Incoming Sixth Grade Required Summer Reading The Cay by Theodore Taylor The Cay by Theodore Taylor is an award winning fictional adventure novel set in the Caribbean during World War II. Eleven-­‐year old Phillip Enright lives with his parents on the island of Curacao. When the Germans start blowing up oil tankers in the area, Phillip and his mother begin the journey back to Virginia. This book includes several life lessons including that of perseverance, survival, and the importance of dealing with prejudice. Requirements: All incoming sixth grade students will read The Cay. All incoming sixth grade students will fill in the template attached as they read the novel. Due Date: The template is due on the first English class of 2014 (Note: This is the first day of school, Tuesday, September 2nd ). The first two weeks of the school year, our English program will focus on The Cay through team challenges and a quiz. Scholar’s Challenge: Scholars and all students willing to take on the challenge: Read one of the following additional survival tales: 1. Timothy of the Cay by Theodore Taylor 2. Stranded by Jeff Probst 3. The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox 4. The Wreckers by Ian Lawrence Using Technology (either an iPad or computer), create a Prezi for your Challenge novel using the following template: “Step into the Story” -­‐See link on Mrs. Hemphill’s Website-­‐ *Note: Prezi is a free app and free Internet site. Summer Reading Report Template The Cay by Theodore Taylor As you read the novel, fill in the sections for this template. You will receive a grade for this template. Introductory Paragraph-­‐ T.A.G. introduction (3 points) Book Title: Author: Genre: Research/Write at least 3 facts about the author, Theodore Taylor (Where is he from? What kind of books does he write? What topics does he write about?) (3 points) st
• 1 Fact: • 2nd Fact: • 3rd Fact: Paragraph Two (8 points) Write 1-­‐2 sentences that give a brief summary of the book (For example, In the novel, Loser, Donald Zinkoff is a student who struggles to stand strong even though he is constantly teased by his classmates.) • Write 2-­‐3 sentences that describe the setting of the book (Where and when does the story take place? How is the setting significant to the story?) • Paragraph Three (8 points) Write a topic sentence about the main characters of the book (For example: There are several significant characters involved in the book, The Giver.) • Describe the main characters in the book (you may have 3,4,or 5 important characters). Include characteristics (physical and character traits) that are important to the novel). • Character #1: Phillip Enright • Character #2: • Character #3: • Character #4: • Character #5: Paragraph Four (10 points) Write a topic sentence about the main events that occur in the book. (For example: There are several main events that are meaningful in the story of The Giver.) • Include at least 4 main events of the book: • First, • Next, • Then, • Finally, Paragraph Five (4 points) *You will find a Quote! “The part of the book I found to be the most interesting is on page________, when…. List your quote here in quotation marks: • Write 2-­‐3 sentences that explain why this part is so interesting to you (Did it involve survival? Were you surprised? Did you feel fear reading this part?) • June 2014
Dear Incoming Sixth Grade Parents and Students:
As we all anticipate the fun of summer, it is also important for our students to keep their math
skills sharpened. Each student has received a Summer Math Skills Sharpener Workbook. All
students are required to complete Lessons 1 - 30, as well as the Brain Aerobics and Fraction
Fun sections. For any student who would like the extra challenge, Lessons 31-35 can also be
completed for extra credit. This workbook, along with a quiz made up of problems taken
directly from the workbook, will be worth a grade of 50 points in September. Be sure to
show all of your work, as you will be graded on completeness and accuracy. If any work is
done on a separate paper, it must be stapled to the workbook and turned in as well. There
are also reference pages if you need help with a process or concept. This math practice is
most effective if it is done consistently throughout the summer (a couple of pages per day)
versus completing the workbook the night before school starts! Therefore, it is important to
construct a plan for maintaining math skills.
We wish you all an enjoyable summer, and look forward to the start of a great school year in
September.
Sincerely,
The Middle School Math Department