Introduction to Literature Circle "Jobs."

Today in Language Arts the class was introduced to some of the jobs sometimes used in Literature Circles.


As a class we began reading, "Chura and Marwe," an African folktale. Using the job of Discussion Director as a prism while we read, the students were asked to underline any words they found unfamiliar or significant. They were also asked to make a note of any questions or comments they had while reading. Throughout our group-reading of the folktale we stopped periodically to discuss questions that students had discovered. The questions ranged from the fact based, to the value based. There were questions about the content of story as well as the style of the language. 


We also looked at the Lit Circle job of Illustrator. The students were asked to draw a sketch of something about the story that had caught their attention. The students then shared their drawings with a partner, and discussed how the illustrations gave them insights into the story. Some students mentioned that sketching was an excellent way for them to gain intellectual entry into a piece of literature.


Homework: Due Tuesday, October 4th. Please finish reading "Chura and Marwe." Bring in two questions you have from your reading in order to add to the class discussion. This counts as your home reading.