Novel Study
We've begun a novel study as a whole group! I really wanted to mentor and guide students in their first attempt to dissect a novel! Given that half my students are reading below a grade 3 level and with a few ESL students as well in my class, I thought that this was the best approach. I wanted the whole group exploration of a chapter book to be the blocks that build up success for groups to do an individual novel study project.
Our book:
The book centers around an unlucky teenage boy named Stanley Yelnats, who is sent to Camp Green Lake. This is a juvenile corrections facility in a desert in Texas, that he chooses to go to instead of jail after he is falsely accused of theft. The plot explores the history of the area and how the actions of several characters in the past have affected Stanley's life in the present.
So far I have read up to chapter 4 out load. I gather the students to read a certain section and then students work together to answer questions about the literary elements I want to focus on for that particular section. They then will complete some comprehension questions individually, so I can assess if my lower level/ESL students are grasping the content. So far, the students seem interested! I think I picked a book fit book for this group :D
