Fantasy Book

Clubs
G5 U3R
 Bend 1
Constructing and
Navigating Other Worlds
Lesson 1: Researching the Setting
Teach & Active Engagement:
Readers understand the
setting, where and what kind of
place it is by using the cover,
blurb, details and beginning of
the story.
1- Look at the book cover for
information
2- Look at the start of the story
3-Look at pictures if there are
any
4- Decide where the story is
happening and what kind of
place it is (mood, feeling of
place)
Student Exemplar of Thinking about Setting
Independent Practice:
1- Look at the book cover for
information

2- Look at the start of the story

3-Look at pictures if there are any

4- Decide where the story is

happening and what kind of place
it is (mood, feeling of place)
Share:

Share with your partner or

reading group your description
of setting and evidence to
support your thinking.
Lesson 2: Readers Consider Power
Teach/ Active Engagement:
Determining Who Has the Power:

a) Who has power in the story?

Readers read closely to identify b) How do you know?

who has the power in their
novels and find evidence to c) What does the power look or
support their ideas. sound like?

d) Who/ what does … have power

over?
Independent Practice:
Determining Who Has the Power:

a) Who has power in the story?

b) How do you know?

c) What does the power look or

sound like?

d) Who/ what does … have power

over?
Share:
In your reading notebooks,

● Create a venn diagram or

relationship brain frame with the
character(s) that have power
● Explain/ show how these
characters are similar and different
Lesson 3: Setting Our Agenda for Our Book Clubs
Teach:

Readers must come up

with agreements to run
their book clubs.
Active Engagement

What are some specific things we

would want to come to agreement
upon in our book club
conversations?
Independent Practice
● Take 5 minutes to collect
some ideas to discuss from
the last two days: think
about setting, power,
important events, theme, etc
● Converse with your group
about your ideas while
adhering to the agreements
you and your book club set.
Share:
agree
● I agree with ____ because…
● I partly agree, but….
disagree
● I disagree with _____ because…
● On the other hand….
add on to another person
● I also noticed that...
● To add on…
share thinking
● I think that…
● Many people think ______, but I
think…..
● I used to think______, but now ……
● What surprises me most about
________ is…….
new ideas from evidence
● This makes me realize…
● This gives me the idea that….
determine importance
● This is important because….
● The reason for this is….
● Another reason is…
Inquire or confirm
● I wonder if…
● Could it also be that…..?
● Could the reason be….? Book Club Conversation
● Can you explain that a little
further?
● Could you be more specific?
● Let’s see if I understand what
you're saying.
● So you are saying...
Lesson 4: Keeping Track of Problems that Multiply
 Story Arc (Mountain) *Use
another
color to
Climax
track your
Plot: thoughts or
Key events wonderings
from the story about the
story arc

problem or
problem is
conflict
solved or
character
realizes
something
characters &
setting
 Sequencing Brain Frame

This makes
me think...
 Two Column Notes
● Quote (words said or thought),
● Character action/ response
● Important event (plot)
● Setting change
● This makes me think/ realize ...
● I’m wondering if ...
● This might mean/ connect to...
Teach:

Readers use charts,

timelines, and other
graphic organizers to
help track problems
and multiple timelines
within their fantasy
novels.
a book club transcript
Active Engagement:
Let’s practice:

1) Work in group/ partners using Chapter ____ of the read aloud to

look at.

2) Decide with your group how will you track the multiple problems
in this chapter.
a) Story arc
b) Sequencing brain frame
c) Two column notes
d) Character/ Problem/ Solution/ By the End chart

3) With your partner/ group work on tracking and responding to

the problems in this chapter in your reading notebook.
Independent Practice:
Let’s practice:

1) Work independently

2) Decide with your group how will you track the multiple problems
in the chapter or chapters you are looking at.
a) Story arc
b) Sequencing brain frame
c) Two column notes
d) Character/ Problem/ Solution/ By the End chart

3) As you work, continue tracking and responding to the problems in

this chapter in your reading notebook.
Share:
In your book clubs:

● Share how you are keeping track of

multiple problems in the book

● Share an example of something you

have jotted down and your thinking,
other members should try to add on
or question one another
Lesson 5: Characters & Places are not always what they seem
Teach:

Readers study
characters closely over
time, looking at their
formation, motivations
and actions.

What can we learn about characters if we study them over

Inquiry:
time, delving deeply into their formation, motivations, actions?
Active Engagement:
As you read/ watch one more time consider:

● Why might Snape develop these traits?

● Characters are complicated, they might have contradictory traits.
● When you cite that characters are behaving or acting in a certain way it’s
important to give text evidence in the form of actions, dialogue, details or
inner thinking to help back up your thinking.
Independent Practice:
As you read your story consider and jot some notes down:

● Why might (character) develop certain traits?

● Characters are complicated, they might have contradictory traits.
● When you cite that characters are behaving or acting in a certain way it’s
important to give text evidence in the form of actions, dialogue, details or
inner thinking to help back up your thinking.

