Mrs. Cowan's Literature Circles

Welcome to my Literature Circle Page!  If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, feel free to email me.  Thanks again for dropping by and I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Mrs. Cowan

Quick Reference Worksheets:

     Roles:

• Team Leader Worksheet 

• Word Finder Worksheet

• Connector Worksheet

• Illustrator Worksheet

• Summarizer Worksheet

     Story Maps:

• Story Map Worksheet 1

• Story Map Worksheet 2

• Story Map Worksheet 3

• Story Map Worksheet 4

• Story Map Worksheet 5

• Story Map Worksheet 6

• Story Map Worksheet 7

     Character Maps:

• Character Map 1

• Character Map 2

     Literature Circles are an exciting and engaging way to teach reading by involving the students in determining how and what they will learn.  Students are broken up into groups of 4 to 5 students based on similar reading levels.  The students then select a story to read and discuss together as a group.  Students are allowed to read the stories independently and then return to the group to discuss what has been read.  Students may also chose to buddy read or read as a group together.  That is the beauty of Literature Circle.  It is student directed! 

Students also determine the pace at which they read.  The groups meet on a regular schedule to discuss their reading.  The students are also assigned jobs that emphasize high-level questioning, vocabulary development, and writing.  The group meetings are meant to be open discussions about the books so personal connections, digressions, and open-ended questions are welcome. 

What are the jobs in a Literature Circle?

• Team Leader - The Team Leader is responsible for writing the questions that are to be used for discussion.  The Team Leader is also responsible for keeping the group on target when it comes to reading the story and discussing it at a higher level.                           

Team Leader Worksheet  

• Word Finder - The Word Finder is responsible for keeping track of newly encountered words in the text.  They are also responsible for defining the new term for the other members.

Word Finder Worksheet

• Connector - The Connector is responsible for writing connections made to the story.  These connections include text to text, text to self, and text to world.

Connector Worksheet

• Illustrator - The Illustrator is responsible for illustrating a moment in the story.  Their job is to provide others with a snapshot of what is happening.

Illustrator Worksheet

• Story Mapper - The Story Mapper is responsible for creating a story map such as a Venn Diagram, Thinking Map, Flow Chart, etc. relating to the story.  The Story Mapper must be able to explain his/her own map to the others.

Story Map Worksheet 1

Story Map Worksheet 2

Story Map Worksheet 3

Story Map Worksheet 4

Story Map Worksheet 5

Story Map Worksheet 6

Story Map Worksheet 7

Character Map 1

Character Map 2

• Summarizer - The Summarizer is responsible for writing a brief summary of the story to be shared with the group at each meeting.  The summary should be brief and include only key events and characters.  The summary does not need to go into great detail.

Summarizer Worksheet

How are jobs determined in a  Literature Circle?

     Jobs are assigned weekly by the students.  The students are permitted to change jobs at the end of the week to allow the students the opportunity to try all jobs.  Not all jobs will be assigned each week since some groups consist of only four to five members.

How often are the job pages collected in a  Literature Circle?

     Job pages are collected once a week.  This is to maintain the student's interest in reading the stories while still requiring them to turn in something concrete which can be used as an assessment.