Thread: What's your approach to teaching a novel?

I've taught by the lit circle method you describe, and I've also modified the lit circle method where groups of students read different books related to the same theme. The groups can then meet with each other on that particular novel AND they can meet with others, too. It's great when you've got a room with readers of all levels.

Sometimes we read them orally as a class with discussion and activities at key points, and sometimes we just read them without doing anything else at all!

Ima -

I would love to give this a try (along with 10000 other things next year) would you give me an example of this method along with the books you used? You said that all the books have the same theme, would an example be all books dealing with some aspect of adoption?

*side note* I am not asking for detailed lesson plans, just a summary of what your doing.

Tricia

Opps, I forgot to answer the original question...
I am going to try to teach a novel this 6 weeks and my plan is to try several ideas. I am going to review vocabulary on Monday (along with explaining the weeks worksheets, going over last weeks readings, ect..), class reading on Tuesday, small group reading on Wednesday, I read to them on Thursday, and on Friday we will read silently. With all my variety I will get to see what teaching style I like, I will stick with what works and through the rest out the window!

Tricia

Originally Posted by TAC

You said that all the books have the same theme, would an example be all books dealing with some aspect of adoption?

Yes, that's it. I'm often stretching to tie books together, but we wrap it all together in the end. Actually, I think the kids kind of like it when the books don't seem that much alike because they have to dig a bit deeper to get the whole idea. Of course, sometimes I have groups that need more obvious connections.

Here are some examples:
Cut by Patricia McCormick
Speakby Laurie Halse Anderson

These two both have main characters who choose not to talk. Both are dealing with major issues.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn

These both deal with 16 year old boys having trouble with the law.

Here's one of the more abstract ones:
Gregor the Overlander and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Throughout these two, they examined the wide variety of characters. My kids also liked discussing "finding out that what you had been looking for all long wasn't what you thought it was going to be once you found it."

Amazon.com is a great place to start. Pick a book you like, and then they'll give you recommendations of other books that people bought with that book. Often the themes overlap. I read a lot of reviews from there. It's really helpful. You can also Google books by theme. [/i]