LEARNING UNIT WITH EXAMPLE OF A LEARNING EXPERIENCE INCLUDED

TITLE OF LEARNING UNIT: LITERATURE CIRCLES

TITLE OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE: ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT (A presentation based on A Taste of Blackberries, a book read in the Literature Circle)

(Most information about the LEARNING UNIT (Literature Circles) is in black; most information about the LEARNING EXPERIENCE (the presentation based on the book read in the Literature Circle) is in red.)

GRADE LEVEL: 4^th Grade

TIME: 6 to 9 weeks depending on length of books used and the types of Learning Experiences students choose

LEARNING STANDARDS: This Learning Unit and Learning Experience connect with the following NYS Learning Standards: English Language Arts; Mathematics; Science and Technology; Career Development and Occupational Studies; Health, Physical Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences. Please not that a similar or modified Learning Unit and Learning Experience might correlate with the same and/or different NYS Standards depending on the literature and projects chosen.

AUTHORS: Jo-Ann Williams and Marilyn McCredy

SCHOOL ADDRESS: Madison Central School, PO Box 155, Madison, NY 13402

PHONE/FAX: 315-893-1878/7111

(Note: Examples of information of everything in bold italics have been included with this Learning Unit/Learning Experience. A video of the culminating performances described in this Learning Unit/Learning Experience is available.)

DECLARATIVE:

Learning Unit:

• Students will write brief entries or draw sketches in a Literature Log. The types of entries students make are found in the Learning Content of this document.
• Students will write summaries of the reading assignment in the Literature Log.
• Students will recognize and record settings (both place and time) and characters (a brief description) in their Literature Log.
• Students will record vocabulary words in their Literature Log.
• Students will use the dictionary to look up information about vocabulary words.
• Students will locate settings that are found in the literature on maps.
• Students will identify issues that are found in the literature.
• Students will recognize author's writing techniques unique to the literature they read.
• Students identify qualities that make Literature Circles work effectively.
• Students will find editing errors in published literature.
• Students will be able to state the theme(s) of the literature they are reading.

Learning Experiences:

• Students will record information about the characters-Jamie and I from A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith and Tony and Joel from On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer.
• Students will recognize and write about new characters and setting changes in their log as they are introduced in the books they read.
• Students will write entries in their Literature Log as they read the books making connections with the reading. Types of entries that students make are found in the Learning Content of this document.
• Students will learn vocabulary words particular to the book they chose to read.
• Students will be able to use the dictionaries.
• Students will list the jobs of a Facilitator of a Literature Circle.
• Students will understand the meaning and consequences of peer pressure by reading and discussing the literature.
• Students will understand the importance of friendship through reading and discussing the literature.
• Students will be able to identify unsafe choices and will be able to brainstorm safer choices through reading and discussing the literature.
• In the literature students will see how some people (young adults, parents, neighbors) deal with the deaths of someone who is close.
• In the literature students will see how difficult it was for the characters to be honest about their feelings at times, but how much better it could have been for them if they had been able to be honest. (Some Examples: Tony might not have drowned, Jamie might have been helped more quickly which might have resulted in someone saving his life, Joel and the character I might not have felt so guilty and blamed themselves for their friend's death)
• Students will be able to list procedures for working together in effective Literature Circles and for the Purpose of working together on a presentation.
• Students learn what criteria sheets, assessments, and checklists are and how they are used.

PROCEDURAL:

Learning Unit:

