Small
Group Discussion Focused Novel Study
Over
the course of the next few weeks we will be embarking on a small group novel
study that will be similar to a book club. You will have the option of choosing
from Suzanne Collin’s bestseller The
Hunger Games, Nobe Prize winner, William Golding's The Lord of the Flies, and local Calgary author, Hiromi Goto’s Half World. I encourage you to discuss
with your parents which novel is best suited to you. Each novel study will
involve slightly different focuses; however, a common purpose for each will be
to:
·
Help
you develop abilities ‘reading into’ a text
·
Help
you develop abilities making connections between a text, your own personal
experiences, and the world you live in
·
Help
you become better at voicing your ideas and actively participating in small
group discussions similar to that of a book club
As
I want this novel study to reflect how we actually read in real life, you will
not be asked to do questions or analyze things like plot structure in the
novel. However, you will be responsible for three major tasks:
Stream 1 Small group book
club discussion:
Over
the course of the unit, you will participate in small group discussions,
sometimes moderated by Miss Alden and myself, and sometimes done on your own. The focus
will be your involvement and contribution to small group discussions. To this
end, you will be asked to take a turn leading a discussion and helping discuss
ideas, thoughts, insights that emerge as you are reading sections of your
novel. You and a partner will be asked to lead one of the discussion and afterwords, summarize major points of the conversation on a novel study blog or wiki.
The book will be divided up so groups of two students will be responsible for an equal section of the book. On scheduled days, each group of two students will be responsible for leading a discussion. To do this, they will will each take turns leading the discussion. In order to lead the discussion each member of the group of two is expected to come prepared with the following:
The book will be divided up so groups of two students will be responsible for an equal section of the book. On scheduled days, each group of two students will be responsible for leading a discussion. To do this, they will will each take turns leading the discussion. In order to lead the discussion each member of the group of two is expected to come prepared with the following:
- at least three good discussion questions to help facilitate the conversation
- at least three (more is ideal) passages in the book that help us think about each question and will stimulate discussion and debate
Post these on your book club wiki in your tab. To access the wiki when you are out of school, use mobile.calgaryscienceschool.com and then use your login and user name.
Discussion question examples:
Were there any major insights or revelations that came up for you in a particular section of this text?
What major emotion
did the story evoke in you as a reader?
Have you ever
experienced anything like events that occurred in the novel?
What events in the
world today can we connect to events occurring in the novel?
How did you feel
when the character did or said....
How do you think
the character felt when she did or said...?
What
moral/ethical choices did the characters make?
What did you
think of those choices? What would you have done in similar circumstances?
Are the
characters' actions the result of freedom of choice or of destiny?
Are there any
symbols that may have meaning beyond the literal and help us uncover a theme in the story? e.g. flag,
tree, rose.
How does the
setting figure as a character in the story?
How did you feel
about the characters decisions and actions? Do you agree with what he or she did
and if so why or why not?
You will be assessed based on the following criteria of a 4:
4
|
|
Quality
discussion questions
|
Introduces
three questions that are thoughtful, well related to the themes and events in
the novel and will spur a good discussion.
|
Thoughtful
Response
|
When
introducing each question, offers a supporting passage or considered thought
drawn from the novel that helps provoke discussion and further conversation.
|
Well
summarizes the discussion
|
After
the discussion is finished, posts the three questions on the book club wiki and
then summarizes the major ideas and thoughts that emerged in the conversation
in response to each question.
|
Stream 2 Reflection log:
After
learning what it means to “read into” a text, based on conversation threads and
questions that emerge from group discussions you will be asked to provide five
reflection pieces posted on a blog or other form to showcase your deep and
considered reflections. I will be providing question to help guide your reflection. Examples of what this could look like include (note this comes from Frieson and Clifford's 2005 article). Each of the five reflections should be at least 250 words.
You will be assessed based on the following criteria of a 4:
You will be assessed based on the following criteria of a 4:
4
|
|
Level of insight and depth of reflection
|
Reflection
is in-depth and well considered. Viewpoints and interpretations are insightful
and well thought out. Reflection is at least 250 words.
|
Supporting Details
|
Detailed
examples drawn from the novel, your own life, and events in the world support
your insights and viewpoints.
|
Choose an image in the story and reflect on its significance:
When
Marks says the old ways are reflected on the faces like the glow of adding
campfire, it shows that he can sense the joy and importance of the old ways. Yet
he knows that it is only a faint glow and it flickers on and off. He knows that
one day it is going to die out unless someone lights it again.
