Literature discussion groups. One of the books I used recently for a literature discussion group was Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine.
You can see I placed a 'common focus post-it' on the inside back cover so students would constantly 'have it in their face' as to what they were to be thinking deeply about and flagging. This student also flagged symbolism she noted while reading. When I previewed the book with this group, I told them to see if they could figure out the symbolism behind the birds, humming, the crate, and the leaves that appear throughout the text.
Students also know that after they've finished reading the assigned text, they are to write a response that addressed the 'common focus flag' and any other thoughts they flagged. We Read, We Blog, We Teach: The CAFE Book - Chapter 4. Reflections on Chapter 4: Conferring with Children Hi!
I'm Laura Candler of the Teaching Resources website as well as the Corkboard Connections blog. I'm a former upper elementary teacher who loved teaching reading with the reading workshop approach! Literature Circles Resource Center.