• Students will apply social skills for cooperative groups. They will follow and apply Effective Literature Circle ideas to make their Literature Circle work. (See the Effective Literature Circles sheet included.) Students will recognize the skills necessary to work effectively within a group. If the Literature Circle is unable to work effectively the students will need to stop the Literature Circle, close their books, stop all work for 5 minutes and think about what needs to be done to continue in a more effective manner, discuss what changes need to be made and agree to them, then continue working. Teacher guidance is needed in this type of situation.
• Students will facilitate their Literature Circle using the Facilitator's Job Sheet.
• Students will discuss issues that are apparent in the literature using ideas from the Effective Literature Circles sheet.
• Students will use reading strategies and techniques to understand literature.
• Students will analyze characters and understand characterization.
• Students will recognize point of view.
• Students will make inferences based on the literature they read.
• Students will be able to infer unstated consequences and conditions from information they acquire through their reading. The inferences must be backed up by evidence from the book.
• Students will compare and contrast characters in the literature they are reading; they will make comparisons to characters in other literature they have read as well as make comparisons to other people they actually know.
• Students will compare author's writing techniques of literature they are reading to literature they have previously read.
• Students will support their point of views and entries with evidence from the literature that they are reading.
• Students, with teacher guidance, use a school calendar and make up a schedule showing what pages must be read, the minimum number of entries that must be recorded, and when the assignments are due for the entire book before they begin reading the book.
• Students will be able to analyze errors in their own and in others thinking through the discussions held during Literature Circles.
• Students will discuss possible solutions for problems that are found in the literature. They might analyze choices the characters made and discuss possible choices that would have been safer or better in some way.
• Students will put into effect the Literature Circle techniques to read literature.

Learning Experience:

• Students choose a project to do as a culminating activity based on the literature they read. They plan, prepare, practice and present the project.
• Students use a sheet similar to the sheet Can Your Students Answer These Questions? to plan benchmarks for their presentation.
• Students use the Presentation Pointers sheet to help organize their project or presentation.
• Students use criteria sheets to make sure their presentations include all the necessary parts. (The Newspaper Criteria Sheet is an example)
• Students will critique presentations and learn techniques and ideas to enhance their own presentations.
• Students will go through a process guided by the teacher, checklists, assessment sheets, criteria sheets, etc. so that they are able to successfully present their project to an audience.

Essential questions for the Learning Unit:

• What is a Literature Log and how is it used? What are the important parts of a piece of literature that are to be entered in the Literature Log (Setting, Characters, Plot, Vocabulary, etc.)? What other types of entries are to be entered in the Literature Log? (Connections the reader makes with the literature, Predictions, Summaries of the assignments read, etc. The types of entries to make are listed in the Learning Context of this document.)
• What student behaviors and responsibilities are necessary for the successful completion of reading literature using the Literature Circle techniques? (See Effective Literature Circles, Literature Circle Assessment Sheet, Literature Log Assessment Sheet, and Facilitator's Job Sheet)
• How are discussions in the Literature Circle conducted so that everyone shares their entries in a timely manner?
• What types of culminating projects could be done with the literature that was read?
• What steps need to be followed in preparing the presentation? What criteria are necessary for an acceptable presentation? What are the guidelines to use when critiquing a presentation?

Essential questions for the Learning Experience based on the books A Taste of Blackberries and On My Honor:

• What did I learn about honesty, friendship, peer pressure, choices people made, family relationships, and how to deal with death by reading the book? More specifically:

• What is peer pressure? How do the characters "I" and Joel in A Taste of Blackberries and On My Honor react to peer pressure from their best friends Jamie and Tony? Do Jamie and Tony feel peer pressure from "I" and Joel?
• What were the consequences of Jamie's and Tony's choices and decisions? What would be better and safer choices to the situations the main characters find themselves involved in? Why?
• What made the friendships so strong in the books A Taste of Blackberries and On My Honor?
• What was the role and importance of the adult characters in the books?
• What do you think of the way the parents reacted to the behaviors of the characters "I" and Joel regarding the choices they made after their friends Jamie and Tony died?
• Why was it so hard for the characters to be honest? (For example, the character "I" found it difficult to be honest about his own feelings towards Jamie and his death; Tony found it difficult to be honest about his swimming ability; Joel found it difficult to be honest about Tony's death.)

• What project will I choose to do as a culminating activity for the book I read? Will I work independently or with a friend? What are the elements of a successful cooperative group working towards a common goal? (The same ideas listed in the Effective Literature Circles sheet can be applies to other types of cooperative groups.) What steps do I need to follow to create an acceptable presentation? (There are many examples of guidelines, checklists, assessments, steps to follow, etc. included at the end of this document that will help students be successful with their presentations.)

