May 2016
Dear Parents:
During the summer months all students should continue to learn and grow academically. Reading
is an exceptionally important component for all students’ academic progress.
Research tells us children who do not read during the summer may lose a month or more of the
reading progress they made in school. Therefore, it is imperative that students are engaged in
summer reading activities.
This summer, students should select two books to read from our reading list. Upon returning to
school, students will be required to complete the Summer Reading Tic Tac Toe Board and pass a
MyOn Reader test on one of the books selected.
In addition to sustaining reading growth, it is also important to continue the development of
written communication. The instructional team has identified skill building activities that will
assist students with strengthening their grammar. Students should complete ALL grammar
exercises and respond to one of the two writing prompts (Informative or Argumentative)
associated with their grade level.
Students shall turn in their completed activities during the first week of school (August 20162017) to their English teacher for the first three grades of the year.
Additionally, for free access to the suggested books please visit our local library “North Dade
Regional Library” 2455 NW 183 St., Miami Gardens, FL 33056
305-625-6424
If there are any questions feel free to contact the school @
3737 Northwest 188th Street
Miami Gardens, FL 33055
(305) 624-2652
Please have a pleasant summer, be safe, and see you in August!
Sincerely,
Carol City Middle School Instructional Team
Carol City Middle School
2016 Summer Reading List
Incoming Grade 6
Lexile Level
Read two of the following books:
The Beast by Walter Dean Myers
680
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
810
The Lightening thief
470
The Skin I’m in
670
Thirteen Reasons Why
550
Incoming Grade 6 Honors/Gifted
Read two of the following books:
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
800-890
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
1000
Bad Boy: A Memoir by Walter Dean Myers
970
Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann
1080
Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman? by Pat McKissack
960
Superstars by David Aguilar
1160
Incoming Grade 7 Regular
Read two of the following books:
Tears of a Tiger
700
The Outsiders
750
The Color Purple
670
Thirteen Reasons Why
550
The Maze Runner
770
We Beat the Streets
860
The Giver
The Pack- Three young men make a promise…..
940
Incoming Grade 7 Honors/Gifted
Read two of the following books:
Witness by Karen Hesse
Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida by Victor Martinez
1000
White Lilacs by Carolyn Meyer
990
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
810
The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White
1120
Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Houston and James D. Houston 1040
Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl
1090
Incoming Grade 8
Read two of the following books:
To Kill A Mocking Bird
870
The Giver
760
Black Boy
950
The Skin I’m In
670
Incoming 8 Honors/Gifted
Read two of the following books:
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
an American Slave, Written by Himself
1080
Steinbeck, John. Travels with Charley: In Search of America
1010
Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women
950
Paterson, Katherine. The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks
930
Sutcliff, Rosemary. Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad.
1300
Fletcher, Louise. Sorry, Wrong Number
*** A Lexile text measure represents a text’s difficulty level on the Lexile scale. When used together, they can help a reader choose a book or other reading material that is at an appropriate difficulty level.
Carol City Middle School Summer Reading Tic-­‐Tac-­‐Toe DIRECTIONS: Complete this assignment for each of your assigned reading novels. Choose 3 activities that form a tic-­‐tac-­‐toe pattern across the grid below. Complete detailed drafts of your chosen activities as they relate to the reading of your books. You will be asked to finalize and present your work during the first week of school. Extra activities will give you extra credit points. ACTIVITY 1 Novel Playlist: Choose at least
three songs that would match the
mood of your novel and copy down the
lyrics that applies. The song can apply
to a character, group of characters,
scene, chapter, or entire novel (your
choice). Make sure that you can explain
the relevance of your chosen song
when asked to do so. ACTIVITY 4 Figuratively Speaking: Choose
any three forms of Figurative
Language/Figures of Speech
(alliteration, assonance, cliché,
hyperbole, idiom, metaphor,
onomatopoeia, personification,
and simile) and locate at least
one example of each as it is used in
your chosen novel. Make sure to
document the pages and/or paragraphs
where you located the Figurative
Language and that
you can explain how it functions as
such. ACTIVITY 7 Illustrated Vocabulary: Locate at least
15 vocabulary words that are new to
you from your reading and illustrate
visually what they mean (draw them in
action). Include the sentence and page
number where the word is used as a
reference. ACTIVITY 2 Poster Advertisement:
Create a persuasive
advertisement for
your chosen novel that
you would see displayed
at a local
bookstore that would
encourage people to buy
the book. Include pricing
and detailed information
for buyers. ACTIVITY 5 Poem: Write a 10 line
(minimum) poem from
the perspective of any
character in your novel
that clearly expresses
how he/she feels in a
particular part of the
novel. ACTIVITY 3 Compare and Contrast:
Choose any one character
from your chosen novel and
compare and contrast that
character to a real life
person. List a minimum of 5
characteristics per each and
display your product in the
form of a Venn Diagram.
