Chesapeake Science Point; Public Charter School
Summer Assignment
Reading/Writing/Research
ELA SUMMER
READING/
WRITING/
RESEARCH
ASSIGNMENT
ELA and Science: Incoming 7,8,9,10,11,12 Summer Assignment
Reading, Writing and Research: 3 Parts to the Summer Assignment
Due Date

Summer is the perfect time
to read and start thinking
about your big science fair
project for the upcoming
year. This year’s summer
assignment will serve several
different purposes. First,
you will choose and read a
novel with a science, math,
or technology theme. The
book may be science fiction
or simply have science,
math, technology as a topic.
There is a list of novels on
the back. You will read the
novel for the purpose of
concluding whether or not it
could be used in a science,
AUGUST
29th The first
Friday we return
to school
Suggested Time
Line
6/18-23
Choose
Novel- approved by
parent
6/23
Start thinking about
Science Fair
Topics
6/23-7/18
23-July 18
Read and
Annotate
7/18-7/25
Write 1st
draft of
Essay
7/25
Locate
sources for
topics
7/25-7/31
Revise Essay
August 110
Finish Research/
Write Final
Essay
math, technology class.
While reading the novelyou will practice active
reading strategies by annotating. After reading
the novel, you will write
an argumentative essay in
which you state your position as to whether or not
the book would be appropriate for a science, math,
technology class. We will
use this essay in the fall
for diagnostic purposes.
Finally, you will begin to
think about topics for
next year’s science fair.
This part of the Summer
Assignment is to help kick
start your ideas and do
some preliminary research on possible topics for your Science Fair
Proposal.
Annotating a Text and Why I Should Care
By this time, you have spent a good
amount of time learning how to annotate in class. Annotation is a strategy that helps us become active readers.
Good readers pay attention to
their thoughts while they are
reading. Scientists call this being
“metacognitive” which means
“thinking about your thoughts”
When you annotate a text, you make
notes and write down your thoughts
of what you are reading as you read
usually making short comments in the
margins.
While reading, if you pay attention to:

questions we have

ideas, characters, events we
find interesting, strange, or
confusing

Places and people with which
we connect
Good readers annotate to:

Identify important information

Record connections

Ask questions

things we like,

Interpret ideas

Words we learn
you will be able to better understand how and why you get
confused and make adjustments
to aid in you comprehension.
Page 2
Summer Assignment
Annotating: Responding to Text
Annotating Text Guide
There are several ways that good
Readers respond to text:

