Self-Selected Project

Brittni Darrington, Tyler Moss and I decided to take apart in a small reading circle of our own. As we were finishing up with out clinicals at Mt. Logan Middle School in Logan Utah, the class had just begun a new reading circle project. The students were able to choose from four books all concentrating on the early colonial period of the United States. Once they had been assigned their reading groups, they decided as a group the reading schedule they would follow and then wrote prediction questions. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday were discussion days in class. They broke into their groups and had to be prepared with discussion questions before class began. They would then discuss the book and fill out evaluation sheets on the experience. So to gain a better understanding of what these students were doing in the classroom, we chose to read two of the books that they had the option to pick: The Ransom of Mercy Carter and The Sacrifice. After we had finished reading the books, we got together to discuss our thoughts on the books we had chosen.

The Ransom of Mercy Carter

This is a story about a town outside of Boston during the colonial period. Their community was ambushed by a tribe of Indians who killed many of the adults and kidnapped most of the children. It tells of their journey back to Canada and then of the children's assimilation or "adoption" into the culture and live of the Indian tribes. 

What we liked

This is a side of the story that we don't often see. 

It allows for students to gain a different perspective of how Indians lived during this time.

Challenges inherited ideas about a group of people.

Presents information in a different way other than a text book.

What we didn't like

The story moved very slowly.

While shedding some light on a the lives of American Indians we didn't feel it had

 much historical purpose for our classrooms.

It was very descriptive in some places that didn't matter very much where we felt that the important parts were glazed over and we didn't have a full understanding of the events. 

The Sacrifice 

This story is a side story of a town that was affected by the girls that were doing the accusing people of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. It tells of a town that gets swept up in the fear and fervor of accusing innocent people of witch craft and follows a family that is greatly affected by it. The story follows two of the family's daughters to Salem where they are imprisoned for witch craft and what they have to go through in order to clear their names. 

What we liked

It is an actual family story of the Author's. 

Accurately demonstrates the atmosphere of the witch hunts. 

Could very easily read and enjoy the story. 

Had historical insights and shed a new light on the same tail of the Salem Witch Trials. 

What we didn't like

Could be below some of the student's reading levels. 

Over all though we enjoyed this book. 

We all felt that this was a great exercise to incorporate reading into our classrooms and allow for information to be presented in a more engaging and informal way than a text book. We loved the idea that students have the choice in what books they would read for this assignment and that they also drove the discussion of the texts. This allows for students to take charge in their education and feel a sense of responsibility in their work. Also by having a variety of books for the students to choose from you will, hopefully, be able to play to many different interests and the students will be able to enjoy what they are reading. Reading and then discussing what you have read is very important skills to take away from the classroom. It allows for deeper thinking and analyzing skills which are important as students progress through their education. In the end, literature circles are a great tool to use in our teaching. It allows for students to grow in their discussion and analytic skills and mixes things up as far as reading for information goes. Plus it is fun and breaks up the normal routine of your classroom.