ACTIVITY 8 Character Analysis:
Choose any character
from your story and
illustrate what he/she
might look like. Include a
“thought bubble” for your
character and write what
he/she would be thinking.
Make sure to label your
choices using direct
references from the story. ACTIVITY 9 Author Information: Use
images and text to introduce
your author to readers. After
conducting research,
attempt to answer this
question based on your
understanding of the novel:
· “What did I learn about the
author that could influence
his/her choice to delve into
the themes and characters
of this novel?”
Your activity can be written
in paragraph form or bullet
form. ACTIVITY 6 Storyboard: Create a four
squared storyboard of a
specific chapter from the
story. Make sure to include
both images and dialogue
and to label your scenes
accordingly using page
numbers. Your Name: ________________________________
Too, To, and Two
© Brought to you for classroom (not commercial) use by ASU students in English Education
These three words are called homophones, meaning that they sound alike even though they
historically come from different sources and have different meanings.
To is the word we use when we talk about going towards something. It might help you to
remember its spelling, if you think of it as the beginning letters of towards. We also use to as
part of infinitive verbs as when we say such things as to run, to rain, to consider, to tell.
people who make TO DO lists (they write down all the things they need to do) have a head
start in remembering this sense.
Too is used to mean more than enough, as in, “I am too tired to stay for refreshments.”
Some people remember this spelling by thinking that the two o’s in its spelling are too
many.
Two is the way to spell the name of the number 2. One way to remember that the word with
the w in it is the number is to think of other words starting with tw that mean two. Twins is
one such word, and so it twice and twain. Tweezers have two parts, twilight has light from
the day and the night, and if you are betwixt and between, you are caught between two
choices.
PRACTICE EXERCISE
In the following sentences that tell the story of an ill-fated shopping trip, write the correct
two, too, or to in the blank spaces.
1. The other day I went _________ the post office.
2. While I was there I bought a shirt and _________ pairs of shoes.
3. I went ________ the cash register _________ pay and to have the items put in a bag.
4. As I was leaving the store the bag broke open because it was _________ thin.
5. _________ store employees ran over _________ help me but it was ________ late.
6. The shoes and shirt fell through the hole in the bottom of the bag and crashed onto the
floor. Customers tried _________help, but there was nothing they could do when someone
accidentally stepped on the shirt and got it dirty.
7. The manager came over_________ talk _________ me and explain that their new plastic
bags are _________ thin ________ use for heavy items like shoes.
8. He said it was a good idea _________ double-bag bigger packages.
9. Now when I go _________ the mall to shop, I am always ready ______ make
sure that the employees use ______ bags instead of one, just _________be safe.
Lesson created by Kristen MacKenzie
Your Name:_____________________________
Choosing Between Affect and Effect
© Brought to you for classroom (not commercial) use by ASU students in English Education
Here are some rules and examples that will help you understand the difference between
the words affect and effect. Although there are a few exceptions, you will be right more
than 90% of the time if you remember to use affect as a verb as shown in these first three
examples.
Affect (ALWAYS A VERB)
1. To have an influence on
EXAMPLE: The price of gasoline affects the economy.
2. To respond to the emotions of; touch or move.
EXAMPLE: The news of his wife’s affair did not affect the husband.
3. To attack or infect, as a disease
EXAMPLE: High cholesterol can affect the heart.
In contrast, effect is nearly always used as a noun. Some people help themselves remember this
by thinking of the special effects in some of their favorite films. See how in these examples effect
is used as a noun.
Effect (NEARLY ALWAYS A NOUN)
1. Something brought about by a cause
EXAMPLE: The effect of his missing class was getting assigned to Saturday detention.
2. The power to produce an outcome or achieve a result; influence
EXAMPLE: The effects of the Tylenol should be felt within twenty minutes.
3. A scientific law, hypothesis, or phenomenon
EXAMPLE: The Greenhouse Effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because
certain gases in the atmosphere trap energy from the sun.