Make connections

Ask questions

Make predictions

Draw conclusions using evidence

Form and state opinions based on
evidence

Analyze the way the author writes

Reflect on the content

Reflect on the reading process
Assignment
“Reading
1.
Choose one of the books
from your grade level list.
without
2.
reflecting is
Get approval from your
parents FIRST!
3.
Purpose for Reading:
Would this novel be useful in
the science classroom?
like eating
without
digesting”
Edmond Burke
4.
Read and annotate the
novel. You DO NOT have
to annotate each page. You
should have :
 At least 3-5 annotations per
chapter
During Reading
Make connections
Create a system for Identify- Ask questions
Analyze the way the author
ing important terms
writes
Setting
Write reflections/reactions
Characters
Look for patterns/repetitions
Analyze the author’s use of
Unfamiliar words ?
figurative language
Important ideas
Examine the author’s use of
Shocking/new info !
diction
Highlight literary elements
Write in the Margins
Answer questions
Summarize
Draw conclusions
Predict
Analyze author’s craft
Form opinions
 A brief summary at the end
of each chapter (BRIEF= 2-3
sentences)
 A new title for each chapter–
this will help you pull together the main idea(s)
 A running list in the back of
your book of new vocabulary
words– you don’t have to write
every word down you don’t
know 1-2 per chapter
4.
Write an argumentative
essay in which you state why
this novel would or would
not be useful in science class.
DO NOT WRITE IN A
BOOK THAT DOES NOT
BELONG TO YOU!
If you have not purchased the
book, you have a few options:
A)
You can use Post-it Notes on
which to write important
information, titles, summaries
for each chapter
B)
You can use flags to highlight
important information within
the text.
C) You can record all of your
information in a notebook.
The 5 Paragraph Essay: Review
This essay will serve as a
diagnostic writing sample
for your teacher in the
fall. You will want to do
your very best on the
assignment so that he/she
can see how well you can
write. Each grade level
has worked on various
parts of the essay this
year; you should be
strong at something!
Paragraph 1
Paragraphs 2-4
Introduction
These are your supporting
paragraphs. Each paragraph
should include one reason
that supports your claim
with supporting evidence
FROM THE TEXT.
Hook: grabs the readers
attention
Introductory Material: Include
the title of the book, the
author, a brief summary of
the plot.
Claim Statement:/thesis: state
your claim for the paper
Paragraph 5
Conclusion
ELA and Science: Incoming 7,8,9,10,11,12 Summer Assignment
Grading Rubric
Reading: Annotations
___ 2 Chose an appropriate book from the
reading list
___ 5 At least 3-5 annotations per chapter
___ 5 Includes brief summary at the end of each
chapter
___ 3 Creates a new title for each chapter
___ 5 Keeps a running list of vocabulary words
at the end of the novel
___ 5 Annotations show student is actively reading for deeper meaning
___ Total 25 points
Page 3
Writing: Essay
Introduction
___ 2 Hook grabs the readers attention
___ 3 Introductory material summarizes
important information for the reader
___ 5 Claim statement/thesis is clearly stated and organized
Supporting Paragraphs
___ 2 Each paragraph presents a new idea
___ 3 Each paragraph starts with a topic
sentence
___ 5 Each paragraph supports idea with
TEXT EVIDENCE
Conclusion
___ 5 The conclusion summarizes the claim
statement
___ 25 points
These are the first 2 grades for the first Marking Period in the Writing/Project category
Science Fair Connection: Research Assignment
We all know how hectic the
school year gets when we are
in the midst of the Science Fair.
The Science connection gives
you an opportunity to take
some time over the summer to
begin thinking about topics and
the field for your Science Fair
proposal. You will come to
school prepared to present
your ideas to your science
teacher for approval in the fall.
A great start to a great year!
Middle School:
High School:
 Think about the category into
 You will do the same as
which you want to enter your
science project.
 Identify 3 possible topics for
your proposal
 Identify one reliable source
from which you can gain information on each of the topics
(total 3 sources)
 Answer the questions related
middle school however
you will identify 2 reliable
sources from which you
can gain information for
each topic (total of 6)
The best scientist
is open to
experience and
begins with
romance - the
idea that
anything is
possible.
Ray Bradbury
to the source for each topic
Science Questions and Rubric
1.
Is my topic interesting enough to read about and then work on for the
next few months?
2.
Can I find at least 3 reliable sources of information on the subject?
3.
Can I measure changes to the important factors (variables) using a
number that represents a quantity such as count, percentage, length,
width, weight, voltage, velocity, energy, time, etc.? Or, at least can I
measure a variable that is simply present or not present? (For example, Light is ON or OFF)
Can I control other factors that might influence my experiment
Is my experiment safe to perform?
Will I be able to obtain the materials needed for this project?
Can I finish the project before the due date?
4.
5.
6.
7.
Science Grading Rubric
___ 5 Chose 3 researchable topics for the
proposal
___ 5 Identified one (middle school) two
(high school) reliable source(s) for
each topic
___ 5 Effectively answered questions for
each topic
___ 5 Turned in on time
GRAMMAR REVIEW
Although we are not requiring a
formal assignment for grammar
over the summer, it is in your
best interest to brush up on
your grammar knowledge prior
to returning in the fall. We
WILL NOT be starting with
identifying parts of speech each
year. This upcoming year, we
intend to use that basic
information to demonstrate
command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and
usage when writing and speaking.
All grades must be able to
identify the 8 parts of
speech:
Noun, Verb, Pronoun,
