AP Language and Composition Literary Circles
Purpose: To discuss and share a novel with a group of peers.
To develop skills of analyzing literature independently.
To cooperate and learn in a group setting.
To gain insight from others’ perspectives on literature.
Required Activities:
* Read the novel following the calendar schedule.
* Prepare for group discussions.
* Contribute to group discussions in a positive, intelligent manner.
STEP ONE: Choose a book from the list below OR one from these geographic areas that would be appropriate for study in an AP course.
Please note that because literature is a mirror of human experience, some of the texts you select may portray particular situations or contain language that some parents and students might find objectionable. Please know that your comfort and feelings of safety are of utmost concern to us and that we would be happy to provide you with more information about your choices if you would like.
We would like you to share your selection with your parents and have them sign the form included in this packet of information.
STEP TWO:Meet with your group to set up reading schedule and assign lenses.
Meeting #1Date:28 MayChapters due: _____Lens: ______
Meeting #2 Date:4 June Chapters due: _____Lens: ______
STEP THREE: Each week, read your assigned chapters, write a response journal for those chapters and prepare for the discussion.
A) On your own: Be sure to meet the deadlines your group has set!
B) Response journal. Keep a response journal as you read each week’s chapters. Have a conversation with the text. Here are some prompts to get you started:
* What is your reaction to what’s happening?
* What do you notice if you look through the different “lenses” we talked about in class (archetypal lens, gender lens, cultural lens, socio economic lens, etc.)?
* What personal or real world connections can you make with the story?
* What don’t you understand?
* What would you like to discuss or know more about?
Some people like to write as they read; others like to write a bit after each chapter. Be specific and thoughtful; this response will show that you have carefully read and thought about your assigned chapters.
Each response journal should be at LEAST the equivalent of one typed page and will be due at the time of your group meeting.
C) Prepare for discussion. You’ll also need to prepare questions for each discussion. Each group member should write 5 questions for each discussion focusing on universal themes of your novel. Students should rotate lenses each week. Given group size, every lens will not be covered every week; select lenses that seem important to your book, but also remember that surprising ideas can surface from using lenses that are not obvious “fits” to your text. Questions should be attached to journals and turned in immediately following each discussion.
Lenses:
Personal Connection: Questions that help the group relate events in the text to their own Experiences, current events, and other texts.
Formalist: Questions about the significance of key literary elements such as setting, character, plot, theme, and imagery.
Gender: Questions that interrogate the role that gender plays in the text.
Multicultural: Questions the depictions of race, culture, and ethnicity in the text.
Socio-economic: Questions about the economic power structures that exist in the novel.
Psychological: Questions about the unconscious/ subconscious motivations of characters.
Archetypal: Questions about how the story fits the archetypal patterns.
Historical/ Biographical: Questions concerning the historical context of the novel and/or the life of author. Sometimes, a small amount of outside research might be necessary.
STEP FOUR: Participate in two book club meetings.
The goal of each meeting is to have a thoughtful 30 minute conversation about your book in which all members participate equally. Take turns asking questions and wait for others to formulate their responses before moving on to another question. Please note, if you are absent on the day of your meeting, you cannot earn credit for it.
EVALUATION:
2 book discussions x 10 pts. each 20 pts.
2 reader response journals x 20 pts. each40 pts.
TOTAL60 pts