Literature Circle Roles

//In your Literature Circles, you will be responsible for preparing information for each meeting according
to your role.
Descriptions of Each Role:

Discussion Leader: Your job is to develop a list of questions you think your group should discuss the
assigned section of the book. Create thought-provoking literal, interpretive, and universal questions. Try
to create questions that encourage your group to consider many ideas. Help your group explore these
important ideas and share their reactions. You will be in charge of leading the day’s discussion.

Some example questions might be:

1. What questions do you have as you read?
Some I had were...
2. The setting seems important because…
3. (Name a character) surprised me when…
4. A really good description is…
5. This writer’s style of writing is…
6. This reminds me of…
7. The best part of this section was…because…
8. I predict _________will happen…
9. I want to know more about…
10. These pages were boring because…
11. The conflict in this section is….
12. I can relate to (name a character) because…
13. What’s your favorite part of the book so far?
Mine was….because...
14. Based on what we’ve read, how do you
think it’s going to end?
15. Who is your favorite character? Why?
16. What do you think the author thought about
or experienced to write this book?
17. How do you feel about the story now
compared to when we first started reading it?
18. What advice would you give each of the
characters?
19. If this book were made into a movie, how
would the story need to be changed?
20. If this story were made into a movie, how
would you cast the characters?
21. I think what was happening historically
during this time period shows in novel by…
22. What part of our reading is the most
important so far? I think it is because….
23. A really interesting piece of information or
writing was

Diction Detective: Your job is to carefully examine the diction (word choice) in the assigned section.
Search for words, phrases, and passages that are especially descriptive, powerful, funny,
thought-provoking, surprising, or even confusing. List the words or phrases and explain why you selected
them. Then, write your thoughts about why the author might have selected these words or phrases.
What is the author trying to say? How does the diction help the author achieve his or her purpose? What
tone do the words indicate?

Bridge Builder: Your job is to build bridges between the events of the book and other people, places, or
events in school, the community, or your own life. Look for connections between the text, yourself, other
texts, and the world. Also, make connections between what has happened before and what might
happen as the narrative continues. Look for the characters’ internal and external conflicts and the ways
that these conflicts influence their actions.

Summary and setting specialist: Your job is to identify and report on the key points of the reading
assignment. Make a list or write a summary that describes how the writer develops the setting, plot,
and characters in this section of the book. Consider how characters interact, major events that occur,
and shifts in the setting or the mood that seem significant. Share your report at the beginning of the
group meeting to help your group focus on the key ideas presented in the reading. Like that of a
newspaper reporter, your report must be concise, yet thorough.
 Literature Circle Roles

Discussion Leader Role Sheet:

Name: Natalie S. Book: Into the Beautiful North

Group: Mark, Zachary, and Jonathan Pages: 46-113

Your job is to develop a list of questions that you think your group should discuss about the assigned
section. Create thought provoking literal, interpretive, and universal questions. Try to create questions
that encourage your group to consider many ideas. Help your group explore these important ideas and
share their reactions. You will be in charge of leading the day’s discussion.

Discussion Questions:
Why was Nayeli reminiscing over her father?
Thought on the chapters we just read? Anything you hate anything you don’t hate
Do you predict Nayeli and her friends will be able to retrieve seven men to protect their village?
What do you think the people who keep stopping them will do with the drugs?
Do you think Irma was aware that she gave the 4 the wrong number?
What do you think of the story now?
What do you think is important thus far in the reading?
Do you think they will make it over the border?

Sample question ideas: (see above for more ideas)

● What kinds of conflicts are the characters facing?
● What do you think about the way the author _______________________________?
● What if ______________________________________ had happened instead?
● What would you have done had you been in this character’s shoes?
● What did you think about this event?
● Did this surprise you? Why or why not?
● What do you think will happen next?

Questions that should be revisited the next time the group meets:
tbd
 Literature Circle Roles

Diction Detective Role Sheet

Name: Natalie S. Book: Into the Beautiful North

Group: Mark N, Zachary E., Jonathan Pages: 1-46

Your job is to carefully examine the diction (word choice) in the assigned section. Search for words,
phrases, and passages that are especially descriptive, powerful, funny, thought-provoking, surprising, or
even confusing. Complete the graphic organizer below on the selected words, phrases, or passages.
During the discussion, you can read the words, phrases, or passages yourself; ask someone else to read
them, or have people read them silently before sharing your thoughts on it.

