In Your Group: Before You Begin, Explain Your Job to the Group! Then Do the Next Four Steps

Quote Master

Your Job: Pick out five quotes from the assigned reading. Quotes are lines said directly by the characters in the novel. Choose quotes that reveal important information about a character, event, setting, etc. Make sure you choose quotes that are somewhat important to the reading. The quote master must be selective! Not every quote is a good quote!

In your group: Before you begin, explain your job to the group! Then do the next four steps.

1) Read the quote to the group pronouncing all the names and words correctly.

2) Ask the group or one person directly: Who said this line in the reading? (Let them give possible answers).

3) Give the correct answer if they did not answer correctly.

4) Explain why you thought this was an important quote. This is the important part of your job! What did it reveal about the character? What importance did it have to the plot or setting?

Title of Book ___________________________Name: _______________________________

Quote Master

Choose four award winning quotes from characters in your assigned novel. Record the quote on line A. On line B tell us who said the quote. On line C Tell us why this quote is important. (This is the most important step.)

1. A. “_______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________”

B. ________________________________ C. _______________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. A. “_______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________”

B. ________________________________ C. _______________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. A. “_______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________”

B. ________________________________ C. _______________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. A. “_______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________”

B. ________________________________ C. _______________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Plot Recorder / Title Writer

Your Job: Record two major events from the novel that happened in each chapter assigned.

Most of the books have numbers for the chapters. Make up a title for the chapter based on the events you recorded. If the book has chapter titles, make up a new, original title of your own. Titles should grab the reader’s attention; they are creative and “snappy.”

Write a prediction for what you think will happen in the next several chapters.

In your group: Before you begin, explain your job to the group! Then do the next five steps.

1) Briefly tell the group what you thought were the two most important events in each chapter.

2) Tell the group your idea for a title for the first chapter.

3) Ask them if they have any suggestions.

4) Continue with the next chapters until you have covered the reading assignment.

5) Briefly tell the group your prediction as to what will happen in the book next.

Prediction: I think . . . _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Title of Book ___________________________Name: _______________________________

Plot Recorder/ Title Writer continued…

Write the chapter number on the blank. Write your own creative, original, attention-grabbing title. Write two or three events that are important to remember from that chapter. (Note: you might not need to use all of the blanks.)

Chapter/Page # _________ Possible title: ________________________________________

Event 1: ____________________________________________________________________

Event 2: ____________________________________________________________________

Chapter/Page # _________ Possible title: ________________________________________

Event 1: ____________________________________________________________________

Event 2: ____________________________________________________________________

Chapter/Page # _________ Possible title: ________________________________________

Event 1: ____________________________________________________________________

Event 2: ____________________________________________________________________

Chapter/Page # _________ Possible title: ________________________________________

Event 1: ____________________________________________________________________

Event 2: ____________________________________________________________________

Chapter /Page# _________ possible title: _________________________________________

Event 1: ____________________________________________________________________

Event 2: ____________________________________________________________________

Investigator (6 skinny + 1 fat)

Your job: Develop five “W” questions (who, what, where, when, and why) and one “H” question (how) to ask the members of your group. These six questions will be your skinny questions (all have short, specific answers).

Don’t make your skinny questions over unimportant details (example: What color was the shoelace on Becky’s right shoe on Tuesday?). The purpose is not to “trick” your group with a hard question, but to check their understanding of the reading assignment. Write down questions and the correct answers to each.

End with one fat question. Fat questions have one or more of the following characteristics: 1) the answer cannot be found in the information (you have to think!) 2) there is no wrong answer, and there are many possible correct answers 3) even the questioner may not have an answer. Good beginnings to a fat question can sound like this… If you were…What if…Would you rather…Why do you suppose…What do you think…What was going through your mind when… What did you like/dislike about…

In your group: before you begin, explain your job to the group! Then do the next two steps.

1) Ask your six skinny questions. You can ask the entire group the questions, or you can give each person in the group one or two questions to answer –you act as the “teacher” to check their understanding of the assignment.

2) Ask your one fat question. Give each person in the group a chance to respond and write a few of their responses.

Title of Book ___________________________Name: _______________________________

Skinny questions:

*The questions need to be written in complete sentences.

1) Who?____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Answer:____________________________________________________________________

2) What?___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Answer: ____________________________________________________________________

3) Where? _________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Answer: ____________________________________________________________________

4) When? __________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Answer: ____________________________________________________________________

5) Why? ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Answer: ____________________________________________________________________

6) How? ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Answer: ____________________________________________________________________

Fat question: ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Group’s response:____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Connector

Your Job:

Think of connections between the reading and ideas, places, characters and events NOT in the reading. These ideas will not be found in the reading, you have to think of them. You must come up with TWO connections, and write them on the back side of this sheet.

The connections might be to:

· Events in your own life

· A place you have visited

· Happenings at school

· Happenings in the community

· Local, state, national or world current events

· Other books you have read

· Stories you have read

· Other books by the same author

· Movies, videos, or television characters or shows

In your group: before you begin, explain your job to the group! Then do the next five steps.

1.) Explain your first connection: what was the connection, what was it that caused you to think this particular thing.

2.) Ask for your group’s reaction to this connection

3.) Explain your next connection and ask for feedback from the group.

4.) Ask your group to come up with connections of their own (NOTE: your connections may be very different from your group member’s connections – that is okay connections work that way as we all have different background information that we are bringing to the group!)

5.) Record a few of your group’s connections on your role sheet.