This student centered Learning unit and Learning Experience focus on student choice and student run Literature Circles and student chosen projects. Many times, if students are given choices and they feel they have some control over their learning, they take a more vested interest in it and become more responsible. Often times, the results are very impressive.

The purpose of this Learning Unit and Experience, a number of appropriate books of different titles are shown to the students. Book Talks are given. Students spend time looking over the books. They choose the one they want to read. (Sometimes it is best to have students make a first and second choice. That way it becomes easier for the teacher to make up Literature Circles.) Students who have chosen the same book from Literature Circles. A workable number for a Literature Circle is about five.

The number of Literature Circles you have in the classroom is a consideration. The teacher will need to visit each Literature Circle each day to give guidance and make sure the main topics and information are being discussed. However, the number of Literature Circles depends on many factors: the number of books that are available, volunteers, other staff that are part of a push-in Language Arts program that can be utilized to help guide the groups, the number of students in the Language Arts class, etc.

Once Literature Circles have been established, the students start to read the book. Usually, students are assigned a chapter or certain amount of pages to read. (Sometimes students are capable of assigning themselves work. Also, it may be helpful to have each group decide what chapters (pages) are to be read by what date and make copies of this schedule. The schedule can be stapled into their Literature Folders. This helps with time management and responsibility-things we want to encourage in our students.) As students read the book they write entries into the Literature Log. Types of entries include, but are not limited to, the following:

• entries about writing strategies they notice the author used; things they like that the author did
• entries about memories of prior experiences the book made the student think about
• predictions of what will happen in the book
• entries about things that confuse the student, or of things the student doesn't know or understand
• entries about something the student learned as the book was read
• entries about things the student wants clarified in the Literature Circle or about things the student wants more information about
• entries about the parts of the book that made the student feel anxious, happy, sad, angry, upset, etc.

In the logs, the students write brief entries. It is important for them to write enough so that when they read the entry during the Literature Circle they will know what it is they wanted to talk about. Students are not held responsible for spelling correctly in their logs, however their entries must be readable. Complete sentences are avoided due to the focus being on content and space available.

It is up to the student when he/she chooses to write the entry. Usually it is helpful to write in the log as the idea for the entry is though of. However, this sometimes interrupts the flow of the reading. Students have been encouraged to jot down the page number and paragraph so they can go back and write the entry once they have read the entire assignment. Another method that has been used successfully is to have the students put a light pencil dot in the margin of the book. It can be erased after the entry is made in the Literature Log. If these methods are modeled, the student usually ends up using the one that is most comfortable for him/her.

Writing entries also encourages a type of note taking, a skill necessary for the NYS 4^th grade english Language Arts Test. Examples of a Literature Log and a Literature Log Assessment sheet are included with this Learning Unit/Learning Experience.

Once students have read the assigned pages and written in their Literature Logs the students meet in their Literature Circle to discuss the entries and ideas they've entered. The Literature Circle discussions are open-ended and focus on bringing the literature and the reader together. An Effective Literature Circles sheet is included with this Learning Unit/Learning Experience as well as rubrics for Literature Circles and Literature Logs.

Each Literature Circle has a Student Facilitator. The job of the Facilitator is to make sure the members are prepared, to make sure everyone has a chance to read from their Literature Log, and to make sure all important parts of the reading assignment are discussed. The Facilitator starts the Literature Circle by having the members read and discuss the summary of the chapter or pages read. Next the members discuss settings and/or setting change, and characters. Finally, the entries are discussed. Students take turns as Facilitators.

The role of the teacher is that of a guide. The teacher will meet with each Literature Circle and listen to the discussions going on. The teacher must be knowledgeable of all the books being read in the classroom and have previously made a Literature Log for each book. When time is short, it becomes helpful for the teacher to leave his/her Literature Log with the appropriate group so that information that is entered in it can be discussed when the teacher is unable to meet with that group.

