Lake Mead Christian Academy’s Summer Reading Program for incoming 7th Grade College Prep students Purpose Statement: : “…In the 1982 “Beginning School Study,” researchers Karl Alexander and Doris Entwisle of the Johns Hopkins Center for Summer Learning (now the National Center for Summer Learning) found that by the end of fifth grade, students who didn’t read during the summer lagged two years behind their book-­‐
reading peers” (Fiore, 2010). Numerous studies have shown the loss of learning over the summer months can be detrimental to students’ education. Providing students with the opportunity to read over the summer allows a fun way for students of all ages to combat this learning slide. Lake Mead Christian Academy, in its desire to create disciples as well as educate students, is continuing its Summer Reading Program. This program offers many benefits to students, not the least of which is helping them to discover the joy of reading. Literacy skills include reading, writing, speaking and thinking. Each of these skills requires practice. To aid students in improving their literacy skills, the Summer Reading Program engages students in a variety of activities that will build these skills. The Summer Reading Program is an excellent opportunity for students to experience ongoing enrichment that will challenge students throughout the summer months and continuing the educational experience beyond the classroom walls. Requirements: All incoming 7th Grade College Prep students will read two (2) books over the summer. One book will be of their choosing from the approved Summer Reading List (provided) and the other is the teacher chosen The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. For each book completed, students must complete a Graphic Organizer (provided) as well as write a paper responding to one of the provided writing prompts for one of the two books read. These assignments will be due to their English teacher on the first day of the 2014-­‐2015 school year. Students should be prepared to discuss and complete activities for the teacher chosen book on the first day of class. 7th Grade Reading List Book title and author The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (required for all 7th graders) The Miracle Worker by William Gibson Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen Description According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers-­‐-­‐until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser. NO ONE COULD REACH HER. Twelve-­‐
year-­‐old Helen Keller lived in a prison of silence and darkness. Born deaf, blind, and mute, with no way to express herself or comprehend those around her, she flew into primal rages against anyone who tried to help her, fighting tooth and nail with a strength born of furious, unknowing desperation. Then Annie Sullivan came. Half-­‐blind herself, but possessing an almost fanatical determination, she would begin a frightening and incredibly moving struggle to tame the wild girl no one could reach, and bring Helen into the world at last.. The gates of Willy Wonka's famous chocolate
factory are opening at last -- and only five children
will be allowed inside. In Hatchet, 13-­‐year-­‐old Brian Robeson learned to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness, armed only with his hatchet. Picture of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Griff He was rescued at the end of the summer. Brian's Winter begins where Hatchet might have ended: Brian is not rescued, but must build on his survival skills to face his deadliest enemy�a northern winter. Hollis Woods has been in so many foster homes she can hardly remember them all. When Hollis is sent to Josie, she'll do everything in her power to make sure they stay together. 7th Grade Graphic Organizer Title of Book: _______________________________________________________________________ 7th Grade Graphic Organizer Title of Book: _______________________________________________________________________ 7th Grade College Prep Writing Prompts Directions: Write a well-­‐organized 5-­‐paragraph essay responding to one of the following prompts for one of the two books you read. Papers should be typed and double-­‐spaced. All papers are due on the first day of the 2014-­‐2015 school year. The Outsiders Writing Prompt: In the novel, the boys are divided into two groups: the Greasers and the Socs. Typically, the greasers would be considered a menace to society but that is not always the case in “real life”. Discuss how the Socs are just as much, or more, of a menace to society than the Greasers. Be sure to look at the characteristics of each group. Remember to use specific details from the novel to support your arguments. The Miracle Worker Writing Prompt: Discuss how Helen’s character changes throughout the play. How does she act before Annie arrives? How does she act after? Why is Helen allowed to behave in such a way? Remember to use specific examples from the play to support your arguments. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Writing Prompt: Roald Dahl depicted children in stereotypical ways in his novel to make a point. Choose two or three of the children and discuss the points he was trying to make with those particular children. Remember to use specific examples from the novel to support your argument. Brian’s Winter Writing Prompt: What point of view is the novel written in? Several chapters end with an omniscient point of view. Why would the author do this? Remember to use specific examples from the novel to support your arguments. Pictures of Hollis Woods Writing Prompt: In every piece of literature characters go through changes. What changes did Hollis go through? What specific events in her life caused these changes? Are these changes for the better or worse? 7th Grade College Prep Writing Prompt Rubric Organization Ideas 4: Exceeds the Standard There is an obvious introduction that previews the structure of the paper and contains an adequate hook. Each paragraph contains a topic sentence and only one main idea. There is an obvious conclusion that neatly wraps up and concludes the author’s arguments. Author presented all of his/her arguments clearly. Each argument is presented in a logical order. Author provided adequate examples and/or quotes to support his/her arguments. All citations and bibliography are in the 3: Meets the Standard There is an introduction that adequately previews the paper. Each paragraph contains a topic sentence and one main idea. There is a conclusion that wraps up the author’s arguments. 2: Approaches the Standard There is an introduction, but it does not adequately preview the paper. Each paragraph is either missing a topic sentence or has more than one main idea. There is a conclusion but is does not wrap up the author’s ideas. 1: Standard Not Met There may be an introduction, but it is ineffective. Paragraphs contain neither a topic sentence nor one main idea. There may be a conclusion but it is ineffective. Author presented most of his/her arguments clearly. Each argument is presented in order. Author provided some examples and/or quotes to support his/her arguments. Most citations and the bibliography are in the Author presented some of his/her arguments clearly. Arguments are not presented in a logical order. Author used few, if any, examples and/or quotes to support his/her arguments. Citations and bibliography are either Author’s arguments are not presented logically or clearly. There are no examples and/or quotes to support his/her arguments. Citations and bibliography are missing. Word Choice Sentence Fluency Voice correct format. correct format. missing or incorrect. Author Author Author maintained a maintained a maintained a formal word formal word formal word choice choice through choice through throughout. All most of the some of the words are paper. All paper. Most used correctly words are words are and have the used correctly used correctly. appropriate but may have Some have an connotation an inappropriate for the inappropriate connotation occasion. connotation for the Author did not for the occasion. use occasion. Author used contractions Author did not several or slang of any use contractions kind. contractions or slang. or slang. All sentences Sentences flow Most flow naturally. naturally. sentences flow There are no There may be naturally. instances of a few There are awkward instances of several wording. awkward instances of There are a wording, but it awkward good variety of does not wording that long and short interfere with interrupt the sentences the overall flow and throughout the meaning. meaning of the paper. There are a paper. Much of variety of long the paper is and short written with sentences. either long or short sentences. There is not much variety. Author used a formal voice throughout the entire paper. Author used a formal voice through most of the paper. Author did not maintain a formal word choice through much of the paper. Many words are used incorrectly leading the reader to misunderstand the meaning. Author used contractions and/or slang routinely. Sentences do not flow naturally and are difficult to understand. There are many instances of awkward wording that make the meaning hard to understand. Most of the paper is written with either long or short sentences. There is little to no variety. Author used a Author did not formal voice maintain a through some formal voice at of the paper. It all. The reader Conventions Reader could easily tell that the author was interested in this topic through his/her writing. Writing is completely error free. The reader could tell that the author was interested through his/her writing. was sometimes difficult to tell if the author was interested in this topic or not. had difficulty knowing if the author had any interest in this topic at all. Writing is mostly error free. Writing has many errors. Writing has many errors and is difficult to understand. Bibliography Fiore, C. (2010, November 1). Summer Reading Programs Boost Student Achievement, Study Says. Retrieved April 22, 2013, from schoollibraryjournal.com: www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/887306-­‐
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