Engaged Learning with Technology
Unit Framework
Title: Literature Circles
Subject and Level: 7th grade Reading/Literacy
Learner Description: Four to five groups with five or six 7th grade students in each group.
The students are grouped according to their book choice and their reading level.
Overview: Students will learn how to conduct their individual literature circle discussion group activities. As a final project, the students will be designing/creating a group magazine. Students will use the following skills: research, word processing, Power Point, scanning, videotaping, interaction with group members, and interviewing skills.
What will be taught: Various genres, biographical information, searching websites to locate information, and author awareness. Specifically, students will be taught about the theme of survival in each novel read, how to conduct valuable discussions and how to work collaboratively on a final project. They will learn how to create a magazine using technology and research based on their specific novels.
How it will be taught: This lesson will be taught in the classroom within their specific groups, using novels, group discussions and outside resources. They will be also using the computer labs and/or laptop carts to create their final project.
What will students do and learn: Students will read their novel, participate and run discussion sessions, work on activities throughout their novel unit, peer-evaluate, create a group magazine following specific guidelines that will require all students to perform various activities in order for their magazine to be produced according to the guidelines. They will learn how to work with each other, research, use Power Point, share information and produce a final project as a group.
Rationale/Purpose: The group of students will be exploring a piece of literature in depth. This is a learner-centered approach that focuses on students’ responses to the literature they read. In Literature Circles, students are actively engaged in reading by making choices, discussing, and constructing meaning. The groups will meet regularly to discuss the stories. This lesson will teach the students how to work with a group, share information, produce a final project using technology, literature and creativity. The students will gain an understanding of real-life issues and events and how they relate to current day events
Why does this qualify as an Engaged Learning lesson: This lesson makes the students responsible for their own learning. This lesson encourages students to use problem-solving strategies because they have to make sure they are locating the most accurate information on the internet. This lesson is draw upon various disciplines of education (reading, writing, comprehension, and technology).
Why is technology an important component: Technology will be used throughout the entire literature circle unit. The students are to use the Internet to locate and search for the necessary information to help complete roles, assignments, and their final project. Not only do the students need to search the website, but locate specific information related to their novel. They will be using various software programs and videotaping for their final presentations.
Why is this project meaningful and challenging for students: The students will work in their literature circles group while completing the magazine project. By working in groups, it is teaching the students how to work cooperatively and collaboratively with others. It is also meaningful because they are conducting background information on an author and/or country that they have been reading about in Reading class. It is challenging because they need to understand their book and the struggles that the character(s) may overcome. They will need to develop their own challenging and meaningful questions for their groups’ discussion sessions. They will also need to research facts about a country in which they have limited or no previous knowledge prior to reading the book.
Goals: STATE GOAL 1: Read with understanding and fluency; A: Apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections. 1.A.3b. Analyze the meaning of words and phrases in their context. B: Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.; 1.B.3a preview reading materials, make predictions and relate reading to information from other sources. 1.B.3c continuously check and clarify for understanding. C: Comprehend a broad range of reading materials. 1.C.3a use information to form, explain and support questions and predictions. 1.C.3b Interpret and analyze entire narrative text using story elements, point of view and theme. 1.C.3d summarize and make generalizations from content and relate them to the purpose of the material.
STATE GOAL 2: Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras and ideas. B: read and interpret a variety of literary works. 2.B.3a; Respond to literary material from personal, creative and critical points of view.
STATE GOAL 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes. B: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audience. 3.B.3a produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration and coherence.
STATE GOAL 5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess to communicate information. A: Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas. 5.A.3a, identify appropriate resources to solve problems or answer questions through research. B: analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources. 5.B.3a choose and analyze information sources for individual, academic and functional purposes. 5.B.3b identify, evaluate and cite primary sources.
Learning Activities: Reading, researching, writing, developing meaningful discussion questions relating to their novels, answering comprehension questions, sharing information, using the Internet, using word processing skills and applications, and using scanning features.
Student Assessment: Students will be assessed on their work and participation within their discussion groups by use of evaluation sheets. Each student will be evaluated by the teachers and their peers. Their individual activities will be graded with rubrics and quality of responses. Their final magazine project will be assessed as a group as well as individual based on a preset rubric. The students will also be evaluated on their presentation skills.
Students are scored on the quality of information gained through their project.
Students can be involved in establishing goals for the assessment by self-evaluation themselves and other group members.
We will be facilitating the unit, being available for questions and guidance. As we (the teachers) are walking around the room, we will be able to guide them through the discussions, questions, and perusing of research as the students work.
How will you manage student work individually and in groups? – We will be available to the students throughout the unit answering and guiding them in their search for information. Throughout the unit, we will sit in on group discussions to monitor their progress, assess their final project in stages and again as a whole, and their ability to complete assignments on time.
What resources will you need to do this unit? The resources needed for this unit are copies of the four novels (The Heaven Shop, Daniel’s Story, Red Scarf Girl, and Red Midnight), laptops, scanners, Internet, literature circle role sheets, literature circle binders, literature circle role cards, and color printer.
How will the room(s) be arranged. – The students will sit at tables with all group members. They will have access to in-room computers and the laptop carts when needed.
Where will equipment and materials be located to promote maximum use? Some days we will have access to the computer labs, and other days the laptops. All other materials will be located in the classroom in an easy spot for students to gain access.
How will students with special needs be helped? These students many need an aide or one of us to sit with them to help them throughout the unit. We will be available to walk around while they are working on the unit. They will also have their group members to help throughout the discussions and projects. If needed, some activities can be modified for their individual needs.
Unit Evaluation
What will we need to do, be aware of, and/or gather while teaching the unit in order to answer these questions:
What was effective? Students were given ownership of conducting their discussions. This allowed for better comprehension. Students researched background information, such as the struggle and cultural facts about their novel’s setting (country). For the final magazine project, students were allowed to be more creative and express their understanding of historical and cultural issues around the world, in addition, to the facts of the novel.
What wasn't effective? We had a difficult time finding an effective evaluation sheet. It took three different tries. It took some groups longer than others to understand or master the discussion sessions. It was harder for some individuals to understand how to complete their actions, i.e. not completing their work on time, and how it effected their group’s progress and outcome.
What will we do differently next time? From this experience, next time we will assign an agenda to help assist the students in completing work on time (magazine project) and activities. We will assign students to complete specific assignments. We will restructure individual vs. group grades. We will have a prepared model at the beginning of the unit to display what a “literature circle discussion” should look like. We will also introduce the concept of questioning and how to make connections prior to the literature circle discussions. These are skills to be worked on all year, this way students should have a better understanding before beginning the literature circle unit. We would also include more discussion activities.