Middle School Community Read 2017-2018 All teachers and students in the Middle School should read (or listen to) Wonder by R.J. Palacio. We encourage parents and extended families to read it, too! This book will open our hearts to the gift of kindness and we will use it to kick off our 17-18 School Year. We will reference it in the Middle School and at Parent Night. If you have younger children in your family, there is also a picture book adaptation called, We re All Wonders. We encourage you to enjoy this inspiring tale together. ISBN 978-0-375-86902-0 (Original Book) ISBN 978-1-5247-6649-8 (Picture Book) Companion books: Auggie & Me. 365 Days of Wonder. Companion App: Daily Wonder ASIN: B0078XQPBA (Audiobook from Audible)
Sixth Grade English, Mrs. Bishop Summer Reading Instructions Students must read a minimum of five grade-level novels this summer including one from the Summer Reading list and The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall. Write the titles and authors of all books you have read on a piece of notebook paper to be brought to school during the first week of class. I encourage you to read as many books this summer as you can. You may choose books on your own or from the list I have provided. You are required to read one of the books from the list and complete the following activity: Write a letter home to your family from the setting of the book. Inform your family that the main character from the book will be visiting you at your home very soon. Explain this character to your family by describing him/her and include any information that you believe your family should know before the visit begins. The included information should be evidence from the novel. This is the perfect opportunity to show your new English teacher your best writing! Read The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall. In the book, James Hampton collects seven items that he believes to be the most important. Take a picture of the seven most important items in your life. Print each picture (in color) and paste them on a piece of 22 x28 poster board. The board may be any color. Write a brief description next to each picture explaining what the item is and why it is so important to you. Family members and pets can be included, however, they should be combined and represent only one of the seven important things. Your descriptions should be written neatly, traced in pen or marker, and should be creative and comprehensive. You will present your poster to your homeroom class during the first week of school. Review and complete the checklist to be sure you have met all requirements. I have read at least one book from the Summer Reading List I have written the letter to my family explaining the main character from one of my books I have read The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall I have completed the Seven Most Important Things poster I have read at least three additional books this summer
I have made a list of the additional books I ve read and I have included the authors of each. Please bring all Summer Reading work to the first day of school (not Convocation Day). Book Options: Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. That is, until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Brilliantly crafted, Wolf Hollow is a haunting tale of America at a crossroads, as one girl's resilience and strength of character help to illuminate the darkest corners of our history. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill Every year the people of the protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. Highly acclaimed author Kelly Barnhill has written an epic coming-of-age fairy tale destined to be a modern classic. A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a stunning thriller about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west. With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can't help herself. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom Old Yeller by Fred Gipson To read this eloquently simple story of a boy and his dog in the Texas hill country is an unforgettable and deeply moving experience. Travis was only fourteen, but he was proud of his new role as man of the family and determined to live up to his responsibility. Travis learns just how much he has come to love that big ugly dog, and he learns something about the pain of life, too. The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn t waste a minute; she sneaks out to join him. So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. This masterful work of
historical fiction is equal parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity a classic in the making. Masterminds by Gordon Korman The 30 kids who live in Serenity, New Mexico, never lie; they know it's a short leap from that to the awful problems of other, less fortunate places. Eli has never left Serenity; why would he ever want to? Then one day, he bikes to the city limits and something happens that is so crazy and unexpected it changes everything. Eli convinces his friends to help him investigate further, and soon it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems in Serenity. The clues mount to reveal a shocking discovery, connecting their ideal crime-free community to some of the greatest criminal masterminds ever known. The kids realize they can trust no one, least of all their own parents. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Brian is on his way to Canada to visit his estranged father when the pilot of his small prop plane suffers a heart attack. Thirteen-year-old Brian is forced to crash-land the plane in a lake, and finds himself stranded in the remote Canadian wilderness with only his clothing and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present before his departure. A story of survival and of transformation, this riveting book has sparked many a reader's interest in venturing into the wild. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children two boys and two girls will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they'll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead When Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes, she doesn t know what to do. The notes tell her that she must write a letter, a true story, and that she can t share her mission with anyone not even her best friend, Sal. It would be easy to ignore the strange messages, except that whoever is leaving them has an uncanny ability to predict the future. If that s the case, then Miranda has an even bigger problem because the notes tell her that someone is going to die, and she might be too late to stop it.
Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book I by Colin Meloy Prue McKeel's life is ordinary. At least until her brother is abducted by a murder of crows and taken to the Impassable Wilderness, a dense, tangled forest on the edge of Portland. No one's ever gone in or at least returned to tell of it. So begins an adventure that will take Prue and her friend Curtis deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much greater, as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood. Fish In a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt The author of the beloved One for the Murphys gives readers an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who's ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn't fit in." Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker.. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there's a lot more to her, and to everyone, than a label, and that great minds don't always think alike. A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight more tales, encountering such wicked creatures as witches, along with kindly strangers and other helpful folk. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches. Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.