I can tell he/ she is (is acting) this way

My character is …. (trait) because ….
(text evidence)
Share:
In your reading groups:

● Have a collaborative conversation

about characters and how they are
not always what they seem.
● Think and try to respond to the
question the best you can: Are there
any themes beginning to emerge? If
so, what do you think one theme/
life lesson maybe from your
reading?
Lesson 6: Weighting, Ranking & Evaluating Evidence
Teach:

Readers rank their

evidence to determine
whether or not it is
important and
contributes to the
overall themes in the
novel.
Teach
Active Engagement:
Trait Details (Text Evidence) 1-5 Strength: (*5 is most
important evidence)

After you have created your chart, ranking your evidence.

1) Read out your evidence to your reading partner/ group
2) Make a new list with both your evidence and your partner/ group’s evidence
Independent Practice:
In your reading groups, discuss
whether or not the evidence you have
collected is beginning to reveal certain
themes:

What are the themes in your

fantasy novel? How do you
know?
Share:
 Bend 2
Metaphors, Life Lessons,
Quests and Thematic
Patterns
Lesson 7: Thinking Metaphorically
Teach:

Characters face literal and

metaphorical conflicts,
experienced readers look for
these conflicts, and consider
whether some of them are
becoming themes in their
novels.
Teach:
When looking for/ Considering
“dragons:”

1) We think metaphorically

2) We think of dragons that

aren’t real, but challenges
characters face

3) We think about what those

dragons / challenges can
teach us as humans
“Facing the Dragons”
Active Engagement:
As you continue to read, jot down notes and your thinking about the
dragons.

Remember:

1) We think metaphorically

2) We think of dragons that aren’t real, but challenges characters

face

3) We think about what those dragons / challenges can teach us as

humans
Independent Practice:
Guiding questions:

● What metaphorical “dragons”

does your main character face?
● How do those dragons help
your character become
stronger?
● What life lessons does your
character take away from
his/her “dragons?”
● What “dragons” do you face in
your own life?
Share: We have so much to think/ talk/
write about:

Clubs Might….
What are some ways we
can be more effective as
book clubs?
Lesson 8: Readers Learn Real Life Lessons from
Fantasy
Teach:

Readers look at the

themes and life lessons
in fantasy stories.
Teach: 1) Identify a theme from
your book

2) Identify the piece(s) of

text evidence that
makes you believe this
is an important theme

3) Discuss with your

group: What might be
the life lesson
(character) learns?
Active Engagement:
● Review the themes in the
book you have discussed.
● Decide on any life lessons that
these themes taught you
through characters actions,
motivations, difficulties, etc
● Rank the most important
theme/ life lesson in the book
and discuss why you decided
this as a group.
Independent Practice:
Share:

Which book in your life was the most important to you because it taught you an
important life lesson? What lesson did it teach you?
Lesson 9: Readers Evaluate Themes & Life Lessons
Teach:

INSERT A PHOTO OF
YOUR SELECTED
READ-ALOUD
FANTASY BOOK HERE!
Teach:

What is the Shared Theme?

Mentor Text Paper Bag Princess

How is the theme revealed

through the main
character?

How is the theme revealed

in the plot?

Is the theme written on

the wall or is it implied?
Active Engagement:
What is the Shared Theme?
Person Place Problem New Idea

Your Book Club Book Paper Bag Princess or

Mentor Text

How is the theme revealed

through the main
character?

How is the theme revealed

in the plot?

Is the theme written on

the wall or is it implied?
Independent Practice:
● Finish up your T-chart with
your group
● Continue reading and
collecting evidence to support
themes and life lessons in
your story
● Jot down some post-it notes
or blog about what the
evolution of themes is making
you think/ realize about the
author’s purpose in writing
the book
Share:
Lesson 10: Quests can be Internal, as well as External
 External Internal

*What’s inside the character

*The big problem or goal
that gets in the way?
*A series of small obstacles
(flaws, conflicts to overcome)
Teach:

Fantasy stories follow a quest

structure, to understand our
stories better, readers
investigate both the external
and internal quests of major
characters.
Active Engagement:
● Jot down one of the
quests your main
character is on and
explain it to your
reading group/
partner
Independent Practice:
❏ I read my text considering and
jotting down notes about the
internal and external quests of my
character.
❏ I considered the important
moments in their quests and what
themes this may show.
❏ I look at the themes and moments
and think about what life lessons
the character may have learned.
Share:

1) Share sample of Internal/ External Reading Response

2) Take time to create your own individual reading response
to today’s reading conversation/ lesson through writing a
blog post/ an entry in your reader’s notebook, etc..
3) If you finish parts 1 & 2 quickly, think about
what craft moves the author used to create certain effects
and include an extra paragraph in your written response.
Internal vs. External Quest Reading Response
In The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Edmund is struggling with an
internal quest as his siblings fight an external battle. Edmund wants to have
influence within his family. For example, he is “spiteful” (p.23) and becomes “nastier
every minute” (p.41) in order to show his power. When shown the possibility of
becoming King over his older brother, Peter, it makes him overlook reality. “Deep
down inside he really knew the White Witch was bad and cruel.” Due to Edmund’s
internal battle, his siblings are fighting against him in the external quest. They know
that the White Witch’s power needs to be stopped in order to save Narnia. So, they
are taking on the task to meet Aslan and help the animals of Narnia free themselves
from the White Witch. As the evil power of the White Witch becomes more
apparent to Edmund, he may realise that power over his siblings may not be a
priority.
Lesson 11: Comparing Themes in Fantasy & History
Teach:

