Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles by: Harvey Daniels and Nancy Steineke
Say:
This text brought all of the teaching method ideas we have talked about, all semester long, into one consolidated place. There is no way that this text does not connect back to previous concepts we have discussed and read about in class. This text especially hones in on the idea of transacting with literature. Apparently they love them some Rosenblatt as well!
A majority of the lesson plan ideas presented in Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles are based upon the pedagogy of transacting with literature. When I think of the word "transaction" I, of course, think of money first. However, I think about an exchange. What is it that we exchange during the reading process? Well, the author offers up their heart and story to us and we exchange it for a kind of reaction. The way I understand transactional theory while reading is exactly that. We read what the author offers and in return we offer our response.
Our responses can come in many different ways. And the teaching methods that utilize the strategy of transaction allow students to transact with literature in many different ways: physically, emotionally and intellectually.
One way that we have practiced in Dr. Styslinger's class is the book pass. Near the middle to the end of this text, book passes are discussed. This is an easy way to get students to physically transact with a text. They are able to hold the book, flip through the pages, look at the font and it's size, check out the margin sizes and read the book covers to get an understanding of the plot.
Students are able to emotionally respond through multiple types of transaction, however one that we have witnessed in class is the think-aloud strategy. This allows students to either listen to a story being read to them or as they read they can pause and reflect audibly. They are given the opportunity to voice their first reactions to the text, without any filter (well of course they need to be appropriate).
Lastly, students are able to transact with texts intellectually. An example that Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles gives us is a verb activity. They use an excerpt from The Chocolate War and ask students to circle the verbs from the short passage. Once the passage has been read-aloud by the teacher, then the students are asked to act out the verbs. This activity could be linked to a discussion and lesson on author's craft, which would help with critical thinking skills.
Literature circles cannot happen if the students do not have books to choose from. So, for my "Do", I have compiled a list of my own library. These are the books that I will choose to have sitting on the book shelves in my classroom. I have more books, that I did not list, but felt they were not appropriate for the class. I am a supporter of allowing students to read whatever they would like, but most districts are not ;) I have grouped books together based upon subject material and genre. I would most likely send this list home with students in the beginning of the year. This will allow the parents to glance over the list and express any concerns they may have about any of the books I have sitting, freely, on my shelves. I think this kind of document would be best attached to a syllabus for a course.
Do:
Say:
This text brought all of the teaching method ideas we have talked about, all semester long, into one consolidated place. There is no way that this text does not connect back to previous concepts we have discussed and read about in class. This text especially hones in on the idea of transacting with literature. Apparently they love them some Rosenblatt as well!
A majority of the lesson plan ideas presented in Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles are based upon the pedagogy of transacting with literature. When I think of the word "transaction" I, of course, think of money first. However, I think about an exchange. What is it that we exchange during the reading process? Well, the author offers up their heart and story to us and we exchange it for a kind of reaction. The way I understand transactional theory while reading is exactly that. We read what the author offers and in return we offer our response.
Our responses can come in many different ways. And the teaching methods that utilize the strategy of transaction allow students to transact with literature in many different ways: physically, emotionally and intellectually.
One way that we have practiced in Dr. Styslinger's class is the book pass. Near the middle to the end of this text, book passes are discussed. This is an easy way to get students to physically transact with a text. They are able to hold the book, flip through the pages, look at the font and it's size, check out the margin sizes and read the book covers to get an understanding of the plot.
Students are able to emotionally respond through multiple types of transaction, however one that we have witnessed in class is the think-aloud strategy. This allows students to either listen to a story being read to them or as they read they can pause and reflect audibly. They are given the opportunity to voice their first reactions to the text, without any filter (well of course they need to be appropriate).
Lastly, students are able to transact with texts intellectually. An example that Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles gives us is a verb activity. They use an excerpt from The Chocolate War and ask students to circle the verbs from the short passage. Once the passage has been read-aloud by the teacher, then the students are asked to act out the verbs. This activity could be linked to a discussion and lesson on author's craft, which would help with critical thinking skills.