Page # Word, Phrase, or Reason for Selecting Word, Why did the author
Passage Phrase, or select this word or
Passage phrase? What is the
author trying to say? How
does the diction help the
author achieve his or her
purpose?

“Migration, to them, was
when the tuna and the
whales cruise up the coast,
4 or when Guacamaya Parrots
flew up from the South”
The reason behind why I
picked this is because the
wording to me just sounds
weird, I feel like there is a
better way to phrase it.
Also, It’s also very a
descriptive
I selected this passage
because I feel like at the
beginning where it says
“migration, to them, was
when” just feels wrong;
they could probably use one
less comma”

“Tacho and Nayeli share a
big lust for cities”
19
The reason behind I picked
this was the wording
I selected this because of
the wording, I just find that
using the word lust is kind
of weird. Usually, when I
read the word lust I think of
something sexual, like
having sex with your
partner.

“But there were not enough
men to force a recount
45
passage I picked this because it was
towards the end of the
chapter. Within the last few
pages I have been
wondering are they voting a
president for their town?
Another thing if they
 Literature Circle Roles

wanted a recount why does

it matter if they have
enough men or not? They
can just ask to recount it
themselves (maybe w/
supervision) and recount
the dang votes themselves
and why is it always a
competition between men
and women (it’s so stupid

Bridge Builder Role Sheet

Name: Natalie Sperry Book: Into the Beautiful North

Group: Mark, Jonathan, Zachary Pages: 114-177

Your job is to build bridges between the events of the book and other people, places, or events in school,
the community, or your own life. Look for connections between the text, yourself, other texts, and the
world. Also, make connections between what has happened before and what might happen as the
narrative continues. Look for the characters’ internal and external conflicts and the ways that these
conflicts influence their actions.
Event from Book Types of Connections: (label) Connection
Trash Hill ● Text to self Since we as people create so
● Text to text much trash there is now a
● Text to world trash hill at sea that people
are trying to get rid of

Event from Book Types of Connections: Connection

Watering the roses (label) Watering the roses shows a
● Text to self form of claim of the territory
● Text to text of land like a farm
● Text to world

Event from Book Types of Connections: Connection

New policy on immigrants (label) Reminds me of when new
● Text to self policies were put into place
● Text to text during the Trump
● Text to world administration
 Literature Circle Roles

What has happened previously in the book?
They leave their hometown on a mission save
it by finding men that are across the
border. Things happen which make some
want to go home. They think of every way
to cross the border but are told it’s
impossible. A family takes them for a night
or two when the group is found at a fruit
market
Predict what will happen as the book
continues.
They will make it over the border with help
and issues, but I am not very sure they will
save their town at the end of the book. We
shall see!

Discuss a character’s internal and/or external conflict, and the ways that conflict has influenced or will influence his
or her actions.

Summary and Setting Specialist Role Sheet

Name: Natalie Sperry Book: Into the Beautiful North

Group: Mark, Zachary, Jonathan Pages: 178 - 236

Your job is to identify and report on the key points of the assigned section. Make a list or write a
summary that describes how the writer develops the setting, plot, and characters in this section of the
book. Share your report at the beginning of the group meeting to help your group focus on the key ideas
presented in the reading. Like that of a newspaper reporter, your report must be concise, yet thorough.

Setting
(Consider shifts in the setting or mood that seem significant.)
- Border/tunnel to America
- In San Diego County (They all grieve over not having Tach with them: very sad…)
- Ma Johnstones Apartment (She was introduced and everything was happy until they
said she died on trash day in the ally; Why they gotta do that?!)
- Tacho talk
- Gay Bar
- Bowling ally
- Hillcrest
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Plot
(Consider major events that occurred in the assigned section.)
- They take a secret tunnel to get across the United States Border
- Matt lived in San Fran. until he got a call saying his ma was dead, then he went back to
San Diego, cleaned the apartment, and then got a phone call from Nayeli, and then he
took them to the apartment.
- After Tacho gets released by border patrol he goes to a gay bar where he drinks with a
man named rego, there they become friends(?), and after rego takes him back to his
place to help with the wound that Tacho obtained.
- The girls get in contact with Chavar and find out he works at a bowling ally
- The girls go to the bowling alley where they meet Chava. There he tells them he loved
Irma, but did something he regretted when he was younger, they also got him to go
back to Los Camarones
- Rego’s House
- Border/San Diego (again)
-

Characters
(Consider how characters interact and how characters have changed.)

