Comprehension

The Barren Grounds — An Interactive Novel Study — Grade 6

Sharing Circles: Weekly

Alberta Program of Studies Outcomes:

Students evaluate how vocabulary enhances understanding and provides clarity.

Study the origin and meaning of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit words in local environments.
Analyze word parts and cross-check with context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words.

Students analyze texts and interpret contexts to build comprehension.

Incorporate a variety of strategies to comprehend, interpret, and manage information from texts.
Apply a variety of self-monitoring skills to comprehend and interpret texts.
Respond to texts by summarizing main ideas and providing supporting evidence from the texts.

Students refine and adjust ways to craft writing that reflects individuality and proficiency and demonstrates critical thinking as developing writers.

Create written texts in a variety of forms and structures.
Analyze how ideas align with the purpose, audience, and form of writing.
Express personal ideas through multiple paragraphs for the purpose of engaging an audience.

"I Can" Statements:

I can use a variety of strategies to understand information.

I can react to texts by summarizing the key concept and providing proof to back it up.

I can establish connections between new concepts and previously learned knowledge.

I can make predictions based on information sources.

I can use text evidence to examine information.

I can choose appropriate data to support a viewpoint.

I can self-monitor to comprehend text.

I can create written text in different forms.

I can express personal ideas to engage an audience.

Our "sharing circles" intend to imitate closely the ideas of readers workshops or literature circles wherein students read books they choose themselves and respond to books through writing and reading logs and conferencing with teachers and classmates. This is achieved through a blend of independent reading, responding, sharing, mini lessons, and reading aloud to students. Special topics can also be incorporated into the readers workshop, making it cross-curricular.

The breakdown is as follows:

Students will be assigned a group with which they will embark on the whole novel study with.
Students will be assigned a role each week.
Students will have time each week to gather in their sharing circles.
Each week two prompts will be offered by the teacher which students keep in mind and discuss in their circles either through or after the completion of their roles.

There will be 6 roles in the sharing circles (which are described in detail prior to the start of the novel study):

Word Wizard,
Discussion Director/ Questioner,
Superhero Summarizer,
Powerful Predictor,
Confident Connector,
Travel Tracer.

5. Every student will have an opportunity to take on each role through rotation.

6. At the end of the sharing circle the class will come together and complete a summary anchor chart highlighting important pieces of information garnered through their reading and circles. Please refer to our summary page for more information.

7. During the creation of the summary chart, the word wizard from each group can offer key vocabulary to be added to the word wall (or padlet if instruction is online). Please see vocabulary page for more information.

8. The teacher will then offer the prompts for the following week and the cycle repeats.

Role Breakdown

Word Wizard

The Word Wizard is responsible for finding vocabulary words in the chapters that stand out and seem significant.
While reading, write down on the vocabulary sheet as well as the Padlet.
Please see Vocabulary page for further instruction

Vocabulary Chart for The Barren Grounds

TBG Concept map

Discussion Director/ Questioner

The Discussion Director is responsible for keeping notes on important and insightful ideas talked about during the sharing circle.
- Fill out, who, what, where, why, how on the concept map to keep track of information from each sharing circle.

Superhero Summarizer

The Superhero Summarizer's responsibility is to briefly explain the most important ideas from the reading.
- Fill out the, somebody, wanted, but, so, worksheet with insight from the sharing circle.
- Please see Summary page for further instruction.

Untitled document

Power Predictor

Powerful Predictor

The Powerful Predictor will make powerful insights about the chapters read and predict how they will effect the next couple chapters.
- Add thoughts and ideas to the Powerful Predictor pie.

Confident Connector

The Confident Connector will make connections within the chapters. The Confident Connector can work with the Word Wizard as their jobs compliment each other.
- Make inferences to text to self, text to world, and text to text in the connector chart.

connector

Travel Tracer

The Travel Tracer will trace a traveler each week. Each character must be traced by the end of the novel study.
- Draw on the map where the character has gone and add 'x' where you think this character wants to go.

Assessment

Students will be required to write an exit slip to assess their understanding and contribution of their roles while participating in sharing circles.

Exit Slip

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