Artifact # 3
Literature Circles is an online unit plan, which is designed to integrate language arts with social studies. The objective of literature circles is to accommodate diverse reading levels.
Context
The literature circles unit plan was created during my undergraduate
studies at Appalachian State University.
Impact
The Literature Circles Unit is a valuble tool to use to teach reading,
elements of literature, and can be integrated with many different subjects.
My particular unit is integrated with social studies. By creating
this unit, I learned that it meets many different goals included in the
North Carolina Standard Course of Study. It is an excellent way to
engage children in reading while they are learning other subjects at the
same time. Students learn to analyze what they are reading which
inspires comprehension of what they are reading. Teachers can use
this on-line unit plan as a resource and as a guide to creating their own.
Alignment
Literature circles require students to use a variety of resources to
analyze passages in the book they are reading for the unit. Students
must use a dictionary, thesaurus, and other references to locate and analyze
information from specific sections in the books they are reading (Tech
Comp. 12.1). Literature circles provide not only a lesson for students,
but an experience to learn from. Many curriculum goals are met through
the unit plan, which is designed to be an effective method of teaching
different reading levels. Students learn to research and analyze
different materials, which will be beneficial to them in further grade
levels (Tech Comp12.7). Throughout the
literature circles unit, teachers must read through the material and organize
it into sections for each reading level. Teachers must be knowledgeable
of the concepts being taught (elements of literature) and have read the
books on each level, in order to effectively guide the students through
the unit and to provide a learning experience for them (INTASC
1).
Teachers must have knowledge of the reading material and the elements
of literature to be able to analyze it effectively to provide a model for
students to go by. While planning the unit, curriculum goals are
met throughout each lesson (INTASC 7).
It was also developed to create different opportunities for diverse learners
as that are divided into different reading groups for facilitation of learning
(INTASC 3). Literature circles
divides students into groups which creates a cooperative and social learning
environment and helps to engage the students in what they are reading.
I have had the opportunity to compare classes with and without Literature
Circles instruction. The difference is extraordinary. Children
involved in Literature Circles are much more focused and excited about
what they are reading. Students feed off the enthusiasm of one another
and gain motivation to be interested in their reading (INTASC
5).