted on the "schedule" that I try to follow so let me take a moment to do that.  The kids return from lunch at 11:05am (yes, that early!)...and we have about 10-15 minutes to have them in their "homebase" ELA class until 11:20am.  At that point we switch into the Lit. Group rooms until 12:10pm.  From 12:10-12:36pm we have our original group for "homebase" ELA.  Within that 50 minute block, it usually runs like this:


11:20-11:25---> organizational stuff, get folders, books, settle down
11:25-11:30---> whole group opening activity 
THIS WEEK'S OPENING ACTIVITIES
*Translate the letter (below)
*Mini-Lesson: How to ask "thick" instead of "thin" or "right there" questions
*An important quote written on the board
*I Have...Who Has (below)
11:30-11:40ish----> time to complete your role independently
11:40ish-11:50----> discussion time
11:50-12:10-----> whole group extension activity
THIS WEEK'S WHOLE GROUP EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
*"Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" boys v. girls game
*Who is the bravest character? with 4 names/corresponding corners: where students went to one of the four corners of the room to "vote" on their choice before sharing
*Comprehension Quiz
*"Punch and Judy" puppet show---a school appropriate one---viewing on YouTube (this was something mentioned in the text that the students had no idea what it was).  How did people teach before YouTube!??
*Note: if we finish the extension activity early, then students have a chance to begin reading their assigned chapters for the following day!




Anyway, we had some definite improvements this week.  I allowed one group out of my three to go and sit in the "Comfy Corner" on beanbags, inflatable chair, etc.  They loved it and it freed up some space in the rest of the room.  I also introduced these since I had a few kiddos who didn't seem to understand that they had to let others speak, and others that wanted to just sit back and not say boo:

Now, I know these can be cuter.  In the future, they will be and I will add them to my list.  But after realizing this weekend when I wanted to get them ready but everything was at school I had to make these Monday morning.  So basically they are baby food jars labeled on top with the Lit Group's "team names" they made on Day 1.  The side reads, "Participation Jar."  Inside are four chips of each color.  During discussion time, each kid has one color of chips.  Every time they share something valuable they pass in a chip to the jar.  During the discussion everyone has to have all of their chips gone by the end.  This is how I made sure everyone participated.  It was funny---one of my kiddos took it really serious and guarded the jar, only letting people who "said something actually for the conversation" put a chip inside. :)

Other changes included:

"Word Wizard" students got to use these fun pens as they looked up and defined the words!

Students who finish their role early can complete a word search

I just wanted to share a few more things from this week:

On the back of the self evaluations I occasionally give
a quick comprehension quiz on the chapters read for that day.

Edited a template found online here for an "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"
style game.  Of course, I teach 6th so, "We are hafta be smarter, Ms. D!" they told me.

This was the letter I copied out of the book where kids worked
to change the wording from "old fashioned" writing to modern-day wording

A quick round of "I Have...Who Has..." that we started
Lit. Groups with one day!  If you haven't used/heard of this
before I would highly recommend it!

ANYWHOO...

Hope this gave you some new ideas for Literature Circles!