Hughes
S
u
m
m
e
r
Welcome Incoming
Freshmen
Hughes STEM High School
Due August 18th, 2017
STEM
p. 1
H
o
m
e
w
o
r
k
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
Hughes STEM High School
p. 2
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
Summer Homework
If you don’t use it, you loose it! Research shows that this is true when it comes to learning and
thinking. In order for all of the new Hughes STEM High School students to maintain their skills over the
summer, all 9th graders must complete a Hughes STEM Summer Homework assignment. This will be the
first work that you will be completing as a high school student. So give it your attention and your best
effort.
Goals for Summer Homework
The activities or assignments that you will complete along with your reading are designed to do four things:
§ Keep
you
reading
and thinking over the
summer
§ Help
you
improve your
organizational,
communication,
and
interpersonal
skills
§ Introduce
you
to a
part of
the school culture tha t
will be a vital
part
of Hughes STEM
§ Allow you do
your initial STEM
type of work with a very student‐friendly
assignment
Get the Book!
There are multiple parts to this assignment, but all elements are connected to your reading of The
7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and completing the workbook that accompanies the book (there are
two; get the smaller 64-page version). This book and workbook can be purchased at various bookstores
throughout the city, can be purchased online (Amazon.com), or can be borrowed from The Cincinnati Public
Library. If copies are not available, bookstores will order the book, so there are no excuses for not getting
a book. The important thing is that you are proactive in getting a book no later than June 8. Then you will
have plenty of time to order a book if necessary and to get the work completed.
Assignments
Starting in June, you must completing the following assignments:
1. Read the 7 Habits book.
2. Complete the Conversation journal as you read.
3. Complete the 7 Habits workbook as you read and when you complete the reading (get the smaller, 64page version).
4. Complete the Data Analysis assignment.
5. Complete the “Dear Me…” letter (including a peer and adult response sheet).
Need Help?
If you do a Google search of 7 Habits for Effective Teens, you will find many sites that provide further
explanation or tips.
You may also call Hughes STEM secretary at 363-7400. She will put you in touch with a teacher who will
answer your questions.
Hughes STEM High School
p. 3
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
Conversation Journal
If you are reading a book properly, you are having a “conversation” during the process. The book is
“telling you things” and you are “asking questions, making comments, or even issuing commands.” For
instance, when you know a character is about to get into trouble, you are likely to say (in your head) “oh,
don’t do it.”
As you read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, you must keep a Conversation Journal. This is a
journal where you record what the book “says” to you and then what you want to “say”
about the book. For each Habit or chapter you must make at least two entries. As you read, things will
resonate or “jump out” at you. These are the things that you record. What you are recording is actually
reading notes. Your reading notes might be any of the following:
§ Quotations that you record word-for-word from the text (include the page number)
§ Summaries of what is said in a given passage
§ Statements or phrases that “speak to you” (say something that you value or need to hear)
§ Notes on the text
§ Drawings or diagrams from the text
§Etc.
When you respond to these notes, be aware of what you are thinking or feeling. Don’t “over think”
when you respond. Sometimes the most valuable response is the one that comes without thought—a gut
reaction. Your responses to the text might take the form of one of the following:
§ Your analysis of the text or passage
§ What the text leads you to think about
§ A connection to another reading or a reminder about something that you have encountered
that is similar to what you read
§ Feelings that surfaced after or while reading the text
§ What you will do in response to the text.
§ Questions about the text.
§ Arguments with the author
§ Drawings or diagrams
§Etc.
There is no right or wrong way to do this, the important thing is that you are interacting with the text.
Each entry should include the date and the title of the Chapter. Information from the book should
be labeled as “Text:” and your entry should be labeled “Response:” A Conversation Journal entry should
look like this:
July 15 – Habit 1
Text:
“Take responsibility for your life” (page 10).
Response:
It sounds like my mom. She’s always telling me to be more responsible, that if I don’t take
responsibility who do I think will. I know that she’s right (I never tell her that). I just don’t feeling like
being “more” responsible. I take a lot more responsibility than she thinks. People who really know would
call me a responsible person. But I guess there is room for growth.
Hughes STEM High School
p. 4
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
How are you
spending your time?
