Warren Middle School 7th Grade Pre-AP English
Summer Reading Assignment 2012
The pre-advanced placement English class is designed to enhance the student’s critical
thinking skills. Reading in a variety of genres and writing in a variety of modes of
purposes will be a continual process throughout the year. Work on projects, reading,
etc. outside of class can be expected, and begins with a required summer reading.
Assignment for 7th Grade:
1. Read Flight #116 is Down by Caroline B. Cooney. You will be responsible for
purchasing your own book. You may purchase a new or used copy. In addition, you
may purchase on your Kindle or Nook.
2. Keep a Dialectical Journal for each chapter. This is required to be kept in a spiral
notebook or a composition notebook. This spiral notebook will be turned in and
graded. I have provided several examples on the following pages.
 The purpose of a dialectical journal is to identify significant pieces of text
and explain the significance. It is another form of annotating text and
should be used to think about, digest, summarize, question, clarify,
critique, and remember what is read.
 Students are to quote/paraphrase the text. You should write a minimum
of three quotes/paraphrases per chapter. The paraphrases should be
fairly brief (around 1-6 sentences), depending on the length of the text.
Please do not wait until the last minute to finish the assignment. Your dialectical journal
will be due Friday August 31, 2012. I look forward to meeting you and sharing your
summer reading experiences. We will discuss and work through your dialectical journals
the first couple of weeks of school.
Dialectical Journals
The purpose of a dialectical journal is to identify significant pieces of text and explain
the significance. It is another form of annotating a text and should be used to think
about, digest, summarize, question, clarify, critique, and remember what is read. A
dialectical journal is also and effective was to assess your comprehension.
Setting up Your Dialectical Journal
 Divide/fold your paper in half
 On the left side of the page title the column Quotes
 On the right side of the page title the column My Responses
 The left hand column is where you will write the sentences/phrases from the text
that you believe illustrate a significant idea. You are expected to write a minimum
of 3 quotes or paraphrases per chapter.
 On the right side you should respond with questions, thoughts, connections to your
own life/the world, including current events/things you have read or seen
previously/other historical events, etc.
 Your responses should be fairly lengthy (1-6 sentences).
Selecting a quotation to respond to:
 A quotation does not need to be dialogue (something a character says).
 Do not let the length of a quotation keep you from selecting it. The important thing
is that the quotation makes you think.
 When you write the quotation down, be sure you include enough surrounding
context so that you can remember its importance.
 Remember, since you are picking the quote, your commentary in the “making
notes” section should be substantial. A few comments are not sufficient.
On the right side of the line write your comments about the quote. These fall into
many different categories. Some options are:
 Ask questions you would like to pose to the author. Since the author can’t answer
you, you will have to write the answers yourself.
 Make connections between the quotation and whatever it reminds you of from
some previous reading, viewing or living experience
 Rewrite the quote from another narrator or character’s point of view, or provide
what you think another narrator or character’s perspective on that quotation might
be
 Identify the element of plot represented in the quotation. This might be done in a
diagram (plot pyramid or chart) or written out.
 Counterarguments to the quotation you have chosen
 Personal narrative connecting the quotation to your own experience
 Prediction of how the piece will end – what it will lead you to believe
 Analysis of one passage and its relationship to the meaning of the story as a whole
SAMPLE DIALECTICAL JOURNAL #1
The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton
QUOTES from the novel
My RESPONSES
“I had a long walk home and no company, I know exactly how the narrator feels. I
but I usually lone it anyway, for no reason hate it when I can’t watch a movie
except that I like to watch movies
undisturbed because I really get into
undisturbed so I can get into them and live movies when I watch them.
with them the actors” (1-2).
“I’m not sure how you spell it, but its an
It’s so hard to believe that people really do
abbreviation for the Socials, the jet set,
judge each other based on money and
the West-side rich kids. It’s like the term
social status. Even though this book was
“greaser,” which is used to class all us boys set in the 1960’s, conflict like this still goes
on the East Side. We’re poorer than the
on even today.
Socs and the middle class. I reckon we’re
wilder, too (2).
“Besides, I like walking. I about decided I
didn’t like it so much, though, when I
spotted that red Corvair trailing me. I was
almost two blocks from home then, so I
started walking a little faster. I had been
jumped, but I had seen Johnny after four
Socs got hold of him, and it wasn’t pretty”
(4).
This is a good example of foreshadowing.
I’ll bet anything that the narrator is about
to get jumped!
“Darry is six-feet-two, and broadshouldered and muscular. He has darkbrown hair that kicks out in front and a
slight cowlick in the back – just like Dad’s –
but Darry’s eyes are his own. He’s got eyes
that are like two pieces of pale blue-green
ice. They’ve got a determined set to them
like the rest of him. He looks older than
twenty – tough, cool, and smart. He would
be real handsome if his eyes weren’t so
cold” (6-7).
I love the way that S.E. Hinton describes
her characters so vividly. I can totally
picture Darry in my mind (he sounds
cute!). It’s hard to believe that Hinton was
only a teenager when she wrote this book.
“What’s your name?’ I wish she hadn’t
asked me that. I hate to tell people my
name for the first time” (22).
I wonder why the narrator hates telling
people his name for the first time?
“Ponyboy Curtis.” Then I waited for the
“You’re kidding!” or “That’s your real
name?” (22).
Oh, I see. With a name like Ponyboy, it’s
easy to understand how he might be
embarrassed by it, especially when
meeting a pretty girl.
Dialectical Journal Example #2
The House on Mango Street
by Sandra Cisneros
Quotes from the Novel
My Responses
“The house on Mango Street is ours, and
She is listing experiences people who rent
we don’t have to pay rent to anybody, or
homes and apartments might have
share the yard with the people downstairs, experienced as well. This might pull those
or be careful not to make too much noise, readers closer to her through common
and there isn’t a landlord banging on the
experience. It also serves to pull the reader
ceiling with a broom.” (Cisneros 3)
who has never rented into her narrative.
She lists multiple inconveniences and
negative aspects of this lifestyle (paying
rent, sharing yard, having to be quiet) and
this begins to create an image. While
Esperanza’s family no longer has to deal
with these problems their neighbors on
Mango Street do. It provides a window
into a lifestyle.
“But my mother’s hair, my mother’s hair,
This long list of similes and metaphors
like little rosettes, like little candy circles
describing her mother’s hair must be
all curly and pretty because she pinned it
important. She describes her father’s hair
in pin curls all day, sweet to put your nose in one sentence – as well as the hair of the
into when she is holding you, holding you
other family members. The repetition of
and you feel safe, is the warm smell of
“holding you” is a clue as well. She
bread before you bake it, is the smell
obviously has a strong connection to her
when she makes room for you on her side mother and it must be the most important
of the bed.” (Cisneros 6)
relationship in her life – at least in her
family. Other evidence of this closeness is
the association of a smell – the smell of
bread – with her mother. Olfactory
memories are some of the strongest. It
reminds me of smell associations I have.
Like Coppertone sunscreen and the trip my
husband and I took to Pie de la Cuesta just
before we moved away from Mexico.
Every time I smell it I am transported back
to that carefree time – and for this reason I
keep buying it. Warm bread connotes
comfort and care. It takes time and
patience to bake bread – just like being a
mom.