Artifact 2

The Tall Tales Literature Circle Unit was created using Netscape Composer and Microsoft Front Page, both web page editing computer programs. I was also required to scan a number of things into the computer and then use the program Adobe Photoshop to crop and manipulate the images before putting them into the web page. This unit was created within my Reading and Language Arts Methods class during my Block experience at Appalachian State University. The unit, which concentrates on the genre of Tall Tales, is created for a fourth grade classroom, but also encompasses other reading levels. The specific Literature Circle that my group created, is divided into 4 reading levels. There are second, third, fourth, and fifth grade reading levels included in the unit. Four group members collaborated to create this unit, working together on the Launch and Ending activities. I created the lessons for the fourth, on grade, reading level.

Impact:

The Literature Circle Units are a great way to accommodate for each student's reading level. I plan to use the Literature Circles in my own classroom along with other reading programs to help my students become confident readers of literature and confident discussion directors. The Literature Circles also develop discussion skills since a crucial part of Literature Circles is the discussion groups. Students become confident with themselves during the discussion groups because they have prepared what they are to discuss and they also are discussing a book on their own reading level.

Alignment:

The Literature Circle Units are based on the idea that students are diverse and individualized learners. The units provide different material for the students' various reading levels. Since a number of students will not be on the same grade level (some will be above grade level and some will be below) the Literature Circle Unit is a way to ensure that all students are reading material that is appropriate to their level and that they are still connected as a class by studying the same genre of literature (Tech. Comp. IIA and INTASC Standard. 3). This supports the idea that students need materials specific for their own style of learning. Literature Circles encourage creative thinking by allowing the students to often choose their own questions, passages, words, etc., from the text. This gives the student flexibility to think on their own and make their own discoveries about literature. (Tech. Comp. IIIB) Students can also do their Literature Circle "jobs" (see Literature Circle Unit artifact 2 for an example) on the computer. By having students type up their own questions and opinions, the teacher can better assess and evaluate whether or not they are understanding the major concepts of the material. (Tech. Comp. IV.C) The best thing about Literature Circles is that students get a variety of ideas from different people. There are many different perspectives to learn from (INTASC Standard 1). When teachers create their own jobs for different types of books, the teacher is able to plan instruction specifically according to the NCSCOS (INTASC Standard 7).