Research or the focused exploration of a topic is an important part of STEM. For this part of your
summer homework, you will become a STEM research scientist exploring a very important topic—
yourself. You are going to research and conduct observations on the way that you spend your time. You
will be collecting data (information), analyzing and synthesizing the information, drawing conclusions, and
communicating your thoughts.
Data Collection
This activity will focus on what you do with your time on a daily basis. To get started, you will need
to keep track of everything that you do for at least 8 days. You must account for every 15- minute interval
of your day. For each 15-minute block of time of each day, you will enter a code that captures what you are
doing during that time (take a look at the sample Log Sheet by clicking on the Data Log link on the Hughes
STEM website). This is called “collecting data.” Each day that you collect data is called a “data point.” There
are specific data points (days) that must be included in your data collection:
• at
least 5
of the days must
be weekdays
• at
least
2 of the days must be weekends
• the
Fourth
of July
must be
included
It is a great idea to take a day or two to practice data collection in early June so that you can find your best
strategy for recording data and to make sure that you understand the assignment. We HIGHLY recommend:
•
•
•
•
•
•
collecting
two
data points during
the
week of June
12th
collecting two data points
during
the week of
June
19th
collecting
data July 4th
(mandatory)
collecting
two
data
points during
the week of July
10th
collecting
two
data
points during
the
week of
July
17th
analyzing
and writing up data during the week of July
24th
Remember that you will only get ONE chance to collect data on the Fourth of July.
Analysis and Communication
The last step in this assignment is to look at your data, draw conclusions, and communicate your thoughts.
Write down your thoughts in clear, concise and grammatically correct sentences.
1. Identify
the
activities that you performed the
most and the
least.
2. Were
there any activities
(at
least 2)
that you
performed
for the same
length
of time?
3. Why
do
you think
you
collected data in fifteen‐minute
increments?
4. Why do you think you collected
information
eight different times?
Synthesis and Communication
*
*
*
*
What would you
do
in
the future to improve your data collection
strategies?
Why would you do this?
What
type
of
graph
would
you
choose
to
represent
these
data?
Why
did
you make
that choice?
Who would be interested in this kind of data (besides yourself or your teacher)?
How could they use this information?
Hughes STEM High School
p. 5
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
Dear Me…
Using The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
to prepare for success in the future
You are a freshman in high school with a bright future ahead of you. What kind of life are you going to
have? Will you be happy? Successful? Something many teens do not understand is that what you are doing
right now will play a big role in who and what you become in the future. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
Teens provides a roadmap to a successful future. We are sure that you will work to adopt these habits and
lay the foundation for a happy and fulfilling life. But, what would happen if you developed bad habits
instead…?
…The year is now 2019, and your life is not what you’d hoped it would be. When you were a teenager, you
didn’t learn to take responsibility for your life. You lived for the moment and failed to put priority on what is
important in life. You had a win or loose attitude…and you lost. You didn’t learn how to understand people.
Sadly, you never learned the value of teamwork and a common cause. Also, you never paused to reflect
on your life, to analyze how you lived and what you needed to do. You never have enough money. Your
relationships with others don’t bring you happiness. Worst of all, you don’t like yourself. You have gone
through 10 years without a purpose—thinking that you would get serious later.
Back to the Future. Obviously, your life is not good. However, there is a solution! You have stumbled
upon an incredible invention, a time traveling letter. With this device you can send mail back in time. The
only catch is that it will only work once. You have decided to send a letter back to yourself at the start
of your 9th grade year…while there is still time to establish different habits and create a different life for
yourself. Write that letter. Make it good, and get back on track before it is too late!
A Plan for Success. Spend some time reviewing your Conversation Journal and thinking about what you
read in 7 Habits as well as what you wrote in the 7 Habits workbook. Identify the three habits that you think
are the most valuable and necessary in order for you to have the successful future that you want. Then think
about specific steps that you can take to make the changes necessary to improve in each area.
This is your first writing assignment of your high school career, so carefully read the instructions below and
follow these directions to make this letter the best writing that you have ever done. This letter should be typed
or neatly hand-written. Except where noted, the letter should be single-spaced and paragraphs should be
indented five spaces or about ½ inch.
Hughes STEM High School
p. 6
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
Guidelines for Letter to Self:
THE HEADING
The heading of a friendly letter should contain the return address (usually two lines) followed by
a third line with the date. In a friendly letter the heading is always indented to the middle of the page.
Ex.