Literature circles cannot happen if the students do not have books to choose from. So, for my "Do", I have compiled a list of my own library. These are the books that I will choose to have sitting on the book shelves in my classroom. I have more books, that I did not list, but felt they were not appropriate for the class. I am a supporter of allowing students to read whatever they would like, but most districts are not ;) I have grouped books together based upon subject material and genre. I would most likely send this list home with students in the beginning of the year. This will allow the parents to glance over the list and express any concerns they may have about any of the books I have sitting, freely, on my shelves. I think this kind of document would be best attached to a syllabus for a course.
Do:
Ms. Spotts' Classroom Library List
Memoir
Playground by: 50 Cent with Laura MoserNo Pretty Pictures: A Child of War by: Anita Lobel
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by: Harriet Jacobs
Have a Little Faith: A True Story by: Mitch Albom
The Waves by: Virginia Woolf
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by: Sherman Alexie
Black White and Jewish by: Rebecca Walker
Love Child by: Allegra Huston
The Lover by: Marguerite Duras
Dead End Gene Pool by: Wendy Burden
The Chosen by: Chaim Potok
Angela's Ashes by: Frank McCourt
Eat, Pray, Love by: Elizabeth Gilbert
A Girl Made of Dust by: Nathalie Abi-essi
Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian/Utopian Literature
Feed by: M.T. Anderson
The Maze Runner by: James Dashner
Origin by: Jessica Khoury
Divergent by: Veronica Roth
Mockingjay by: Suzanne Collins
“Chick”-Lit
The Treasure Map of Boys by: E. Lockhart
The Boy Book by: E. Lockhart
The Boyfriend List by: E. Lockhart
Dear John by: Nicholas Sparks
Forever by: Judy Blume
#1 A Clique Novel: The Clique by: Lisi Harrison
#2 A Clique Novel: Best Friends for Never by: Lisi Harrison
#3 A Clique Novel: Revenge of the Wannabes by: Lisi Harrison
#4 A Clique Novel: Invasion of the Boy Snatchers by: Lisi Harrison
#5 A Clique Novel: The Pretty Committee Strikes Back by: Lisi Harrison
#6 A Clique Novel: Dial L for Loser by: Lisi Harrison
#7 A Clique Novel: It's Not Easy Being Mean by: Lisi Harrison
#8 A Clique Novel: Sealed with a Diss by: Lisi Harrison
#9 A Clique Novel: Bratfest at Tiffany's by: Lisi Harrison
#10 A Clique Novel: P.S. I Loathe You by: Lisi Harrison
#11 A Clique Novel: Boys R Us by: Lisi Harrison
The Year I Turned Sixteen by: Diane Schwemm
Fantasy
Eragon
by: Christopher PaoliniSir Gawain and the Green Knight by: J.R.R Tolkien
The Mirror of Merlin by: T. A. Barro
Twilight by: Stephenie Meyer
New Moon by: Stephenie Meyer
The Dream cycle of H.P. Lovecraft: Dreams of Terror and Death by: H.P. Lovecraft
The Transition of H.P. Lovecraft: The Road to Madness by: H.P. Lovecraft
The Lovely Bones by: Alice Sebold
Graphic Novels
Fun
Home
by: Alison BechdelThe Complete Persepolis by: Marjane Satrapi
Mystery
#1 Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by: Van Draanen#5 Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary by: Van Draanen
#6 Samey Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy by: Van Draanen
#7 Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake Eyes by: Van Draanen
#9 Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen by: Van Draanen
#12 Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash by: Van Draanen
#13 Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher by: Van Draanen
#16 Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City by: Van Draanen
The Watchers by: Jon Steele
The Revealers by: Doug Wilheim
Devil Bones by: Kathy Reichs
Multi-Cultural Literature
Bluford High Series #15: Schooled by: Paul Lanagan
Dreams of Joy by: Lisa See
Letters from a Slave Girl by: Mary E. Lyons
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by: Mildred D. Taylor
The Battle of Jericho by: Sharon Draper
