Collaborative Constructively Literature Circles

What are the benefits of working with a classmate?

     There are many benefits, and one of them is that you have someone who can constantly revise and improve your work. This is good because if you have any errors in your writing, which you have not caught, your partner might see them and could help to fix them right away. For example, when I was reading my partner's work, I found a couple of grammar mistakes and changed them for her and I'm sure she did the same for me. Another benefit from working with a partner is that there are so many more ideas that come to your head. You probably have your prediction and understanding of the book, but your partner might have a totally different idea, and you could start thinking about the story in his/her point of view. An example of why this is good would be when you are stuck and don't know what to write. Maybe your classmate's idea would help you to get through the writing, because she could give you a good and different point of view on the topic. There are many benefits to have a classmate work with you on your Literature Circles, but there are also some challenges.

What challenges or obstacles did you and your partner overcome or tried to overcome?

     My partner and I faced some obstacles along the way just like some other groups. One (The) obstacle we tried to overcome was dealing with starting the assignment itself. My partner and I would constantly check the document and see that there was no work there. We started wondering if the other person would get their work done. So one day we both decided to get started at the same time. As we worked, we constantly chatted to keep each other going. We kept working and working until our Literature Circle was completed. We were very proud of ourselves that we deiced to get started on the Literature Circle and to support each other. In the end we even ended up completing the assignment a couple of days before it was due and we finished it well!

What new understandings did you gain about the novel?

     Something I gained about the novel from collaborative Literature Circles is that often there are many different outlooks on the books, but sometimes there are the same. When I did Literature Circles alone and then discussed it with my group, everyone had different ideas for the most important passages. But when I worked with my partner I remembered that ideas can also be very similar. I had pretty much my part of the Literature Circles planned out and I just needed to write it down properly, but when I checked what my partner had written, I realized that she had some ideas that I had as well. But then she also had some I didn't. I gained additional knowledge about the book by reading what she had to say about it because I hadn't really looked at the story in the same way. But sometimes the book gives such bold clues that it’s quite obvious what going to happen next. That’s when I have to realize I ‘m not the only one with the prediction since it’s so obvious.

     Overall I enjoy Literature Circles with a partner, but I somehow can't compare it to working alone. I like both ways of doing Literature Circles in different ways. But it is fun to see how it feels to work with another person on this type of assignment!

Thanks for reading!

~ Natalie

Literature Circles

          Literature Circles is one of the consistent things we do in Humanities class. The novel I am currently reading for Literature Circle is The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. In Literature Circles we talk about important passages, questions, answers, connections, and new vocabulary.

How did your discussion help your understanding of the novel?
         The discussion helped me to understand the novel because when your group shares ideas, then you start to think about other thoughts. Maybe the ideas your friends have are different than yours but when you think about them, they usually make sense. This could help you understand the book more because you see the story through someone else's eyes. For example, you might have thought a character was cruel and mean, but then someone else explains why they think the character isn't really that mean. You might start to think of the character the same way and the story could possibly be clearer to you that before! Sharing ideas gives you more to think about and a wider outlook on the story.

Connections that I made during my discussions

         My connections were usually about myself, a movie I saw, or a book I read. Some of the connections I made were about how Charlotte (The main character from the book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) was scared to be on the ship without any companions and since Charlotte came from such a high society, the rooms were not even close to being up to her usual standards. Charlotte was scared of multiple things and wanted to get off the ship immediately. I was once scared stay a night on the RMS Queen Mary after going on a ghost tour. The other connection had to do with Charlotte being the only woman on the ship. I connected this to a movie called Pirates of the Caribbean. Elizabeth, one of the main characters, was also the only woman on a ship. I tried to look at it in kind of the same way because Elizabeth actually wanted to be on the ship, while Charlotte didn't.

Predictions I have about the book
         After reading the first few chapters, my prediction of what will happen next is that Charlotte will feel very lonely since there is no turning back to Liverpool. There are two months ahead of her and I have a feeling it's going to be a long two months for her. I think that Charlotte will soon be accused of murder and found guilty. My prediction is that this will all happen on board the ship and she will try to escape from the crew and run around the ship hiding. She would not be able to get off the ship without diving into the open sea, so she might have to hide somewhere in the ship and will try not to get caught while sneaking food. That's what I think will happen in the next couple of chapters!

Do I like Literature Circles?
         I think Literature Circles are not my most favorite assignments, but they are definitely not the worst either! The good thing is that they help to develop your writing skills and open your mind to other people's thoughts and opinions. And that will probably be very useful in the future!

 

 

 
 
 

 

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