Title of Book ___________________________Name: _______________________________

Connector

I’ve got a connection!

One part of today’s reading that caught my attention was:_____________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It made me think about or reminded me of:_________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Another part of today’s reading that caught my attention was:___________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It made me think about or reminded me of:_________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Other connections my group made were: (fill this section in during the group discussion)_____

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Researcher / Reporter

Your job: Find some related information that will help your group better understand the novel and/or reading assignment. Use library and appropriate internet sources. Ask a media center teacher or me for ideas and sources of information to use. Once someone has reported the information to the group, that same information can not be reported again!

Related research ideas could include: 1) information about the author including awards and other books written by this person (bring the a book to show) 2) information about an event in the reading 3) information about the time period 4) information about the setting (this could include a map, pictures, and information of the places) 5) music, pictures, facts related to the reading.

Feel free to bring in pictures, maps, handouts, etc. I can have photo copies made in the office. Keep in mind you have to five to six minutes to present. What amount of research will fill this time? (too little? too much?) You can use the back of this page for notes or you can word process your findings.

In your group: Before you begin, explain your job to the group! Then do the next three steps.

1) Ask your group questions related to your research to test their prior knowledge.

2) Present your research.

3) Ask: What did you learn from my research? How did this help better understand the reading? What questions do you still have about his topic? Where would you look for more information?

Title of Book ___________________________Name: _______________________________

Researcher / Reporter

I found the following information related to the novel:

*Once someone has reported the information to the group, that same information can not be reported again!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: ____________________

Word Wizard

Title of book: ______________________________

Your Job:

Pick out six interesting and/or challenging words from the assigned reading. Write down the page number and sentence from the novel in which the word is used. Use a dictionary (either written or on-line) to define the word as it is used in that sentence and look at how it is pronounced (FYI: www.m-w.com will pronounce it for you).

What makes a good vocabulary word?

· A word you do not already know

· Repeated words

· Interesting words

· Descriptive words

· Words that are important to understand the meaning of the reading

· Challenging words to pronounce

In your group: Before you begin, explain your job to the group! Then do the next five steps:

1.) First pronounce the word correctly to the group.

2.) Read the sentence from the novel in which the word appears and give the page number.

3.) Ask your group: Does anyone know what this word means? (Let them give possible answers)

4.) Give the correct dictionary definition that fits how the word was used in the novel.

5.) Go on to the next word until you have presented all of your words.

Title of Book ___________________________Name: _______________________________

Word Wizard

Choose six award winning vocabulary words from your assigned novel. Be sure you can pronounce the words correctly.

1. Word:_________________________ Page #_________ Pronunciation:____________________________________________________

Sentence:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Definition:________________________________________________________

2. Word:_________________________ Page #_________ Pronunciation:____________________________________________________

Sentence:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Definition:________________________________________________________

3. Word:_________________________ Page #_________ Pronunciation:____________________________________________________

Sentence:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Definition:________________________________________________________

4. Word:_________________________ Page #_________ Pronunciation:____________________________________________________

Sentence:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Definition:________________________________________________________

5. Word:_________________________ Page #_________ Pronunciation:____________________________________________________

Sentence:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Definition:________________________________________________________

6. Word:_________________________ Page #_________ Pronunciation:____________________________________________________

Sentence:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Definition:________________________________________________________

Character Conductor

Your Job: Choose one character from the reading assignment. Describe this character in detail (looks, personality, etc.). Remember to write in complete sentences. You should have three or four sentences describing this character.

Create a character web that gives three characteristics or traits (angry, intelligent, mysterious, dangerous, trustworthy, etc.) that describe that character. Find one or two examples of what that character did or said that supports the characteristics you picked.

After filling in the web, write a short summary/prediction statement about the character. This could include predictions of what will happen to this character or what this character might do next. This should be four or five complete sentences.

In your group: Before you begin, explain your job to the group! Then do the next three steps:

1.) Read your character description to the group. Ask them if they would add anything to the description? Would they change anything?

2.) Share your web with the group. Do they agree with your conclusion? Would they add anything?

3.) Read your summary/prediction to the group and ask for comments on what you have written.

1. Character description________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Summary / Prediction________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name:________________________________________ Hour________________

Character Conductor

2: Web: A. Put the name of the character in the center circle. B. List three character traits or qualities in the surrounding rectangles. These should describe what your character is like or how they act. C. Examples from the book that tell specifically what this character did or said that supports the traits or qualities you picked. Write these in the ovals.

Artful Illustrator

Your Job: Draw a picture or diagram related to the reading assignment. Your picture could be of an event, character, setting, or a combination of these. Make sure you color your picture! Divide your picture into two frames if you want. Use “talk bubbles” if you want. Your picture should be a quality product that can be put on display in the room. Make sure your picture is detailed and creative. Your artwork can be done on the back of this paper or on a separate piece of paper. Include a written explanation at the bottom of your picture that includes identification of where in the reading this took place (chapter number).

In your group: Before you begin, explain your job to the group! Then do the next five steps:

1.) Show your picture.

2.) Do NOT say anything at first! Let your group have a minute to look at your artwork.

3.) ASK: can anyone explain what this picture has to do with the reading assignment?

4.) ASK: What would you change in the picture? What event, character, or setting in the story would you have chosen to draw?

5.) Read your written explanation to your group.

Name___________________________ Book Title_______________________________________________ Hour_____________

Artful Illustrator

My picture comes from chapter ______. This drawing…..______________________________________________________________

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