PRACTICE EXERCISE
A. In the four sentences below, fill in the blank spaces with either affect or effect. If you are
using one of them as a verb you may need to change its tense.
1. The D.A.R.E. program had a great ____________ on the student population.
2. Smoking cigarettes can _________ the lungs and possibly be the cause of death.
3. My best friend was greatly __________ by his mother’s recent death.
4. Drowsiness can be a side _________ of cold medicine.
B. In the four sentences below, circle the correct word to complete the sentence.
1. The senior class prank had a major affect/effect on the entire student body.
2. Studying for quizzes and exams can affect/effect a student’s final grades.
3. Carpooling can affect/effect the environment in a positive manner.
4. Some vitamins can have an instant affect/effect on the immune system.
C. Make up two sentences on your own, using affect in the first sentence and effect in the second
sentence.
1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
Lesson created by Kendra VanNorman
Your Name:___________________________
Choosing Between A and An
© Brought to you for classroom (not commercial) use by ASU students in English Education
A and An are both indefinite articles. In contrast to the, which is used to refer to a particular
thing, a and an are used with general nouns. For example, if we say, “Take this to the car,” we
have a particular car in mind, but if we say, “Take this to a car,” we mean any car.
American speakers use a when the following noun begins with a consonant (letters that are not
vowels), and an with nouns that begin with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u).
Examples of a used with words beginning with consonants:
a book a towel
a football player a screaming meemie
a total failure a wicked form of punishment
Examples of an used with words beginning with vowels:
an apple an inquiry
an invitational tournament an oval shaped table
an indefinite answer an inhumane form of punishment
The difference between a and an is one of pronunciation, and so we also use an in front of a
silent h because judging only by sound, the word begins with the vowel that follows the h.
Examples: an hour, an honor, an herb
American speakers treat breathy-sounding h’s as consonants and so use a.
Examples: a historical book, a hoped-for outcome, a house
We also use a in front of vowels when their pronunciation sounds like you.
Examples: a European, a unit, a university
If you read these examples of incorrect and correct usage aloud, you will probably be able to
hear how the sentences on the right sound more like the language you hear on television and read
in print.
WRONG
1. John had a egg for breakfast.
2. I drank an glass of water.
3. I forgot to bring a umbrella.
4. Olivia is a honor’s student.
5. We are going to a opera in May.
RIGHT
1. John had an egg for breakfast.
2. I drank a glass of water.
3. I forgot to bring an umbrella.
4. Olivia is an honor’s student.
5. We are going to an opera in May.
PRACTICE EXERCISE
Circle the correct form of the indefinite article and then read the sentences to yourself to see if
they sound “right.”
1. We have to leave for the concert in (a, an) hour.
2. I will have (a, an) orange with my breakfast.
3. I have to mail (a, an) letter at the post office.
4. Can I please have (a, an) slice of cake?
5. (A, An) man and (a, an) woman walked slowly across the street.
6. Beth and Sarah are meeting at (a, an) English tea room for lunch.
7. The title of the book is, “(A, An) Wrinkle in Time.”
8. We went to (a, an) movie and shared (a, an) ice cream cone.
9. I would like to attend (a, an) university after graduating from high school.
10. Hannah told (a, an) interesting story about her childhood.
11. The group had (a, an) presentation to attend last Tuesday.
12. I saw (a, an) elephant sunbathing at the San Diego Zoo.
13. The documentary showed (a, an) Eskimo building (a, an) igloo.
14. (A, An) yellow canary flew across the room and out the window.
15. Would you like (a, an) glass of milk to go with your cookies?
Lesson created by Lesley Schaefer
Your Name: ________________________________
THEY’RE, THEIR, and THERE
© Brought to you for classroom (not commercial) use by ASU students in English Education
English has three words that sound the same, but are actually quite different.
They’re seems as though it could mean many things. Actually, it is a contraction of they are.
The confusion probably relates to the fact that people are unsure about using apostrophes. When
you write they're, ask yourself whether you can substitute they are. If not, you have made a
mistake.
Their and Theirs are possessive pronouns similar to her and hers and our and ours. The fact that
heir (referring to a person who inherits something) is hidden in the words their and theirs might
help you remember that these are possessive pronouns. Another thing to remember with their
and theirs is that possessive pronouns do not take apostrophes as shown in these sentences:
They eat their hamburgers with ketchup.
I think the car is theirs.
