SMCPS High School Summer Reading Guidelines ( )

Transcription

1 SMCPS High School Summer Reading Guidelines ( ) Rationale for summer reading: Adolescents entering the adult world will do more reading and writing tasks than any other time in human history. They will need reading and writing to cope with the flood of information they will find in the world as it exists. They will also need to use literacy to feed their imaginations so that they can create the world of the future. In a complex and diverse world, their ability to read is crucial, and therefore, it is essential not only to help them survive, but also to help them thrive. Excerpted from the International Reading Association (IRA) Position Statement on Adolescent Literacy, SMCPS advocates summer reading to prevent any backsliding of reading progress made during the school year, as well as to further develop the student as a literate person in society. The more a student reads- the more words that a student encounters the better reader the student will become and the more challenging the material that he/she will be able to read. Therefore, not only must reading continue throughout the school year at home and in school, but reading must also continue during the summer. In order to promote student interest in reading, we believe that the summer reading program should offer choice and appeal to many different interests and reading levels. The program should also be an extension of a balanced literacy approach that fosters the integration of writing with reading and stimulates thinking skills through response to reading. In summary, we believe that students need to practice to become proficient readers. It is with these points in mind that St. Mary s County Public Schools has developed the following Summer Reading Guidelines: 1. All students entering grades 9-12 will read a minimum of ONE book over the summer and complete a double entry journal for their chosen book. The grade for this assignment (which will be scored by the attached rubric) may be included as a first marking period process grade. 2. We have provided students with lists of suggested books for each grade level, which can be viewed on the system website. Students do not have to select titles from our suggested reading lists; however, if they select their own titles, they must be grade-level appropriate and at least 150 pages in length. 3. Students are encouraged to read additional books over the summer and document their reading on the attached reading log. Schools and/or individual teachers will determine incentives to reward students who read more than one book. 4. Students who will be taking honors level courses must read two books and complete a double-entry journal for both. They can also choose to read additional books and complete a reading log. 5. We will hold all students accountable for the summer reading. Students who do not complete the summer reading will do so within the first TWO WEEKS of school. After that time, teachers may collect and address all summer reading assignments. After the two-week window, teachers may assign an additional class work activity that incorporates the summer reading books or assignments; that new activity could count as a process or a product grade. 6. AP students will also have common assignments. While the reading titles may vary slightly for each school, the reading selections will be comparable in rigor and length. Students will have common assignments associated with their assigned readings; teachers will collect the summer assignments at similar times and incorporate them into classroom instruction in similar ways. Teachers will use a common rubric to assess these assignments. 7. All summer reading assignments and electronic copies of the journal and reading log template will be available online at after June 13 th.

2 2014 High School Summer Reading Double-Entry Journal (Required) Student Name: School: Grade: Directions: Divide your novel into equal sections of about 25 to 50 pages each. You should have a minimum of three sections. For each section of your novel, you must select a short passage that you found meaningful or relevant in some manner. Record that passage on the left hand side of the double entry journal. In the right hand column record your reaction to the selected quote. A sample from Parrot in the Oven is included below. You should model your entries after the sample. You can create your entries on paper, electronically using the templates below, or use wall wisher ( Section 1 (pgs X-X ) Page # Section 2 (pgs X-X) Page X Section 3 (pgs X-X) Page X

3 Sample Double-Entry Journal for Parrot in the Oven by Victor Martinez Directions: Divide your novel into equal sections of about 25 to 50 pages each. You should have a minimum of three sections. For each section of your novel you must select a short passage that you found meaningful or relevant in some manner. Record that passage on the left hand side of the double entry journal. In the right hand column record your reaction to the selected quote. A sample from Parrot in the Oven is included below. You should model your entries after the sample. Section 1 (pg. 1-48) That summer my brother, Bernardo, or Nardo, as we call him, flipped through more jobs than a thumb through a deck of cards... The job Nardo misses most, though, was when he worked as a busboy...it was the only time he got to be near rich people...the parties they catered served free daiquiris and whiskey drinks and cold beer... The first passage of the book introduces the main character s brother as being unable to hold a job, and is not competent. He is also shown to have attended and now misses parties with drinks, and likely is an alcoholic. This reveals much about Nardo, and evidently what the main character has to deal with. Page 1 Section 2 (pg 49-89) I was begging him to respect reason, but soon found myself saying But Dad, if you shoot Mom, they ll only throw you in jail, and then what will happen to us? I don t care what happens to you, Dad clipped. Only Pedi. Isn t that right, mija? he said to Pedi. you re the only one your dad cares about! This passage shows in important factor regarding Mr. Hernandez. He is an abusive father, an alcoholic (he is drunk at this time), and he is willing to kill his own wife. Pedi is Manny s younger sister, age around 3. Manny s father is the cause of several problems in the story. Page 56 Section 3 (pg ) (Manny is looking at his father s rifle, curious as to why he loved it so much.) Then it was in my hands, and I began working the bolt arm as if inside were all the secrets...i began to work it...i saw the round heel of a bullet...it sank back into the chamber. Startled, I lifted my head, my eyes falling straight along the barrel, then on the aimer, then above it, Pedi, walking through the door...the sound of the gun going off was like a huge mouth swallowing a noise, and Pedi was eaten by that mouth...the way she fell back on the floor, she could only be dead. This is a complex part of the story. Manny accidentally shoots his little sister (don t worry, she s alive!), and no one else was home. Pedi herself hardly knew what happened, and thus Manny managed to barely escape serious trouble with his mother. Manny put Pedi to sleep later, and she stayed asleep, and evidently unharmed. She might have just fainted from the noise or something. The passage itself really emphasizes how lucky Manny is at certain times, and how clumsy as well. It is also a bit more foreshadowing as to the rest of the story, as it is kind of a troubled life Manny lives. Page 100

4 SMCPS Summer Reading Project Scoring Rubric Students can earn up to 10 points in each of the following three scoring categories. Content 4 (10 points) 3 (8 points) 2 (6 points) 1 (4 points) thoughtful analysis of the basic knowledge about book beyond just the recall of and/or limited facts. understanding of the book. thorough understanding of complex ideas and concepts in the book. limited comprehension of the book; there is little evidence that the book was even read. Mechanics evident control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. All written responses are grammatically correct. Presentation careful attention to detail and effort. They are neat and well organized. sufficient control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. Few grammatical errors are present in written responses that do not interfere with reading. some attention to detail and effort. Small improvements are needed in neatness and organization. limited control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. Confused and inconsistent arrangement of sentences and fragments interferes with reading. minimal effort. Neatness and organization need improvement. minimal control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. Entries are difficult to read. poor organization and are very confusing. They appear rushed and are not neat. Total points: /30

5 Additional Summer Reading Log Student Name: School: Grade: Title: Author: # of pages: Genre: Date Pages Read Brief reaction Title: Author: # of pages: Genre: Date Pages Read Brief reaction

6 Summer Reading Suggested Books* for Incoming 9 th Graders Alligator Bayou by Donna Napoli Beauty Queens by Libba Bray Big Fish by Daniel Wallace Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn Crossing Stones by Helen Frost Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Liar by Justine Larbalestier Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff Night Hoops by Carl Deuker Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupo Soldier s Heart by Gary Paulson Spies of Mississippi by Rick Bowers Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill The Orange Houses by Paul Griffin The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf Threads and Flames by Esther Friesner Troy by Adele Geras Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally Walker *Although the majority of these novels are recommended by the American Library Association, we encourage parents and students to investigate and discuss book options together in order to make appropriate choices. Brief summaries of each book can be found on the SMCPS website.