The

Literary Sherri
2012

















Copyright 2012 Literary Sherri All rights reserved by author.
For classroom use only. This copy is to be used by a single teacher. Please purchase one license per teacher using this product.
CONCENTRIC CIRCLES

Divide students into two equal groups.

Have half the students (group one) form a circle, standing about half an arms length apart. Have
students turn around so they are facing outside the circle away from each other. This is your inner
circle.

Now have the other half of the students (group two) form a second circle, with each student standing
about two feet from someone in the inner circle and facing a student in the inner circle. This is your
outer circle.

You now have concentric circles and youre ready to play!

Ask the students the following questions, one at a time. Give students approximately 60-90 seconds to
answer each question (or until you notice they are getting antsy.) After both partners have answered
the same question, instruct students to move according to the directions in parenthesis. Then ask the
next question. Continue until all questions have been asked or until students start losing interest.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? (Outside circle move 1 left)

Describe the best meal you've ever had. (Inside circle move 2 right)

Describe the worst meal youve ever had. (Outside circle move 3 right)

What was the last movie you saw and what did you think of it? (Inside circle move 1 left)

Who is currently your favorite music artist? Why do you like his/her music? (Outside circle
move 4 left)

What would you like to be doing ten years from now? (Inside circle move 3 left)

If you were stranded on a deserted island, which three people would you want with you?
(Outside circle move 2 right)

Describe the best book you've ever read. (Inside circle move 4 left)

If you could be any superhero for the next 48 hours, who would you be and why? (Outside
circle move 5 right)

What is your greatest talent or achievement so far in life?
Copyright 2012 Literary Sherri All rights reserved by author.
For classroom use only. This copy is to be used by a single teacher. Please purchase one license per teacher using this product.

CONCENTRIC CIRCLES
Now that your students know how Concentric Circles works, there are many uses for it!
You can have them circle up any time you need a quick movement break, brain break,
or meaningful time filler and ask random high-interest questions.

More importantly, you can have students circle up any time you want to review content
or have them restate new information to their peers. This is an effective and fun way to
reinforce new concepts and move concepts from short-term memory to long-term
memory! Use Concentric Circles to review:
























-background knowledge
-a reading assignment (i.e.: novel
chapter)
-a textbook reading assignment
-comprehension questions
-figurative language terms and examples
-literary terms
-vocabulary
-text features
-study tips and strategies
-spelling words
-grammar, mechanics, and usage rules
-capitalization rules
-punctuation rules
-figures of speech (definitions and
examples)
-connotations versus denotations
-points of view (definitions and examples)


-questions about a book or text the
class is reading

-classroom rules, expectations,
protocols, and procedures
-math concepts
-science concepts
-history concepts
-historical dates
-art terms
-musical terms
-library terms
-safety rules and procedures (lab)
-safety rules and procedures (P.E.)
-game rules

Copyright 2012 Literary Sherri All rights reserved by author.
For classroom use only. This copy is to be used by a single teacher. Please purchase one license per teacher using this product.
CONCENTRIC CIRCLES
Use Concentric Circles to build social skills and to help students
make connections with one another! Have students share:

Other questions you can ask:
Favorite books (and why)
Favorite authors (and why)
Favorite genres of books (and why)
Favorite thing about last weekend
Favorite thing about a holiday
Favorite thing about a season
Favorite thing about a subject
What I learned in (subject) today
Im an expert at . . . because . . .




News about their weekend
Favorite foods/desserts/fruits/veggies
Favorite colors/past-times/hobbies
Favorite sports/teams
Favorite super-heroes
Favorite movies/TV shows/magazines
Favorite historical characters
Favorite planet
Favorite continent/country/state/city
If you were a color today, what color would you be and why?
If you were an ice cream flavor today, what flavor would you be and why?
If you were a book character today, which character would you be and why?
If you were a board game or computer game today, what game would you be and why?
If you were an animal today, what animal would you be and why?
If you were a planet today, what planet would you be and why?
If you were a Greek or Roman god(dess) today, what god(dess) would you be and why?
If you were a mythological creature today, which creature would you be and why?
If you could have any super-power today, what would it be and why?
If you were a song title today, which song would you be and why?
If you were a dance today, which dance would you be and why?
If you were a punctuation mark today, which punctuation mark would you be and why?
If you were a literary element today, which literary element would you be and why?
Copyright 2012 Literary Sherri All rights reserved by author.
For classroom use only. This copy is to be used by a single teacher. Please purchase one license per teacher using this product.

TEACHING TIPS

The quickest and easiest way to set this up is to have students count off by twos.

Have all the ones stand in a shoulder-to-shoulder in a circle. Then have them turn around, so they are
facing the outside of their circle. Ask them to step forward (toward the walls) about 12 inches. This puts
a bit of space between them so they are now standing about half an arms length apart.

Now have all the number twos choose a partner and stand toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye with them, with
about eighteen inches between them.

You should now have two concentric circles of students . . . the inside circle facing out and the outside
circle facing the inside, so that students are paired for conversations.

Dont worry about making adjustments if two chatty-cathys are across from one another the students
will be changing partners very quickly.

It makes a huge difference to have a pre-arranged signal that means stop-look-and-listen . . . as soon
as students see or hear the signal, they copy it, stop talking, and put their eyes and ears on the teacher. A
clap signal works well for this, but a silent signal is also effective. I raise my hand, arm outstretched
perpendicular to the floor. As soon as students see this signal, they silently copy it. When everyone is
silent, I give the next set of directions.

I also pre-teach that all conversations must be relevant to the prompt given and can only be with the peer
standing directly across from you. Students may not trade places at any time during this game.

I allow students to talk until they are getting antsy or off-topic. Some days we can play eight or ten
rounds; other days, we only play three or four rounds.

Have fun!














Copyright 2012 Literary Sherri All rights reserved by author.
For classroom use only. This copy is to be used by a single teacher. Please purchase one license per teacher using this product.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will . . .

Move new concepts from short-term memory to long-term memory.

Work collaboratively to share new information and review previously taught concepts.

Retain important information through interactive review and reinforcement.

Actively engage in review and reinforcement of academic knowledge.

Practice effective social skills.

Practice problem-solving strategies.

Self-assess the concepts they have retained and the information they need to continue studying.




COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
Speaking and Listening 1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and
collaborations with diverse partners, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.

Speaking and Listening 2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Speaking and Listening 4 - Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners
can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.

Speaking and Listening 6 - Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks,
demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Language 1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.

Language 3 - Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts,
to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.



Copyright 2012 Literary Sherri All rights reserved by author.
For classroom use only. This copy is to be used by a single teacher. Please purchase one license per teacher using this product.
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