23 Main St.
West Newfield CT 06123
SALUTATION
December 14, 2002
Open your letter with the words “Dear (your name),” The salutation should be flush left and followed by a
comma. Exampe: Dear Katherine,
OPENING PARAGRAPH
Explain to yourself why you are reading this letter (the incredible invention) and what has happened
in your life. Paint a specific picture of the difficulties that you have as a result of the bad habits that you
developed. Go on to explain that you were not a “bad” person--that you just thought you would be able to
take care of important things later.
PARAGRAPHS 2-4
Use one paragraph to discuss each of the three habits that you are focusing on. Explain specific step
that you can take in this area to make yourself a better student and give yourself a better life. In the data
collection part of this assignment, you have recorded the amount of time that you have spent on several
activities throughout the summer. You might use specific numerical examples from your log to discuss
changes that you need to make in order to more effectively develop each habit. Don’t forget to motivate
yourself to make the change and remind yourself how not to make the bad decisions and take the easy way
out.
CONCLUSION
Remind yourself that the student and person you are now will create the person you will become in the
future. Describe the life that you want to have and motivate yourself to make the changes that you know you
need to make in order to have that life. Tell yourself what you have to do!
CLOSING
End your letter with the words “Sincerely,” followed by a comma. Press return twice. Proofread and print
your letter, then sign name beneath the closing.
Sincerely,
Signature
Hughes STEM High School
p. 7
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
PEER & HOME RESPONSES
When you finish your initial draft of your letter, you must ask two people to read and responds to your
letter. One should be a peer – friend, relative, or sibling of your age. The HOME Response can be a parent,
grandparent, guardian, adult sibling, or even an adult neighbor. These responses should help you to edit your
initial draft and make your deadline draft more effective.
WRITING PROCESS
This is the first writing assignment of your high school career. Make it your best. The only way to
do that is to take your time and put maximum energy into the assignment, and use every step of the writing
process.
• The conversation journal can serve as your prewriting.
• After you have drafted your letter, you will get a home response.
• A good suggestion is to go away from the assignment for a few days after you get your home
response.
• When you come back to your letter, reread the letter and the comments that you received.
Mark notes and changes that you want to make on the original draft, then write your final hand-in
copy.
• Proofread it carefully and make minor corrections on the draft or write an additional draft.
FINAL COPY TURN-IN PACKET
You will hand in your letter on the first day of school. When you do please be sure that it is stapled
together in the following order with the final draft on top:
• Final typed or neatly handwritten draft
• Initial drafts. At least the first draft and all additional drafts should be under the final copy (there
should be notes and corrections on this draft(s)
• Peer Response sheet.
• Signed Home Response sheet
Hughes STEM High School
p. 8
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
“7 Habits… Dear Me Letter “
Peer Response
Writer A peer—friend, brother or sister -- should read the paper thoroughly and then respond to each question below. For every NO
answer there must be suggestions provided. If the responder is confident in spotting errors, they should be marked on the paper
Responder___________________ Relationship to Writer __________________
1.Is the letter written to the writer? Does it begin with “Dear (writer’s name)” and is there a comma after the writer’s
name?
Yes ______No ______Suggestions:
2.Is there an adequate explanation of why the letter was written? Is the explanation of the “time travelling letter”
believable? Is there a good, specific description of the writer’s life and why changes are needed?
Yes______No ______Suggestions:
3.Does each body paragraph present information related to a different habit and are specific steps identified in
each area that will lead to success?
Yes ______No________Suggestions:
4.Does each body paragraph read smoothly and is the information clear and organized?
Yes_______No_______Suggestions:
5.Is each paragraph indented five spaces from the left margin?
Yes______ No________Suggestions:
6.Does the conclusion bring the letter to a close and provide a reminder for the writer that habits formed now will
determine who the writer becomes? Does the closing include motivation to make changes?
Yes______ No__________Suggestions:
7. Is “Sincerely” used for the closing and does a comma follow it?
Yes______ No _______Suggestions:
Hughes STEM High School
p. 9
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
7 Habits “Dear Me Letter” - Peer Response (continued from page 9)
8.Did the writer sign his or her name below the closing (Sincerely)?
Yes______ No______Suggestions:
9.Are there any sentence fragments or run-ons that you can identify (mark any mistakes that you are able to identify)?
