7Th Grade Summer Reading Expectation

Germantown Middle School

7th Grade Summer Reading Expectation

Book: A Single ShardAuthor: Linda Sue Park

192 pagesISBN: 978-0-547-53426-8

Time and Location: Ancient South Korea

A Single Shard is a work of fiction, but it was inspired by historical facts and events.

Summary:

Tree-ear, an orphan, lives under a bridge in Ch’ulp’o, a potters’ village famed for delicate celadon (ceramics) ware. He has become fascinated with the potter’s craft; he wants nothing more than to watch master potter Min at work, and he dreams of making a pot of his own someday. When Min takes Tree-ear on as his helper, Tree-ear is elated–until he finds obstacles in his path: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Min’s irascible temper, and his own ignorance. But Tree-ear is determined to prove himself…even if it means taking a long, solitary journey on foot to present Min’s work in the hope of a royal commission…even if it means arriving at the royal court with nothing to show but a single celadon shard.

Expectations for Summer Reading:

1. Read the entire novel prior to August 5, 2015 sothat you have time to complete the novel assignment (due: August 6, 2015 – Day 1 of School) and the class assignments/assessments once the 7th grade school year begins.
2. On a sheet of paper, write the names of at least 2 major characters in the novel. For each of the major characters, create a list of traits that make each character significant in the plot of the story. You MUST also include the page reference from the novel for each trait you list (this is listed as the author’s last name and the page number where the trait was exemplified in the text).

For example, the character “Freak” from Freak the Mightywas disabled yet extremely intelligent. He also came up with crafty ideas to assist Max in dealing with daily taunting. From the information you gained from reading the novel, create a list similar to the example below along with text evidence as shown.

Freak

1. Disabled (Philbrick 11)
2. Extremely intelligent (Philbrick 13)
3. Developed crafty ideas for the taunting (Philbrick 31)

**Be prepared to come the first day of school with your copy of the summer novel and the list created of the major characters. These two items will be used for additional activities, assignments, and assessments in the classroom.