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Ms. Hume – Senior Contemporary Lit.
Unit 3: Short Story/Book Groups
For the final five weeks of this semester, you will be reading a book title in a small group of 4 students
plus writing a final in-class essay on a particular “essential question” raised by your book group
discussions, and drawing inference to the details of the book to support this essential question. Example:
In “Things They Carried” – Essential Question: Is war or the fighting role addictive? Do we as a modern
society thrive on the combat experience?
For this Book Group Unit, browse the titles on the selection day then list your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices. I
will try to honor your first choice, but I will be placing you in a group to balance the numbers of titles
available and to mix up the discussion groups that have evolved during this semester. (Note: the limited
number of certain titles)
The titles currently in our book room are listed below with an indication of how many we have on the
shelf. Titles to choose from: (Note: Need minimum of 4 copies to make a group)
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson (Fic3)
The Miles Between by Mary Pearson (Fic.4)
All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (Fic-8)
City of Thieves by David Benioff (Fic-15)
City of Joy by Dominique LaPierre (Non-Fic-5)
The Color of Water by James McBride (Fic- 4)
Desert Flower by Waris Diri (Non-Fic-6)
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Foer (Fic-12)
Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah (Non Fic-5)
Guests of the Sheik by Elizabeth Fernea (Non-Fic 6)
Iron Silk by Mark Salzman (Fic. 4)
Lie Down with Lyons by Ken Follett (Fic. – 10)
Mountains Beyond Mountain by Tracy Kidder
(Non-Fic.-3)
Peace Like A River by Leif Enger (Fic. 7)
Shadows of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Fic.15)
Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar (Fic.-9)
Om On Ra by Victor Pelevin (Fic. – 5)
On The Road by Jack Kerouac (Fic. – 30)
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan
Safran Foer (Fic. 10)
Book Group Unit Requirements:
1. A five week reading schedule from May 11 – June 5, 2015
Students divide the number of pages for each class period/seminar meeting and submit a reading
schedule to the teacher. Each student keeps a copy for themselves.
2. Student Led Discussions
Each student is responsible for leading AT LEAST TWO seminars. See the “Seminar Leader”
instructions handout plus Seminar Question Handout.
3. Daily Book Group Presentations
Each book group presents a compelling section of the story and a particular essential or moral
question raised from the reading/discussion that class period.
4. Final In-Class Essay Response
Final In-Class Essay evaluating a particular “essential question” explored during the seminars and
supported with specific evidence from the text and the student writer’s own insights.