Science Park High School English Department 7th Grade English Summer Reading Assignment 2020-2021

7th Grade English Instructor ● Ms. Carolina Panasiti, [email protected] ​ English Department Chairperson: Mrs. Chanelle Wolfe, [email protected] ​ ​ Google Classroom Code: 7cb7nak ​ ​

th Welcome to 7 ​ grade English Language Arts! Follow requirements for our summer reading assignment. When you ​ ​ start reading The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, remember to annotate (underline or highlight key words, phrases, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ or sentences that are important), look up any term you are not familiar with and identify the most important theme ​ ​ ​ illustrated in this text. Also, complete the guidelines/requirements listed below. Assignments are due on the first ​ day of school and will count as an assessment grade. During the 1st marking period, you will also engage in ​ additional tasks related to this text, therefore, the reading of this book is critical and required.

7th Grade English Text

Title: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind ​ ​

Author: William Kamkwamba ​

ISBN: 9780147510426 ​ ​

Overview

Now a Netflix film starring and directed by , this is a gripping memoir of survival and perseverance about the heroic young inventor who brought electricity to his Malawian village.

When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in , his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family's life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William's windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.

Retold for a younger audience, this exciting memoir shows how, even in a desperate situation, one boy's brilliant idea can light up the world. Complete with photographs, illustrations, and an epilogue that will bring readers up to date on William's story, this is the perfect edition to read and share with the whole family. Science Park High School English Department 7th Grade English Summer Reading Assignment 2020-2021

Directions: All tasks should be titled and completed in ONE single Google Docs (if you have links or images, make ​ sure you paste them and include them organized by tasks). When you share your google doc with me, make sure you share with [email protected] Please use the standard Times New Roman 12-point size font. Include in ​ ​ your heading your complete name and date. Tasks to be submitted:

1) Create a Postcard (postcard sample provided). Include illustration/s, description (use your own words) of ​ selected place and a message you will send to your designated recipient of your postcard. Journal entry: describe what you have researched as if you were taking this trip attempting to capture ​ what you see, smell, hear or touch (use vivid descriptions/language) into one to two paragraphs.

2) Design a social media webpage highlighting William’s accomplishments. Be informative and creative ​ (make sure you include the link to your social media web page titled task 2. Option: if you do not wish to ​ ​ ​ ​ use social media, you may design a poster illustrating what you might have included on your online page. Take a photo of your design and paste it on your Summer Reading Google document indicating that this is your second task.

3) Call to Action. “Necessity is the mother of invention”. Choose one of the options provided and include in ​ your document with the other tasks. ****Important: all tasks should be part of ONE SINGLE GOOGLE DOC.****

-Submit assignments by the following date: September 8th, 2020 to [email protected] and through ​ ​ ​ Google Classroom.

Task Description Completed?

1. Use your virtual passport to travel to Africa. Although you would like to meet William in Malawi on your trip to Africa, he would probably suggest you visit other places on the continent of Africa, just like he did. Your virtual passport will allow you to visit many places, so enjoy going on as many trips as you can to places like, , Kenya, South Africa, Mali, Zimbabwe and Egypt.

Take a virtual global trip to Africa: Visit Scholastic Global Trek to learn about the places you decide to visit: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/globaltrek/index.htm ❏

Don’t forget to make postcards or keep a journal about your trip. Remember to write your journal entries; great travelers keep a journal of their trips to share with their family and friends. You have plenty of time, so William also suggests Science Park High School English Department 7th Grade English Summer Reading Assignment 2020-2021

you visit the Himalayan Mountains: http://www.airpano.com/360photo/Everest-Nepal/

You can search: Mount Kilimanjaro in to learn about the mountains that fascinated William on his trip. Like William, you have an opportunity to visit and learn about new places. Create a postcard of your favorite place you visited.

● Summer Reading Post Cards (Google Doc) Make a Copy, then edit ​

Remember the front of a postcard usually has a picture of the place. Don’t forget to include a note to William on the back of the postcard, telling him about your trip to Africa. Include where you visited, what you learned from your visit, and how you feel about the new places you visited on your trip. Bon voyage! Have fun and enjoy! Be creative.

2. From reading The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, you learned about ​ ​ William’s challenges and his many, great accomplishments. As an adult, ❏ William continues to help others in and around his community, including his family. Watch: William’s Ted Talk. (Remember he said he was very nervous.) ​ https://www.ted.com/talks/william_kamkwamba_how_i_built_a_windmill? language=

Visit the Moving Windmills Project website: https://movingwindmills.org/

Visit William’s website: http://www.williamkamkwamba.com/ ​ ​

You can search to find more information on William Kamkwamba. William asked you to create a social media campaign to highlight his accomplishments. What platform would you select? What do you want people to know about William Kamkwamba? Design a social media webpage (ie: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, , etc.) or a poster, highlighting William’s accomplishments. Be informative and creative.

Science Park High School English Department 7th Grade English Summer Reading Assignment 2020-2021

3. They say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Several times throughout the book, William proves that where there is a problem, he can find a way to solve it; where there is a need, he can find a way to meet it.

What is a problem in your community that applied science, or invention might be able to solve? Consider all it took William to come up with a creative solution to his complex problem involving health and sanitation, the ❏ environment, economics, and education.

Then, think about your problem. What are the causes? What are possible solutions? Choose one of the following options to take action toward ​ ​ solving the problem you’ve identified:

A) Write a letter to a government official who has the power to make or change laws affecting the issue you’ve identified.Persuasive Letter Rubric ​

B) Research other places in the world, past or present, that have struggled with your same issue. How did they solve it? Could you do the same? Who could you look to for inspiration or guidance? Write a one to two-page report on your findings. Make sure you include any sources you may have used in your research Works Cited Example ​

C) Reflect on ways your community could improve one area addressed in this book: healthcare, environment/agriculture, economics, or education. What could you invent that might make life better for yourself and those around you, not just now, but for many years to come? Persuasive Essay ​ Writing