Online Assessment for Freshmen Summer Reading Ms. Foyle: [email protected] (CP English I) Mr. Kranz: [email protected] (Communications Academy I) Mrs. Micale: [email protected] (Honors English I)

This year, we are piloting a new program, which will allow you to choose what books you want to read for Summer reading! You will choose 2 books (fiction or non-fiction). Complete the Summer Book Choices form attached to this packet. Have your parent/guardian sign off on the books you choose. Return the parental permission slip to your current Language Arts Teacher. We have also included a list of the books we have used in previous summers. Summer Reading Assessments- ALL STUDENTS We will be conducting a book blog throughout the summer to encourage book discussions on GoodReads. We want to hear what you thought! The teachers will participate as well. 1. To log onto and sign into our class discussions: https://www.goodreads.com/ 2. If you already have an account, sign in. If you don’t go to “Create account” and complete the information. It will ask you for info about books you like to read, and to rate books you have read. You can skip all of this. When you get finished, click on the Explore button. Under Community, click on the Groups button 3. Type in WHS Freshmen Summer Reading 2014 4. You will then be asked to Join the group. This is a private group; people can see that we have a group, but no one will see who is a member of the group. 5. You will have to answer a question to be admitted to the group. The question is “What are your two summer reading choices and who are the authors?” Just fill that in and you’ve already completed the first assignment! Due dates: These things must be completed by the due dates; However, you may do them ahead of the due date. Book 1: In addition to these dates, you must also complete the attached “Book Notes” worksheet. This can be brought in on the first day of school, or you can email it to your teacher before the first day of school. July 1- By this date, you have to create an account with Good Reads, and you should post which 2 books you will be reading. July 11- By this date, you will post an answer to 1 of the 6 blog questions below. Follow the model on GoodReads (by one of the teachers). Think about your answers. July 25- By this date, you should reply to at least 3 other postings. Ask questions, post comments, etc. Have you read this book? What were your thoughts on what the poster says about it? August 1- You have to have answered at least 2 of the postings you received on your book blog- answer questions, provide comments, etc.

Book 2: Complete the following for your second summer reading book choice:

August 8- Answer 1 of the 6 questions below. Each answer should be well written, but also provide information and entice readers. YOU MUST CHOOSE A DIFFERENT QUESTION FROM THE FIRST ONE YOU ANSWERED IN JULY. August 22- You must have replied to at least 3 other postings. Ask questions, post comments, etc. August 29- You have to have answered at least 2 of the postings you received on your book blog- answer questions, provide comments, etc.

Blog questions: Choose one question for the first book (July 11), and another question for the second book blog (August 8). 1. Pick your favorite quote from your book that spoke to you. Explain why it was significant to you. Also explain how and why it is important to the main character. (Fiction and Non- fiction)

2. How do you see the main character changing throughout the story? How does he/she deal with the conflict in the story? Choose at least one piece of textual evidence and discuss. (Fiction and Non-fiction)

3. Pick your favorite scene from your book, and then find a song that fits the mood of that scene. Identify the song and artist, and explain why the song fits that particular scene. Cite textual evidence that helped you choose the song to fit the mood. (Fiction/Non-fiction).

4. Pretend you are the protagonist and you come up against the conflict. How would you overcome the conflict? Would you do the same thing the character in the story does, or would you have done something differently? Base this answer on your own experiences and what you have available to you. If your story is about a 40 year old woman, things would change for you! Write about it. (Fiction)

5. What lesson do you think the author is trying to demonstrate about people or life, in general? Explain how this idea is developed throughout the story. Cite textual evidence for support. (Fiction/Non-fiction).

6. What interested you in reading this book? Is it something you were aware of at the time of its occurrence? Was it something that interests you? Did you know someone involved? How does reading this non-fiction affect you as a learner? (Non-fiction).

NOTE: Finally, you will complete a culminating assignment/assessment on your second book during the first week of school. Your 9th grade English teacher will explain this to you during the first week of school in September.

Grading for summer assessments:

1. Timeliness: Are your assignments/postings done on time? (Remember, if part of each of your grades depends on each other’s responses, you need to have yours posted in plenty of time.)

