Literature Circles Part 2

Background: Before starting these Literature Circles, I consulted with MYP teachers to inquire about language used in the Language B classroom. I was given a list of terminology to expose students to such as:

Plot, Exposition, Rising/Falling Action, Climax, Resolution, Metaphor etc.

The students in my EAL class have only been in a PYP school for 1-2 years. Most of them are Korean and come from a Korean system. The concepts and terminology for studying fiction texts is brand new to all of them. Most of the terms do not translate into their mother tongue (or they have never heard the terms before) so we were really starting from scratch! Reflections from the MYP teachers has helped me understand what they need to be exposed to to be better equipped to participate in MYP Language B.

This post follows on from my last post Plotting Ahead: Preparing for Grade 6, 

Showcasing Learning after Reading

Students were given a choice of ways to showcase their learning from the book. I prepared 5 activity cards for them to choose from (as shown here). Students could work in pairs or independently to prepare the task and presentation to go along with the task. As the classes are only about 35 minutes these cards were meant to carry over to fill 2-3 class times. The process was clear. They were to draft, self-edit and prepare a presentation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We discussed how independence is expected in MYP, and they were encouraged to monitor their time and be sure to complete the task within 3 class times (using homework as an alternative time to finish the task as well).

 

How did I structure the Literature Circles?

As mentioned in my previous post , students reading levels were determined by their DRA reading comprehension score. Students were placed in 4 groups and used the shared reading as an opportunity to discuss the book as they read. They also had comprehension booklets to assist in their thinking and reflecting of the story.

 

1) Create groups based on DRA or other reading assessment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Assign books for each level (after they are used to the routine, students can choose their own books, which will then determine the group)

 

 

 

 

 3) Create a booklet to scaffold understanding during reading. Students can use this booklet to keep track of Book Title, Author, Illustrator; Predictions about the book; Stop & Think (Self-Questioning) throughout the book; Writing task (connections, summary etc) after reading the book;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 4) Use Activity Cards to Showcase their Understanding in a presentation format to the rest of the EAL class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Showcasing their Understanding a Variety of Ways:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two students share a QUIZ with the class about their PM+ book Ms. Thackery and the Bee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These 2 students chose to create a new cover for the book and explained their thinking behind the change.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample Interview with one of the main characters

 

 

Kwon Hyeok shares his Quiz

 

 

 

Displaying Student Work

 

Introducing Google Presentation:

Students who wanted to create a collaborative Quiz used google presentation to create a quiz about their book. See here:

Click here to see 3 students who collaborated on their quiz of the “Forty Coats Man”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final Reflections from the Teacher

With just 4 school days left, these Literature Circles were, in a way, a culmination of all the work we’d been doing during out EAL pull-out time:

practicing oral presentation skills, working, collaboratively/independently, self-correcting mistakes, applying new IT skills etc.

Students were excited to share their final products with the class. Many of the students involved the audience as well in their presentation.