(Please note: Instruction and modeling need to be given prior to the use of Literature Logs and Literature Circles if students are unfamiliar with this type of instruction.

Students of different reading levels can, and should, be in the same Literature Circle. However high-average, average-average, average-low groupings are the more compatible groupings. Low level readers that are grouped with high level readers sometimes do not work well although I have seen this type of grouping also works depending on the classroom atmosphere.

If you have a push-in Reading program, Literature Circles work especially well. In that situation, the classroom and the reading teacher share the responsibility of working with a certain number of Literature Circles of mixed abilities.)

Once the students are finished reading the book, then they decide on a project for a presentation. Not everyone in the Literature circle has to work on the same project. The project must involve writing, speaking, listening, and reading. Once the project has been chosen, students plan, prepare for the presentation, practice, and finally present. The Learning Experience All the News That's Fit to Print was a project chosen by two students. The students wrote the newspaper The Pennsylvania Times based on the book A Taste of Blackberries. Their project focuses primarily on the English Language Arts Standards, however there are correlations with many other Learning Standards.

I have used a key to indicate how the Standards and Performance Indicators are achieved. The key is as follows:

• H=information, activities, knowledge, etc. that students acquire by reading On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer, writing in the Literature Log, and/or being part of a Literature Circle
• T=inforamtion, activities, knowledge, etc. that students acquire by reading A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith, writing in the Literature Log, and/or being part of a Literature Circle
• N=inforamtion and knowledge that students acquire by creating a newspaper based on information from the book they read and studying newspapers (the Learning Experience All the News That's Fit to Print-The Pennsylvania Times)

English Language Arts: Standard 1-Language for Information and Understanding

Listening and Reading

Students:

• gather and interpret information from children's reference books, magazines, textbooks, electronic bulletin boards, audio and media presentations, oral interviews, and from such forms as charts, graphs, maps, and diagrams (H, T)
• select information appropriate to the purpose of their investigation and relate ideas from one text to another (N)
• ask specific questions to clarify and extend meaning (H, T, N)
• make appropriate and effective use of strategies to construct meaning from print, such as prior knowledge about a subject, structural and context clues, and an understanding of letter-sound relationships to decode difficult words (H, T, N)
• support inferences about information and ideas with reference to text features, such as vocabulary and organizational patterns (H, T)

Speaking and Writing

Students:

• present information clearly in a variety of oral and written forms such as summaries, paraphrases, brief reports, stories, posters, and charts (H, T, N)
• select a focus, organization, and point of view for oral and written presentations (N)
• use a few traditional structures for conveying information such as chronological order, cause and effect, and similarity and difference (N)
• use details, examples, anecdotes, or personal experiences to explain or clarify information (H, T)
• include relevant information and exclude extraneous material (N)
• use the process of pre-writing, drafting, revising, and proofreading (the "writing process") to produce well-constructed informational texts (N)
• observe basic writing conventions, such as correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, as well as sentence and paragraph structures appropriate to written forms (N)

English Language Arts: Standard 2-Language for Literary Response and Expression

Listening and Reading

Students:

• understand the literary elements of setting, character, plot, theme, and point of view and compare those features to other works and to their own live (H, T)
• use inference and deduction to understand the text (H, T)
• read aloud accurately and fluently, using phonics and context clues to determine pronunciation and meaning (H, T)

Speaking and Writing

Students:

• present personal responses to literature that make reference to the plot, characters, ideas, vocabulary, and text structure (H, T)
• explain the meaning of literary works with some attention to meaning beyond the literal level (H, T)
• create their own stories, poems, and songs using the elements of the literature they have read and appropriate vocabulary (N)
• observe the conventions of grammar and usage, spelling and punctuation (N)

English Language Arts: Standard 3-Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Listening and Reading

Students:

• read and form opinions about a variety of literary and informational texts and presentations, as well as persuasive texts such as advertisements, commercials, and letters to the editor (N)

Speaking and Writing

Students:

