Book ClubsAKA Literature Circles

Do you have Skills?!?(Questioning Skills, that is.)

Question Types• Did you know there are many different types of

questions? Did you know that the previous question is the SKINNY type?

• This year, you will NOT use SKINNY questions!

• YOU will ask FAT questions… which are:– Harder to formulate– More interesting to discuss – AND… better for your brain!

Skinny Questions…• Skinny questions are questions that DO NOT lead to

“superb discussion”.• They typically have a short or one-word answer.• Examples:– Who is the main character?– What was Melissa’s favorite food in the story?– What did Goldilocks do to the bear she found in her

bed?

Basically:• They are BOOOORRRRRRIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG.

Fat Questions…• THESE are the questions WE want to ask!!!• Fat questions are intelligent, and they lead to

*SUPERB* discussion.• Examples: – Do you think Melissa made the correct decision

when she returned the $100 she found? Why or why not?

– If you could rewrite the end of the story, what would you have Matt do with the magic wand?

Basically:• They are AWESOME & FUN to discuss!!!

Now, It’s Sorting Time!• For our Fat vs. Skinny Questions activity, you

will take questions that have already been written about The Rainbow Fish.

• With your group, sort the questions into groups with SKINNY questions and FAT questions.

• After time is called, we will discuss how you sorted the questions & see if all groups agree.

Cheat Sheet: • Skinny = questions that can be answered with one word or a short answer. • Fat= require discussion; cannot be answered with one word; don’t necessarily

have a right or wrong answer.

Why does this matter?!?

• When you learn how to ask in-depth questions while reading, as opposed to shallow questions, your book club discussions will be richer and require a higher level of thinking.

• In other words, book clubs will make you SMARTER! Yay!