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For each question, type in your thoughts about how Junior Great Books could fit into your class plan. Feel free to print out this worksheet for later reference.
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| Question: | Your Thoughts: |
| 1. In which objectives am I most interested? |
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| 2. How much class time is warranted by these objectives?
Generally, the more objectives you wish to achieve with Junior Great Books, the more class time is warranted. Of course, some objectives are more important than others, and this should also factor into the equation.
You might find it easier to think first in terms of how many stories you think you should cover, and then in terms of actual minutes and hours.
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| 3. Which series is the best match for my objectives?
The Junior Great Books series numbers roughly correspond to grade levels. The stories in a series will be challenging, but not overwhelming, for students reading at that grade level. We never recommend using a higher series at a lower grade (e.g., series 5 at fourth grade). Depending on specific goals and student reading abilities, it can be beneficial to use a lower Series at a higher grade (e.g., series 4 at fifth grade).
The reading skills of your students, the desired objectives, and the classtime available should all be factored into this choice.
For example, if you are more concerned about reading objectives than thinking objectives, and you have limited class time, you might want to drop down one series. This would allow you to spend less class time on the reading and more on Shared Inquiry Discussion and writing.
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| 4. How many units (stories) should be covered?
A consistent use of the program is usually the most effective. Doing units sporadically or infrequently will require a relearning of the process every time.
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| 5. How much class time (roughly) will I need to work through a unit?
You'll want to conduct a Shared Inquiry Discussion with every story, but what else? Which other activities will be most helpful?
Can students read the stories independently for homework, or would it be more effective to read them in class where you can strategically support and direct student efforts? How much of the writing will be needed to achieve the desired objectives? How much work do you want to do with note taking and student questions?
Once you have decided how much time and how many sessions each unit will require, you can plan your class time.
It is usually more effective to schedule sessions on consecutive days. For example, rather than spending 40 minutes each Friday and taking four or five sessions to work through a story, spend four or five sessions in the same week, and then wait three or four weeks before beginning the next unit.
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| 6. What other programs or activities will be displaced by using Junior Great Books? |
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| 7. How will I determine whether Junior Great Books has been successful? |
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Copyright 2005 - The Great Books Foundation
Getting Started with Great Books in the Classroom
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What literature is used in Junior Great Books activities? Check here for details...
The best introduction to Shared Inquiry and using Junior Great Books is the Basic Leader Training Course.
More on JGB training...
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