Literature Circle Activity Results

Kain, Donna, and Elizabeth Wardle. “Activity Theory: An Introduction for the Writing Classroom.” Writing about Writing: A College Reader 2nd edition, edited by Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014, pp. 273-283.

Every year teachers in the school tried making reading fun by incorporating fun games or activities that introduced a book of choice. They would go as far as creating activities that continued all week or until the book was finished.

Chapter 21 of Everyone's An Author with Readings (Andrea Lunsford et al.) focuses on the synthetization of ideas from the author and the referenced work. The sources should be properly cited and tie into your argument or idea. In research based areas it's important to have sources that are able to support your stance. The sources can be from the same viewpoint or from another view. The origin of the sources should be credible in their area of expertise or from a credible source. By balancing both the stated argument can be improved. The chapter then gives an example of a Synthesis. War, Cartoons, and Society: Changes in Political Cartoons between World War II and the Iraq War by Julia Landauer is an essay from her second year writing course at Stanford University. It first starts by referencing a relative cartoon then tying it into the effects and uses of such cartoons. However, the chapter cuts it off as the essay starts to bring out the main questions it's analyzing.

Who we are! - Sometime is looking good about books any kind of information is leveling grade, but not include for activities with books has different have a change it. Because needs to knowledge about use TEKS have a lot of information with level grade include books in activities make a understand.

Recently, according to Lucero & Montanero (2012) in their article Rhetorical structure and graphic organizers: effects on learning from a history text research on reading comprehension has evolved from not only strategy teaching to the analysis of activities to promote constructive learning (Lucero & Montanero, 2012). In order to comprehend an academic text, readers are required to consistently evaluate, elaborate and review text information. These types of inferential activities will promote an active role in the student 's task and in turn improve the quality of the process. This aligns perfectly with the basic definition of inquiry learning. Again, this supports how teaching nonfiction reading strategies early on to elementary students will help them be successful within an inquiry based learning system. Lucero & Montanero (2012) suggest that some of these engagement activities teachers could use are summarizing, asking and answering text-based questions , thinking aloud during reading and designing graphic organizers to aid student comprehension (Lucero & Montanero, 2012).

The English department does a wonderful job of finding texts that keep the students interested in what they read, but challenges them with new vocabulary and terms they would not normally use. These topics are also at different lengths that target specific skills that all students need and at different levels so that students with different developmental levels can improve. The English department also works with our school’s library to find some of the newest books that the students will enjoy and do their best to bring those books in. The school’s librarian and one of our freshman English teachers have started a “Book Club” on campus so that students could read some of the newest books and be able to talk about them in an educational setting. Many students are a part of this new club and some of them have stated that this club has really helped them improve their overall reading and summarization skills.

Before we divulge into the topic of this essay, let me begin by stating that neither the author of the main source, Steven Johnson, nor I intend to devalue books or look down upon them. In his book, Everything Bad Is Good For You, he starts off talking about the importance of books. He says, “We should all encourage our kids to read more, to develop a comfort with and an appetite for reading” (Johnson 21). Reading provides many different benefits, some including “concentration, the ability to make sense of words, to follow narrative threads, to sculpt imagined worlds out of mere sentences on pages” (Johnson 23). As an avid reader myself, I have always had an interest in books.

Submit your responses to the following questions: (HINT: Refer to the Reference and Citation Examples documdented in the Tutorials and Guides section, as well as the Sample Paper and the Library link.)