Yes______ No______
10. Are you able to spot any misspelled words in the letter (circle any words that you are confident are misspelled)?
Yes_ ___ No _
11. Give the writer some critical comments that you think will help improve the letter?
12. Give the writer at least one specific compliment.
Hughes STEM High School
p. 10
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
7 Habits… “Dear Me” Letter
Home Response
Writer A parent, grandparent, guardian, or even an adult neighbor should read the paper thoroughly and then respond to each question
below. For every NO answer there must be suggestions provided. If the responder is confident in spotting errors, they should be
marked on the paper.
Responder________________Phone #______________(so that we can call to verify)
Relationship to Writer______
1. Is the letter written to the writer? Does it begin with “Dear (writer’s name)” and is there a comma after the writer’s name?
Yes_____ No ______Suggestions:
2.Is there an adequate explanation of why the letter was written? Is the explanation of the “time travelling letter” believable? Is there a good, specific description of the writer’s life and why changes are needed?
Yes_____ No______ Suggestions:
3.Does each body paragraph present information related to a different habit and are specific steps identified in each area that will lead to success?
Yes_No Suggestions:
4.Does each body paragraph read smoothly and is the information clear and organized?
Yes_____ No______Suggestions:
5.Is each paragraph indented five spaces from the left margin?
Yes_____ No______
6.Does the conclusion bring the letter to a close and provide a reminder for the writer that habits formed now will determine who the writer becomes? Does the closing include motivation to make changes?
Yes_____ No_______Suggestions:
Hughes STEM High School
p. 11
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
7 Habits “Dear Me Letter” - Home Response (continued from page 11)
7. Is “Sincerely” used for the closing and does a comma follow it?
Yes______ No______Suggestions:
8. Did the writer sign his or her name below the closing (Sincerely)?
Yes______ No_______ Suggestions:
9. Are there any sentence fragments or run-ons that you can identify (mark any mistakes that you are able to identify)?
Yes______ No_______
10. Are you able to spot any misspelled words in the letter (circle any words that you are confident are misspelled)
Yes______ No_______
11. Give the writer some critical comments that you think will help improve the letter?
12. Give the writer at least one specific compliment.
Hughes STEM High School
p. 12
Freshmen Summer Homework 2017
Hughes HS Biology Summer Homework
These activities are designed to help prepare you for some of the work that we
will be experiencing this year, and to help expand your understanding of some
key concepts. They will be graded according to the rubric below and your
completion of the required evidence. Please follow the directions for all
assignments and remember to ALWAYS ASK FOR PARENT / GUARDIAN
PERMISSION BEFORE YOU START AN EXPERIMENT. Best of luck and
enjoy your summer!
Rubric:
Adequate = student completed the assignment, including all required evidence,
in a neat and orderly fashion.
Inadequate = student did not include all required evidence and/or student did
not present the evidence in a neat and orderly fashion.
Students must complete at least THREE of the experiments and must
complete TWO science readings. Students can improve their rubric
score by completing more than three experiments.
Rubric scores:
4 – Student submits summer homework with FIVE adequate Experiments and
TWO adequate Readings. (This is an “A”.)
3 – Student submits summer homework with FOUR adequate Experiments and
TWO adequate Readings. (This is a “B”.)
2 – Student submits summer homework with THREE adequate Experiments and
TWO adequate Readings. (This is a “C”.)
1 – Student submits summer homework, but Experiment(s) and/or reading(s)
is/are inadequate. (This is an “F”.)
0 – Student does not submit required minimum summer homework (Three
Experiments and Two Readings). (This is a zero.)
*A score of “0” or “1” is not a passing score
This packet is due the first day of school - August 16, 2017.
Grade Sheet
Student Name: _______________________
Rubric Score: _____
(Teacher completes)
Please initial by the Experiments/Reading that you performed.
Experiments
Student
Initials
Teacher Initials
Adequate Inadequate
1. What’s this thing called MUSCLE?
____
____ ____
2. Oxygen Leaves!
____
____ ____
3. Houses and Homes?
____
____ ____
4. Bags of Bananas
____
____ ____
5. Spreading Molecules!
____
____ ____
6. Go to the Zoo
____
____ ____
7. Create your own!
____
____ ____
____
____ ____
Readings
Name of Article:
__________________________________________
Magazine:
__________________________________________
(Include Name, Date and Volume #, or web address)
Name of Article:
__________________________________________
Magazine:
__________________________________________
(Include Name, Date and Volume #, or web address)
Experiment #1
What’s this thing called MUSCLE?
