Author: gbollman

Literature Circle Jobs!

Job # 1 – Line Illuminator – Your job is to select five passages from the reading selection that you think are worthy of being read out loud and discussed with your group members. The Line Illuminator writes down the passages word for word in quotes, citing the page # from where the lines come from in parentheses at the end. You are free to pick whatever quotes you like, but they must have some sort of significance or importance. Pick lines you find insightful, or lines that confuse you and throw you for a loop. Under each passage, in one to two paragraphs per quote, you must explain the significance of the line and why you picked it.

Job # 2 – Connection Captain – You are in charge of

connecting what is happening in the work of literature to what you are studying or the world around you. You can also connect the events to personal experiences you have had, things you have seen or heard about in real life, or events that occurred in other books you’ve read or movies you’ve seen. The connector will often use phrases like: “This reminds me of…” or “This event was similar to…” The connector must write at least 300 words.

Job # 3 – Word Warlock – You are to serve as a lexicographer, generating a list of at least five words from the text that you believe are worth knowing. The words you pick should be words that were unknown to you before, or familiar words used in unfamiliar or unusual ways. For each word, generate the following: 1) the part of speech based on how it is used in the text, 2) an easy-to-understand denotative (dictionary) definition, 3) your own personal connotative (personal association or feeling) definition, 4) the word’s “charge” (+,- ,=), 5) three other words that are similar to that word’s denotative definition, and 6) a small, simple graphic or illustration to help you remember the word.

Finally, write down the line from the book that contained the word, citing the page # at the end in parentheses.

Job # 4 – Question Commander – Your role is to make a list of five “thinking” questions that can prompt a discussion amongst your literature circle group members, and eventually the entire class. The questions you choose should be designed to get your group members thoughtfully engaged in the issues and topics in your reading. Often, good questions will attempt to reveal the nature of the characters and why they make the decisions they do. Was it unclear why a character did something? Was part of the plot unclear or confusing? Do you think the author has a hidden agenda or motive? These make for great questions. After asking your question, provide, in one to two paragraphs for each question, a possible answer with supporting details. It doesn’t have to be “right,” but it should serve to foster discussion.

Job # 5 – Illustrious Artist – You are in charge of graphically displaying the events in a series of chapters. You may choose to depict an important object, character, or scene that stood out from the reading. The illustration may be hand generated, consist of magazine cut-outs or Internet image downloads, or be created using computer graphics programs (like AdobePhotoshop). Regardless of what you choose, it must accurately display what happened in the reading. You also need to describe, in two to three paragraphs, the image(s) you selected, and why.

Job # 6 – Summary Sultan – Your role is to prepare a summary of the day’s reading. Think about what details, characters, or events are so important that they might be included on an exam. You should consider the following questions for your summary: What are the most important events in the section you read? What makes them so important? What effect do these events have on the plot or character? What changes – in plot, character, or tone

– did you notice when you read? Your summary should be in either list format (with numbers or bullets) OR in a linear style resembling a timeline. Your summary should be concise and informative, but it should also be sufficiently detailed, weighing in around 200 words.

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