• express opinions (in such forms as oral and written reviews, letters to the editor, essays, or persuasive speeches) about events, books, issues, and experiences, supporting their opinions with some evidence (N)
• monitor and adjust their own oral and written presentations to meet criteria for competent performance (ex. In writing, the criteria might include development of position, organization, appropriate vocabulary, mechanics, and neatness; in speaking, the criteria might include good content, effective delivery, diction, posture, poise, and eye contact) (N)
• use effective vocabulary and follow the rules of grammar, usage, spelling and punctuation in persuasive writing (N)

English Language Arts: Standard 4-Language for Social Interaction

Listening and Reading

Students:

• listen attentively and recognize when it is appropriate for them to speak (H, T)
• take turns speaking and respond to others' ideas in conversations on familiar topics (H, T)
• recognize the kind of interaction appropriate for different circumstances, such as story hour, group discussions, and one-on-one conversations (H, T)

Math, Science, and Technology: Standard 2-Information Systems

Information technology is used to retrieve, process, and communicate information and as a tool to enhance learning.

Students:

• access needed information from printed media, electronic databases, and community resources (N)

Knowledge of the impacts and limitations of information systems is essential to its effective and ethical use.

Students:

• understand that computers are used to store personal information (N)

Career Development and Occupational Studies: Standard 3a-Universal Foundation Skills

Basic Skills

Students:

• listen to and read the ideas of others and express themselves both orally and in writing; they use basic mathematical concepts and computations to solve problems (H, T, N)

Thinking Skills

Students:

• use ideas and information to make decisions and solve problems related to accomplishing a task (N)

Personal Qualities

Students:

• demonstrate the personal qualities that lead to responsible behavior (H, T, N)

Technology

Students:

• demonstrate an awareness of the different types of technology available to them and of how technology affects society (N)

Managing Resources

Students:

• demonstrate an awareness of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and resources needed to complete a task (H, T, N)

Health, Physical Education and Family and Consumer Sciences: Standard 2-A Safe and Healthy Environment

Health Education

Students:

• will understand basic safety rules (H, T)
• will recognize potentially dangerous situations and know how to avoid or reduce their risk (H, T)
• will know some personal and social skills that contribute to individual safety (H, T)

Family and Consumer Sciences

Students:

• will understand some basic requirements of nurturing people of various ages, and demonstrate appropriate ways to interact with them (H, T)
• will know some conditions necessary for a safe and healthy home and school environment and recognize the various ways individuals contribute to that environment (H, T)

LEARNING EXPERIENCE: All The News That's Fit to Print

The following Learning Experience is based on one of two books that were chosen by a 4^th grade Language Arts class of 20 students. The students in the class were average to above average readers. The books chosen were A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith and On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer. These two books were the only ones presented to the students due to their similar themes. The themes of friendship, family relationships, peer pressure, honesty, and death are evident in both books. (Usually for Literature Circles more books are presented to the students so that they have a wide range of books to choose from. However, due to the similar themes and content only the two books mentioned above were offered.)

Projects and presentations that students prepared after reading one of the two books included a news broadcast entitled Channel 4 News; a retelling of the book using illustrations and chapter summaries written as captions; the creation of a game complete with game board, game pieces, and directions; a TV drama show entitled Shocking Stories; and a newspaper entitled The Pennsylvania Times. The Learning Experience All the News That's Fit to Print is based on the newspaper The Pennsylvania Times. A video is available showing the five presentations.

What students do:

Students choose to read A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith or On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer. These two books have similar themes of friendship, family relationships, peer pressure, honesty, and death. The books will be read according to a schedule made up by the members of each Literature Circle with the teacher. The schedule should be in each student's Literature folder so he/she is aware of the assignments, when they are due, and to help the students plan ahead, manage their time, and take responsibility for their work. The students can also keep the book they are reading and the Literature Log in the Literature folder so that all materials are organized and easily accessible. (All students have the same colored Language Arts Folders in which they keep everything that connects to Language Arts; students have separate folders for Literature and Writing.)

In a Literature Log students will keep information about:

• elements of reading that have been or are being taught
• what they have read
• their reactions to the reading (See information in Learning Context that tells of some types of entries students make in their Literature Logs. Also, see the example of a Literature Log included with this Learning Unit/Learning Experience.)