Because of the old rule about “I before e except after c,” people sometimes misspell this word as
t-h-i-e-r. You can avoid this problem by remembering that all three of these words (they, their,
and there) begin with the same three letters: T-H-E.
There is the most common of these three words. It is used in such sentences as:
There goes the ball--out of the park!
Put it right there!
There are not many home runs hit like that.
Another helpful hint is that here is buried inside there. The phrase “here and there” might help
you remember that T-H-E-R-E is the word that people sometimes use to point to a place.
PRACTICE EXERCISE
Fill in the blanks in these sentences with the appropriate form: they’re, their, there.
1. _______ dog is an annoying mutt.
2. _______ once was a bird called a Dodo.
3. My aunt and uncle are arriving tomorrow. ___________ coming from California.
4. Many years ago __________ were not any cars, so people used to travel by horse and carriage.
5. My neighbors have bought a second car. ________ new one is candy apple red.
6. Surprisingly, both of __________ cars are 4WD.
7. If you look over ____________ you will see the beautiful sunset.
8. Have you seen where __________ building that new road?
9. I think __________ address is 1171 Newlands Road.
10. Do you know what ____________ phone number is?
Lesson created by Brendan Wydra
Your Name: ________________________________
Making Verbs Agree with Their Subjects
© Brought to you for classroom (not commercial) use by ASU students in English Education
You probably have little trouble in figuring out how to make your verbs agree with your subjects
when the subjects are clearly singular or plural as in these examples.
SINGULAR SUBJECTS
Marie plays the piano.
This book is poorly bound.
A city is a good place to buy gas.
The boy skips school all the time.
PLURAL SUBJECTS
My friends play soccer.
These books are poorly bound.
Cities are good places to buy gas.
The boys skip school all the time.
However, it is not so easy when there are complications in the way the subject is presented as
with these kinds of statements:
COMPLICATION
Use of either…or and Neither…nor
RULE
Make the verb agree with the closer subject.
Ex. Neither my aunt nor my cousins are coming.
Use of each, either, neither, anyone,
anybody, everybody, everything,
another, little, much
Use a singular verb.
Ex. Neither wants to get up at 7:00 a.m.
Nobody is here.
Use of such compound subjects as
Sam and Angie or Indefinite plural
pronouns such as several, few, many,
most, others, both
Use a plural verb.
Ex. Sam and Angie are going.
Several of us are angry.
The use of an appositive or parenthetical
phrase, set off by commas and such
words as plus or as well as.
Make the verb agree with the main subject.
The appositive is something extra that does not
affect the verb.
Ex. My nephew, plus two or three friends, is
coming with us.
PRACTICE EXERCISE
Follow these rules to figure out which verb should be used in the following sentences. Circle the
appropriate form of the verb in each sentence. For extra practice, revise the subject of the
sentence and then rewrite the sentence on the line using the alternate form of the verb.
Examples:
Rewrite:
Either player (know, knows) how to pitch a curve ball. (Circle knows)
One of the two teachers (is, are) eligible for promotion this year. (Circle is)
Both players know how to pitch a curve ball.
1. Someone (sing, sings) a solo in the talent show.
______________________________________________________________.
2. Spaghetti and pizza (is, are) his favorite foods.
______________________________________________________________.
3. The senior judge, as well as three junior judges, (is, are) to attend the seminar.
______________________________________________________________.
4. There (was, were) a flat tire on the bicycle.
______________________________________________________________.
5. Neither Max nor Clara (use, uses) catsup on hamburgers and French fries.
______________________________________________________________.
6. The team, including the coach, (host, hosts) the pep rally each spring.
______________________________________________________________.
7. Violet, Mia and Devon’s teams (play, plays) well under pressure.
______________________________________________________________.
8. His favorite meal (is, are) spaghetti and meatballs.
______________________________________________________________.
Lesson created by Rachel Collay
Your Name: ________________________________
Avoiding Double (or Multiple) Negatives
© Brought to you for classroom (not commercial) use by ASU students in English Education
A rule of formal grammar is that speakers should avoid using double negatives because if we say
something like, “I don’t see no paper,” a logical interpretation could be that since the speaker
does NOT see NO paper, then the speaker must be looking at some paper. If there is actually no
paper, it would have been better for the speaker to have said, “I don’t see any paper,” or “I see no
paper.” Speakers probably make the mistake of using double negatives because it seems like a
natural way to emphasize negation as when we tell a baby who is about to touch something
dangerous, “No, no!” or “No, Stop!”
