Fifth Graders are well into their first reading group of the year. Some of the students are reading Island of the Blue Dolphins and other are reading My Side of the Mountain. Before we started, they got to choose which novel interests them more. The novels share the theme of kids using their knowledge and skills to survive on their own in the wild.
Groups of three students are meeting every few days to discuss a summary of their reading assignment and an analysis question. A few times over the course of the unit, we will also meet all together to discuss similarities between the novels. In group meetings, students work with each other to review the major plot points, address any questions or misunderstandings that come up, share their takeaways from the readings, analyze the literary elements present, and work on their discussion skills. Before the winter break, students will take some time to do some reflection and a self-assessment of their participation in reading groups. We will work on setting some goals for our work on the second half of the novel.