Greetings 7th Graders,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and good spirits as you are enjoying your summer vacation. Your days are, no doubt, filled with many activities, and I hope reading has been one of them. Each of you has been assigned to read three books for school, in addition to any recreational reading you may be enjoying. Below please find an outline of the expectations for each novel. You will not be expected to turn any written assignments the day you return to school. However, you will be required to demonstrate your understanding of each story in a variety of ways, both oral and written, once classes begin.
First, read They Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. During the first week of school, the 7th and 8th graders will gather in small groups to have a conversation about the novel. The very last page of the book provides eight “questions for discussion”. It may be helpful for you to discuss these questions with your parents, friends, or others who have read the story. These are not necessarily all of the topics which will be explored in your small group, but they will give you practice in thinking about and relating to the novel. You may also jot down any connections you had to the characters as well as any parts which were confusing to you. There will be a brief writing assignment associated with this story which will be assigned after the group discussion.
Next, finish your “challenge three” choice book. After reading this story, reflect on four significant parts of the story (one each from the beginning, middle, and end as well as one from any part of the book). Go back and mark the pages (dog ear, post it, book mark, etc) where each important event happened. How do you determine if an event is relevant? Examples include: introduction of a central character, a change in the main character’s perspective, a problem arises, a problem is solved, a conflict occurs between two or more characters, your understanding of the story is changed, you think it is the most exciting part, you connect to the text on a personal level, there is a message which everyone can learn from. It is likely you will have a different reason for selecting each part. On the second day of school, you will need to bring the story (hard copy or digital) with you to begin your in-class writing project for this novel. If you are using a library book, take pictures of/photo copy the pages of the significant text to have for school.
I Am Malala by MalalaYousafzai should be read as close to the start of school as possible. We will be working on the biography during class to explore both content and literary devices. It will also serve as a touchstone text, meaning we will refer back to it as an example throughout the year. There will be a reading comprehension test on this book, so it will be important for you to identify any areas of confusion during our discussions in class.
Please do not hesitate to email me with any questions prior to the start of school. Additionally, be sure to share this information with all of your classmates (even the new ones!) as well as your parents.
Warm regards,
Ms. Kathleen Schalk, English7
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