2015 Summer Reading Assignment: Grade TEN

Bethel School District 2015 Summer Reading Assignment: Grade TEN

Dear students and parents, Summer reading is an important part of the Bethel School District culture. It is a vital experience that keeps kids learning even when the school year is over. In addition to fostering a joy of reading, current research indicates that increased summer reading helps students maintain skills and avoid learning loss. However, summer reading does more than preserve the skills of the previous school year; by exploring a shared text, students have a common experience with their classmates to begin the school year in September. Finally, when students complete an assignment accompanying the text, teachers can provide valuable feedback to students to set them up for success throughout the coming year.

Bethel’s goals for assigning summer reading are: 1. To ask students to demonstrate their knowledge of and interaction with an extended text 2. To allow students to practice skills that will be reinforced or built upon during the next year of instruction 3. To foster the habits of mind demonstrated by successful readers

Students entering tenth grade will have the opportunity to study the concept of culture. Students will examine the diverse perspectives, experiences, and conflicts related to cultural contexts such as ethnicity, gender, religion, family, etc. For summer reading, students must choose a book related to the concept of culture.

Some titles that address the concept of CULTURE are:  Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, by Mark Haddon  Shabanu, by Suzanne Fisher Staples  Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jaqueline Woodson  In the Time of Butterflies, by Julia  A Step from Heaven, by An Na Alvarez  Code Talker, by Chester Nez  The Red Umbrella, by Christina D. Gonzalez  Funny in Farsi, by Firoozeh Dumas  Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell

In order to document your thinking and interaction with the text, please complete the following assignments:

 Part I: Before Reading - Respond to a writing prompt: See page two for the prompt and directions.

 Part II: During Reading - As you read the novel, you must document your thoughts and reactions by keeping a double-entry journal. Effective readers respond to text in a variety of ways; therefore, you are expected to respond using each option given at least once. Please see the attached template for more details and support.

This assignment (parts I and II) is due on September 11 th , 2015 (the first Friday of the school year) and will be collected in your English Language Arts class.

If a student fails to complete the assignment by the specified due date, (s)he will  Miss out on valuable feedback from the teacher  Be unable to participate in and benefit from collaborative discussion with peers  Not earn credit for the work Grade Ten Summer Reading 2015: Bethel School District (DUE 9/11/15) First and last name:

9th grade English teacher:

PART I – BEFORE READING

Before you begin reading your book, write an extended response to the following prompt.

PROMPT: Cultural experiences have tremendous potential to shape, impact, or influence one’s perception of the world. Consider your own experiences, observations, or reading. Describe a cultural experience you’ve had or read about. What were the benefits and challenges that you encountered (or read about) as a result of this culture or cultural experience? How did the culture or cultural experience shape, influence, or impact you (or the character/person)?

Be sure to address all parts of the prompt in your response. Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.

Grade Ten Summer Reading 2015: Bethel School District (DUE 9/11/15) PART II – DURING READING: DOUBLE-ENTRY JOURNAL

1. During your reading you will record your thinking about and interactions with the text using the double-entry journal format. Your double-entry journal must contain at least 12 entries. 2. The left column is used to record significant quotations from the text. The quotations you choose do not have to be character dialogue. A quotation can range from a single sentence to a short paragraph, as long as it is important or meaningful to your understanding of the book. Place this text excerpt in quotation marks and include the page number. 3. The right column is used for commenting on the quotations; your commenting options are listed below. Effective readers respond to text in a variety of ways; therefore, YOU MUST USE EACH OF THE OPTIONS BELOW AT LEAST ONCE.

Your comments on the right must include:  Comments about the writer’s use of literary devices (metaphor, symbolism, personification, etc.)  Analysis of the quote’s connection to plot, character development, conflict, or theme  Your reactions to the author’s word choice (diction) or sentence structure (syntax)  Questions about what was read (meaning, purpose, character motivations, etc.)  Connections / Associations (to similar themes or topics in other books, authors, historical events)  Predictions or inferences

Template: Quotations from Text My notes (reactions/questions/analysis) EXAMPLE: Literary Devices “Her face was white and sharp and slightly gleaming When the author uses the words “white,” “sharp,” in the candlelight, like bone. No hint of pink. And the “gleaming,” and “candle light,” he forms a ghostly, almost hair. So fine, so pale, so much, crimped by its plaiting creepy image of the woman. The simile comparing her face into springy zigzag tresses, clouding neck and to “bone” emphasizes this ghostly image even more, and the shoulders, shining metallic in the candlelight” (42). description of the “springy” hair “clouding” around her upper body creates a wild, almost zombie like picture of the woman. Strong use of imagery and detail helps create a picture in the reader’s mind. “Quotation from the text” (page #). Connections  To the plot  To a character  To a conflict  To a theme “Quotation from the text” (page #). Diction/Syntax  The character’s use of complex words makes him sound…  This author uses short, choppy sentences in dialogue, which makes the characters seem angry with each other…

“Quotation from the text” (page #). Questions  Why did the author/character do…?  I wonder why…?

“Quotation from the text” (page #). Connections/Associations  This relates to the book...when…. Grade Ten Summer Reading 2015: Bethel School District (DUE 9/11/15)  This must have taken place during….because….

“Quotation from the text” (page #). Predictions/Inferences  Based on what happened here, I can infer…  Last time this happened, the character…so I can predict…

In order to earn FULL CREDIT for your double-entry journal, you must fulfill the following criteria:  12 or more entries for the book  Quotations from text must is one or more sentence in length  Entries span the entire book (beginning, middle, end) and are indicated by page numbers  Work is proofread and contains no spelling errors  Student responses contain two or more complete sentences and demonstrate fully developed reactions to or analysis of the text.

Your response will earn PARTIAL OR NO CREDIT if:  There are fewer than 12 quotations and responses to the text  Quotations or analysis contain many misspelled words  Quotations from text indicate the entire book may not have been read (as indicated by page numbers)  Student responses demonstrate incomplete thoughts or connections and seem hastily written. Entries lack elaboration

Common Core Connections - by completing this work, students will practice the following skills: W.9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content W.9-10.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience W.9-10.10: Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames (a single sitting) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences Grade Ten Summer Reading 2015: Bethel School District (DUE 9/11/15) R.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 R.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of a text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details R.9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme R.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone

Grade Ten Summer Reading 2015: Bethel School District (DUE 9/11/15)