Refugee: An "Elements of Critical Thinking" Literature Circle Book Club
Students will read the New York Times bestselling novel "Refugee" by Alan Gratz and participate in a Literature Circle based book club discussion, rotating responsibilities and presenting their findings to the group.
Mrs. Russell, M.S. Ed.
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(367)
What's included
7 live meetings
7 in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
*Please note: Due to the student-led discussion format of this class, the smallest size that will work well is 4 students. I will cancel the class if fewer than 4 students enroll. Invite your friends! That said, the class will not work well with more than 8 students. I will keep a firm cap on the limit as well, in order for everyone to have the best possible educational experience. Q: What Are Literature Circles? A: In literature circles, small groups of students gather together to discuss a piece of literature in depth. The discussion is guided by students' responses to what they have read. You may hear talk about events and characters in the book, the author's craft, or personal experiences related to the story. Literature circles provide a way for students to engage in critical thinking and reflection as they read, discuss, and respond to books. Collaboration is at the heart of this approach. Students reshape and add onto their understanding as they construct meaning with other readers. Finally, literature circles guide students to deeper understanding of what they read through structured discussion and extended written and artistic response. This specific course is geared toward higher level thinking. Each literature circle role is directly connected to the 11 elements of critical thinking: big ideas, rules, trends, patterns, language of the discipline, ethics, relationships over time, details, unanswered questions, across disciplines and multiple perspectives. Q: What is this book about? A: JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world . . . ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America . . . MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe . . . All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers -- from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end. This action-packed novel tackles topics both timely and timeless: courage, survival, and the quest for home. (Amazon description) Q: Is there any homework? A: You will be asked to read approximately 55 pages per week and complete your "job" in order to be ready to present to the group each week. Q: Am I going to be graded on this? A: I will be taking notes each week on a rubric that allows me to assess your overall participation and the completion and depth of your assigned weekly role. This can be shared with your parents upon request.
Other Details
Supply List
Documents provided by instructor. Copy of book https://www.amazon.com/Refugee-Alan-Gratz-ebook/dp/B06WVDCDQG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3UGIJNUPMBCLH&keywords=refugee+alan+gratz&qid=1555178937&s=gateway&sprefix=refugee+Alan%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
- Google Docs
Joined August, 2018
4.9
367reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
My name is Carie Beth Russell. I live in the Kansas City area with my husband, two daughters and two cats. I am a former elementary teacher and gifted education specialist. I have been “home” since my second daughter was born, but have remained active in the field of education by teaching educational summer camps, tutoring and teaching at a homeschool enrichment program.
My professional priorities center around student-led learning. It’s my strong conviction that supporting children as they learn, rather than dictating how and what they learn, is the way to encourage their inborn patterns of curiosity, wonder and problem-solving that will serve them well in all stages of being human.
While my own children attend public school, we very much view education as something we own and must take personal responsibility for. We work hard at educational advocacy within the public school context. I teach my daughters to communicate with their teachers, ask for what they need and request amended or extended: depth, duration and scope of projects, units, skills and personal areas of interest.
Gifted Education services often provide these things for students who have been identified as such, but these standards and the definition of “giftedness” vary from state to state, based generally on funding, and doesn’t allow for many students to qualify. This leaves an enormous group of students who have “need of different” but no access to a more open-ended and curiosity-led education. Please understand that when I say enormous, I mean ALL.
Out School, and other platforms like it, allow students to adapt their learning modalities and pursue interests and learning pathways that intrigue their own very unique minds. Teaching students to participate in Student Led Learning, in its various formats, allows them to continue on in their own investigations of an amazing planet and human experience, studying past, present and future as they forge their own distinct path. Reviews
Live Group Class
$126
for 7 classes1x per week, 7 weeks
60 min
Completed by 21 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-15
4-8 learners per class