Readers assume some themes

are so important, that they
appear in more than one book,
and across history as well.
Teach/ Active Engagement:

Which of these themes

have you seen in your
book and also in
history?
Active Engagement:
In my book In history
Independent Practice:
Remember that the comparisons
you make and the patterns you
see across books, history and
your life matter. They’ll be
sources of lessons, comfort and
inspiration.
 Bend 3
Studying Author’s Craft
Moves in Fantasy Novels
Lesson 12: Using Vocabulary to Solve Tricky Words
Teach:

Specific vocabulary plays an

important role in everything you
read, especially in fantasy novels.
You need to pay close attention to
words that are new to you, figuring
out what those words mean by using
your whole toolkit of vocabulary
strategies.
Active Engagement:

1) Reread the poem with your

partner
2) Highlight at least 5 words that
you are unsure of
3) Use the strategies on the right
to help you determine the
meaning of the words
4) Think about the strategies you
used well and how might you
apply them to your own
reading.
Independent Practice:
Go back to your reading and try to apply the reading strategies you
have recently been learning to better comprehend fantasy stories.
Share:
Lesson 13: Investigating Symbolism
Teach:

Fantasy readers keep an eye out for

repeated or highlighted images,
objects, characters, settings. When
fantasy readers see these things,
they pause and ask themselves
“Could this be a symbol of
something else?” and “How does
this symbol connect to a possible
theme for this story?”
Teach:
1) Identify the object, setting
and/ or character that
seems like it could be
symbolic

2) Consider what those

symbols mean individually
or together

3) Think of how all of them

might connect to a theme
Active Engagement:
1) Identify the object, setting
and/ or character that
seems like it could be
symbolic

2) Consider what those

symbols mean individually
or together

3) Think of how all of them

might connect to a theme
Independent Practice:
1) Identify the object, setting
and/ or character that
seems like it could be
symbolic

2) Consider what those

symbols mean individually
or together

3) Think of how all of them

might connect to a theme
Share:
Lesson 14: Interpreting Allegories
Teach:

Fantasy readers can gain new

insights into the real world by
finding, understanding and
interpreting the metaphors and
allegories that exist in fantasy.
You can do that by noticing
characters, objects, settings and
creatures that might have
multiple meanings.
Active Engagement:
Metaphor or Allegory?

-INSERT SOME JOTTINGS HERE

FROM YOUR THINKING ABOUT
YOUR CLASS READ ALOUD
Independent Practice:
Work in groups to develop some
metaphors or allegories for your own
book club novels.

1) Will you create a metaphor or an

allegory?
2) Think about representation and
symbolism to help you.
3) Consider important events,
characters, changes that might
represent something else.
Share:

What are different strategies

your group uses to keep their
book club conversations going?
 Lesson 15: Identifying Archetypes

Archetype:

Noun
Plural noun: archetypes

A very typical example of a certain person or thing

“The book is the perfect archetype of the genre”

An original that has been imitated

“The archetype of faith is Abraham”

A recurrent symbol or motif in literature, art, or

mythology
“Mythological archetypes of good and evil”
Teach:

Fantasy readers use what they know

about the genre every time as they
read. Knowing about and expecting
archetypes can help readers go
beyond simply noting characters,
plots, and settings and move into
making astute predictions, inferences
and interpretations. They can do this
by using their knowledge as a type of
shortcut to analysis.
Active Engagement:
Independent Practice:
 Option 1: Share your
Share: thoughts, musings, jots about
the archetypes in your story
with a partner or your reading
group (group)

Option 2: Blog independently

about how identifying
archetypes as you have read
have helped you to make
predictions, inferences and
interpretations in your reading.
Lesson 16: Reading Across Texts with Critical Lenses
Teach:

Readers analyze a story with a

critical lens, such as being alert
to stereotypes and gender
norms. One way to do this is to
consider characters actions and
appearances.
Teach/ Active Engagement:
INSERT IMAGES OF
CHARACTERS FROM YOUR
Analyze a character by thinking
READ ALOUD HERE
about his/ her appearance- Does
this character match the
stereotype?

Analyze a character by thinking

about his/ her actions- Does this
character act in ways that are
“normal” or “unusual?”
Independent Practice:
YOUR CHOICE.. SEE IDEAS BELOW..
Share:
Based on the work you have done,
share out:

● I used to think… but now I

think… because...

● I believe … My thinking hasn’t

changed because…
Lesson 17: Comparing & Contrasting Using Lessons
Learned
Teach:

Readers can apply their fantasy

reading skills, such as building
interpretations, identifying
themes and analyzing
archetypes to a cross-text study.
Active Engagement:
Read Aloud 1: Read Aloud 2: Paper Bag Princess

What do you think? Notice? Wonder? What are the overlaps?

Active Engagement Continued:
Independent/ Group practice:
Share: