Lesson Overview 

The class begins - as most classes do - with a quiz.  After the quiz, we begin at one end of the room and go down each row (columns, really).  The student will give their comment, question, quote, link - or whatever (they have five prepared (by having five prepared, if someone else takes their favorite thing they want to bring up, they have four backups) - see my page on Class Discussions).    Here is the description from the handout they received (and I will repost below as well) for their preparation instructions:
You will be responsible for having reread/gone over your chapter (based on your row number) and having ideas, quotes, comments, questions, observations ready to bring into our discussion in class.  We are counting on you  For that chapter you must find the following:  THIS time – you must have really good example, and they must be written out on a sheet of paper, though that sheet of paper may just explain your point and reference the quote so it can be easily found in your book.  We can’t waste time while you look for the text that your point is referencing.  You must FIND all 5 of these – not just one – though you can find more than these.

0. The plot of the story/chapter that your page numbers occur within

1. Two notable quotes that are important to the story. Be ready to get a discussion going on the quote – why is it important?  The quotes may “make you think,” “be related to something else,” or “just be pretty!”

2. A connection to earlier in the book – something that references back to what we read earlier – or becomes clearer – or deepens or explain a mystery from earlier in the reading – or that gives us more insight into a character – this can be a quote, an idea, an image, even a phrase.  Think of previous chapters.

3. Connections to other works include – (“Soldier’s Home”, Candide, The History of Love, The Graduate, “The Night Face Up”, “The Metamorphosis”, “The Allegory of the Cave”, Everything is Illuminated (movie), The Return of Martin Guerre (movie),the poems we read (from all of the works we’ve covered)- and any other work of Literary Merit – including books (ie Grendel), plays (Macbeth) from last year.  I expect a lot in terms of these connections – they should be significant (not superficial) and show an awareness that while the connections were not intentional (what really is) the connections themselves show a grasp of many of the ideas that we’ve covered in World Literature up to this point.

4.Any other comments, questions, or ideas that occur to you about your chapter.  Again, these should be specific, significant, and often subtle and powerful.  Be thoughtful.  Big things may include the chapter titles.

We then begin at the front of the room - in the first row (column) and complete their reading section.  For instance, on Day 1 of Row Reading - Row 1 has the Chapter called "Love".  We go through that Row - and that section of reading - every student giving their favorite (best?) of the 5 specific pieces they have prepared.  After the student makes their comment (or quote, connection, question, etc) a short discussion should ensue.  Short is the key word here as  you want to make sure that you have enough time to get to every student in the classroom.  Sometimes, and this is so great, a student will raise their hand and say that their item - addresses what the student just said - so the teacher needs to be flexible.  The more organic the discussion, the better.  After the row is done - I bring up any parts from that section ("Love" in this case) that the students didn't get to - and that I feel is very important.  I must admit - in most cases most of the items I want to discuss, get brought up by the students first - which is always preferrable. 

IMPORTANT: I also inform the students - at the beginning of the first day of Row Reading Discussion, but I also periodically remind them.  That if they didn't finish the reading, they should physically move to a Row - of where they did get to - and prepare one thing to say.  I like the procedure a lot.  You are not punishing the students for not having done the reading - and you really want to engage them and hear their voice on the book - which, in turn, makes it more likely that they will do the reading next time.

Thoughts on the Lesson 

"On the Rainy River" is one of the most beautiful pieces of prose that I have encountered in my life.  How wonderful to first hear from the students on this masterpiece of writing.