Duncan U. Fletcher Middle School
2017 Required Summer Reading and Assignments
Students must read both novels assigned to each grade level.
Incoming 6th Grade Incoming 7th Grade
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Wonder by R.J. Palacio Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Incoming 8th Grade
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
2017 Summer Reading Project Assignments
6th Grade Project Assignments:
Complete a project for each novel. Choose from these projects to present your summer reading novels. These projects should be completed over the summer so that they can be handed in the first week of school.
1. Comic Book-Create a comic book based on your book. It should be at least 10 pages long. Each page should be set up in a comic book format with illustrations and captions and should retell the plot of the story. The front cover should include: title of the book, author of the book and an illustration of a favorite scene from the book (like a book cover).
2. Book in a Bag- is a book report contained in a brown paper or paper gift bag (no larger than 12 inches tall). The inside of your bag should include items that you will be able to use to explain the plot of your book. The outside of the bag will be embellished with the following information:
o The front of the bag should include: title of the book, author of the book and an illustration of a favorite scene from the book (like a book cover).
o On the back of the bag, neatly write (or type) a one-paragraph summary of the book. (The summary should be 7-10 sentences long.)
o Also on the back, summarize the theme, or message, of the book. (1-2 sentences)
o On the side of the bag, describe the main character and the primary conflict he/she faces in the book. (3-5 sentences)
o On the other side of the bag, state your opinion of the book. (Would you recommend it to others? Why or why not?) Then support your opinion with at least three details. (3-5 sentences)
o Collect 5 physical objects or pictures of objects that are relevant to the plot of the story (that will fit into your bag) to help you explain the book when you give your presentation in class.
7th Grade Project Assignment:
· Old Yeller by Fred Gipson; students will be tested on this book – NO PROJECT and
· Found byMargaret Peterson Haddix; students are to produce the following project before school starts:
o Character Alphabet Choose a character you liked from your reading selections. Create sentences based on the alphabet scheme that demonstrates your knowledge of the character. Your project should include the title of the book and the character's name. The following example illustrates a character alphabet of the character Zeke in the book Spite Fences.
A is the Abuse Zeke took at the hands of the racist mob.
B is for his Bending over Backwards to make sure the visiting civil rights activist could work in obscurity.
C is for the Camera that he gave Maggie so she could begin to look at the world in new ways.
8th Grade Project Assignment:
The Pearl by John Steinbeck (Newspaper Book Report Project) and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (NO PROJECT, test will be given).
Newspaper Book Report for The Pearl (only)
This book report takes on the format of a newspaper. Use the following requirements to design and lay out your “newspaper.” The written sections must be typed or neatly handwritten in ink. Mount the required articles and features/fillers to a poster board or large construction paper. Work carefully--accuracy and neatness count. Use the rubric to self-check you have done the required sections before turning it in. Requirements: You must have each of the following sections in your newspaper:
Title/Name of Newspaper
· Create a title for your newspaper. It should be related to the book. This should be at the top of your newspaper.
· Underneath the title of the newspaper in a smaller font, write the title of the book that the newspaper is based on, the reporters’ name (this is you), and the date (the date the newspaper is due).
· Create a line that separates this section from the rest of the newspaper.
Articles- Create a catchy headline for each article
· Summary – Write a summary of the main and/or important events your character was involved in (this is not a list but a paragraph format). Answer who, what, where, when, and why in your summary of what happened at the events and why they were important. This should be 2-3 paragraphs only. Create a catchy headline for this article.
· Character Profile-- Write a brief article about the main character, including who the character is, what he/she did, and any interesting things about the character. Draw a picture of the main character.
· Book Review - Write a review for the book you read (The Pearl, by John Steinbeck). Explain your likes/dislikes and support with examples from the book. To whom would you recommend this book? Why?
Features & Fillers – all the space in your newspaper should be filled. Choose at least two of these options to include in your newspaper. Be creative when filling up the white space. Make sure they relate to the story.
· Graphic Representation- Design a 4 panel graphic strip illustrating something that happened in your book. Be sure to create a title for it.
· Crossword Puzzle/Word Search - Using names, places, etc. from the book, create a puzzle. Include a word bank or answer key.
· Advice Column - Pretend the main character wrote a letter to the advice columnist seeking advice about a problem he/she faces in the book. Create an assumed name to use in his/her letter. Then, write a response from the columnist that reflects how the problem was solved. Make it look like an advice column.
· Travel Advertisement - Using places from the book, create an advertisement for visiting that particular place. Describe what it looks like and why someone would want to visit this particular place. Be sure to include a picture.
· Obituary (Death Notice) - Write an obituary for someone who died in your book. Summarize who he/she was and a little bit about his/her life.
· Sports –Use if there was any sporting event that could have been or was part of the story.
· Travel News – Based on a location that was mentioned or was the setting.
· Classified Ad or Advertisement- Can be “help wanted” ad or an ad for an object that your character wants or sells.
· Lost and Found – Based on something that was lost as part of the story.