General Feedback for “Discussion Tasks”: The Questions

1. General Feedback for “Discussion Tasks”: The Questions • Most questions were of the appropriate depth and complexity. However, please limit the scope of you question to the CONTENT of this book. Avoid questions like, “How would you feel if you were Scrooge…”, or, “When was a time when you…?” • Because this is a more complex novel and we are shorter on our time frame, please keep your questions limited to the events and characters of the chapter. • If personal connections arise during your conversation, that is fine; but remember: this unit is a LITERATURE CIRCLE, whereas Michael Oher conversations were a BOOK CLUB.

2. Questions should stick to the text, and be open to multiple opinions: • DO this: • Based on what Fan says on page 22 about how, "Farther is so much kinder then he used to be...", what do you think the relationship between Scrooge and his father is? How do you think they came to feel this way about each other"? • NOT this: • If you were told by a dead friend that three spirits would visit you three nights, what would you do? • *Note: While the question is certainly interesting and open to multiple opinions, I am going to ask that you refrain from these types of questions during your limited number of meetings.

3. Questions should be clearly worded, as well as grammatically correct: • DO this: • In the beginning of the second stave, Scrooge is met by the first ghost, who is holding a cap by its side. When Scrooge asks the ghost if they could wear the cap, the ghost replies that Scrooge was one of the many men who wove that cap and forced him to wear it throughout the years. What do you think the first ghost meant by this? Why do you think so? • NOT this: • On page 6 the gentle men were trying to perswade Scrooge to donate, this might have been a theme attempt on the author's part, do you think this was intended or do you think this was just where he had tried to place the poor people of London into the pages? Explain what theme or why you think it was a refrance of the poor of London

4. “Cause for Pause” passages • These were more of a “mixed bag.” People who clearly took the time included analyses that were clear, easy to follow and showed the appropriate depth. • People who did not do this seemed to evidence one more more of the following: • Quotes were longer than analysis. Think: does that make sense? • People forgot to include WHY this made them pause. Confusion? Seemed important? Reminded them of something? • Answers were riddled with convention errors, both in quotes and in analysis. This demonstrates a “rush” job. Even daily work should include your strongest skills of convention!