Take out a passage in
the story and relate it to personal experiences you have had:
"they
were six years old perhaps, a little girl and boy. They had entered without
knocking and they stood like fawns, too small to be afraid. They stood
absolutely still, and they smiled, slowly and gently." When I read this
passage I .... thought about a little girl and a little boy with large,
wide-open eyes. They stood still to look at strange things. How beautiful it
was! I like the sentence "they had entered without knocking". I do
not think that this means they are bad kids. It just means they do not know
that they should knock because no one had taught them. In the Indian land,
there is probably no one who knocks .....The kids have grown up in the Indian
land and have been taught the Indian ways. People here are probably shy. I
remember my country, Vietnam. The kids who live in the country, not in the
city, are very shy. They are afraid of everything. Whenever you talk to them,
the first action you get is a smile, a shy smile. They use the shy and gentle
smile to begin a dialogue with strangers.
Stream 3 Powerful presentation
on a theme in your novel:
In your final project you are asked to work with a partner and drawing
on your reflection log, take up a major theme in your novel (i.e. rebellion,
isolation, friendship) to produce a presentation that powerfully shows the
different ways we can understand and experience this theme. To do this, your
narrative should weave together how this theme emerged in your
text, how you yourself understand and experience this theme, and
where we see this theme in our world today. You will present your work in a
showcase to others in the class.
Here, we will work on elements of a powerful presentation using
language, images, and music for affect. To ensure you receive formative
feedback, you will be asked to post your work in a Google doc so I can give you
suggestions as to how to improve your piece. How you choose to do your presentation is up to you. Choices
include:
·
Create a digital narrative in iMovie form
·
An RSA animate (cartoon animation and overdub)
· Pecha Kucha (20 slides 20 seconds
per slide, sit down)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:
This
hugely popular novel recounts the story of Katniss living in a future North
America that has been divided into 12 Districts and is now ruled by the
oppressive Capital of Panem. Every year the Capitol hosts the Hunger Games
where two "tributes" – a boy and a girl – are drafted from each of
the twelve districts to be brought to an arena and fight to the death where only
one person can win. This is to remind the districts not to rebel as well as to
provide the Capitol and the people with entertainment. This year, Katniss's
little sister is selected for the Hunger Games and Katniss volunteers to take
her place. Much action and drama follows.
Themes
we will explore in the novel study: power-totalitarianism,
class- “haves” and “have nots”, appearances-the nature and dangers of reality
television
Lord of the Flies by William Golding:
Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding, which recounts the story of a group of British school-boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves without the help of any adults. The story acts a symbol of the savagery and brutality of man if left to their own devices without the civilizing effects of rules and societal expectations.
Themes
explored in the novel: the dark side of human nature, civilization versus savagery, individual welfare versus the common good.
Half World by Hiromi Goto
Summary
borrowed from here.
This fantasy genre novel, throws readers into a violent struggle to restore
cosmic balance between the Realm of Flesh, the Realm of Spirit, and the Half
World. The Flesh Realm is the material world in which we live out our mortal
lives, the Spirit Realm a blissful domain attained by souls that have escaped
the karmic cycle of death and rebirth.
The
novel begins when a miraculously pregnant Half Worlder escapes into the Realm
of Flesh and gives birth to Melanie, a human child who may have the power to
restore balance to the realms. Teenage Melanie’s journey back into Half World
reads like an extended nightmare, with Melanie battling the sinister Mr.
Glueskin, a cunning but insane creature holding her mother hostage. The
violence and cruelty of Half World may frighten some young readers,
but those with a taste for dark fantasy (and gore) will be thrilled by
Melanie’s confrontation with her own fears and Goto’s nightmarish creatures
(some of which are depicted in occasional stark illustrations by Jillian
Tamaki).
Themes
explored: Battle between good and
Evil, spiritual journey of the hero, mystical realms outside our senses
