BROOKLYN MIDDLE SCHOOL THE BEST IS IN THE MIDDLE Dear Parent or Guardian: A summer reading program accomplishes many worthwhile purposes. It not only encourages learning though the summer months, but also builds vocabulary, word recognition, fluency, and speed that will assist students as they progress through their years of schooling. All students in 6 th grade for the 2014-2015 school year will be required to complete the summer reading project. Please read over the information in this packet carefully. This project will be one of the first grades earned in language arts class. PART 1: All Gifted Language Arts students entering the sixth grade must read one book from the following list.these books were chosen because they will be a great lead in to our theme based on Utopia next year. Parents: from a literary standpoint these books are wonderful pieces of literature however, there are some topics in these books that you may not want to introduce your child quite yet. Please take the the time to do a quick google search on some of the themes in these books. I have included a link that you can use that is helpful for parents to determine the appropriateness of the book. Book review link: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews Book list that you may choose from: City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Giver by Lois Lowry PART 2: We find that comprehension and retention increases if students write down a brief summary each time they read. This will also be helpful to review before school begins, especially if you read the novel at the beginning of the summer. Enclosed you will find a Reading Log worksheet to fill in while you read. PART 3: Complete any ONE of the following projects for the book you read. Be sure to include your name, the title, and the author on your choice of assignment. PART 4: Part of your project will be an oral presentation in front of your peers. Your presentation should be practiced before school starts. Please keep in mind the following ideas when preparing for your report: Presentations should be 2-3 minutes long. One 3x5 index card is required! Be loud and clear in your presentation. Do not rush or mumble through your presentation. Do not sway or lean. You must mention the following ideas in your presentation (write them down on your index card!): Your name, book title and author, characters, setting, problem in the story, main events in story, solution to problem, and how the book ends. PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! The more you practice the better your presentation will be and the less nervous you will be. Remember your reading log and project are due the second day of school!!
Sincerely, Mrs. Mack Gifted Sixth Grade Language Arts Teachers
Complete any ONE of the following projects for the book you read. Be sure to include your name, the title, and the author on your choice of assignment. Any choice that requires writing should be typed using Times New Roman, 12 point font, and be double spaced. In a brown paper bag, place 5 items that symbolize significant characters/events/ideas from your chosen novel. For example, if you were reading a book about a famous baseball player, you might fill your bag with objects, such as, a postcard from his hometown or a baseball to serve as a reminder of a notable homerun. Decorate the front of the bag to reflect the theme of the book but do not copy the cover of the book! Don t forget to include the Create a graphic novel version of your chosen novel. Take 5 pieces of white paper; fold in half (hamburger style) & staple down the center (this should now look like a book). Decorate the front cover to reflect the theme of the book but do not copy the cover of the book! Retell the events of the book in graphic novel style. Your graphic novel must include dialogue. Don t forget to include the title of your book, the author s name, and your name. Be neat, creative, and Create a soundtrack for the book. What 5 songs would you choose? Give an explanation for why you chose each song and how it connects to the events or characters in the book. Include the title, artist and lyrics for each song. Your songs must be school appropriate! Create a unique scrapbook that represents events or characters that are in your book. Use pictures that would represent ten occurrences in your book. For each occurrence, be sure to add a brief description, but don t give the story away. Your scrapbook should have a minimum of 5 front & back s. Decorate the cover your to reflect the theme of the book but do not copy the cover of the book! Don t forget to include the Write the title of the book in the center of a poster board. Then, look through magazines for words, phrases, and sentences that illustrate or tell something about your book. As you look, think in terms of the theme, setting, plot, and characters. Work to get at least fifty words, phrases, or sentences so that the entire poster board is covered. You may not leave any white space! The visual impact of the collage should tell a potential reader all about the book. Create a children s picture book based on your book. Draw or create pictures that illustrate the important concepts of the story line of your book and be sure to tell the main points in your picture book. Decorate the front cover to reflect the theme of the book but do not copy the cover of the book! Don t forget to include the Make a movie trailer featuring your book. If you have Windows, chances are you have Movie Maker without even knowing about it. If it's your first time making a movie on the computer, though, think about downloading Microsoft's Photo Story. It's free and simple to use and has enough features (photo effects, neat transitions, the ability to add music) that you can create a pretty cool product. Your final movie should be a professional-looking and contain at least 10 pictures and 10 slides with words. Don t forget to include the title of your book, the author s name, and your name. Be creative! Step by step directions will be posted on Mrs. Ralph s teacher web. Use Power Point or Prezi to create a book talk that explains the theme, setting, plot, conflict and characters. Use pictures and/or video that accurately shows the contents of the book. Presentation should be no longer than 3-5 minutes. Don t forget to include the title of your book, the author s name, and your name. Be creative! Write a diary that one of the story s main characters might have kept before, during, and after the book s events. Remember that the character s thoughts and feelings are very important in a diary. The diary should contain at least 15 entries.
Reading Log Due Date: THE 2 nd DAY OF SCHOOL! Directions: Each time you read you must fill in one row on the chart. Each row consists of the date, start, end, and a 3-5 sentence summary of what you read. The front & back of your reading log must be completely filled in. Name: Book Title: Author: Total Numbers of Pages: Date Start End Summary: 3-5 sentences
Date Start End Summary: 3-5 sentences