With reading being the cornerstone of society it is expected that children begin learning about literature in their most formative years. With children reading younger and younger it should come as no surprise that something as loved and personal as reading should be turned into a competition among children (more personal). This unfortunate truth has followed me through the majority of my academic career turning literature into a job and annoyance. Much like many schools, my primary education required the logging of reading to ensure the students were spending some of their time enriching themselves rather than wasting it, according to the faculty. Being the competitive natured children we were, seeing who could read the most soon became the

Ever since elementary school, teachers would have required reading assignments, both in class and assigned for homework. The literature genres would range from nonfiction all the way to plays. Some of the examples I was instructed to read were 12 Angry Jurors, “The Raven”, and Of Mice and Men. All of which were

Each of the concepts in the article, “Books for Young Readers” addresses the goal of student interest and engagement in reading. The section, “Ways of Reading” talks about balancing the personal and pedagogical responses to reading, which is not easy to achieve. Laura Jimenez and Kristin Mcilhagga are refreshingly open and honest in discussing their lesson on children’s historical fiction where they used the graphic novel, Storm in the Barn, by Matt Phelan. The book served their pedagogical objectives, but neither Lisa nor Kristin liked the book themselves and their students noticed. When asked if they liked the book, they had to admit that they did not. Educators must put themselves in their students’ position when seeking interesting and

The Texas Treasure Literature Curriculum is published by Glencoe McGraw-Hill, and based on the information provided from their website and textbooks, I discovered the authorship team includes senior program consultants, program consultants, special consultants, Glencoe’s National Reading and Language Arts Advisory Council, and a Texas Advisory Board. Most of these members hold Ph.D.’s in fields such as Reading, Literacy, as well as Curriculum and Instruction. The two senior program consultants, Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph. D., and Douglas Fisher, Ph. D., are both published authors, and many of the other consultants are as well. One of the special consultant’s is Dinah Zike a classroom teacher and consultant, who created the graphic organizer, Foldables®. The Texas Advisory Board consists of Texas teachers from high schools and middle schools through the state. Collectively, their classroom-tested and validated instructional practices form the basis of the program. Based on synopses of the consultants, I concluded that engaging today’s adolescent learners into reading and writing is the goal of this curriculum. One of the senior program consultants, Jeffery Wilhelm states, “People read for enjoyment, to help themselves think, to solve problems, and to get work done. Their reading is often organized around “inquiry” questions. These questions help them explore how what they learn can help make a

One of the greatest concerns that arises from banning literature in public schools is the fact that doing so takes away a learning opportunity for a child. Just because one individual or a small group of individuals do not agree with the subject matter, does not mean that access should be restricted for everyone. Herbert N. Foerstel's Banned in the U.S.A. demonstrates the importance of gaining insight through literature as demonstrated when he states: "Any treatment, especially in the schools, of questions

I will use the Literature circle to enhance the student’s ability to collaborate on a higher level so that they can move toward independent readers, molding them to integrate in a powerful classroom activity that will activate their critical thinking skills. I will do a book study and have students to meet and discuss the importance of rotating their roles giving everyone an opportunity to share the responsibility. I will teach how to highlight in different colors distinguishing each student reading.

“From now on we’re reading one non-school book a week… to take care of our minds,” these words came from an iconic teen of the 1990’s, Cher Horowitz. She stared in hit movie Clueless, directed by Amy Heckerling in 1995. Although, the first thing to come to mind when you think of Cher is bright yellow plaid, horrible driving, a sassy best friend and world-renowned pop singer both Cher and Iggy Azealia, these words spoken my Alicia Silverstone [Cher in Clueless] have stuck with me. Literature can take many forms whether it be a movie, novel or poetry, it’s a place we escape our thoughts and go on a journey with some of our favourite fiends, heroes and every day teens. It’s hard to believe someone from 20 years ago in a teen drama based on a Jane Austin novel could have an influence on you to start reading literature even if it’s the occasional cheesy fantasy novel. However, I have found that literature sticks with me the most is the texts in class we pick a part like scavengers for weeks on end, all for an assessment. However, once you sink your claws into it or in Cher’s case her perfectly manicure nails a true understanding for the novel or movie can take a whole new form. Like The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and directed by Baz Luhrmann at first glance it seems to be an elaborate story about a boy turned rags to riches however, it’s a façade; or Slumdog Millionaire directed by Danny Boyle the title seems quite self-explanatory, a juvenile boy from the