Agenda+Requirements

The wiki for your novel should have two parts to it: pre-discussion information and an agenda for the discussion. All group members must contribute to the wiki. Please begin by creating a google doc that is shared with all members of your group. Work on this google doc until the information is finalized, and then post it to the wiki once all members have had a chance to contribute.


 * Student Facilitator:** Groups should decide which student will facilitate the discussion. Facilitation involves reading from the agenda (on a computer or a printed copy) to guide the discussion. Please identify the student faciltator on the wiki page.

Pre-Discussion Information
The purpose of this section is to sort out the basic fiction elements in the novel. This is a good way to check your understanding of the novel, and the group can use this information as a reference during the discussion. You can use your collective knowledge to answer these questions and build a foundation for your discussion so the conversation can focus on higher level issues.

Post on the wiki prior to discussion and include textual references for each element.
 * Characters - List at least 3 significant details for each character.
 * Setting(s) - Describe details including time and place, economic, cultural, geographic, seasonal elements. What are all of the details of the backdrop against which the novel is set that help to create its tone and ideas?
 * Important plot events - Choose at least 3 significant plot elements and explain their importance.
 * Conflicts - Identify and elaborate on the conflicts that drive the plot.
 * Narration (point of view) - Describe how the telling impacts the story.
 * Qualities of the journey - Each group member should make a statement about the journey (metaphorical, literal, etc.) and how the character changes (or not...).

Agenda
We recognize that a good discussion is a mix of planned and spontaneous conversation. Therefore, this section is designed to help you to plan the discussion without prescribing too rigidly. Your agenda should have a good mix of the following:

Discussion Questions:
What are the issues and ideas within this novel you’d like your group to discuss? Be sure to consider various parts of the text (beginning, middle and end). Collaboratively create 15-25 open-ended questions that promote discussion and organize them logically.
 * __Personal Response Questions__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> -- These questions might address your personal reactions to the style and content of the novel and ask group members to share and compare.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Open-ended, analytical questions__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-- These promote multiple perspectives and don’t yield a single answer. They address the WHY and HOW.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Significant passage questions__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> -- Observe, as you would in close reading, the qualities of the text and how the passage brings meaning to the novel overall.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Protocols:
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Use of at least two protocols and customize them to fit a discussion of your novel
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Choose protocols to include all members and specify what will be addressed using that protocol.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Make use of the Discussion Resources linked here or create your own.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Connections:
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Learn about your book and widen your discussion by researching outside resources. Each must include a specific part of the text the group should focus on, a statement about why the outside source is relevant, plus at least one comment or question for discussion. The outside resources can include:
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">literary criticism
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">book reviews
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">other works of literature
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">literary theory
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">author information -- interviews, obituaries, statements
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">trailers/spin-offs/popular culture references