Bound by: Donna Jo Nopoli
Dear America: Look to the Hills The Diary of Lozette Moreau, a French Slave Girl, New York Colony, 1763 by: Patricia C. McKissack
The Poisonwood Bible by: Barbara Kingsolver
Out of the Easy by: Ruta Sepetys
Bless Me, Ultima by: Rudolfo Anaya
Sold by: Patricia McCormick
The Kite Runner by: Khaled Hosseine
Popular YA Lit
Lucid by: Adrienne Stoltz and Ron BassSavvy by: Ingrid Law
How I Spent my Last Night on Earth by: Todd Strasser
A Year Down Yonder by: Richard Peck
The River Between Us by: Richard Peck
The Help by: Kathryn Stockett
The Time Traveler's Wife by: Audrey Niffenegger
Water For Elephants by: Sara Gruen
Above by: Isla Morley
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by: Kim Edwards
The Other Side of Dark by: Sarah Smith
Apollo 13 by: Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger
Fallen Angels by: Walter Dean Myers
The Chocolate War by: Robert Cormier
Under the Blood Red Sun by: Graham Salisbury
The Not-So-Jolly Roger by: Jon Scieszka
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by: Stieg Larsson
The Girl who Played with Fire by: Stieg Larsson
Dreamland by: Sarah Dessen
#1 A Completely Different Place by: Perry Nodelman
#2 The Same Place but Different by: Perry Nodelman
Homeroom Exercise by: Jana Striegel
There's a Girl in my Hammerlock by: Jerry Spinelli
Never Trust a Dead Man by: Vivian Vande Velde
A Long Walk to Water by: Linda Sue Park
Go Ask Alice by: Anonymous
LGBTQ Literature
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by: John Green and David Levithan
Every Day by: David Levithan
The Bourne Trilogy by: Robert Ludlum
Wolverine: Weapon X by: Marc Cerasini
Batman: Year One by: Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
The Ultimates: Super-Human Vol. 1 by: Millar, Hitch and Currie
X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills by: Christopher Claremont and Brent Eric Anderson
Gold by: Chris Cleave
The Grapes of Wrath by: John Steinbeck
The Odyssey by: Homer
Jane Eyre by: Charlotte Bronte
The Phantom of the Opera by: Gaston Leroux
Murder on the Orient Express by: Agatha Christie
Fahrenheit 451 by: Ray Bradbury
Frankenstein by: Mary Shelley
Beowulf translated by: Burton Raffel
The Catcher in the Rye by: J.D. Salinger
The Invisible Man by: H.G. Wells
Pygmalion by: Bernard Shaw
Great Expectations by: Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol by: Charles Dickens
Hard Times by: Charles Dickens
The Tale of Two Cities by: Charles Dickens
Quo Vadis by: Henryk Sienkiewicz
The War of the Worlds by: H.G. Wells
The Metamorphosis by: Franz Kafka
Nausea by: Jean-Paul Sartre
Night at the Mocking Widow by: Carter Dickson
What a wonderful DO--thank you for inviting me into your library.
ReplyDeleteAs for your SAY, your understanding of transaction a la money and exchange is intriguing--so very different from the "banking concept"--that we make deposits into students' heads of ideas and information. I appreciate how you note the teaching of verbs and grammar--this lesson is helping students "see" language--we can use close reading in this way to teach grammar in an integrated way--embedded in the teaching of literature. That's where we are heading next--you have been front loaded:)
What I am missing tom this SAY is the reflection on the BB online readings--
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the level of variety in your planned classroom library. One of the merits of the book clubs you are clearly paying attention to is the value of student choice... with a list as extensive as this, students could always find something to interest them regardless of their literary preferences or reading ability. I also love your vision of a book club as a form of transaction--it provides room for the text and the author to serve as conversation partners working in tandem with a group of students. =)
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