Since the beginning of the book, there was a lot of character development, but as on a few
chapters ago, there is literally no development. We’ve been introduced to multiple new
characters after the “hero’s journey” began and they have helped them to get where they are
at now which is in San Diego w/ Matt living at his mom’s (R.I.P.) old place. Since most of the
characters are childhood or long-term friends they interact with each other as if they were
family (which they pretty much are).

Diction Detective Role Sheet

Name: Natalie S. Book: Into the Beautiful North

Group: Mark N, Zachary E., Jonathan Pages: 237-295

Your job is to carefully examine the diction (word choice) in the assigned section. Search for words,
phrases, and passages that are especially descriptive, powerful, funny, thought-provoking, surprising, or
even confusing. Complete the graphic organizer below on the selected words, phrases, or passages.
During the discussion, you can read the words, phrases, or passages yourself; ask someone else to read
them, or have people read them silently before sharing your thoughts on them.
 Literature Circle Roles

Page # Word, Phrase, or Reason for Selecting Word, Why did the author
Passage Phrase, or select this word or
Passage phrase? What is the
The author trying to say?
How does the diction help
the author achieve his or
her purpose?

” that boy keeps calling me Funny The author probably picked

a buffalo” this phrase because
242 Atomiko is crazy and says
“alone sad random things that just
make you laugh because
they are so random.

“Ther is no trying… there is powerful The author could have

only doing” picked this line because
264 there is a powerful meaning
behind it. What the author
is trying to say is that
“trying” doesn’t accomplish,
but “doing” can accomplish
a lot. The way the author
used this phrase seems so
sincere when Nayeli said it
to Chava about going to Tia
Irma.

“Thanks for driving me” Thought-provoking I said this as

291 thought-provoking because I
remember towards the
beginning of the book
Nayeli was driving with
Irma. Why did she drive for
a little while w/ Tacho
sitting in the passenger
seat?

Summary and Setting Specialist Role Sheet

Name: Natalie Sperry Book: Into the Beautiful North

Group: Mark, Zachary, Jonathan Pages: 296-338

 Literature Circle Roles

Your job is to identify and report on the key points of the assigned section. Make a list or write a
summary that describes how the writer develops the setting, plot, and characters in this section of the
book. Share your report at the beginning of the group meeting to help your group focus on the key ideas
presented in the reading. Like that of a newspaper reporter, your report must be concise, yet thorough.

Setting
(Consider shifts in the setting or mood that seem significant.)
- Meeting room in the hotel (nervousness/scared, happy/thrilled, shocked)
- Car (not much of a shift in chapter 32, it’s quite boring)
- Kankakee
- Town of Kankakee (happy to sad)
- Bus station/bus (still sad)
- Police car??

Plot
(Consider major events that occurred in the assigned section.)
- More than 16 men showed up to the interview and they had to demand only cops and
soldiers
- Nayeli and tacho are a day’s worth away from reaching Kankakee
- Nayeli made a phone call to Tia Irma and she announced that they had twenty-seven
men going with them back to Mexico
- Nayeli goes on the hunt for her father and gets the help of mary jo and a policeman,
they eventually find the man they are looking for, but he has a wife and a kid. She
leaves the postcard on his windshield
- Mary jo drops Nayeli and tacho off at the bus station. Nayeli tells Mary jo that she will
tell her that her father is gone
- Arnie the border patrol man from early on in the book comes back and does a bus
routine check and finds Nayeli and tacho, he takes them to the car and they tell him
the story of their journey and eventually takes them to San Diego

Characters
(Consider how characters interact and how characters have changed.)
There has been no character development, only new characters being added. We were
introduced to Mary Jo who helped Nayeli try and help her find her father and such.

I’ve never been mad at a book before this.