Day 93: 2/5/24 - Intro to Harry Potter & Literature Circles

Homeroom:

          Good Morning. Please sit at your house table &  use this time to get ready for your day.

Do Now:

1. Check that your homework is done
2. Make sure you have all your materials
3. Sharpen pencils

ELA:

Good day 6th Graders,      

        Today we will learn about literature circles, and prepare to read Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets.

                        Thank you,
                        Mr. Trumble       

Do Now:

• Empty out your ELA Folder
• Pick up a copy of the Title page for Unit 3 and a glue stick

Homework:

• Reread the Hero's Journey

To do List:

• Glue in title page and make tab
• Glue in the Hero's Journey
• Glue in Lit Circle Reading Assignments Page
• Glue in Overview of Roles (2 Pages)
• Review Lit Circle Procedures: 
• Day 1 - Reading Day
• Start by reading the chapter
• While we read out loud, you do your Lit Circle job
• Finish Lit Circle job independently
• Day 2 - Discussion/Competition Day
• Small group discussion & Lit Circle Job Check
• The 45 Second Summary Challenge
• Hero's Journey Challenge
• Other Writing Challenges
• Vocabulary Challenges
• The Best Question Challenge
• Review the Overview of Roles For Lit Circle Jobs
• Pass out books
• Read Hero's Journey

Activity #1

Intro to Literature Circles

Standards

RL6.3 Describe how a story's plot unfolds in a series of episodes
RL6.4 Determine the meaning of unknown words & phrases

What are Literature Circles?

Literature circles are a way to collaborate, discuss, and share our ideas about a text. Each member of the group has a different job or role.

Activity #2

Lit. Circle Discussions

The Rules for Lit. Circle Discussions:

1. While we read each chapter you will be expected to complete your job for that chapter. Each member of the group will have a different job, and the jobs will rotate each chapter so you will never have the same job twice in a row.
2. If we do not finish reading a chapter in class it will be your responsibility to finish the reading, and complete your job independently. 
3. At the start of each class the following day you will engage in a literature circle discussion about the reading. 
4. The Discussion Director is in charge. They lead the conversation. 
5. You will take turns sharing, and engaging the rest of your group in a discussion about your topic/job.

The Order for Sharing:
1. The Summarizer
2. The Character Captain
3. The Vocabulary Enricher *
4. The Conflict Evaluator *
5. The Mood & Tone Analyzer *
6. The Discussion Director

• When you share it is your job to get the rest of the group involved. 
• USE QUESTIONS TO ENGAGE THE REST OF YOUR GROUP MEMBERS! 
• The best way to ask questions: what do you think, how did this make you feel, etc. Use open ended questions.
• Each member is expected to contribute to the discussion

Activity #3

The 45 Second Summary Challenge

Directions:

Welcome to the 45 Second Summary Challenge. In this challenge you will work with the members of your house to write a summary of the chapter. You will have 15 minutes to write. Each person will write their own summary in their notebooks. Your summaries can be exactly the same, or you can write them in your own words.  

Each house will choose a representative to read their summary out loud. The representatives from each house will take turns reading their summaries out loud. They will have just 45 seconds to read their summary. I will act as the impartial judges and award points for the best summaries.

The summary will be written on the page right next to your Lit Circle job. (We will set this page up together) 

Your summaries should include:

• the main idea (think mood/big idea)
• the most important details from the chapter
• reflection (Your own thoughts about the events of the chapter)

As you are working I will come around to provide you with support. I might ask you questions like:

• What does your summary need to start with?
• Have you written the main idea?
• What did you write for your main idea?
• What details are you including?
• Why are those details important?
• Have you used any transitional words to connect your thoughts and sentences? 
• Are there any places where you should use transitional words or phrases.
• What are your thoughts on the events of the chapter? (reflection)
• What do you think about what you read? 
• How do these events show that Harry is a literary hero?
• Capitals, Periods, Grammar, & Sentence Structure

YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO FOLOW THE RULES OF WRITING. 

• Indent the first sentence
• All other lines are lined up on the margin line
• Words go on the line
• Put spaces between your words
• Proper capitalization
• Punctuation
• Spelling matters (You should not be spelling words from the book incorrectly, especially character's names)
• Neatness

How will I earn points for my Hogwarts House?

Points are at the discretion of the judge but here is an approximation of how the points might work out.

1st Place = 30 pts

2nd Place = 20 pts

3rd Place = 10 pts

4th Place = 5 pts

As we get farther into the unit, the point values will go up.

How will I be individually evaluated?

Your summaries will regularly be written in your notebook as practice, and they will count as a classwork grade.  However, two times throughout the unit your summaries will be handed in digitally (in google classroom) as a quiz grade so I can formally assess your writing.  

Activity #4

Best Question

• When we play "Best Question" your classroom teacher acts as the judge. 
• Each house picks 1 representative to read the question they think is best, and then the student leads the discussion. 
• After all 3 houses have led the discussion for their question the teacher will award house points for the question they think is best.
• The points are entirely up to the teacher, and they may choose to award more or less points based on the strength of your questions.
• Some days all Houses will earn points, while other days only one house might earn points. It all depends on you and the quality of your efforts.