Constructing Readings in a Literary Community

1
Constructing Readings in a Literary Community
2
Activity 1

• Read Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin silently.
• Notice any lines that resonate with you.
• These might be lines that amuse, offend, or
  surprise you or that you find memorable, elegant
  or puzzling.
• Simply notice any lines that catch your attention
  in any way.

3
Activity 2 Jump In Reading AKA Popcorn Reading

• Now lets read the story aloud and do it in a
  manner called Jump In or Popcorn Reading.
• Start at the beginning of the story. When you
  stop, you may Popcorn another reader, or
  someone may just Jump In when you stop.
• Again, notice any lines that resonate with you.

4
Activity 3 Pointing

• Call aloud lines or phrases from the text that
  moved you, touched you, or resonated for you in
  any way.
• These are the lines that struck you as memorable,
  important, shocking, or especially interesting
  for any reason at all or for no reason that you
  can name.
• No one has the exclusive right to any line
• If someone calls out a line, you are free to call
  it out, too.
• There is no limit to how many times a particular
  line can be called out.

5
Activity 4 Writing About a Line

• We have now had three experiences with the text
• We have read it silently
• We have heard it read with Jump In/Popcorn
  Reading
• We have heard parts of it read again in Pointing.
• Now it is time to write about the story.

6
Activity 4 Writing About a Line

• Select the line of the story that you find most
  important to its meaning or possibly the most
  interesting or puzzling in the context of the
  story.
• Discuss that line and explain its role in the
  story and why you find it is so important or
  interesting or puzzling.
• This might be one of the lines you pointed to or
  heard somebody else point to, or some other line
  entirely.
• Just write the line at the top of your page and
  take off from there.
• Complete this Activity in your Evernote Writing
  Notebook.

7
Activity 5 Sharing Writing in Groups

• Find two other people with whom to share your
  writing.
• Read what you have written rather than just tell
  about it.
• After you have heard each others writing, please
  be prepared to report on how similar or
  different your writing pieces were and what sorts
  of issues were raised by your group about the
  story.

8
Activity 6 Reporting and Publishing

• Now that you have all heard each others writing
  pieces, Id like to hear from groups what you
  found others writing about
• How much agreement did you note in how different
  members of the group saw the story, etc.
• I would also like to hear some sample pieces
• You can volunteer to read your own.
• You can volunteer a member if you heard a piece
  in your group that offered you a new or
  surprising or especially illuminating perspective
  on the story.