Artifact 4

Artifact
Literature Circles, an on-line reading unit, which is designed to integrate history into literature and accommodate diverse reading levels

Context
The unit plan was created as part of my pre-service training at Appalachian State University in the course, “Language and Literacy in the Elementary School.”

Impact
Creating this literature circle was a worthwhile personal experience that taught me many valuable lessons. Because I have created one unit plan, I am confident in my ability to create other units for use in my future classroom. The unit serves as a valuable tool to use historical fiction to teach both social studies and reading while allowing students to have a common experience, but also cater to their individual reading level. Because we created the literature unit as a web page, the unit is available to other teachers to use in their classrooms and as a guide to creating their own unit plans.

Alignment
   Participating in literature circles require students to refer back to their book to prepare for their roles, answer questions, and contribute to the discussion. The role of investigator allows students to use other sources of technology, including encyclopedias, atlases, and the Internet, to find more information about a specific concept or topic in the book (Tech 12.1)
   Experiencing literature circles provides experiences that meet many curriculum goals, which are listed within the unit plan. Students are required to use several different forms of creation and presentation (Tech 12.7)
   Included within the unit is a page of modifications that can be made for students at differing levels or with learning disabilities. For students that cannot read any of the material included in the unit, books can be tape recorded for them to listen to and then complete their role with assistance (Tech 13.1).
   To create a literature unit, teachers must find appropriate reading materials, plan the unit, and provide students with adequate background information about the historical concept that is the focus of the unit. Teachers must also be familiar with the elements of literature (INTASC #1).
   The literature circle that I created accommodates differing reading levels. Within the unit, four different books with four different reading levels are used to facilitate learning about Slavery during the Civil War. Regardless of reading level, students are able to share their findings to create a common experience (INTASC #3).
   Participating in literature circles creates a cooperative learning environment that allows all children to participate and interact with each other. Children are responsible for their own “job” and are very excited to share their ideas with each other. The chance to participate in discussion becomes the motivation for reading the book and preparing their roles (INTASC #5).
   As part of the literature unit, I created a lesson plan about the Underground Railroad that can be used in conjunction with the unit. The unit contains a list of resources that I used to gain background knowledge of the Underground Railroad, as well as a list of the curriculum goals that the literature unit satisfies (INTASC #7).