Supporting Learning in Book

Clubs

Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Social Issues

Why book clubs?

 Create a unit of readers, not an expert on one book.

 Learn about others as readers, and therefore read to

anticipate what others might notice.

 Club has a history of shared books and shared

conversations to build upon
Building a book club culture

 Kids are in control (with a little guidance

 Create their own constitution
 Come up with a name
 Choose a mascot
Membership

 Think of this as a social structure that will last a unit or more

 Support all readers –same band of readers, but have
partners within the group to help bump the levels of
complexity
Band Research
N, O, P, Q (30-40ish)

R,S,T (high 40-50ish)

U.V.W (60ish)

X,Y, Z Higher up the bands you go the more careful you

need to be about inappropriateness
But I have a level 28 reader . . .
 LRC teacher or LSS teacher could team teach
the unit
 Book on tape and allow level 28 reader to join a
more advanced book club (with care,
remembering that each time a reader does this
they are not growing in the same way as their
counterparts who are reading vs. listening to the
book)
 Join classes so the low kids can form one group or
mix all your kids to better meet needs
 Match the student(s) with a book for which they
extensive background knowledge
But I have a level 28 reader . . .
 Increase the number of conferences
 Read aloud the first chapter
 Support readers with book trailer, movie trailer,
super bowl commercial
 Match book with time period (HF) or theme being
studied as a mentor
 Use time travel books like Magic Tree House, Who
Was, which can be found at lower levels
 Start a chart with students
 Use laminated charts that they can wipe off
 Decrease the amount of paperwork
 Perhaps allow one set of paperwork for the
whole group
Routines
 Don’t meet too often

 Set up the expectation that the meeting will last 10-15 minutes
 And the expectation when talk runs out go back to reading

 On days that clubs don’t meet, set time for partner conversation, if
needed, or homework and goal setting

 Use the constitution to set up reading expectations, taking about a

week and a half to two weeks on the club book, so there can be
deeper discussions.

 Expect some writing to come to each club meeting

 Should always be seated with book club for mini lesson and share
Writing about text

 Think about the discussions students had. If they could

sustain 10-15 minutes they can write about the book
advancing an idea about the text.

 Crucial to understanding of the deeper meanings of text

 Important to balance amount of reading and amount of

writing~~ 10% writing

 If they cannot write down what they think, how will they
be able to share deeper in their groups?
How to do this…

 Show exemplar examples

 Have them discuss why the samples work
 Chalk talk to discuss weaknesses/strengths of samples

 They need to be able to elevate their thinking on their

own, so they can be a productive member of a group

 Commit to a line of discussion within 3 minutes

 Use a talk map

 Create a common language

Notice and Note Signposts

 Words of the wiser

 Contrasts and contradictions

 Again and again

 Memory moment

 Aha moment

 Tough questions

http://murtaugh.weebly.com
/reading-sign-posts.html
Now they have common language,
what next..

 Now they can write long about an idea and they have
common language…begin book clubs
Starting the clubs

 Have the clubs begin discussing your read aloud, taking

on a subject that they see in the text

 Start a club discussing a short piece of work, read in

school, then scaffold up

 Copy the first chapter of a book and have club annotate

it on the copy
Constitution
Teach into clubs

 Use the constitution as a framework, not an assignment

 Become a functioning partner if group is lost

 Be a ghost partner if a group only needs a nudge

 Take the role of a researcher and ask the group what

their goal is, then provide support and next steps
See . . .Think . . Teach
So how do we teach kids to do that?
 Video View
 http://vimeo.com/55965888
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_2Rc5nCG5Q
 CD Rom with Calkins

 Fishbowl . . .invite the class to watch a group, perhaps take notes,

discuss what they saw and set a goal based on their observations

 You can join the group

 Active Member
 Ghost Partner

 Spy on a book club . . .invite a struggling group to watch, take notes

and set a goal in response

 Set Up I-pads to Record

 Set group goals
 Follow up with teacher feedback
Encourage Independence

Who sets the

number of
pages per
night?
Role of Response in Book Club Work

 Graphic Organizers
 Fast

 Feedback
 Constitution
 Group Conferences

 Discussion Prompts to, with, by

 Response journals
 Watch out for book specific packets . . .they sometimes take the
place of teaching
 Beware of The TPT packet . . .

 Exit Slips
Constitution
Fast Characterization
Use conversation prompts to support
conversation
Charts
WAIT!!! I don’t have enough books….
Building Your Collection . . . .
 Multiple Copies 2-8 ish
 2nd and Charles
 Salvation Army
 Book Drive

 To start, Few themes, More

Choices (at least 2 books for
each theme)

 Build as you get more sets to

add more themes

 For struggling readers,

 Match their book’s theme
with your read aloud.
 Match their book’s theme
with a picture book the class
has read
Launching Book Clubs
“There is no such thing as a struggling readers just kids with the wrong
books” Kylene Beers
Give kids CHOICE

Set up tables with books grouped by band

Keep your groups 3-5 kids

Have students submit their top 2-3 selections on a sticky note or

via a goggle doc

Goal is NOT for kids to read one book but to read several books
before the unit is over in one era or one theme

Aiming for Instructional level NOT independent b/c students are

supported by their peers
Changing Gears
Historical Fiction
Book Clubs

Presented by:
Kate DiMeo & Eileen Murtaugh
In Collaboration with:
Becky Allen & Stephanie Dukus
Lake Orion Community Schools
 How this might look in Gr. 4
Whole Class Study of WWII Holocaust*
Students read at least 2 books on the topic

Whole class study of Slavery/Civil War*

Students read at least 2 books on that topic

OR
Whole Class Study of WWII Holocaust*
Students read at least 2 books on the topic

Whole class study of Slavery/Civil War

Some students do that topic and others
move into other eras

Pairs can also branch off after the clubs start to die off . .

