Fifth Grade (on grade level)
Section Two (pgs. 24-47)

Discussion Director:

The job of the Discussion Director is to develop questions for group members, to help focus on important parts of each section.  These questions should vary in difficulty and type.  For this reading section, the Discussion Director should create the following types of questions: 1 MCEOG, 1 Cause/effect, 1 Main Idea, 1 Prediction, and 1 On your own.  Here are some examples of the types of questions that could be created for this section.

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(MCEOG)
1.  Which of the following does not describe Peter as he travels across the island?

a.  excited
b.  interested
c.  confused
d.  bored

(Cause/Effect)
2.  What caused Peter to have to travel back to the island alone?

Answer:  Peter left the gun on the island and Mr. Shinn had to help with the search (page 30, lines 6-11)

(Main Idea)
3.  What is the main idea of this reading section?

a.  Peter is not nice
b.  Mr. Shinn wants to leave Peter on the Island
c.  Peter's struggle with proving that he is strong and brave
d.  Peter hurts his arm

(Prediction)
4.  What do you think will happen to Peter and the girl?

Answer: opinion question predicting what will happen based on (pages 45-46)

Passage Picker:

The Passage Picker's job is to select specific passages, from the reading section, that are significant in some way.  These passages should be discussed with Literature Circle group.  There are many reasons that a passage might be significant.  The Passage Picker should select passages, from this reading section, for the following reasons: 1 intriguing, 1 showing dialect, 1 step-by-step, and 1 suspense/excitement.  Here are some examples of significant passages from this section.
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(Intriguing)
1.  page 26, last par.

It was....gone again.

(Dialect)
2.  page 30, 3rd par. from bottom of page

"Then best....I'm wanted"

(Step-by-Step)
3.  page 28, par. 2

"I'm  coming!....less hurtful.

Word Wizard:

The job of the Word Wizard is to select words from the reading section for their literature circle group to examine and discuss.  These words can be chosen for various reasons, such as:  word patterns, new or unknown words, strange words, describing words, words in bold/italics, etc.  For this section, the Word Wizard should choose 4 of the following words to create word wizard cards for:  suffused (p. 24), mortally (p. 27), surmised (p. 29), petulance (p. 31), chided (p. 30), aghast (p. 33).  Here are some examples.
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(New Word)
1.  suffused-  page 24, 2nd line of chapter 7

Close to five o'clock in the morning the darkness became suffused with light.....

(Describing Word)
2.  aghast- page 33, first full par.

I merely sat there stupidly, watching aghast as the boat began to gain in speed.

Character Sketcher:

The job of Character Sketcher is to create a character map for a main character of the reading section of their book. This map should include proof of three character traits, the goal of the character they choose, the problem faced by that character, and a solution or possible solution for that character's problem. Below is an example of a character sketch for section two of Night Journeys.

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PETER YORK-

Character Traits/Proof:
1.  annoyed- page 25, 2nd par. from bottom
Peter is annoyed when Mr. Shinn talks to him like he is not capable. He is also irritated when he can not do what he is trying to do.

2.  self-conscious- page 33, par. 2
Peter is very self-conscious about making mistakes and embarrassing himself.  He wants to be good at things and is afraid he will mess up all the time.

3.  selfish- page 46, par.1
Peter is selfish in thinking only about how the girl can benefit him. He does not consider what she might be doing alone in the woods; whether she might need his help or not.

Character Goal:
Peter's main goal in this reading section is to prove his abilities to himself and others, especially Mr. Shinn.

Problem:
Peter keeps "messing up".  He falls and hurts his arm, he leaves the gun on the island, and he wrecks the boat as he tries to get back to the island and get the gun.

Possible Solution:
A possible solution for Peter to get back to the island and then back to where Mr. Shinn and the others are is to receive help from the girl he sees. A solution to Peter's "mess-ups" is for him to not worry so much about what he might do wrong.  Usually when one stops worrying about what might happen, nothing ever happens.
 
 

Connector:
The job of the Connector is to connect their group's Literature Circle book to something relevant to their own lives. A way to connect the book they are reading to the outside world (their own environment) is to think of a situation that they have experienced or a movie/story that reminds them of what is happening in the book.  The Connector should answer certain questions as he/she attempts to connect Night Journeys to the outside world.  Here are some questions to help in making that connection.  The Connector could also write a story that relates something in the story they are reading to their own experiences.
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1.  What did you notice in this reading section of the story?
2.  How did what you've read in this section make you feel?
3.  What does the story remind you of in your own life?
4.  Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
5.  Compare/Contrast yourself with the main character's actions during this reading section.
6.  Does this part of the story remind you of any other story you have heard or read? Explain.

(Possible Answers)

1.  I noticed Peter's pride and determination to prove his capabilities, as he attempted to get back to the island and get the gun.
2.  I felt bad as I read this because I am sometimes proud and worry too much about whether I am doing things the right way or not (like Peter does in this reading section).
3.  This part of the story reminds me of when I am trying to do something, to show that I can, and everything goes wrong. Once I tried to make a basketball shot, in front of my friends, and I tripped and fell. I remembered this when I read about Peter wrecking the boat as he tried to go get his gun.
4.  I would recommend this book to a friend because it is interesting and exciting to read. My friend could relate to Peter because he is near our age and does things that we would do.
5.  In this section, I am a lot like Peter because I worry a lot about doing things right and not messing up. I am not like Peter in that I am not as brave as he is.  I would have been afraid when the River started to carry the boat away. I also would have tried to help the girl, which is different than what Peter did (he was only interested in what she could do for him).
6.  I can't think of a specific example of a story like this, but I know that a lot of movies and stories have parts where a main character is trying to prove him/herself and goes through a physical struggle.