Seventh Grade English, Mrs. Sease GENERAL INFO: *Seventh Graders must read 2 novels listed in this document for Summer Reading. *Students are not permitted to use summaries of these novels or study aids. All students must read the novels in their entirety, on their own. ALL SEVENTH GRADERS READ THIS NOVEL: Dave at Night Gail Carson Levine ALL SEVENTH GRADERS PICK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CHOICE NOVELS TO READ (Students are not permitted to read a book for Summer Reading that they have previously read. All students must pick something new from this list to read.): 1. Counting Thyme Melanie Conklin 2. Counting by Sevens Holly Goldberg Sloan 3. Hour of the Bees Lindsay Edgar 4. The Running Dream Wendelin Van Draanen 5. Terror at Bottle Creek Watt Key 6. Hideout Watt Key 7. Touching Spirit Bear Ben Mikaelsson OR Ghost of Spirit Bear Ben Mikaelsson (This is the sequel to Touching Spirit Bear, and it should not be read first.) 8. Just My Luck Cammie McGovern 9. Some Kind of Courage Dan Gemeinhert 10. Beetle Boy M.G. Leonard
ENGLISH 7 SUMMER READING WRITING ASSIGNMENTS GENERAL INFO: * Seventh Graders must complete both writing assignments. *Work must be written on clean notebook paper. *Work must be written only on the front of the paper. *Work must be written neatly in blue or black ink. *No outside help is permitted on these assignments. Students must do their own work, on their own. Writing Assignment for Dave at Night *Think about these 3 questions as you read: 1. What will be your lasting impression of this book; what will be your most vivid memories of the book a year from now? 2. What touched you emotionally in this book? 3. If you could jump into this book at any point and become a part of the storyline, where would it be? *As you read, pick 3 DIFFERENT passages from the novel that reveal your answer to each of the three questions (pick one passage per question). Each passage should only be about 1-3 sentences long. Do not choose an entire paragraph or a whole page. *Use one piece of notebook paper per passage and question for this assignment. *Write your name in the top left corner. Write the question, centered at the top of the page. Skip a line and write the passage. Be sure to copy the passage EXACTLY as it appears in the novel. Put quotation marks around it. Write the page number for the passage after you close your quotation marks. *Skip a few lines after writing the passage, and write 1 paragraph explaining why you picked this passage as an answer to one of my questions. I am not looking for a simple summary of the passage or the plot around the passage; do NOT just tell me what is happening in the book at the time of the chosen passage. Explain to me how this passage answers my question. You will indeed have to give me some plot summary, but plot summary should not be the entirety of your paragraph. *You must turn in 3 different 1-paragraph responses, one for each of my 3 questions.
*Staple your 3 pieces of notebook paper together to be submitted to me as one packet. Writing Assignment for Choice Novel *Choose one character from the book, and write 3 one-paragraph journal entries from his or her point of view. *In each journal entry, detail the thoughts and feelings of the character as he/she experiences the plot of the novel. Do not just tell me what is happening. Tell me what the character is thinking and feeling as these events happen. *For each journal entry, write your name in the top left corner. Center the book title on the first line. Underline it. Write the character s name on the next line, centered under the title. Skip a few lines and write your journal entry. *Each entry should be written on a separate piece of notebook paper. *Each entry should be written in 1st person (I, me, my, mine, myself, we, us, our, ours, etc.). You must pretend to be the character as you write. Sign the character s name at the end of each entry. *Staple your pages together to be submitted to me as one packet.
American Foundations, Ms. Riley Title: Fever 1793 Author: Laurie Halse Anderson ISBN: 978-0-689-84891-9 Fever 1793 is this year s summer reading selection for American Foundations. We will use the novel in conjunction with our study of daily life in late 18th-century America. Students should complete the novel by August 18. They will receive a set of review questions to answer prior to working in lit circles; this will be followed by an in-class discussion, an interdisciplinary activity with Mrs. Tinney s Life Science class, and a summer reading test.
