Summer Reading 6th grade

Sixth Grade Literature Summer Reading

Mrs. Costanzo 703-680-4164

Supply List:

-Marble Composition Book

-Three-ring binder

-Five subject dividers

-Kleenex and/or paper towels for the Resource Room would be greatly appreciated. Please put them in a separate bag marked with my name so they don't get mixed up with donations to the sixth grade class.

Dear Parents,

            Please do not edit, correct, or change your child's summer work before it is turned in to me.  I believe that it is important for your child's growth and helps him or her take responsibility for the work.  Thank you for your cooperation.

This summer project is due on the first day of school.  A homework warning will be issued for any project not turned in on the first day of school and ten points will be deducted for each day it is late.  After the third day, the project will not be accepted and a zero will be recorded for the grade.  The summer work counts as a homework and a test grade. Projects may be typed or written on loose leaf.

Choose either a biography or an autobiography to read.  A biography is the story of a person's life written by another person.  An autobiography is when a person tells his or her own life story.  Each book must be between 125 and 150 pages long and may not be a young child's book.  Parents must approve the book before it is read. Write a report for the book you choose.  The report should be at least five paragraphs long. You should include the following in your report:

-Title and author of the book

-Background information on the person's life

-Important accomplishments

-Things the person had to overcome to achieve his or her goals

-People who had an impact on the person's life and what the impact was

-What you learned about life from studying this person and how you can apply it to your own life

Summer Reading 7th grade

Seventh Grade Literature Summer Reading

Mrs. Costanzo 703-680-4164

Supply List

-Marble Composition Book for Journal.  You may continue writing in the sixth grade                                                                                   journal if there are enough blank pages.

-Three-ring binder with four subject dividers, if needed.  You should use the same binder           that was used in sixth grade. Keep all sixth grade notes and vocab!

-English 7 – A yellow pocket folder for handouts.

Dear Parents.

            Please do not edit, correct, or change your child's summer work before it is turned in to me.  I believe that it is important for your child's growth and helps him or her take responsibility for the work.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Karen Costanzo

This summer project is due on the first day of school.  A homework warning will be issued for any project not turned in on the first day of school and ten points will be deducted for each day it is late.  After the third day, the project will not be accepted and a zero will be recorded for the grade.  The summer reading counts as a homework and a test grade. Projects may be typed or on loose leaf.

1. Novel

            Read Holes by Louis Sachar.  Keep a reading journal for every five chapters.  Comment on what you read as you are reading it.  You should have a minimum of one paragraph for every five chapters. Your paragraphs should have a minimum of five sentences each. There are 50 chapters, so you will have 10 entries. You should write the chapters you are writing about as headers, for example; Chapters 1 – 5, Chapters 6 – 10, etc.

In the reading journal, you should record your reactions, thoughts, and feelings about what you are reading. When you have finished the journal, answer the following questions in paragraph form. Who are the main characters? What kind of people are they?  What are their character traits?  How do the characters grow and mature as the book progresses?  What is the main conflict in this book?  How is it resolved?  What statement is the author making about people and life?  How can you apply what you've learned from this book to your own life?  This should not be a plot summary!!!

2. The Miracle Worker by William Gibson

            Keep a reading journal for each act as you read this play.  In the journal, record your reactions, thoughts, and feelings about what you are reading.  When you have finished the play, answer the following questions. Each answer to each question must be at least one paragraph. How does the relationship between Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan change and grow as the play progresses?  What does Helen learn about life from Annie and what does Annie learn from Helen.  What did you learn about life from this play and how can you apply it to your own life?  You may not say that it just doesn't apply to your life. Plays are meant to be performed.  What problems might you have if you were producing this play on stage?  What famous actors would you have play the main parts?  Remember, this should not be a plot summary!!!

Summer Reading 8th grade

Eighth Grade Literature Summer Reading

Mrs. Costanzo 703-680-4164

Supply List

Literature –

- Marble Composition Book

- Four Subject dividers (to be used with last year's binder)

- If you are a new student, you need a three-ring literature binder

English – Yellow Pocket folder to keep all returned worksheets and notes

Dear Parents.

            Please do not edit, correct, or change your child's summer work before it is turned in to me.  I believe that it is important for your child's growth and helps him or her take responsibility for the work.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Karen Costanzo

This summer project is due on the first day of school.  A homework warning will be issued for any project not turned in on the first day of school and ten points will be deducted for each day it is late.  After the third day, the project will not be accepted and a zero will be recorded for the grade.  The summer reading counts as a test and a homework grade. Projects may be typed or on loose leaf.

1. Short Story

            Read the following short stories by Edgar Allen Poe: 

                        a. "The Fall of the House of Usher"

                        b. "The Masque of the Red Death"

                        c. "The Cask of Amontillado"

            For each story, answer the following in essay form.   Who is the main character?  What conflict or dilemma must the main character face?  How is his conflict resolved?  What is Poe saying about people and life through the story?  How can you apply this lesson to your own life?  This should not be a plot summary.  You must answer the questions in your essay.  These stories can be found in any Poe anthology.

2. Poetry

            Read the attached six poems by Langston Hughes.  Write a paragraph on each of the poems you read explaining what you think the message of the poem is.  What makes the poem special?  How can the message of the poem apply to your own life?  You can't just tell me that it doesn't apply!

Poems by Langston Hughes

1. The Dream Keeper

Bring me all of your dreams,

You dreamers,

Bring me all of your heart melodies

That I may wrap them

In a blue cloud-cloth

Away from the too-rough fingers

Of the world.

2. Beggar Boy

What is there within this beggar lad

That I can neither hear nor feel nor see,

That I can neither know nor understand

And still it calls to me?

Is not he but a shadow in the sun –

A bit of clay, brown, ugly, given life?

And yet he plays upon his flute a wild free tune

As if Fate had not bled him with her knife?

3. In Tine of Silver Rain

In time of silver rain

The earth

Puts forth new life again

Green grasses grow

And flowers lift their heads,

And over all the plain

The wonder spreads

     Of life,

     Of life,

     Of life!

In time of silver rain

The butterflies

Lift silken wings

To catch a rainbow cry,

And trees put forth

New leaves to sing

In joy beneath the sky

As down the roadway

Passing boys and girls

Go singing, too,

In time of silver rain

     When spring

      And new life

      Are new.

4. Dreams

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow

5.As I Grew Older

It was a long time ago

I have almost forgotten my dream.

But it was there then,

In front of me,

Bright life a sun –

My dream

And then the wall rose,

Rose slowly,

Slowly,

Between me and my dream.

Rose slowly, slowly,

Dimming,

Hiding,

The light of my dream.

Rose until it touched the sky –

The wall.

Shadow.

I am black.

I lie down in the shadow.

No longer the light of my dream before me,

Above me.

Only the thick wall.

Only the shadow.

My hands!

My dark hands!

Break through the wall!

Find my dream!

Help me to shatter this darkness,

To smash this night,

To break this shadow

Into a thousand lights of sun,

Into a thousand whirling dreams

Of sun!

6.Youth

We have tomorrow

Bright before us

Like a flame.

Yesterday

A night-gone thing,

A sun-down name.

And dawn-today

Broad arch above the road we came.

We march!

6/4/18

English 7 - Tuesday, 6/5, Adverb unit test. Folders are due at time of test.