Novel Discussion - Socratic Seminar - Activities, Graphic Organizers, Rubric

Improve reading comprehension and boost speaking and listening skills with this unit for whole-class reading discussion or literature circles. Discussion handouts require students to summarize, analyze author’s craft, define vocabulary, and identify text support. Students also select quotations to draw conclusions, make predictions, and form connections. These activities guide their reading and prepare them for Readers’ Roundtable, which imitates the style of Socratic Seminar.

Each discussion procedure handout guides students through a quick-write, goal setting, partner rehearsal, inner and outer circles, whip-around and hot seat, observation notes, and reflection. As your students engage in their own reading discussion, they take ownership for their learning while meeting the rigorous standards of Common Core.

This 42-page resource comes as a Zip file and includes the following:

• teacher instructions
• discussion preparation handouts
• graphic organizers
• exemplars
• student response sheets
• discussion procedure handouts with journal prompts and reflection questions
• editable discussion procedure (PowerPoint slide)
• observation notes handout
• rubric (and editable version)
• “hot seat” posters (color and black/white)
• absence activity
• reading schedules

Are you preparing students for standardized assessments? These resources may interest you:

Common Core Writing Task: We Shall Overcome & Second Inaugural Address

The Man He Killed and The Sniper

Writing Task Paired Passage: First Lesson & Those Winter Sundays

Writing Task Paired Passage: Ain't I a Woman & Phenomenal Woman

Want to get students out of their seats? Then you may also be interested in my Trashketball games:

Elements of Fiction Review Game

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Raisin in the Sun

Of Mice and Men

Frankenstein

Pronouns & Antecedents

Subject & Verb Agreement

Idioms Trashketball Review Game (Advanced)

Sentence Parts

Sentence Structures

Sentence Problems

Going paperless? Then check out my new digital learning resources:

Digital Learning Resources

Meaningful and Memorable English Language Arts by © OCBeachTeacher

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