Raising Questions: You will engage early with Uncle Tom's Cabin when you take responsibility for asking questions about the novel, rather than answering the teacher's questions. The following is a simple assignment that works best when it is used regularly, for it encourages you to engage with the text. (It is also a nice substitute for the "reading quiz")

  1. Discussion Director: After reading a section of the novel, make a list of 3-5 questions you have about that portion of the novel. These questions should identify issues that make you wonder, not answers that you already know. *There is a difference between a "fact" question and a "critical" or "interpretive" question. I expect and encourage you to ask interpretive questions rather than fact questions. You will find this increasingly easy to do with practice, resulting in your increased ability to independently identify central issues in the novel.

(Fact questions have a single answer: "What was the name of Tom's wife?"

Critical/interpretive questions often start with the word "why" and have two or more answers that can be supported by material in the novel: "Why didn't Uncle Tom try to escape whenever Master Shelby sent him on errands?" "Why does George Harris want to be free?")

Possible discussion questions or topics for today:

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______
  4. ______
  5. ______

Other Possible Questions:

  • What was going through your mind while you read this?
  • How did you feel while reading this part?
  • Did today’s reading remind you of any real-life situations?
  • Can you think of another short story or book that has a similar thing happen?
  • How did you feel when ______?
  • What do you think about the way the author______?
  • What if ______would have happened instead?
  • What do you think could happen next?
  • Literary Luminary: After reading a section of the novel, your job is to locate a few special sections in each chapter that you would like to discuss with the class and/or group. The idea is to help people remember some interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important sections of the novel. You decide which passages are worth hearing, and jot plans for how they should be shared. You can read passages aloud yourself, ask someone else to read them, or have people read themsilently and then discuss.Finally, in 2-4 sentences write down your reason(s) for choosing each passage and explain.

Page / Paragraph / Reason for Picking / Plan for Reading

Possible Reasons for Picking a Passage:

  • Important
  • Surprising
  • Funny
  • Confusing
  • Informative
  • Controversial
  • Well-written
  • Thought-provoking
  • Uses repeated sounds
  • Innovative Investigator: After reading a section of the novel, your job is to dig up some background information on any topic related to the novel. This might include:

The geography, weather, culture or history of the chapter’s setting.

Information about the author, her life, and other works as it relates to the chapter(s).

Pictures, objects, or materials that illustrate elements of the chapter(s).

The history and derivation of words or names used in the chapter(s).

Music that reflects the chapter.

Sources for information:

the introduction, preface, or "about the author" section of the book

library books and magazines

the internet

interviews with people who know the topic

other novels, nonfiction, or textbooks you've read

Rules:

Provide a brief explanation as to why you chose your topic

Provide specific evidence from the assigned chapter(s) including page number(s).

Provide a correct MLA citation works cited page for the source

  1. Conscientious Connector:After reading a section of the novel, your job is to find connections between the novel and the world outside. This means connecting the reading to your own life, to happenings at school or in the community, to similar events at other times and places, to other people or problems that you are reminded of. You might also see connections between this novel and other writings on the same topic or by the same author. There are no right answers here—whatever the reading connects you with is worth sharing!

Some connections I found between this reading and other people, places, events, authors…

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______
  4. ______
  5. ______
  1. Vocabulary Extender:Your job is to be on the lookout for a few especially important words in today’s reading. If you find words that are puzzling or unfamiliar, mark them while you are reading, and then later jot down their definition. You may also run across other words that stand out somehow – repeated a lot, used in an unusual way, key to the meaning of the text, etc. Be ready to point these words out, too. Figure out a plan of how you want to present these words. Will you read them all to your group? Will you have a race to see who can find the word first? Whatever you do, make sure it helps members find and discuss these words.

Page / Paragraph / Word / Definition / Plan
  1. Summarizing Illustrator: Your job is to prepare an illustrated summary of the assigned reading. Choose 5-8 “key points” (just focus on the important parts) and create simple illustrations for each (like a comic strip). Be sure to present the key points in chronological order. Finally list the 5-8 key points.

Key Points:

  1. ______

______

  1. ______

______

  1. ______

______

  1. ______

______

  1. ______

______

  1. ______

______

  1. ______

______

  1. ______

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1. / 2. / 3. / 4.
5. / 6. / 7. / 8.