ESG- A23- Reading Circle Roles

READING CIRCLES

There will be four reading assignments this semester, each on a different topic. The texts for each assignment
will be analyzed at home and discussed in class by reading circles of 4 students.

There are four different roles for a reading circle: Quiz Master, Discussion Leader, Text Analyzer and Context
Provider. For each reading assignment you will be assigned a different role; you will do each role one time.
Write the weeks you will do each assignment in the spaces below.

Week #___ My role: QUIZ MASTER

The quiz master will prepare a short quiz about the assigned readings and bring copies (4) for the other reading
circle members to complete. The written assignment will include the answer key. See detailed information on
TEAMS.

Week #___ My role: DISCUSSION LEADER

The discussion leader will prepare 1) notes for short summaries of the texts and 2) discussion questions on the
ideas presented in the readings. The leader will make sure everyone joins the discussion. See detailed
information on TEAMS.

Week #___ My role: TEXT ANALYZER

The text analyzer will present information on 1) 5 vocabulary items and 2) on passages important for the
structure of ONE of the texts; that text will be chosen by the teacher. See detailed information on TEAMS.

Week #___ My role: CONTEXT PROVIDER

The context provider will 1) find information on points related to the ideas in the assigned reading to present to
the group and 2) make a link between the text and their field of study. See detailed information on TEAMS.

At Home Read all of the assigned texts; prepare and print your written assignment for the reading
circle.

In Class Follow this order in the reading circle: 1) Quiz Master 2) Discussion Leader 3) Text Analyzer
4) Context Provider. During the reading circle each student will have about 5 minutes for the
presentation and group discussion of his/her assignment.

Each reading circle will terminate with a brief wrap-up period for written reflection on the
discussion. See the pages about the roles for the specific questions that should be touched on
for each role.

EVALUATION
 Written Assignments: 20% ALWAYS DOUBLE SPACE ASSIGNMENTS.
Is the work thoughtfully completed? Is the assignment presented in the appropriate format? Does it reflect
a good understanding of the assigned readings? Is the work well-presented in the discussion?
 Wrap-Up Texts: 10%
Does the wrap-up touch on the necessary elements? Does it reflect the role the student had in the reading
circle? Does it demonstrate that the writer was actively engaged with and aware of the reactions of the
other members of the group? Is the text easy to understand? Is the English correct (grammar, vocabulary,
spelling, punctuation)?

 Reading Circle Roles: Quiz Master
The Quiz Master’s job is to create a quiz to effectively evaluate the group members’ comprehension of the assigned
readings. This quiz should not take more than 10 minutes- 5 minutes to complete and 5 minutes to correct.

To prepare your written assignment for the group discussion, you will:
 read the articles and identify the important information in the texts;
 focus on main ideas, not specific details, when preparing your quiz;
 prepare a written quiz with 8 to 10 questions; use a variety of question types: yes/no, true/false, multiple
choice, fill in the blank, and short answer; print 4 copies and one copy with the answer key (to hand in).
Include at least one development question that requires one or two complete sentences to answer.
 include questions about all of the texts;
 use at least 4 different question types, including at least one short answer question; the answer should be a
few words only.

For the reading circle:

 begin by handing out your quiz;
 allow the group members 5 minutes to answer the quiz;
 correct the quizzes out loud with the group. N.B. Students are not allowed to change their answers; collect
the corrected quizzes to hand in with the wrap-up.

Wrap-up (125-150 words) ALWAYS DOUBLE SPACE.

The wrap-up will be handwritten on the back of your typed assignment. Answer the questions on the board.

Staple the completed quizzes to your written assignment to hand in.

Presentation of the assignment (The assignment must be typed. Handwritten copies will not be accepted.):

Your name
Teacher’s name
ESG group ___
Date
Quiz Master
Articles: Titles and Authors:
My Quiz on “Topic” with the answer key
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

(Print 4 copies of the quiz without answers for your reading circle members.)
 Reading Circle Roles: Discussion Leader

The Discussion Leader’s job is to 1) summarize the assigned texts for the group and 2) lead the group
discussion by asking discussion questions, inviting the other students to present their assigned information, and
making sure everyone participates in the discussion.

To prepare your written assignment for the group discussion, you will:
 Read the texts at least twice, making written notes of the main ideas and important details to include in
your oral summaries for the reading circle.

