There are two books that you will be required to read this summer before returning to school in August. You will also find the assignments attached for each novel listed below. The work is not difficult, but it was designed to make you think. Please make sure you have each book completed by the beginning of the new school year. Having these books read will benefit you greatly, because we will be using these books in class for several weeks and we will refer to them throughout the year.
Reading List:
- My Brother Sam is Dead by: James and Chris Collier
- Last Lecture by: Randy Pausch
Requirement for each novel
- Vocabulary: List ten words you learned from your reading. Define each according to the context of the sentence and write the sentence in which you found it and the page that sentence was on.
Put the vocabulary from each book in a notebook and then continue to use that same notebook for literature.
My Brother Sam is Dead
For this novel you will need to write a one-page paper that includes the following literary elements. This paper should include information about the setting (time & place), the plot of the story, main characters, and two different conflicts that occurred during this novel.
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The Last Lecture
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This first part of the assignment is a thinking one as well as a written one. You are to rewrite these questions in your new literature notebook, and answer them as completely and thoroughly as you possibly can. 1. What did you learn from this novel about life? 2. How will you apply what you have learned and use it to make your eighth grade year as rewarding as possible. Make sure you have detailed answers to these two questions, because we will be discussing this topic in detail the first few days of school. (You will receive a grade for your class participation in discussion).
- Pick one story that Randy Pausch tells in this novel and write a one
page essay about why that particular story has significance for
you. Then explain why and how it may help you in the future.
The deadline for all assignments is Thursday, August 27, 2009.
Grades for these assignments will be for both English and Literature. You are expected to incorporate all that you have learned throughout the years into these assignments. Vocabulary, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, handwriting, and clarity of expression are all components that will be evaluated. If you do your best work, it will be a great start for what is bond to be a great year!!!!!
COPIES OF THIS PACKET ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT ST. JOAN OF ARC, SUMMER READING LINK, GRADE EIGHT.
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