Learning with Mrs. Wilkins



Summer 2015 Language Arts AssignmentsWriting & Grammar AssignmentI want to see a sample of your best writing. Write a five point paper on any famous person you choose. (Examples: sports heroes, historical figures, music artists, etc.) Remember you are graded on the Six Traits of Writing. I’m looking for Ideas, Organization, Sentence Fluency, Word Choice, Voice, and Conventions. This paper will help me understand what level of writing you will start the year so make it a good one! (Minimum pages expected by incoming students by grade: 6th grade- 1? pages; 7th grade- 2+ pages; 8th grade- 3+ pages) If you email the paper to me before school starts I will give you extra credit. I’ve also attached some 5-A-Day pages as well for you to complete. Reading AssignmentsYou are required to read two books this summer. You must choose one book from the Fiction choices listed below and one from the Non-Fiction choices listed below. Please choose a book that you have not read before. After reading your books, complete the assignments listed on the next page. Both projects are due the first day of school. Each will count as a quiz grade and any assignment that is not turned in will be marked as a zero. You should also keep track of all the books you read this summer. I’m looking for a minimum of 700 pages read before school starts. Happy reading!FictionJohnny Tremaine by Esther Forbes (Lexile 840L)A young apprentice silversmith is caught up in the danger and excitement of 1775 Boston, just before the Revolutionary War. Johnny can’t help but be swept along by the powerful currents that will lead to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington. But even more gripping than living through the drama of Revolutionary Boston is the important discovery Johnny makes in his own life.The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Lexile (730L) A foster girl living outside of Munich, Liesel, scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist-books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. Fiction (continued)The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (Lexile 1080L)Berlin 1942 When Bruno returns home from school one day; he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.Little Women?by Louisa May Alcott (Lexile 750L)Lovely Meg, talented Jo, frail Beth, and spoiled Amy: these are hard lessons of poverty and of growing up in New England during the Civil War. Through their dreams, plays, pranks, letters, illnesses, and courtships, women of all ages have become a part of this remarkable family and have felt the deep sadness when Meg leaves the circle of sisters to be married at the end of Part I. Part II, chronicles Meg's joys and mishaps as a young wife and mother, Jo's struggle to become a writer, Beth's tragedy, and Amy's artistic pursuits and unexpected romance. Based on Louise May Alcott's childhood, this lively portrait of nineteenth-century family life possesses a lasting vitality that has endeared it to generations of readers. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells (Lexile 960L)The Invisible Man of the title is?Griffin, a scientist who has devoted himself to research into?optics?and invents a way to change a body's?refractive index?to that of?air so that it absorbs and?reflects?no light and thus becomes?invisible. He successfully carries out this procedure on himself, but fails in his attempt to reverse the procedure. A Connecticut Yankee in King Author’s Court by Mark Twain (Lexile 1080L)A?Yankee?engineer?from?Connecticut?is accidentally transported back in time to the court of?King Arthur, where he fools the inhabitants of that time into thinking he is a?magician—and soon uses his knowledge of modern?technology?to become a "magician" in earnest, stunning the English of the?Early Middle Ages?with such feats as?demolitions,?fireworks?and the shoring up of a holy well. He attempts to modernize the past, but in the end he is unable to prevent?the death of Arthur.? Non-FictionTeresa of Calcutta: Serving the Poorest of the Poor by D. Jeanene Watson (Lexile N/A)Mother Teresa of Calcutta was the founder of the Missionaries of Charity and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, but her story is so much more remarkable. From her childhood in the Balkans to her work in India, from attending the victims of war-torn Beirut to pleading with George Bush and Saddam Hussein to choose peace over war, Mother Teresa was driven by a mighty faith. She consistently claimed that she was simply responding to Christ’s boundless love for her and for all of humanity, bringing to the world a great lesson in joyful and selfless love.The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines (Lexile 710L)A 110-year-old African-American woman reminisces about her life, which has stretched from the days of slavery to the black militancy and civil rights movements of the 1960s.World Without Fish by Mark Kurlansky, (Lexile 1230L)This book reveals an environmental problem that is not easily seen—the problem in the world’s oceans. Find out how climate, biology, economics, and fishing are endangering the world’s waters—and what kids can do about it. The Chimpanzees I Love: Saving Their World and Ours by Goodall, Jane Goodall (Lexile 990L) Imagine a curiosity and passion that compels you to live in a community of chimpanzees. Dr. Goodall tells of her discoveries about chimpanzees, her love for them, and her campaign for the protection of these amazing animalsThe Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, and Treachery, by Steve Sheinkin (Lexile 990L)A biography of America's first traitor--Benedict Arnold--that reads like an adventure tale, full of heroism, treachery, battle scenes, and surprising twists. I am Scout: A Biography of Harper Lee, by Charles J. Shields? (Lexile 1120L)?The author of?Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee?adapts his best-selling title to bring to young readers the life of the unconventional, high-spirited woman who wrote one of the greatest novels of all time,?To Kill a Mockingbird. Bomb: The Race to Build - And Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, by Steve Sheinkin?(Lexile 920L)This book recounts the scientific discoveries that enabled atom splitting, the military intelligence operations that occurred in rival countries, and the work of brilliant scientists hidden at Los Alamos. You may also come by and borrow one of my personal books on saints if you PROMISE to keep it in good condition and return to me as soon as you are finished.Book Assignments:Please complete one of the following assignments for each of the two books you read this summer. You may not do the same assignment for both books. Journal: Create a character journal. Write at least 6 journal entries as if you are one of the characters in the story. Write down events that happen during the story and reflect on how they affect the character and why. Each entry should be 6-8 sentences, typed or handwritten in cursive. You may add fake dates if there are none given in the book. Collage: Look through magazines, use clip art or pictures to create a collage about your book on an 8 1?2 by 11 piece of paper. Make sure they represent your book. On the back, list 6 of the pictures you used and write at least two sentences for each picture explaining how it represents the book. This should be typed or handwritten in cursive. Be creative and original. Do not copy pictures or designs that are already on the cover, inside and/or back of the book. Photo Album: Create a photo album for the characters in your book. You must include at least 4 photos (look through magazines, use clip art or draw pictures) with at least two sentences under each photo explaining who it is or what is going on in the picture. Mount on 2 - 8 1?2 by 11 pieces of paper and staple them together like a book. Be creative and original. Do not copy pictures or designs that are already on the cover, inside and/or back of the book. Children’s Book: Turn the main ideas of your book into a children’s book. It must include at least 4 pages that will have a picture and 2-3 sentences on each page. Use 8?” by 11” papers and staple them together like a book. Be creative and original. Do not copy pictures or designs that are already on the cover, inside and/or back of the book. Time Line: Create a timeline of the major events in your book. Use drawings, magazine cutouts, or clip art to show the events along the timeline. Be sure to include at least 10 events. Label each event. Be creative and original. Do not copy pictures or designs that are already on the cover, inside and/or back of the book.* Don’t forget to be creative and have fun with these activities! If you have any questions regarding this assignment, please feel free to contact Mrs. Wilkins @ Mrs.Wilkins@Summer Reading LogA strong reader should be reading about 500 pages a month. Your reading selection and your page count will be a large portion of your grade next year. Please list all of the books you have read this summer. Have your parents sign to verify you read these books. Book ReadAuthorLexile* Reading LevelPages in bookDate CompletedParent Signature* Lexile reading levels can be found by going to and putting your book title into the Quick Book Search on the top right hand side of the screen. ................
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