Basic Lesson Plan for the Novel- Literature Circles

I have taught novels primarily within Literature circles. I generally allow the students to “test drive” the novels in about a five minute span each. They can read the beginning of the novel, or they can read whichever part they might need to. After they have read all of them, and usually there are about eight choices, the students are to fill out a card ranking their choices one through three. Once the students have been grouped together, they are to meet in groups and determine how many pages must be read each week. I usually give an assignment for each week. One week they are to find five elements of mood and use sticky notes to mark the periods that mood is used. The assignment that will be given the upcoming Friday will deal with mood and the collection of what they have done. While students are in groups, they are able to discuss what they have read and any problems. I will generally walk around and ask a few questions as well. I have done various projects while doing the Literature circles. Some of the projects are book in a bag, a different version of a plot chart, creating another ending chapter for the novel, creating a new front and back cover for the novel, creating a persuasive commercial for the book, and several other persuasive elements. Usually they have to use all of the literary elements that we have gone over. I try to make teaching novels more project and discussion based. I have yet to teach a novel with a whole class reading the same novel. I have also used puzzle posters in order to show the different elements. This could be used with a plot line, to show what happens if a piece was taken away…or even used with a variety of elements.