Students will communicate information, ideas, and thoughts written in their Literature Logs with other students through a Literature Circle. (See information about Literature Circles in Learning Context, and elsewhere in this Learning Unit/Learning Experience.)

Once the book is read, students will divide into cooperative groups to work on different projects as culminating activities. The students choose the projects with guidance from the teacher. Some examples of projects that students might choose to do are reenactments of a particular part of the book, a scaled down version of the book using chapter summaries and illustrations, a written script and performance of part of the book in a TV show or newscast format, or a video tape. The number of projects is endless. The project that this Learning Experience focuses on is writing a newspaper based on the book A Taste of Blackberries. All students are given a Presentation Checklist of Things to Do that is read and discussed with them once they have chosen a project. They refer to the checklist when they are closer to being ready to present their project. The Presentation Checklist of Things to Do is included with the Learning Unit/Learning Experience.

Students will receive rubrics for the newspaper and the presentation so they will know what their goals are.

Students will read newspapers and take notes about information that includes:

• how the layout of the newspaper looks
• the types of articles that are included in a newspaper

Students will decide what types of articles they will put in their newspapers.

Students will write first drafts of all articles, sketch out ads, etc. for the audience they will present to (in this case a superintendent, librarian, another 4^th grade, and a 5^th grade).

Students will make revisions and corrections.

Students will use Creative Writer (or a similar program such as Microsoft Word) to create their newspaper so that it resembles a real newspaper.

Students will import graphics, and use different fonts and letter sizes to personalize their newspaper.

Students will prepare a number of Final Drafts of the Newspaper to be shared with the audience. A Final Copy is to be handed in with plans, first drafts and revisions to the teacher for assessment. A Writing Rubric is included with this Learning Unit/Learning Experience that is used for the required writing piece.

Students will plan and practice their presentation.

Students will present their newspaper to an audience of other members of the school and other grades.

As an extension activity, the students might be required to write a newspaper article for a school newspaper or local newspaper complete with photograph.

Another extension activity that integrates technology is to have the students use a program such as PowerPoint to prepare their presentation.

What the teacher does:

The teacher provides the books, and Literature Logs. The books the teacher provides depends on books available in the school, or through BOCES.

The teacher divides the class into Literature Circle groups. (See information in Learning Context about Literature Circles.)

The teacher reads all books being used by the class and prepares Literature Logs for each.

A schedule of reading assignments needs to be made. It is more effective if both students and teacher make up this schedule. This enables the students to know what chapters/pages need to be read by what date until the book is completed. This will help the students to be prepared and manage their time more wisely. The schedule is put in the student's Literature Folder. If a student's work is not done, he/she is not prepared and cannot join the Literature Circle to discuss the material that was supposed to be read. In this situation, I have the student do the work at his/her desk and join the group only when the assignment is done. (There are also other consequences to not having work done on time which helps motivate students to be responsible for their work.)

The teacher guides students and visits each of the Literature Circles daily.

Assessment is ongoing. Also, Literature Log and Literature Circle evaluations are done once the book is read.

Once the books are read, Rubrics for the different types of writing pieces that will be done for the projects (and the presentations) are made and given to the students.

Students discuss different project ideas for their presentations. They decide what they will do and whether they will work alone or with a group. The teacher provides materials and needed information to the groups working on the various projects. For the group working on the newspaper, the teacher provides a Newspaper Criteria Sheet that introduces the newspaper activity.

The teacher provides newspapers so that the students can familiarize themselves with the different sections that make up a newspaper, the types of articles in the different sections, the layout, of a newspaper, etc.

• the following Website may be helpful: http://www.newspaperlinks.com. Once the site is found, choose the state and newspaper. It is easier to use the map to choose the state since a list of newspapers to choose from is available.

Information about newspaper articles is provided so the students will know what must be included in their articles. Instruction is given, or reinforced, about the types of information to include in articles: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

The teacher might contact a local newspaper reporter to spend time in the classroom.

