Lit Circle Notes: Introduction

Name Date

Group Members
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Deadline
You must finish this book and all related assignments by: Wednesday, June 6th.

Assessment
You will be assessed according to:
`• the quality of your contributions to your lit circle discussion
`• the extent to which you keep up with your responsibilities to your group
`• the quality of your ideas on your Lit Circle Notes
`• the quality of your group’s discussion

Assignments
Your group must:
`• assign itself the reading for each night, pacing yourselves so you get it done by June 6th.
`• hold each member accountable for work, contributions to discussion, and respectful participation
`• rotate the assigned roles so that each night someone has a different responsibility; when you
complete one cycle through the group, begin again as you think appropriate, rotating jobs daily.
Schedule
Here is the schedule for each week:
`•Monday `•Thursday
` •LC (Lit Circles) ` •LC (Lit Circles)
` •Groups meet ` •Read and Roles
`•Tuesday `•Friday
` •LC (Lit Circles) ` •LC (Lit Circles)
` •Read and roles ` •Groups meet

`•Wednesday
` •LC (Lit Circles)
` •Groups meet
Source: I must credit Harvey Daniels with the idea of Lit Circles. Though I have taken small liberties
with the ideas and roles, and created my own Lit Circle Notes pages, the core ideas and
technique are his, not mine. To learn more, read Harvey Daniels’s book Literature Circles: Voice
and Choice in the Student-Centered Classroom (Stenhouse1994)
Lit Circle Notes: Overview of the Roles
Discussion Director: Your role demands Sample Questions
that you identify the important aspects of What were you thinking about as you read?
your assigned text, and develop questions What did the text make you think about?
your group will want to discuss. Focus on What do you think this text/passage was about?
the major themes or “big ideas” in the text How might other people (of different backgrounds) think about this text/passage?
and your reaction to those ideas. What What one question would you ask the writer if you got the chance? Why?
interests you will most likely interest those What are the most important ideas/moments in this text/section?
in your group. You are also responsible for What do you think will happen next---and why?
facilitating your group’s discussion. What was the most important change in this section? How and why did it happen?

Illuminator: You find passages your group Sample Questions

would like to/should hear read aloud. What were you thinking about as you read?
These passages should be memorable, What did the text make you think about?
interesting, puzzling, funny, or important. What do you think this text/passage was about?
Your notes should include the quotations How might other people (of different backgrounds) think about this text/passage?
but also why you chose them, and what What one question would you ask the writer if you got the chance? Why?
you want to say about them. You can either What are the most important ideas/moments in this text/section?
read the passage aloud yourself or ask What do you think will happen next---and why?
members of your group to read roles. What was the most important change in this section? How and why did it happen?

Illustrator: Your role is to draw what you read. Sample Questions

This might mean drawing a scene as a cartoon- Ask members of your group, “What do you think this picture means?”
like sequence, or an important scene so readers Why did you choose this scene to illustrate?
can better understand the action. You can draw How does this drawing relate to the story?
maps or organizational trees to show how one Why did you choose to draw it the way you did?
person, place, or event relates to the others.
What do we see---i.e., who and/or what is in this picture?
Use the notes area to explain how your drawing
What, if anything, did drawing it help you see that you had not noticed before?
relates to the text. Label your drawings so we
know who the characters are. Make your What did this quotation/passage make you think about when you read it?
drawing on the back of this page or on a What are you trying to accomplish through this drawing?
separate sheet of paper.

Connector: Your job is to connect what Sample Questions

you are reading with what you are studying What connections can you make to your own life?
or with the world outside of school. You What other places or people could you compare this story to?
can connect the story to events in you own What other books or stories might you compare to this one?
life, news events, political events, or What other characters or authors might you compare to this one?
popular trends. Another important source What is the most interesting or important connection that comes to mind?
of connections is books you’ve already How does this section relate to those that came before it?
read. The connections should be meaningful
to you and those in your group.

Word Watcher: While reading the Sample Questions

assigned section, you watch out for words Which words are used frequently?
worth knowing. These words might be Which words are used in unusual ways?
interesting, new, important, or used in What words seem to have special meaning to the characters or author?
unusual ways. It is important to indicate the What new words do you find in this section?
specific location of the words so the group What part of speech is this word?
can discuss these words in context. What is the connotative meaning of this word?
What is the denotative meaning of this word?
Summarizer: Prepare a brief summary of Sample Questions
the day’s reading. Use the questions to the What are the most important events in the section you read?
right to help you decide what to include. In What makes them so important?
some cases, you might ask yourself what What effect to these events have on the plot or the other characters?
details, characters, or events are so What changes---in plot, character, or tone---did you notice when you read?
important that they would be included on What questions might appear on an exam about this section you read?
an exam. If it helps you to organize the What might be a good essay topic for this section of the story?
information, consider making a numbered
list or a timeline.
Lit Circle Notes: Word Watcher
Name Date

Word Watcher: While reading the Sample Questions

assigned section, you watch out for words Which words are used frequently?
worth knowing. These words might be Which words are used in unusual ways?
interesting, new, important, or used in What words seem to have special meaning to the characters or author?
unusual ways. It is important to indicate the What new words do you find in this section?
specific location of the words so the group What part of speech is this word?
can discuss these words in context. What is the connotative meaning of this word?
What is the denotative meaning of this word?

In this column, write the word, and the Assignment for Today: page _______ – page_______
page and paragraph numbers. Write the
definition and any explanation about
why you chose the words in the notes
section to the right. >>>)

Topic to be carried over to tomorrow:

Assignment for Tomorrow: page _______ – page_______

Down here you should review, retell, or reflect on what you read so far. (Use the back if necessary).

© Jim Burke 2001. For more information on this and other such Tools for Thought visit www.englishcompanion.com
Lit Circle Notes: Illustrator
Name Date

Illustrator: Your role is to draw what you read. Sample Questions

This might mean drawing a scene as a cartoon- Ask members of your group, “What do you think this picture means?”
like sequence, or an important scene so readers Why did you choose this scene to illustrate?
can better understand the action. You can draw
How does this drawing relate to the story?
maps or organizational trees to show how one
person, place, or event relates to the others. Why did you choose to draw it the way you did?
Use the notes area to explain how your drawing What do we see---i.e., who and/or what is in this picture?
relates to the text. Label your drawings so we What, if anything, did drawing it help you see that you had not noticed before?
know who the characters are. Make your What did this quotation/passage make you think about when you read it?
drawing on the back of this page or on a What are you trying to accomplish through this drawing?
separate sheet of paper.
Your drawing should be on the back or Assignment for Today: page _______ – page_______
on a separate sheet of paper; your notes
and explanation should be over here >>.)

Topic to be carried over to tomorrow:

Assignment for Tomorrow: page _______ – page_______

Down here you should review, retell, or reflect on what you read so far. (Use the back if necessary).

© Jim Burke 2001. For more information on this and other Tools for Thought visit www.englishcompanion.com
Lit Circle Notes: Illuminator
Name Date

Illuminator: You find passages your group Sample Questions

would like to/should hear read aloud. What is happening in this passage?
These passages should be memorable, Why did you choose this passage?
interesting, puzzling, funny, or important. What does this passage mean, or what is it discussing?
Your notes should include the quotations How should you present this passage?
but also why you chose them, and what Who is speaking or what is happening in this passage?
you want to say about them. You can either What is the most unique aspect of this passage---and why is it unique?
read the passage aloud yourself or ask What did this quotation/passage make you think about when you read it?
members of your group to read roles. What makes this passage so confusing, important, or interesting?

Write the page and paragraph number Assignment for Today: page _______ – page_______
in this column. Unless the quote is really
long, you should also write the quote in
this column; write your response to it in
the main note taking area to the right.)

Topic to be carried over to tomorrow:

Assignment for Tomorrow: page _______ – page_______

Down here you should review, retell, or reflect on what you read so far. (Use the back if necessary).

© Jim Burke 2001. For more information on this and other Tools for Thought visit www.englishcompanion.com
Lit Circle Notes: Summarizer
Name Date

Summarizer: Prepare a brief summary of Sample Questions

the day’s reading. Use the questions to the What are the most important events in the section you read?
right to help you decide what to include. In What makes them so important?
some cases, you might ask yourself what What effect to these events have on the plot or the other characters?
details, characters, or events are so What changes---in plot, character, or tone---did you notice when you read?
important that they would be included on What questions might appear on an exam about this section you read?
an exam. If it helps you to organize the What might be a good essay topic for this section of the story?
information, consider making a numbered
list or a timeline.
Write your discussion questions in here; Assignment for Today: page _______ – page_______
write your response to them in the main
note taking area to the right >>>>)

Topic to be carried over to tomorrow:

Assignment for Tomorrow: page _______ – page_______

Down here you should review, retell, or reflect on what you read so far. (Use the back if necessary).

© Jim Burke 2001. For more information on this and other Tools for Thought visit www.englishcompanion.com
Lit Circle Notes: Connector
Name Date

Connector: Your job is to connect what you Sample Questions

read with what you study in this or other What connections can you make between the text and your life?
classes. You can also connect the story with What other places or people could you compare this story to?
events in your own life or the world outside What other books or stories might you compare to this one?
school as depicted in the news or other What other characters or authors might you compare to this one?
media. Another valuable source of connec- What current trends or events are related to this section of the book?
tions is books you’ve already read this year. What is the most interesting or important connection that comes to mind?
Connections should be meaningful to you What is the connection that no one else but you can discover?
and those in your group. How does this section relate to those that came before it?

Write your discussion questions in here; Assignment for Today: page _______ – page_______
write your response to them in the main
note taking area to the right >>>>)

Topic to be carried over to tomorrow:

Assignment for Tomorrow: page _______ – page_______

Down here you should review, retell, or reflect on what you read so far. (Use the back if necessary).

© Jim Burke 2001. For more information on this and other Tools for Thought visit www.englishcompanion.com
Lit Circle Notes: Discussion Director
Name Date

Illuminator: Your role demands that you Sample Questions

identify the important aspects of your What were you thinking about as you read?
assigned text, and develop questions your What did the text make you think about?
group will want to discuss. Focus on the What do you think this text/passage was about?
major themes or “big ideas” in the text and How might other people (of different backgrounds) think about this text/passage?
your reaction to those ideas. What What one question would you ask the writer if you got the chance? Why?
interests you will most likely interest those What are the most important ideas/moments in this text/section?
in your group. You are also responsible for What do you think will happen next---and why?
facilitating your group’s discussion. What was the most important change in this section? How and why did it happen?

Write your discussion questions in here; Assignment for Today: page _______ – page_______
write your response to them in the main
note taking area to the right >>>>)

Topic to be carried over to tomorrow:

Assignment for Tomorrow: page _______ – page_______

Down here you should review, retell, or reflect on what you read so far. (Use the back if necessary).

© Jim Burke 2001. For more information on this and other Tools for Thought visit www.englishcompanion.com