Circle of Gold: Guided Reading

Lesson Author: Julie Bittner

Subject: Language Arts; Reading

Grade Level: 3-5

Overview: Eight guided reading sessions, 20-25 minutes each in which the following concepts are taught: characterization, synthesis, analysis, predicting. Students will complete journal entries.

Materials:

Student copies of the novel Circle of Gold by Candy Dawson Boyd (Publisher: Scholastic; Reissue edition, June 1989; ISBN: 0590432664) You may purchase this title online from Amazon.

Procedure:

Day 1:

Read Chapter 1 together. Complete characterization worksheet together for:

Mattie: twin, no father, mother works too much, smart, cleans apartment, not wealthy, sings well
Matt: twin, no father, mother works too much, not wealthy, paints well
Toni: Mattie’s friend, making shawl for Mom, good in English/writing, entering contest; “chocolate bubble floating through life”
Angel: good clothes, lots of money, mean, “Queen Bee”, cheats, picks on Mattie

Assign:
Read Chapter 2; list in journal the problems Mattie is having right now:
- misses dad
- not enough money
- Angel and Charlene mean/picking on her
- Mom’s super work - covering for work not done, helping out
- loosing her babysitting job = less money
- too much homework

Day 2:

Go over journal listings assigned
Read Chapter 3 together
Characterize Mama:
- proud, sad, bereaved, grief-stricken, angry, afraid, over-tired, over-worked, worried

Assign:
Read Chapter 4 and complete question worksheet:

1. Why doesn’t Mama want to celebrate Mothers’ Day this year?
2. Why doesn’t Mattie want to buy any clothes for herself?
3. Why is it so important to Mattie to buy the gold circle pin for Mama?

Day 3:

Review answers to Chapter 4 questions
Read Chapter 5 together
Discuss Mrs. Stamps’ advice on pages 49-50
Predict for Chapter 6

Assign:
Read Chapter 6 and do 4 journal entries

Day 4:

Share and discuss journal entries for Chapter 6
Read Chapter 7 together
Discuss: Could counseling help Mama: Why or why not?

Assign:
Read Chapter 8 and do 4 journal entries.

Day 5:

Share and discuss journal entries for Chapter 8
Read Chapter 9 together
Discuss:
1. Who do you think stole the bracelet? Use story evidence to support
your answers.
2. Whose essay do you think Mattie mailed -hers or Toni’s? Why?

Assign:
Read Chapter 10 and complete questions worksheet
1. What is Mattie’s and Toni’s plan to find out what happened
to the bracelet?
2. Who do you think stole the bracelet? Use story evidence to
support your answer.

Day 6:

Share answers to questions; discuss; edit as necessary.
Read Chapter 11 together.
Discuss:
1. What does Mrs. Stamps mean by “skin-stretching times”? (pg. 102)
2. Why does Toni think Charlene stole the bracelet?
Assign:
Read Chapter 12 and complete questions worksheet:
1. Why do you think Mama has changed and is doing things with
Mattie and Matt now?
2. Why do you think Charlene took Angel’s bracelet?

Day 7:

Share answers to questions; discuss; edit as necessary.
Read Chapter 13 together.
Discuss:
1. How are each of these characters working out their problems
- Mama?
- Mattie?
- Matt?
2. Predict what is in the letter for Mattie.

Assign:
Read Chapter 14
Write 4 journal entries

Day 8:

Share journal entries; discuss character changes from beginning to end of story; predict beyond story ending.

Journal Entries/Worksheets

Chapter 1: Characterization Worksheet

Characters

Mattie

Matt

Toni

Angel

Chapter 2
After reading Chapter 2, list the problems that Mattie has to worry about right now:

Chapter 3
Characterize Mama:

Chapter 4
After reading Chapter 4, answer the following questions:

1. Why doesn’t Mama want to celebrate Mothers’ Day this
year?

2. Why doesn’t Mattie want to buy any clothes for herself?

3. Why is it so important to Mattie to buy the gold circle pin
for Mama?

Chapter 5

1. On pages 49-50, Mrs. Stamps tells Mattie: “If you live
your life based on only what you think you can do well,
you won’t achieve very much.” What does that advice
mean to you?

2. What do you predict Mattie will do about the contest?

Chapter 6

After reading Chapter 6, write 4 journal entries for this chapter.

Chapter 7

Would it help Mama to talk to someone, like a counselor?
Why or why not?

Chapter 8

After reading Chapter 8, write 4 journal entries for this chapter.

Chapter 10

1. What is Mattie’s and Toni’s plan to find out what happened
to the bracelet?

2. Who do you think stole the bracelet? Use story evidence to
support your answer.

Chapter 12

1. Why do you think Mama has changed and is doing things
with Mattie and Matt now?

2. Why do you think Charlene took Angel’s bracelet?

Chapter 14

After reading Chapter 14, write 4 journal entries for this chapter.