2. Content: Are your assignments answered completely, written in a full paragraph, and supported with relevant details?

3. Responses: Are your responses respectful and meaningful (ie: are you commenting on valuable items or ideas, are you asking deeper questions?)

4. Grammar/Usage: Are you demonstrating your best informal writing (that does not mean to use “slang,” but you may use I, you, etc!). Do you have few grammatical errors, and is your vocabulary age-appropriate?

5. General: the great thing about reading is making decisions on your own about what you are reading; your understanding of a story may be different than another person’s based on your own personal experiences. Don’t be afraid to take a chance and make a claim! We will listen!

6. The summer blogging for both books combined will be a test grade.

The “Reading Book Notes” for book 1 will be a quiz grade.

The first week assignment/assessment in September for the 2nd book will also be quiz grade.

Other things!

1. If you do not have access to the Internet over the summer, please see one of your teachers for the Alternative Summer Assignment. Do this assignment instead of the blog. The Reading Book Notes must be completed as well.

2. Previously used Book Choices: (Remember these are suggestions not requirements.) We strongly encourage parents and students to collaborate on deciding which books best suit the needs, interests, and natures of the students. Novels marked with an * contain mature content or language. We have previously used these books for our summer reading. You are welcome to choose one of these as well. The Blind Side (nonfiction) by Michael Lewis (2006) Dairy Queen (Catherine Murdock) *Happy Birthday or Whatever (Anne Choi) Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta *Snow in August (Pete Hamill) The Big Field (Mike Lupica) *Angels & Demons (Dan Brown) Sunrise over Fallujah (Walter Dean Myers) The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) The Old Man & the Sea (Ernest Hemingway) The Andromeda Strain (Michael Crichton)

Name: ______Reading Book Notes To be handed in or emailed to your teacher by the first day of school Can also be downloaded and done online at Woodstown.org Complete this graphic organizer, using citations where appropriate. Book Title Author Genre (Fiction/nonfiction) Setting Point of View Paragraph about the plot or events

Major Characters (give a brief description of each, explaining their significance to the story)

You do not have to use complete sentences here...a list of characters with a brief “definition” of each is acceptable here

Possible themes Issues/morals/lessons Cite with textual evidence

Important Quotes: Choose 3 quotes- 1 from beginning, 1 from middle and 1 from the end that captures the essence of the book.

Use citations (include pg. #s with quotes).

Reading Constructed Response Directions Your reading falls into one of two basic categories: informational (non-fiction)

or literary text (fiction). After determining the type of text you read, examine the writing prompts in the correct box below. Choose one prompt from the options and write a one-to-three paragraph response (constructed response) based on your reading selection.

Literary text (fiction) Choose one topic and write one paragraph to answer.

1. Identify and explain the author's purpose or attitude toward the main topic of your book. Use details from the book to support your answer.

2. Describe how the main character's attitude changed over time. Use details from the book to support your answer.

3. Identify the climax of your book and explain how the rising action leads to the climax. Use details from the book to support your answer.

4. A journey may be physical, spiritual, or emotional. Describe the journey of the character throughout the book. In the end, what did the character learn about herself/himself and the world? Use details from the book to support your answer.

5. Describe the setting and analyze its importance in the book you read. Use details from the book to support your answer.

Informational text (non-fiction) Choose one topic and write one paragraph to answer. 1. Identify and explain the author's purpose or attitude toward the main topic of your book. Use details from the book to support your answer.

2. A journey may be physical, spiritual, or emotional. Describe the journey of the person throughout the book. In the end, what did the person learn about herself/ himself and the world? Use details from the book to support your answer.

3. Readers learn valuable information from informational text. Identify the author’s main points and explain how this information affected your understanding of the topic. Use details from the book to support your answer.

Please complete and have your parents/guardians give their consent to your book choices. Please return to your Language Arts teacher no later than June 11.

Name: ______

Middle School District (circle one) Woodstown Pilesgrove Alloway Other

Book Choice 1: ______

Author: ______

Brief description of book:

Book Choice 2: ______

Author: ______

Brief description of book:

______Student signature

Parents/Guardians: Please review the choices made by your child to ensure you feel they are appropriate. We are very excited to be developing reading classrooms this year and your help and participation is very appreciated! Reading classrooms incorporate books the kids choose and books the teachers choose. Together, we will learn to analyze and work with all types of books. Please do not hesitate to contact any of us via email, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We look forward to working with you and your student!

