SMALL GROUP NOVELS: Ideas for Discussion Days

 

small GROUP DISCUSSIONS OVER VARIOUS NOVELS  

(and a quiz)

My students (and likely yours) appreciate having a bit of "voice and choice" at different points in the semester. While we have been hitting Q2 pretty hard, on alternate days, they are accountable for having read an assigned section of their novel. This semester's novel selections are listed below.  The first discussion is usually after the first 60 pages, and I just let them go for it--discussing what they like/dislike, what is happening, what is confusing. etc. 

Below are the novel selections...

 ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, The COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, GRAPES Of WRATH, JANE EYRE

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(This one is fun; they have to know the reading pretty well, and it's a nice review of plot and purpose for the whole group.) 

AP Lit Group Novel Discussion: Pick a Random Plot Point! p. 150-220

Get into your groups.  One at a time, starting alphabetically by first name, randomly turn to a page between p. 150-220. Ask everyone else to turn there as well. Take about 60 seconds to review your page. Read at least 1/2 of the page aloud to your group.  Explain what is going on and what led up to this moment. Then describe its significance to the overall plot or protagonist.

Then the next person finds a random page and things continue...

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(This is an independent quiz and not open book--just a reflective reading check)

AP Lit Group Independent Quiz 220-270 

What are two events that have recently occurred in your novel?  

A. For each, write a lengthy paragraph detailing the action and then discussing its significance to the plot or developing theme or characters. 

B. Following that paragraph, discuss an alternative event--what COULD have happened instead? Write a long paragraph discussing this potential plot point.  

(You will have 4 paragraphs in all.) 

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AP Lit Small Group Discussion: p. 270--325

1. How are you feeling about the book overall--how does it compare to other novels you've read? (super basic)

2.  Discuss a secondary character (not the antagonist). What is their importance to the plot and how do they affect the protagonist?  What do they want?

3. What are the strangest or most disturbing or mysterious things that have happened in the novel so far? Explain--what do they add?

a.

b.

c.

4.  If this novel were made into a film, which characters, details, or plot points would be left out? Why?

a.

b.

c.

5.  Discuss how much the setting (both time and place) affect this novel.

6.  Brainstorm:  What would this novel be like if set in the present--Heathcliff visits Gilbert High, etc.? Explain with several details what this would look like--what would need to change and what could remain?

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For the next section, maybe p. 325-400, I have them write a "teacher-like" quiz with answers.

GROUP NOVEL QUIZ (written independently)

Requirements:  You must include 3 multiple choice questions, 3 short answer questions, 2 true or false questions, and 1 two-paragraph reflective question. Provide the answer for each question in highlighted in red and include the page number. It should be set up like an actual class quiz! Make it look cool. :) 

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FINAL DISCUSSION (Student directed Socratic seminar)

Each student arrives at class with three higher order thinking questions.  They will have answered each question in 3-5 sentences.  These questions will be used for your final group discussion.  One of your question can be from any section of the book. One question should be about the last 20 pages of the novel.  One question should be a reflective question addressing the novel as a whole.

FINAL AP Q3 Essay! 

Since this is an AP Lit class, after the final Socratic seminar, I share a couple appropriate Q3 essay prompts I have found for each book. Students brainstorm together how they would approach the question.  Then each writes about one of the questions as a full essay.