The teacher edits all writing pieces before students use the computers.

The teacher needs to schedule time for students to use computers either in the room or in the computer lab.

The teacher needs to arrange for dates of presentations, video equipment if it is to be used, and invitations if others will be invited to the presentations.

The teacher needs to make copies of any needed material for the groups that will be presenting. For example, copies of the newspapers for the audience were needed.

Prerequisites (These would make the Learning Unit/Learning Experience easier. However, students can be taught these skills as the Learning Unit/Learning Experience is used.):

• Students should know how to use Literature Logs.
• Students should have had experience working in cooperative groups with peer student leaders.
• Students should know how to conduct effective Literature Circles.
• If possible, volunteers who understand and are adept at working with Literature Circles are helpful.
• Note-taking techniques should have been established prior to this Learning Experience since students will be writing the entries in the Literature Logs in note format.
• It is helpful if students know how to plan out their presentation on paper, make lists of materials and props needed, etc.

Procedures used to accommodate the range of abilities in the classroom:

Pay attention to groupings of students. Students of different abilities should make up each group. However it might be helpful to avoid grouping students of very high reading ability with those of very low reading ability in the Literature Circles.

Everyone in the group is responsible for writing an article (or a writing piece) for the project. Use special teachers and aides to help monitor students with difficulties if at all possible.

Students who have difficulty with small motor can use computers to write their first drafts as well as their final draft.

The classroom should be set up in such a way as to allow groups to work effectively.

There will be many different Literature Groups that might all be reading different books. To make it easier to use this Learning Experience, you might have everyone read the same book, but continue to give the students some choices by running their own Literature Circles. Also, once the book is read, you could have the whole class produce on newspaper or work on one project rather than let each student choose his/her own project. However, both of these ideas limit student choice.

Planning-This depends on the following factors:

• How long will it take to get the books that will be used for the Learning Experience?
• How much time will be required to copy and prepare the Literature Logs?
• Have the students been taught how to work in cooperative groups, to share roles, to facilitate, to listen to one another, etc.? These behaviors are necessary if the Literature Circles are to be successful and if students will be working together on the projects.
• Have the students used Literature Logs or something similar?
• Remember that you might have many Literature Circles going on at the same time. Once the books have been read, students might be working on many different presentations. This can lead to confusion and chaos. It is important that your students are patient and know that you will get to them. I have found it helpful if I require the students working on different projects to write down what they intend to do. They give themselves benchmarks to achieve. Once a benchmark it approved, the group goes and works on that aspect of the presentation. When that have been accomplished, they come back, get that approved, decide what they need to work on next, and go work on it. By using this method, you're constantly in touch with each group by helping them with a small part of their presentation. However, there will be times when you need to devote your complete attention to one group, especially if they think they are ready to present to an audience. During this time make everyone in the class, except the presenters, critics. This gives the students the experience of seeing what needs to be done to improve a presentation. It also gives them ideas for their own presentations. I stress that if the critics have helpful comments they begin with, "Something I think you could (not should) change is…and the reason why is…the sheet Can Students Answer These Questions? which is included in this Learning Unit/Learning Experience might be helpful to keep the students focused on what needs to be accomplished.

Implementation-This Learning Unit/Learning Experience will take approximately 6 to 9 weeks if students are allowed to work 1 hour a day. However, depending on the length of the books chosen and the students' prior knowledge of Literature Logs, Literature Circles, project ideas such as writing a newspaper, writing techniques, typing skills, and computer skills it might require more or less time.

