Young Adult Literature about the Middle East: A Cultural Response Perspective

Materials and Technology

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

• Pre-Reading Chart
• Recommended Titles for Literature Circles Based on the Middle East
• “The Worst of Two Choices or The Forsaken Olive Trees” by Najwa Qa’war Farah
• Computers with Internet connection
• Literature Circle Roles Handout
• Response Chart for Literature Circles
• Sample Responses for Literature Circles
• The Middle East: Beginning Resources for Research
• Student Self-Assessment
• Welcome Letter Assignment
• Welcome Letter Evaluation
• Character Trading Cards
• Letter Generator

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PREPARATION

• Teachers and students should have a working knowledge of Literature Circles. See Web Resources for additional background information.
• Make copies of necessary handouts.
• Read “The Worst of Two Choices or The Forsaken Olive Trees” and prepare for modeling the literature circle roles in the introductory session. See Sample Responses for Literature Circles for guidance in getting started.
• Work with school and/or local librarians/media specialists to obtain collections of literature from the Recommended Book List.
• Bookmark The Middle East: Beginning Resources for Research on computers students will be using for research in Session Two (and other sessions).
• Arrange for access to computers with Internet access for appropriate sessions.
• Determine the schedule for literature circle work. Consider factors such as availability of books and reading time, group composition, and length/difficulty of books as you decide a final date for books to be completed and various meetings/checkpoints along the way.
• Test the Character Trading Cards and Letter Generator interactives on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-ins installed. You can download the plug-ins from the Technical Support page.

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