What you do:
1. Stand in the doorway with the palms of your hands on
the sides of your legs.
2. Lift up your hands until the back of your hands touch the
doorway.
3. Push firmly (not too hard) on the doorway and count
slowly to 50 (for about a minute).
4. Step out of the doorway, take a deep breath and exhale
it in one deep exhale.
5. Record your observations.
Required Evidence:
1. A one-paragraph description as to what happened after
you stepped out of the doorway
2. A one-paragraph description of how muscles work
3. Drawings of muscles while “working” and “not working”
Experiment #2
Oxygen Leaves!
1.
2.
3.
4.
Clear, wide-mouth jar
Water
1 Leaf
Magnifying Glass
What you do:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Fill the jar with water and put the leaf in.
Put the jar in a sunny spot for about one hour.
With a magnifying glass, record what happens in the jar.
Repeat the experiment, but this time, put the jar in the dark.
Required Evidence:
1. Drawing of what you have done
2. A drawing of the inside of the leaf with stomata labeled
3. A three-paragraph essay describing photosynthesis and an
explanation of what is happening
Experiment #3
Houses and Homes
What you need:
1. Camera and a buddy
What to do:
1. Take a walk with your buddy around your neighborhood
or the park.
2. Look for places where animals live and take a picture of at least 5
“houses.”
Required Evidence:
1. Five photographs of your “houses”
2. A list of what animal lives in each house and their scientific name
(Genus + species)
3. A three-paragraph essay describing what makes the homes you
found good and bad, and a discussion of why that animal probably
lives there
What you need:
What you need:
1. Doorway
2. Your Sweet Self
Experiment #4
Bags of Bananas!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Four sealable plastic sandwich bags
One banana
Butter knife
Two packets of yeast
Water
What to do:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
GO OUTSIDE and label the bags “A,” “B,” “C” and “D.”
Cut the banana into 12 slices.
Put three slices in each bag.
In bag “B,” put one packet of yeast.
In bag “C,” put enough water to cover the banana.
In bag “D,” put enough water to cover the banana and 1 packet of
yeast. ***Bag “D” may POP and release a powerful odor--so
go outside***
Required Evidence:
1. Photograph of your experiment with you in it
2. A three-paragraph essay that tries to explain what is happening,
with a discussion about micro-organisms and their role in the circle
of life
3. Written observations from your experiment
Experiment #5
The Spreading Molecules!
What you need:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What to do:
1. Fill one glass with cool water and the other with hot.
2. Make certain that all other variables are the same.
3. Place one drop of food coloring in each glass.
Required Evidence:
1. Observations from the experiment
2. A three-paragraph essay describing why the food coloring spreads
out more quickly in one glass than in the other (be sure to include a
discussion of kinetic energy, heat, and diffusion)
3. Photograph of the experiment with you in it
What you need:
Two clear glasses
Cool and Hot Tap water
Food coloring (your choice of colors)
Medicine dropper
Experiment #6
Go to the Zoo
What you need:
1. A Zoo
2. Some paper and pencil
What to do:
1. Go to a Zoo (here in Cincinnati or another city).
2. Get a receipt for proof.
3. Choose five animals and observe their habitat at the zoo. Read
about their natural habitat as well.
4. Write a description of their natural habitat and how they have
adapted to survive in that specific habitat.
Required Evidence:
1. Receipt showing zoo admission
2. Five different descriptions of five different animals’ habitats with
adaptations that help the animals survive in that habitat
Experiment #7
You Choose!
What you need:
1. Your imagination
2. Parent/Guardian permission
What to do:
1. That’s up to you!
Required Evidence:
1. Detailed description about your experiment including
WHY you wanted to perform this experiment and what
you were trying to find out
2. Pictures, drawings and all other data necessary
Reading #1 & #2
(2 REQUIRED)
TWO Interesting Articles
What you need:
1. Find two science articles that interest you (look on the internet or in
science magazines and/or Journals like Science, Scientific
American, Nature, Popular Science, etc.).
What to do:
1. Take notes on the two articles and write two essays describing
them.
Required Evidence:
1. Two, three-paragraph essays that describe and
explain the articles