 Write general discussion questions about the ideas presented in the articles. There should be at least 8
questions with a minimum of two questions connected to each assigned text. Usually the best
discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings, and questions as you read. Write down
your questions as soon as you have finished reading. Try to find general interest questions since
members of your group are in different programs.

During the reading circle discussion, you will:

 invite the Quiz Master to begin the reading circle (make sure time is respected);
 after the quiz, present your short summaries of the readings, no longer than one minute, to remind
everyone of the content;
 ask one or two of your questions to start the discussion, making sure everyone participates;
 call on Text Analyzer and the Context Provider to present their prepared assignments about the
reading;
 make sure that everyone has a chance to speak and joins in the discussion—keep in mind that this is a
DISCUSSION, not a series of presentations.
 guide the discussion and keep it going for the minimum time required.

Wrap-up (125-150 words) ALWAYS DOUBLE SPACE.

The wrap-up will be handwritten on the back of your typed assignment. Touch on the following questions:
 Which of your questions incited the most discussion? Why?
 Did everyone respond to the texts in a similar way? Why or why not?
 Which text made the strongest impression?
 Were group members engaged in the discussion? Why or why not and how could you tell?

Presentation of the assignment (The assignment must be typed. Handwritten copies will not be accepted.):

Your name
Teacher’s name
ESG group ___
Date
Discussion Leader

1) For each text: Title and Author and your summary (point form or short sentences only)
2) Discussion questions Minimum 8: at least 2 connected to each assigned text.
 Reading Circle Roles: Text Analyzer

The Text Analyzer’s job is to focus on 1) new and interesting vocabulary items, 2) on passages important to
the structure of one selected text; the teacher will indicate which text to analyze, and 3) the author’s style.

1) Vocabulary
To prepare your written assignment for the group discussion, you will:
 read the articles and look for words or expressions that are important and that are new or difficult to
understand;
 choose five words or expressions total (only five - choose carefully!) that you think are important for
understanding the readings, words that you believe may be new or unknown words for the group. This
may include familiar words used in unusual ways.
 write down 1) where to find the item, 2) the appropriate definition from an English dictionary, and 3)
why you chose each word; recommended dictionaries: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/ -
https://www.merriam-webster.com/ - http://www.dictionary.com/

2) Structure: Passages and 3) Style

To prepare your written assignment for the group discussion, you will:
 read the selected article and find important passages that reveal the main message, supporting
arguments and the conclusion.
 Include comments on WHY Hern starts in Greece in this chapter. What point is he making?
 find and copy (or paraphrase) the main message (or thesis statement) of the article, usually found at
the beginning. Is it clear?
 choose two supporting arguments that are effective in reinforcing this main message.
 select the sentence(s) that are the conclusion of the article. How does the writer end the text? Is it
effective? Why or why not?
 Does the author`s writing style make it easy to understand the main idea of the text? Why or why not?

During the reading circle:

 ask the group members how they would define each vocabulary item; then provide the appropriate
definition in the group discussion and explain why you chose each word.
 present the important passages you have identified in the text with your comments: the main message,
supporting arguments and conclusion. Ask the group members if they agree with the choices, and if
they can remember other supporting arguments.
 Survey the group for their opinions of the author’s style after presenting your comments.

Wrap-up (125-150 words) ALWAYS DOUBLE SPACE.

The wrap-up will be handwritten on the back of your typed assignment. Answer the questions on the board:
Presentation of the assignment:
The assignment must be typed. Handwritten copies will not be accepted.

Your name
Teacher’s name
ESG group ___
Date

Text Analyzer
Articles: Title and Author: (mention title(s) and author(s) here)
Vocabulary:
My words Meaning of the word Reason for choosing the word
_________
page: …. Para: …
_________
page: …. Para.: …
_________
page: …. Para.: …
_________
page: …. Para.: …
_________
page: …. Para.: …

My passages:
Main message:
Passage (one or two sentences of the text)
Page: ______ Lines/Paragraph: ______

Comments about the passage as the thesis or main message:

Supporting argument 1 of the article:

Passage (one or two sentences of the text)
Page: ______ Lines/Paragraph: ______

Comments about the passage as a supporting argument:

Supporting argument 2 of the article:

Passage (one or two sentences of the text)
Page: ______ Lines/Paragraph: ______

Comments about the passage as a supporting argument:

