Literature circles are similar to book clubs, but with more structure and rigor. Students are organized into small groups to discuss an assigned text. Each individual in the group has a specific role, which will change over the course of the group meetings, and everyone in the group is responsible for facilitating and participating in the discussion. Using literature circles as a means of discussing literary and creative texts encourages deeper critical thinking, intellectual autonomy, and peer-to-peer learning.
(Literature circles description and roles adapted from Randi Tanglen, “Student-Centered, Collaborative Learning and ‘Literature Circles’ in the American Literature Classroom,” PALS, June 12, 2017.)
Roles
The purpose of assigning roles in the group is to help readers approach texts with clear purpose and to allow for diverse engagement and analysis points within each text. One or more people will be assigned the following roles:
- Summarizer: Prepares a brief and concise summary of the assigned text.
- Questioner: Develops two higher-order discussion questions to promote critical and analytical thinking about the text.
- Connector: Finds connections between the text and other texts, historical events, or current issues.
- Close Reader: Locates 1 significant passage or scene and analyzes how language and structure (figurative language, imagery, organization) helps develop character, conflict, or theme.
- Researcher: Finds background information on the author or historical or cultural contexts surrounding the text that enhance the group’s understanding and interpretation of the literature. (Remember to include citations/links and use credible sources).
- Sustainability Rep: Considers the text in the context of the relevant SDG, making links between issues, goals, and outcomes of that SDG.
Students are required to submit their preparation work in advance of each literature circle meeting. We will be using the online collaboration tool Wakelet for groups. Your preparation work can be posted directly in your Wakelet group. Preparation may be presented in multiple formats, including text, video, links. Your audience is your fellow group members; contribute in a way that they benefit from your ideas and work.
Literature Circle Discussion
Groups will discuss each text over Friday-Sunday. Two meetings will be face-to-face live meetings as arranged by groups. Two meetings will be asynchronous.
Live meetings:
- 2 live video-call meetings, once in Week 2 or Week 3 (short story) and once in Week 4 or Week 5 (film), as arranged by the group.
- Meet for 30 minutes to discuss the text. Prior to the meeting, students should review their group members’ prep work. In the meeting, the groups can decide how to best facilitate the conversation (i.e. designate a facilitator, allow everyone to offer a quick overview of their prep work, focus on select roles for points of engagement, etc).
- Meeting must be recorded and shared with the instructors
Asynchronous meetings:
- 2 asynchronous meetings on the weeks the group is not meeting live.
- Asynchronous meetings will be conducted by comments and engagement on the Wakelet platform. Group members should add text posts that engage with the other posts by group mates. Text posts can respond to or discuss specific posts or make connections between posts and the text.
What is essential is that all group members participate and that everyone feels welcome to share their thoughts. This means listening more than speaking, asking questions of each other, and approaching the meeting and the text as an opportunity to learn from new perspectives, expand insight into the text, and acknowledge complexity and difference.
Assessment
Literature circle prep work will be assessed at the end of the unit according to the below rubric. If students are advised to increase effort or enhance their posts, the will be encouraged to do so after Week 2.
| Full Credit | Reasons for Reduced Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Makes a substantial and meaningful contribution to the group’s topic/discussion Promotes deeper and more meaningful understanding of the text | Limited or minimal contribution Does not clearly connect to the text |
| Details | Contribution posted in a timely manner Presented in a clear and understandable format | Errors that make it difficult to understand sentences or ideas |