*These historical topics have been selected based on their high level
of interest and accessibility of low level texts
 How this might look in Gr. 5 and up
Whole Class Study of WWII Pacific*

Or

Whole class study of the Great Depression

Kids Do NOT follow suit on Era however struggling kids may want follow that
era or kids whose passion has been ignited

Encourage in partners to keep the era going . . .

Consider this. . .In writing kids study Revolutionary War in 4th grade, in Social
Studies the kids studied Revolutionary War at the end of 5th grade. Do you
want them to study it in Historical Fiction as well?

What about your struggling kids?

Consider your affinities . . ..

 Choosing Anchor Texts

Read Alouds-Fiction
Novel
Non-fiction
Song or video and photographs
Building Your Collection ~
Historical Fiction
 Multiple Copies 2-8 ish
 Second and Charles
 Salvation Army
 Book Drive

 Few Topics More Choices

 Bonus Social Studies

 Non-Fiction

 Struggling Reader
 I Survived
 Who was?
 Magic Tree House
 Dan Gutman and Me Series
 Setting up Non-Fiction to Support Your Unit

Kids will be energized

Map or a chart-laminated and engrossed in the
Photos-laminated topic they study. Try to
find Who Was . . .or
1 everybody article (green) What Was books to
2-3 easy articles match the time period.
2-3 picture books Multiple copies would
be best.
2-3 NonFiction books

You can have more than one

text set bin per era, but keep the text set small-no
more than 10 items
 Using Pics4Learning
 Summarizing verses Reflecting

 How does this picture represent your story?

Flexibility in Reader’s Response
Sticky Quiz/Exit Slips (era specific)

Looking at the picture on the left, how

can you relate it to the book
depression era book
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
Exit Slip/Quick Check (whole class)

Compare an article from your Write comparison here:

nonfiction bin, (picture, _____________________________
timeline, article), to your
fictional book. _____________________________

List here what your nonfiction _____________________________

item is: ______________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
Use back to continue….
Timeline for Building Student
Knowledge of a Time Period . . .
 Immersion 2 days at the beginning of the unit

 Mid-Unit 2 days whole class

 Mini-Lesson Series or Conferences on Additional Research

Needed
 When we have questions about a place, event or person in our
book clubs, we can scan the T of C or index of a NF book to see
if it will support our understanding.
 When we hit a roadblock and having a difficult time visualizing,
we should try a video, audio clip or a photo.
 When we are confused about a class or social issue we need to
recognize that we need more information from a NF source.
 When we are confused about a characters motivations or
behaviors me need to recognize that we need more
information from a NF source.
Gallery Walk
Post images of
children, men and
women. Make sure to
include people in
positions of power and
those who were
oppressed. Have
students annotate with
stickies, thoughts on
people of the time
period. Bind these
images into a book to
make the walk a small
group experience.
Annotating Images
Students view and
observe closely, leave
tracks of their thinking,
and discuss their
questions, inferences
and interpretations.
Often we pose a
question or two to
focus their thinking and
guide their
observations:
Who created this? Why
and when was it
created? What do you
think is the
author/artist’s purpose
or perspective?
Comparing Perspectives
Provide groups of articles
organized to highlight different
view- points and perspectives on
the same time period and
engage students in comparing
and contrasting different views.
Try ToolKit Texts by Goudvis and Harvey
Short Nonfiction for American History

Library of Congress: www.loc.gov

National Archives: www.archives.gov
Graffiti Wall
Set black paper and metallic markers,
allow students to choose only one
quote from the book that best
captures the text. Clubs can choose
only one line from each book to add
to the graffiti wall.
Graffiti Wall
Chalk Talk
Chose a passage from the book to have students respond to via a silent
conversation..
Fantasy
Fantasy/Dystopian
How this might look

Have the first three books in a series, hopefully 3-4 copies of

each
Hooking into a series with more than 3 books but not enough
time to launch reading lines into summer or break.
Group could do a spin off, if some are not enjoying the series,
can have partnerships (caution a lot of teacher would make
whole group pick another group)
Caution

 Without going from book 1 to book 2, they miss the

growth and ease of reading a series through time.
Exit Slip/Quick Check (whole class)
Compare an event from your
fantasy book to a current
event happening today.
List your fantasy event:
______________________
_____________________________
List real world
event:_______________________
_____________________________
Write comparison here:
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
Use back to continue….
Character development
Social Issues
How it looks

 Keep kids in common threads.

Bullying:

Wonder

Out of My Mind

Mocking Bird

O.C. Daniel
Exit Slip/Quick Check (whole class)

Compare an event from real Write comparison here:

life, to your fictional book. _____________________________

List here what your real world _____________________________

item is: ______________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________

Use back to continue….

As a result of today . . .
Bookclubs are worth the
effort b/c they have the
power to energize reading
lives, what good is a book if
you don’t talk about it
#TCRWP
Ryan Scala Twitter

Off you go . . .
Club constitutions