Greetings parents/guardians of students of Room 18:

I am pleased to inform you that I will be teaching a Literature Circle Unit based upon the theme of “Determination in Facing Serious Challenges” spring.  As you may know, in a Literature Circle Unit, students are assigned a book and a small Literature Circle group which meets at least weekly to discuss the main ideas, themes, and other important aspects of the book.  These group activities are sometimes conducted independently, but I will also monitors them and/or participate in their shared reading.  Additionally, I will conduct at least one “focus lesson” per week, where I teach the kids a specific skill to improve their reading.  Your student has been participating in Literature Circle Units throughout this school year, and I’m excited about participating in this popular and valuable activity.

The books I have chosen, with the approval of Mr. -----, all involve characters who must face significant obstacles, and through their inner strength and determination, are able to meet serious challenges and overcome obstacles.  Both Mr. ----- and I believe that teaching students the value of determination and resolve in the face of hard times is an essential lesson for learners of all ages, and we are convinced that your student will benefit from reading his or her selection.  I will happily provide you with a list of the book selections we have made for this unit upon request, and I can be reached at -------@yahoo.com.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the unit.  Also, if you have a compelling story about how you overcame a serious challenge through determination and/or other personal resources which would be appropriate to share with the class, please let me know.

            I will be posting the homework assignments and dates of upcoming important activities and/or tests on a separate Themed Literature Unit web page connected to Mr. -----’s class page.  I encourage you to check this page regularly so that you can be informed about what your student is learning in class, and any tests or projects which he or she should be preparing for.  Also, I encourage you to read the book your student has selected for his or her literature circle so that you can further support his learning by engaging in discussions with him or her.  Some questions you might ask your student include: What are the personal qualities of the main character?  What sorts of challenges is the main character facing?  How is the main character dealing with the obstacles that confront him or her?  Can you summarize for me the story so far?  What do you predict will happen to the main characters?  If you are enthusiastic about learning about something, your student will be that much more inspired to learn about it too!

            Thank you for the opportunity to teach your student in this Literature Circle unit.  I expect the class will learn a lot and have a great time doing it!

                                                                                    Best regards,

                                                                                    Tim Danforth

 

Unit Educational Goals

In this Literature Circle Unit, we will explore the following questions which are central to our theme of “Determination in Facing Serious Challenges:”

1.      What does it take to meet a serious challenge/overcome obstacles?

2.      What character traits help a person to overcome obstacles?

3.      What do you think you personally might do to meet a serious challenge?

Please understand that your students will be learning much more than the answers to these three questions, as you will undoubtedly hear about as they proceed through the unit.  However, I think it will be useful for your student if you help them to master these central ideas through discussions which focus on the theme of drawing upon one’s inner strength and the support of others to face challenges and overcome obstacles.  I’ve posted a few additional resources below to provide you information about the Literature Circle method and provide you with resources to find additional reading for your student.  If you have any questions or suggestions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Useful Links:

100 Best Books, from TeachersFirst.com. A list of 100 great books recommended by the National Education Association.  The list is grouped by age, so you and/or your student can easily select good books for additional reading! http://www.teachersfirst.com/100books.cfm

Literature Circles Resource Center. A great web site created by Seattle University College of Education Professor Katherine Schlick Noe, Ph.D., which provides further explanation of how literature circles work. http://www.litcircles.org/ 

Celebrating Cultural Diversity Through Children’s Literature. Annotated bibliographies of children’s literature representing multicultural perspectives. http://www.multiculturalchildrenslit.com/

 

Annotated Bibliography of Thematic Books

Creech, Sharon (1994). Walk Two Moons. New York: Scholastic. Young teenage girl struggles with coming to terms with her mother’s death.

 

Curtis, Christopher Paul (1995). The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group. Ten year old African American boy and his family contend with severe and dangerous racial prejudice in Birmingham, Alabama.

 

Gantos, Jack (1998). Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key.  New York: Harper Collins Publishers. Young boy with ADHD struggles to stay out of trouble and to prove he’s a good kid.

 

Hesse, Karen (1998). Just Juice. New York: Scholastic. Family struggles in poverty and foreclosure on their home as told through the perspective of a young girl.

 

Kehret, Peg (1996).  Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio. Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company.  True story of twelve year old girl’s struggle to recovery from polio with the support of family, doctors, and friends.

 

O’Dell, Scott (1960).  Island of the Blue Dolphins. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group. Story of an Indian girl stranded on an island, surviving in the wild through resourcefulness and determination.

 

Paulsen, Gary (1996).  Brian’s Winter. New York: Scholastic. Story of a young boy’s survival in the wild through the winter, through determination and resourceful use of his hatchet (made famous in author’s novel entitled Hatchet).

 

LEARNING TARGETS

1. Students will understand importance of a person’s character traits, determination, and actions, in facing challenges.

2. Students will understand that determination can influence whether a person succeeds in overcoming obstacles, and that effort can be worthwhile because it improves a person’s life or the lives of others.

3. Students will understand that the inner strength and choices exhibited by the main character are transferable characteristics and strategies that they can apply in their own lives when attempting to overcome obstacles.

4. Students will be able to effectively employ comprehension strategies:

   a. Students will discern the theme and main ideas from text and to cite specific examples providing evidence of how the character persevered despite obstacles.

   b. Students will summarize passages they read and make inferences and predictions about how characters will act supported by the information they have learned from the text and small group discussions.

   c. Students will be able to formulate mental images of the text and create artistic representations of what courage in the face of adversity looks like.                                                                              d. Students will be able to draw deep meaning from text and connect it to their own experiences of dealing with serious problems and/or the experiences of others in the world.

5. Students will be able to cooperate, communicate, and collaborate effectively in small groups to develop a broader and deeper understanding of how to face challenges, and will learn how hearing other perspectives can give them new ideas.