By signing, you approve of the book choices made by your student.

______Parent/Guardian Printed name Parent/Guardian Signature

Summer Reading—Alternate Assignment (For students not able to complete Online/Blog Assignment) Ms. Foyle (CP English I Teacher) [email protected] Mr. Kranz (Communications I Academy Teacher) [email protected] Mrs. Micale (Honors English I Teacher) [email protected]

*Due the first day of school Part 1: Fill in the reading log to track your reading progress over the summer. Part 2: Answer three of the five questions for each of your books (you will have six responses total). Summer Reading Log

Book Title and Author Page #’s Track Progress Notes/Opinions

Book 1: Directions: Choose three of the five questions to answer based on your first summer reading book. Each response must be at least two paragraphs (remembering that a paragraph is 5-7 sentences). **You must provide textual evidence from the book to support all of your answers. 1. Pick your favorite quote from your book that spoke to you. Explain why it was significant to you.

2. Using three examples from the story, explain why you did or did not like this story.

3. Pick your favorite scene from your book, and then find a song that fits the mood of that scene. Identify the song and artist, and explain why the song fits that particular scene.

4. Pretend you are the protagonist and you come up against the conflict. How would overcome the conflict? Would you do the same thing the character in the story does, or would you have done something differently? Base this answer on your own experiences and what you have available to you. If your story is about a 40 year old woman, things would change for you! Write about it.

5. What lesson do you think the author is trying to demonstrate about life in general? Explain how this idea is developed throughout the story

Book 2 Directions: Choose three of the five questions to answer based on your second summer reading book. Each response must be at least two paragraphs (remembering that a paragraph is 5-7 sentences). **You must provide textual evidence from the book to support all of your answers. 1. Pick your favorite quote from your book that spoke to you. Explain why it was significant to you.

2. Using three examples from the story, explain why you did or did not like this story.

3. Pick your favorite scene from your book, and then find a song that fits the mood of that scene. Identify the song and artist, and explain why the song fits that particular scene.

4. Pretend you are the protagonist and you come up against the conflict. How would overcome the conflict? Would you do the same thing the character in the story does, or would you have done something differently? Base this answer on your own experiences and what you have available to you. If your story is about a 40 year old woman, things would change for you! Write about it.

5. What lesson do you think the author is trying to demonstrate about life in general? Explain how this idea is developed throughout the story

By the end of the summer unit, students will be able to: RL.9-10.1 and RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL.9-10.10.2 and RI.9-10.10.2- Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.9-10.10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. RI.9-10.10.3- Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. SL.9-10.1.A Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas. SL.9-10.1.C Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions. SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. SL.9-10.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. W.9-10.1.A Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. W.9-10.1.B Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns. W.9-10.2.D Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic. W.9-10.9.A Apply grades 9-10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare]").

Assignments for in-school projects: For Teachers Choose 1: 1. Must create a presentation. You must do the following: a. Talk must include highlights of the book, and your personal feelings about what happens in the story. b. Which character do you most relate to and why? c. What is it about this character that is most like you? d. What don’t you like about the character? Why? e. How do the character’s experiences in this book mirror your own life experiences? You can present this info in a song, poem, rap, poster, a powerpoint, etc. Presentations must be written and turned in. If it’s a PPT, then save and share with teacher.

OR

2. Based on your book, your teacher will place you in small groups. Work with a small group to create a presentation (PowerPoint, Poster, etc.) For each group, you must provide story highlights, but focus more on literary elements of theme, motif and symbolism, etc. Your teacher will select which of these elements you will have to cover, and you will have to cover more than one element. Maximum of four members of group. a. Discussion of theme, motif, symbols, style as it applies to all novels in the group b. Details of each group (1 minute description of plot each) c. Which character do you most relate to and why? d. What is it about this character that is most like you? e. What don’t you like about the character? Why? f. How do the character’s experiences in this book mirror your own life experiences?