LITERATURE CIRCLES / PLANNER · ENGLISH III BLANK

Plan a circle: “Kindred”

Octavia E. Butler (1979) · novel · grades 11–12 (English III–IV) · ~3 weeks. Rights: Copyrighted.

Kit section 5 (group agreement & calendar), scaffolded for this text. Students fill the group, calendar, and roles.

Preview note: Copyrighted, mature — use a previewed edition. Contains graphic violence, racism, and sexual violence; plan strong context and support. Verify all plot details against the book.

Copyright: Independent educational companion to Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. Students need lawful access to the novel; this planner does not reproduce or replace it and is not affiliated with the author's estate or publisher. Verify all plot details against the book.

Text, group, and target

Text / author / edition	“Kindred” — Octavia E. Butler (1979). ______________________ (edition)
Group / period / dates
Grade / TEKS target (p. 3)	English III · §110.38 — 6(A): relationships among literary elements; 5(C,D): analytic commentary and summary; 1(D): student-led discussion.
Learning intention	We are learning to explain how Dana’s time shifts reveal a theme about the legacy and power of slavery.
Success criteria	I bring one open question, cite two details by section (paraphrased), respond to a peer, and name how my thinking changed.

Reading map & calendar

Chunk	Read through	Meeting date · leader
1	“The River” / “The Fire”: Dana is pulled from 1976 to antebellum Maryland to save Rufus.
2	“The Fall” / “The Fight”: longer stays, Kevin, plantation life, and survival.
3	“The Storm” / “The Rope” / Epilogue: escalating danger, the final break, and its cost.

Members & first-meeting jobs (p. 7 roles)

Member	First job	Rotates to (next meeting)

Text-specific discussion questions (open — more than one answer)

Predict: Dana is yanked into the past whenever Rufus is in danger — what will saving him force her to become part of?
Question: Why might Butler make Dana’s survival depend on protecting a future slaveholder?
Clarify: What does Dana’s injury on returning to 1976 suggest about the past’s grip on the present?
Summarize: Trace how Dana’s relationship to Rufus changes across her trips, without opinion.
Interpret the theme: How do the time shifts reveal a theme about slavery’s legacy and power? Use two details (paraphrase).

Optional Jigsaw lenses (p. 4): Character (Dana and Rufus) · Structure (the time-travel frame) · Theme (the power and legacy of slavery) · Setting (1976 vs. antebellum Maryland) · Point of view (Dana’s first-person witness).

LITERATURE CIRCLES / STUDENT PREP BLANK

Reading notes: “Kindred”

Name: _______________ · Home group: _______________ · Section: “Kindred,” ____________ · Expert lens: ____________

Everyone prepares. Read the whole assigned section. Write or draw three important ideas, two supporting details with locations, and one summary in your own words. Keep interpretation separate from summary. Paraphrase only — no quotations; verify details against the book.

Questions

What needs clarification?
What could the group explore?

3 · Important ideas

Character choices, conflicts, themes, or central ideas.

Vocabulary

Word + location + meaning or clue.
Mark anything still uncertain.

2 · Supporting details

Short quote or accurate paraphrase + page/paragraph + what it shows.

1 · Summary in my own words

Bring to the circle

My interpretation: These details suggest __________________________________________
Synthesis (connect two lenses): ____________________________________________________
After discussion: My thinking changed / became clearer because ______________________

TEKS evidence: 6(C,D) supported inference; 7(A) theme through characters/events; 1(D) response to a peer. · Pair with the PlotPoint “Kindred” room.