• 2 to 3 weeks-Reading the chosen book and discussing the information in the Literature Logs during Literature Circle time will probably take about 2 to 3 weeks of 1-hour classes.
• 1 to 2 days-Deciding on a project to work on, and whether the student prefers to work independently or with a group, will take a day or two. In this Learning Experience the two students who worked on the newspaper originally wanted to work independently. One wanted to write an obituary, while the other wanted to write a main article about the main character in the book. They talked and decided they would write a newspaper together.
• 3 days-Perusing newspapers for information, ideas, and format will take a few days. All articles/advertisements that will be written for the newspaper must connect to the book that was read and be written in correct format.
• 1 to 2 days-Planning the newspaper using the criteria provided, and deciding who will write what articles and advertisements will take approximately 1 to 2 days.
• 5 to 10 days-Preparing the newspaper will take about 5 days. Writing the first drafts, and editing will take 3 to 5 days. It is important for students in each group to help one another with the editing. Checklists of what is expected for the different types of articles are helpful. Planning of other parts of the newspaper and the lay out of the articles/ads can be worked on while the teacher is editing with students who are preparing other presentations. I require plans of all illustrations and captions so that when the students get to use the computers they will have a focus.
• 5 days-Using the computer programs for creating the newspaper, for individualizing the newspapers by using different fonts and sizes, and for importing graphics will take time as the students will want to personalize the look of their newspaper. Students will need to organize the articles. It is helpful if the layout of their newspaper has been done so the students know the order that the articles need to be typed. Each group member needs to submit a copy of his/her own article for individual assessment. The Writing Rubric is used for this assessment. The Writing Rubric is included with this Learning Unit/Learning Experience.
• 3 to 5 days-Editing the newspaper and printing the newspaper will take about 3 to 5 days.
• 3 to 5 days-Practicing for the presentation so that possible problems can be worked out will take 3 to 5 days. The Presentation Checklist is helpful.

Assessment-Assessment is ongoing throughout the Learning Experience.

• Assessments are made as the book is read. The Literature Logs, as well as the effectiveness of individual members of the Literature Circles is assessed.
• Assessment is made during the planning of the newspaper.
• Individual assessment is made on each student's writing piece.
• A formal group assessment is made on the newspaper and presentation.
• Assessments are also done by the students.

Students will need access to computers.

Teachers will need trade books either from the school or from BOCES.

Assessment is ongoing as mentioned above.

Traditional assessments are given in the form of quizzes and tests on the books read.

Students will be given all assessments prior to the assignment/activity. All assessments are read together and discussed for understanding. Assessments for the different assignments are colored coded to help the students keep organized. For example all assessments for literature (Literature Log, Literature Circle) are a shade of yellow. Assessments for the writing assignments and the presentation are each a different color.

Project progress reports and/or a Group Log are used to keep students aware of time management, to make students aware of what they are doing well and what they need to work on, and to let the teacher know what has been done and needs to be completed. A Progress Report or Group Log should be kept for each group.

The teacher uses the Teacher's Project Observation Log form.

The students evaluate themselves individually and evaluate their group at the end of the project using project-debriefing tools.

A Writing Rubric is used to assess the newspaper. This is a group assessment. However, as stated earlier, the Writing Rubric is also used as an individual assessment of the student's article(s) written for the newspaper. The Writing Rubric can be used to assess any written piece required for the project/presentation.

A Presentation Rubric is used for the presentation. This is a group assessment. It is important to emphasize that the presentation is a group assessment and that everything each group member does during the presentation should make the presentation stronger rather than detract from it. If necessary, the Presentation Rubric can be modified for an individual.

Student work is available upon request.

The Learning Unit/Learning Experience were very successful. This is evident from the types of student learning, both academic and social that were accomplished; the students' engagement with the literature; and the high level of presentations performed.

Through discussions during Literature Circles using Literature Logs, students gained knowledge of reading and writing techniques used by the authors, as well as knowledge of relationships between friends and family, information about peer pressure and choices, honesty, and possible ways to deal with the death of a friend. These are only a few examples of knowledge gained.

Socially students realized how difficult it was to work with others, but that it was necessary for the benefit of the whole group. They learned that tolerance is very important. Both of these are important life skills.

Students learned that in order to have a successful presentation planning was crucial. They learned how important practice was so that the many problems that the students did not anticipate could be fixed before presenting to an audience. Students learned the value of their peer critics and critics learned to be kind and helpful.

This Learning Unit/Learning Experience was developed because it incorporates many of the Learning Standards.