Discussion Ideas for Literature Circle Meetings

While originally created to accompany The Cay, this poetry instructional activity could be used on it's own, especially if you are working on dialect. Class members conduct a close reading of "When Malindy Sings" by Paul Laurence Dunbar...

Make a study of the First Amendment and its relationship to freedom. Pupils rewrite the amendment and discuss the central idea before focusing on a specific phrase. After discussing, class members write a journal entry about the included...

Get learners excited about reading with literature circles! Small groups discuss the day's reading in various roles, including Discussion Director, Summarizer, Word Wizard, Literary Luminary, Travel Tracer, Connector, and Fact Finder,...

How far do your pupils think we should go in the name of science? Class members respond to questions relating to chapter three of Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science and then participate in a four corners...

Looking to set up literature circles in your class? Use these materials to support pupils when they meet in groups. Pupils take on various roles over the course of reading and meet with their groups to share the work they have done on...

Keep Ponyboy, Darry, Dally, and all the other characters straight in S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders by taking down notes on the graphic organizer provided here. Also included are discussion questions for before and after reading that you...

Split the class into two groups for a fishbowl discussion using of Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee. The first group initiates the conversation by reviewing the important points of Chapter thirteen while group two members are listening,...

After reading Elvira Woodruff's George Washington's Socks, young readers and writers embark upon writing their own historically based story, with a focus on developing ideas and details throughout the piece. In small groups, class...

Introduce classes to Philosophical Chairs, a technique that encourages a respectful discussion of topics on which reasonable people disagree, with a video that details the Philosophical chairs technique. Participants develop their...

Use narrative writing techniques to understand idea development and voice. The class reads Marshfield Dreams by Ralph Fletcher, and then practices authentic writing for standardized tests by writing a personal narrative.