Conclusion of the article:

Passage (one or two sentences of the text)
Page: ______ Lines/Paragraph: ______

Comments about the passage as a conclusion:

Comments about the author’s style (see next page). How would you describe the author’s style? Why?
Provide an example. Was this style effective and appropriate? Why or why not?
 Author’s Style
WRITING STYLE English ESG
When you are reading documents for the reading circles, think about each writer’s style; what is the
purpose of the text? What techniques are used? What is the tone of the piece, and is it appropriate?
Finally, what effect does the style have on the reader? Does it capture your attention, or not? Is it easy to
follow and understand, or not? You should also consider these points when you are writing texts yourself.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEXTS FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES
1) EXPOSITORY
Purpose : explaining a concept or providing information – focuses on facts, but not author’s
opinion
Examples : textbooks, news stories, technical or scientific writing, etc.

2) PERSUASIVE
Purpose : convincing reader to agree with the author’s opinion, belief, or position
Examples : editorial articles, reviews of movies, concerts, etc, advertisements, persuasive essays

3) IMAGINATIVE
Purpose : to entertain and share human experience
Examples : stories, novels, poetry

TECHNIQUES
1) NARRATIVE
Tells a story – may have timeline – characters – setting
Examples : news stories, fictional stories, biographies

2) DESCRIPTIVE
Focuses on event, person or place in detail
Examples : any writing that is (re)creating an experience for the reader
TONE
1) DRY – SERIOUS
2) FORMAL or INFORMAL?
3) FUNNY – AMUSING
4) EMOTIONAL
5) DRAMATIC
6) Other possibilities:
EFFECT
1) CLEAR – EASY TO UNDERSTAND
or
2) CONFUSING
Factors : logical order – making connections – including explanations – familiar vocabulary

3) BORING
or
4) ENGAGING
Factors : sentence length – complicated vocabulary – connection with reader – predictability –
redundancy.
 Reading Circle Roles: Context Provider

The Context Provider’s job is to find 1) additional information about the subject of the readings for the
group discussion and 2) a link between the topic with your field of study/programme. EVERYBODY
needs to find a connection. Be creative.

This could be:

 more information about the person or people in the articles,
 some background information on the topic,
 current news or events, (Does anything in the texts remind you of events in the real world, for
example items in the news or on TV)?
 any other relevant information linked to the topic of the articles.

The information on the context will help inform your group of the relevance of the issues you discuss.

To prepare your written assignment for the group discussion, you will:

 read the assigned text and consider what a reader could benefit from knowing more about in order
to better understand the article;
 do some research and carefully select five sources related to the topic to present to your group, at
least one source for each reading.
 write at least two sentences for each source: 1) a one-or two-sentence summary of the information
to help you remember the content, and 2) a one- or two-sentence explanation of how the
information is relevant and important for a better understanding of the assigned text; be prepared
to elaborate on what you learned from the sources.
 provide complete MLA references for the information you have gathered. Use a citation generator
like MyBib to help you but always check the information. Complete it when you can.;
 find a link to your field of study. How is the material covered in the reading relevant to your
field? Write one or two sentences. Be prepared to ask the group members to make similar links.

If you are a context provider, try to find information on the connection between understanding
Indigenous issues and knowing something about the history surrounding this.
Here are some hints: Mohawk Mothers, Mi’kmaq lobster dispute, Truth and Reconciliation
Commission, etc.

For the reading circle

 Present your research to the reading circle; explain what you learned and how it is pertinent to the
assigned readings.
 ask the group what they have heard about the topic on the news or from social media.
 Explain the link you found to your programme and ask the group to make similar links.

Wrap-up (125-150 words) ALWAYS DOUBLE SPACE.

The wrap-up will be handwritten on the back of your typed assignment. Answer the questions on the
board.
Presentation of the assignment:
The assignment must be typed. Handwritten copies will not be accepted.

Your name
Teacher’s name
ESG group ___
Date

Context Provider

Articles : Title and Author of each

Research points:

1. MLA Citation:

Summary:
Pertinence:

2. MLA Citation:

Summary:
Pertinence:

3. MLA Citation:

Summary:
Pertinence:

4. MLA Citation:

Summary:
Pertinence:

5. MLA Citation:

Summary:
Pertinence:

My field of study/programme:
Link to my field of study: