Literature circles are a great collaborative way to get students thinking and talking about a book. The following is Harvey Daniels' definition of literature circles; it will be helpful in explaining the organizational structure to the class.
Literature circles are small temporary discussion groups who have chosen to read the same story. While reading each group-determined portion of the text, each member prepares to take specific responsibilities in the upcoming discussion, and everyone comes to the group with the notes needed to help perform that job. The circles have regular meetings with discussion roles rotating each session. When the groups have finished the book, they present it in a creative way to the class in order to interest others in the book (Scott, 1994, 1).
The teacher will compile a list of books that the students may choose from. Approximately five copies of each book need to be available. Students will choose a book; consequently various literature circles will be formed based on the student's chosen book. Each person in the group will be responsible for a different role everyday. The roles can be modified depending on the size of the group.
Reference:
Scott, J.E. (1994, November). Literature circles in the middle school classroom: developing reading, responding, and responsibility. Middle School Journal, 1-5.
Roles
Discussion Leader: This person encourages all members to participate in the group's discussion and keeps the group on task.
Researcher: This person looks up any unusual or new vocabulary words that are difficult to comprehend in context.
Recorder: This person records the main topics the group discussed for that day and any conclusions that were made.
Illustrator: This person creates a visual image of an important event in the book.
Passage Master: This person marks important passages that the group may want to discuss the following day.
*NOTE It is very helpful to give each group a copy of the different roles so they can refer back to it.
References
*Note: All of the books we have selected contain two important qualities: they all connect to our ocean unit, and they all have themes that deal with important adolescent issues.
Dorris, M. (1992). Morning Girl. Hyperion Paperbacks: New York.
This book is written at a higher reading level. The book itself appears to be quite short, however, the
language is very abstract. This book is a good choice for adolescents to read because one of the themes
of the book is self-reflection.
O'Dell, S. (1960). Island of the Blue Dolphins. Bantam Double Dell Publishing Group Inc.: New York.
ISBN# 0-440-43988-4
This is a suspenseful book about a girl who was left alone on an island for years. It is a great story for adolescents to read because there is a sub-theme in the book about self-discovery. We also liked the book because the main character is female, and the book depicts her as very powerful.
O'Dell, S., Hall, E. (1995). Venus Among the Fishes. Bantam Double Dell Publishing Group Inc.: New York. ISBN# 0-440-41175-0
This story is really unique because it is written from the perspective of the marine life. The narrator is a dolphin named Coral. This book also deals with self-reflection and maturing.
Salisburg, G. (1992). Blue Skin of the Sea. Bantam Double Dell Publishing Group Inc.: New York. ISBN# 0-440-21905-1
This book describes the stages of adolescence as a young boy goes through them living on the Hawaiian Islands. These stages are the mirror image of phases that the majority of adolescents go through. It's a realistic story that would help adolescence to think about some of the issues that they are faced with.
Sperry, A. (1940). Call it Courage. Scholastic Inc.: New York. ISBN# 0-590-40611-6
This book describes a teenage boy facing up to his worst fear, the ocean. He is trying to overcome this obstacle in is life so that he can live at peace with his family and his tribe. This is a great adventure story. It's a shorter book that would benefit some students.
Verne, J. (1962). 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Bantam Books: New York. ISBN# 0-553-21252-4
This is a great adventure story. Students who love science fiction would enjoy this book. There are various versions of this story available, so the teacher can choose the one that is at the appropriate level for the class.
Whittlinger, E. (1995). Noticing Paradise. Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston. ISBN# 0-395-71646-2
This book contains good information about the conservation issues in the Galapagos Islands. There are themes that bring out important social issues that adolescents face.