Adjective, Adverb,
Preposition,
Conjunction,
Interjection
Going into Grade 7 should
be familiar with all of the above
and: pronouns (subjective,
objective, possessive), intensive
pronouns, shift in pronoun
number and person
Going into Grade 8
should be familiar with all of
the above and phrases and
clauses, compound, complex,
compound-complex sentences,
misplaced modifiers
Going into Grade 9-10
should be familiar with all of
the above and: function of
verbals (gerunds, participles,
infinitives), active and passive
voice, indicative, imperative,
interrogative, conditional, and
subjunctive mood of verbs
Going into Grade 11-12
should be familiar with all of
the above and: parallel
structure, types of phrases
( noun, verb, adverbial,
adjectival, participial, absolute)
clauses (independent,
If you should have any questions
regarding the Summer
Assignment, contact Mrs.
McCallister, ELA DC, at
[email protected] or
Mrs. Beazer-Barclay Science DC
at [email protected]
Middle School Book List
High School Book List
Mind Games
Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo
Fever 1793
Gathering Blue
Number Devil
Written in Bone
Chomp
Flush
Scat
Lostman’s River
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by
John Fleishman
Rocket ship Galileo Heinlein
Space Cadet- Heinlein
Red Planet- Heinlein
Have Space Suit, Will Travel- Heinlein
Greenboy- Susan Cooper
Empty- Suzanne Weyn
Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. Winner of the 2011 Printz
Award, 2011 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults
Barnhill, Kelly. The Mostly True Story of Jack. (Reluctant
Readers) Chibbaro, Julie. Deadly.
Dashner, James. The Maze Runner. 2011 Quick Picks for
Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron. 2011 Best Fiction for Young
Adults Green, John. An Abundance of Katherines. 2007 Printz
Honor Book (mature end of middle school)
Hautman, Pete. The Obsidian Blade.
McDonald, Ian. Planesrunner.
Moranville, Sharelle Byars. A Higher Geometry. Anna Conway
sometimes wishes her relationships would come as easy to her
as math does.
Pearsall, Shelley. All of the Above. Inspired by actual events, it
is the delightful and suspenseful story of four inner city students
and their quest to set a math record by building the world's
largest tetrahedron.
Pratchett, Terry. The Long Earth.
Reeve, Philip. Mortal Engines. Best Books for Young Adults
2004 Reeve, Philip. Fever Crumb*. 2011 Best Fiction for Young
Adults, 2012 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
Slonczewski, Joan. The Highest Frontier.
Strahan, Jonathan (ed.). Life on Mars: Tales from the New
Frontier.
van Eekhout, Greg. The Boy at the End of the World.
Weber, David. A Beautiful Friendship.
Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan*. 2011 Top Ten Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
Eleventh Plague- Jeff Hirsch
Delirium- Lauren Oliver
Storm Theif- Chris Wooding Orokos is a city of chaos. For as long
as anyone can remember, the city has been lashed by probability
storms that change anything they touch. Streets are rearranged,
children turned to glass, rivers break their banks. Nothing is stable.
Everyone is vulnerable
3:59 Two girls who are incredibly intelligent in physics use that
knowledge to save 2 parallel worlds. Lots of science talk, scary
tension, and a dash of romance.
Adaptation by Malinda Lo While on her way back from an
academic competition, Reese is in an accident and wakes up in a
secret government lab really quite different. Can she find out
what happened to her and what it means? Inheritance, book 2,
comes out later this year.
Catalyst by Laurie Halse AndersonStraight A student Kate
Malone is waiting to hear from MIT when her perfectly organized world starts to spiral out of control. Then, something
happens that truly blows it apart
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan Willow is a genius
obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions. When
her adopted parents die suddenly in a car accident, she uses her
knowledge of nature to help build the perfect garden and rejuvenate both a neighborhood and the spirits of those around her
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly Calpurnia Tate uses science to help her understand why yellow
grasshoppers grow so much bigger than the green grasshoppers
in her back yard. Along the way, she bonds with her grandfather and learns just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the
century
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
It starts with an itch. Then the fever comes. Soon after, you
are dead. Kaelyn uses what she knows to try to keep herself
alive when a virus sweeps over the island that she lives on.
(more mature middle school-into high school)
Rocket Boys
Flatland
Fahrenheit 451
Life As We Knew It
Frankenstein
Dr. Franklin’s Island
The Boy Who Reversed Himself
Dune
They Came From Below
The Carbon Diaries
Brave New World
War of the Worlds
Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
Dinner at the New Gene Cafe: How Genetic
Engineering Is Changing What We Eat, How We Live, and the
Global Politics of Food by Bill Lambrecht
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes
The Radioactive Boy Scout: The Frightening True Story of a Whiz
Kid and His Homemade Nuclear Reactor by Ken Silverstein
My Sister’s Keeper by Jody Piccoult
Skinned- Wasserman
Golden -Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love
by Dava Sobel
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Jurassic Park
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card
Cinder-Marissa Meyer
Legend- Marie Lu
Note to Parents: Please review the title that your
child has selected to read for his/her summer
project. Although each title is on a media approved list , the final approval must come from
the parent. You may find it helpful to google book
reviews about a book and check a more specific
reading level prior to your child reading the novel.
You know your child best.