Round Robin Books (Grade K-1)

Summary

Using a musical chairs format, students will rotate around the circle -- with a book on each chair around the circle. When the music stops students will sit, pick up the book on their chair, and take turns sharing if their book is fiction or informational and why they would want to read it (the purpose for reading -- entertainment, to learn something, etc).

Materials

You will need enough chairs for each student, set up in a circle and a variety of fiction and non-fiction text to set out on the chairs. You will also need a music player and music.

Background for Teachers

Rules of musical chairs game. Know how to easily start and stop the music.

Student Prior Knowledge

How to play musical chairs. Introduction to the difference between fiction and non-fiction and purposes for reading text.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to identify a text as fiction or informational and identify the purpose for reading that text.

Instructional Procedures

Instructional Sequence:

Review definition of and/or differences between fiction and non- fiction text. Show examples of each as you review.

Review instructions for how to play musical chairs and what students will be doing as the play round robin books: Walk around the circle as you listen to the music. When the music stops pick up the book on your chair and sit down. Think about what kind of book you have and why you might want to read it.

Make sure each student is in front of a chair ready to start. Start the music playing and having students start walking around. After 30 to 40 seconds stop the music and have students grab their book and sit down. Give them a minute to look at and think about the book they have. Ask students to hold up their book if it is information then have students hold up their book if it is fiction. Also take turns doing this for the purpose for reading: entertainment, to learn something. Repeat this process as many times and time permits.

Variation: You can go around the circle one at a time to have students share what kind of book they have and the purpose for reading it.

Exit ticket: give students the attached page with pictures of fiction and non-fiction books. Have students circle the non-fiction book and the purpose for reading that book (entertainment or to learn).

Strategies for Diverse Learners

Pop in and conference with them to help them identify what type of book they have and why they might want to read it.

Extensions

Have students share a little bit more about their book. Possible questions to ask: How do you know it's fiction/non-fiction? What do you think you could learn from this book (non-fiction)? What fun things do you think might happen in this book (fiction)?

Assessment Plan

Observation and anecdotal notes during the activity. You might have a checklist of students names and mark the ones that are still struggling and/or doing really well.

Exit ticket: circle type of text (fiction or non-fiction -- you can decide which one you want them to identify) and the reason for reading that chosen type of text (entertainment or learning.

Bibliography

Reviewed by Michelle Miles