Another reason that speakers make the mistake is that they use not with such words as:
hardly
scarcely
barely
These words already communicate a negative sense, so if you say, “I can’t hardly understand
you,” the interpretation could be that you fully understand the person. A clearer sentence would
be, “I can hardly understand you,” or “I cannot understand you.”
One way to help discover whether or not you have used double negatives in a paper is to read
your paper aloud. Reading contractions as the two separate words that they are may help you to
see if you have used two negatives. For example, you would probably be more likely to
recognize the double negatives in “I would not do no drugs, ” than you would in “I wouldn’t do
no drugs.”
PRACTICE EXERCISE
Rewrite the following sentences so that they do not use double negatives.
1. I didn’t hardly notice you cut your hair.
____________________________________________________________________________
2. I didn’t get no beans.
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. She wouldn’t get no credit for her answers.
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. She is not barely old enough to be a mother.
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. You didn’t hardly finish your beans.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Her handwriting wasn’t scarcely legible.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. Her answers were not incorrect.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. The gas truck was not inflammable.
______________________________________________________________________________
9. The teacher didn’t think she deserved no credit.
______________________________________________________________________________
10. I’m surprised that you won’t get no money.
______________________________________________________________________________
Lesson Created by Jennifer Ann Parsons
Grade 6th Grade Expository Prompt
Directions: Select one of the prompts to respond to.
Science Grade 6th
Essential Standard
Addressed
6.L.2
6.L.2;
RST.6. 1,7& 10;
WHST.6.1
Content Assignment
Scenario: The results of this years’ census report shows that your hometown
is rapidly growing, with the population increasing by 25% a year over the last
five years. Unfortunately, there is limited space available to meet the increase
in housing demand. The town council has proposed a plan to build a 20-story
housing complex near the town’s park. A local environmental advocacy group
is protesting the plan citing that once built, the building will block much of
the sunlight that has enabled many of the plants to survive in the park. What
should your town do?
Research common plants and animals that live in a park near your
community. After reading information from multiple texts about the
importance of sunlight, and other abiotic factors, to plants and animals write
an opinion piece about:
Argument:
Which do you think your town should invest in – smaller buildings that will
not interfere with sunlight but may not satisfy all of the housing demands or
allow the building to block the sun from the park’s plants and replant nonnative plants in the park?
6.L.2;
RST.6.1;
WHST.6.2
Explain your choice providing evidence of the pros and cons of your decision.
After reading information from multiple texts about the flow of energy
through an ecosystem and the response of living things to biotic & abiotic
factors in an ecosystem write an informational piece about the following:
Informational/Explanatory:
Write an informational text for your town council explaining why sunlight is
essential to the growth and survival of the plants native to your community
and explain what may happen when components of their ecosystem change
and nonnative plants are introduced.
Grade 7th Writing Prompt
Directions: Select one of the prompts to respond to.
Social Studies Grade 7
Grade 7
Essential Standard
and Standard for
Literacy in
History/Social
Studies Addressed
RH.7.1
WHST.7.2
7.C&G.1.1
7.H.2.3
RH.7.1
WHST.7.1
7.E.1.4
Social Studies Content Assignment
Informational /Explanatory
How did Enlightenment writers influence the French Revolution?
After reading excerpts from various Enlightenment writers (i.e., Locke,
Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu), construct an essay that discusses
their views on equality. Describe how the popularity of these ideas
influenced French revolutionaries. Be sure to support your discussion
with evidence from your research.
Argument
What is the best way to pay for college?
After researching various college savings plans and types of student
loans, write an essay that compares the pros and cons of each method of
payment. Decide which is best for you and support your position with
evidence from your research.
Directions: Select one of the prompts to respond to.
Social Studies Grade 8
Essential Standard
and Standard for
Literacy in
History/Social
Studies Addressed
Content Assignment
RH.8.1
WHST.8.1
8. C&G.1.2
Argument
RH.8.1
WHST.8.2
8.C&G.1.4
Informational /Explanatory
Is a democracy always democratic?
After studying various historical documents from North Carolina and the
United States, write a speech to argue which historical documents you’ve
studied that do or do not reflect adherence to democratic ideals. Support your
position with evidence from the texts.
Given what you know about the history of American Indians in North Carolina
and the United States; write an essay explaining the extent to which you
believe American Indians were adequately included in the democratic process.
Be sure to cite specific examples in your essay.