Eighth Grade English, Mrs. Pasley Miss Peregrine s Home Crazy Dangerous Left Out The Lost Girl of Astor Street for Peculiar Children Andrew Klavan Tim Green Stephanie Morrill Ransom Riggs Assignment: Six Word Novel After reading one of the fiction selections, you will write three novels! Here s the challenge: your novel can only be six words. Write a six word epitaph (look this word up!) for two of the characters of your book. For the final novel, think critically and try to convey the plot of the novel in six words. Example : Red blood, silver power, brings rebellion. Glass Sword. Aveyard Author: Title: Character name: Six word epitaph:. Explain how this fits the character and the book: Character name: Six word epitaph:. Explain how this fits the character and the book:
Six word plot:. Explain a major concept in the book that you tried to highlight in your novel: Non-fiction Reading Choices Choose book from the list. You can find helpful descriptions of each book from www.goodreadscom. Be sure you have not previously read the book you select. Also, you must read the book and not rely on watching a movie of the book (if available). Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb The Boys Who Challenged Ten Days a Madwoman Rocket Boys Carin Atkinson Hitler Phillip Hoose Deborah Noyes Homer H. Hickman, Jr. Write Your Own Book Award: Your task is to create your own book award. You need to choose your criterion, write a description and then select winners and honor books. Be prepared to defend your choices. First you need to look at some lists of award winning books to see if you have read any of them. This way you can get a good idea of what books are getting recognition. 1. Search online for types of book awards ( Newbery Award, for example). Look at which books won awards in the past few years and make a list of books you have read. Try to find at least five books you have read that have won an award. 2. Each award will have different criterion for winning. List two different awards and three things judges look for. Award one: Award two:
Three things judges look for: 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3. 3. Now think about what type of award you want to give. Describe it on another page and staple it to the lists you have made. Be sure to give your award a name! You may choose to make it a National Award, a State Award or a Local Award. Make sure you are clear in your criterion. List 5-8 things you will judge. (Need Help? These are other awards that are given to teen books. You can easily search them in Google. Go to their home page to find out the criterion for their awards.) 4. Now that you have your award data, create the sticker that will go on the winning book. You may create this award on the computer or draw it by hand. Be sure it s big enough for the class to see it during your award presentation the first week of school. Choose a symbol or color that has meaning to your award. 5. Finally, you will need to present your award to the class. Be ready to describe your award and explain how the winning book was chosen. You will need to have one winner and two honor mentions from lists of books you have previously read, including your non-fiction summer reading selection. *If your non-fiction summer reading book is not the award winner or honor mention, be sure to have clear reasons why your book did not meet the criterion for your award.
Earth Science Mrs. Grant You are going to read Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth. As you read the book, you are going to complete a set of activities that will help you learn how to keep a nature journal. The completed activities will be due when school starts in the fall. Keep all entries in order in a 3 ring binder. The book Keeping a Nature Journal will be used as part of an interdisciplinary unit involving Earth Science, Art, and English. Materials needed: Text: Keeping a Nature Journal 3 ring binder (1 ) Study guide with activities Pen or pencil Colored pencils, markers or water colors Text: Title: Keeping a Nature Journal Authors: Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth INBS: 978-1-58017-493-0 Activity One Take time to read and enjoy the drawings on pages 3-36. Now that you have an idea of what nature journaling is and benefits provided by it, let s get started. Make one nature journal entry Spend at least 20 minutes in a natural setting making observations. See page 33 for suggestions as to where to go to make your first journal entry. Complete the following as you observe your natural setting: Date of entry: a) Where are you? b) How is this a natural location? c) What time is it?
d) Describe the sounds you hear. (close your eyes and listen) e) Describe how this setting makes you feel. f) Describe what you see. g) Describe what you smell. h) What can you touch? i) Describe the weather. Describe any special observations. ( Example: wildlife, hikers in the area, or emotions evoked by being in this spot) Activity Two Read Page 37-46 Date of entry Spend time outdoors. Pick a plant or animal that you have observed in its natural setting. Use reference books or the internet to find its scientific name and one interesting fact about the organism. Scientific name: Interesting fact: List the reference you used to identify the organism. Activity Three Read pages 47-58 Date of entry: Find a famous quotation about nature. Write the quotation:
Who wrote or said the quotation? What does the quotation mean? How does the quotation make you feel about nature? Activity Four Read and study the drawings on pages 58-117 Date of entry: Spend time outdoors. Draw a sketch of a natural object or animal that you have observed. Tell why you chose this object or animal. Activity Five Date of entry: Read and study the drawings on pages 118-136 Spend time outdoors. Draw a colored sketch of a natural object or animal that you have observed in a natural environment. Why is the color of your object or animal important to its natural surroundings? Activity Six Date of entry: Find and read a poem about nature. 1. Identify the poem and poet. 2. When was it written? 3. Quote a part of the poem that you liked. 4. What emotion or attitude did the poet intend or try to convey? Activity Seven
Enjoy Clare s Journals - A Seasonal Celebration (pages 137-168) Date of entry: Identify a famous naturalist or environmentalist. Give his or her name. Give his or her lifespan. Where does or did this person live and study nature? Identify his or her focus or major contribution. (Give details) Activity Eight Date of entry: Practice the drawing exercised on pages 171-185. Include your practice drawings in your journal. Identify an organism that is new to you. Observe that plant or animal in a natural setting. Write a description of the plant or animal. Draw a sketch of the plant or animal. Your description and drawing need to be detailed enough to help you use a field guides and reference books to identify what you have observed. What is the common name for the organism? What is the organism s scientific name? Identify where it commonly grows and lives. List the resources you have used to identify the new organism.
Activity Nine Apply what you have learned. Date of entry: Spend time outdoors. Create a journal entry. Be sure to include a written entry and two or more illustrations. Observations to include: a) Where are you? b) How is this a natural location? c) What time is it? d) Describe the sounds you hear. (close your eyes and listen) e) Describe how this setting makes you feel. f) Describe what you see. g) Describe what you smell. h) What can you touch? i) Describe the weather. Write a paragraph about your experience today. Make sure to use all your sensory details.