What a year we have had in the middle school! I am so thankful for the Lord's provisions and blessings upon us all this year! I am also thankful for the bumps along the way and how He brought us all through! I am also SO VERY thankful for the loving support of all the amazing parents! It's easy to see where your children get their awesomeness from! THANK YOU ALL!
Below is a letter I emailed to all rising 7th and 8th graders. Happy Summer Reading! And blessings upon your summer!
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Dear Parents of 7th and 8th Graders,
I am thrilled to be teaching English to your 7th and 8th graders next year! To encourage summer reading, I have implemented an optional summer reading and writing assignment for my middle schoolers. If a middle schooler completes the following assignment and brings it in on the first day of school, he or she will earn a writing assignment grade of 100% to start off a great year of school. We will briefly discuss what we have read over the summer during our first day of English class, and each student who has completed the assignment can highlight the main points of his or her paper for the class.
Happy reading!
Love in Jesus,
Mrs. Agate
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT
1. Read as many novels as you can over the summer!
2. Choose your favorite novel (age appropriate and approved by a parent or guardian).
3. Write a report on your novel.
REPORT ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS
1.) Your report must be typed: double spaced in 12 point, Times New Roman font. The report should be five to six beautiful paragraphs.
2.) The first paragraph should be a brief overview of the novel. Provide basic information about the book, and give the reader a sense of what your report will be about. You should include:
- Title and Author
- Publication Information: Publisher, year, number of pages, etc.
- Genre
- A brief (1-2 sentences) introduction to the book and the report/review.
3.) The next paragraph(s) should summarize the book and provide an overall explanation of what the book is about. You should include:
- The setting of the book (time and place)
- An overview of the main characters
- A brief summary of the plot (no spoilers, please!)
- The author's main theme or purpose
4.) The next paragraph(s) should include your personal opinions about the book and how successful it is. In this section of the report, you will analyze or critique the book. You can write about your own opinions; just be sure that you explain and support them with examples. (Using a direct quote or two from the book can be helpful!) Some questions you might want to consider discussing in this section of your report include:
- Did the author achieve his or her purpose?
- Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful?
- What are the strengths and weaknesss of the book?
- For non-fiction, what are the author's qualifications to write about the subject? Do you agree with the author's arguments and conclusions?
- What particularly did you appreciate about the book? (Did you relate to certain characters? Was is compelling reading? Why and how?)
5.) For the final paragraph, briefly conclude by pulling all of your thoughts together. Questions to consider are:
- What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving, dull?
- Would you recommend it to others? Why or why not?
- What impression did the book leave you with?
Do your best, and have fun with this!
