Junior High Summer Homework

To help you develop and maintain skills needed for your future as well as help you keep sharp and improve Iowa Basic Skills Test scores in the fall, we require some summer work to be completed and turned in the first day of school in August.

#1. Pray daily --- rest, regroup, have a bunch of fun---take care of each other as friends ---make good choices with your free time--- read everyday --- keep up with the news.

ONE Book Report: due the first day of school

Choose one biography, autobiography, historical fiction, historical novel, or informational book with emphasis on US history. Report on it using the form included or go to our website and download it. Due the first day of school---plus you can take an AR test on it that first week!

Incoming 8th Graders:

  • Prepare for the Catholic High School Entrance Exam.
  • Use
  • Click on COOP/HSPT
  • Buy the practice bookMaster the Catholic High School Entrance Exams on-line or at anybookstore.

The following are suggested activities for Junior High students over the summer.

7th Grade Math: Summer Solutions Math Workbook by Nancy McGraw,

Intermediate A or B

8th Grade Math: Summer Solutions Math Workbook by Nancy McGraw,

Pre-Algebra or Algebra

All can be ordered on amazon.com or

Read: Make the goal a book a week.

  • Select A.R. books from the SMB Library A.R. listing on-line.
  • Go to the library frequently.
  • Select books on disk for the whole family to enjoy on vacation.

Write: Keep a journal or diary.

  • Write songs, poems, or letters.
  • Reflect in a notebook on the books read.

Computer: Make computer time worthwhile.

  • Go to school’s website and under our text’s website America: History of

Our Nation

(2007 edition) then to “Skills Tutor” which is practice in high level thinking—good

For across the curriculum writing and reasoning---highly recommend!

On-line Reading Comprehension Practice:

Learn songs about Language Arts:

On-line Grammar Practice:

On-line Geography Practice:

Other Websites of Interest to try:

stmarybashacatholic.org -- our site but go to launch pad --- some awesome sites to check out--- current events, quizzes, references, etc.

--- a great site for the Holocaust museum

--- activities, suggestions

---for obvious reasons

--- fun facts about any state ---remember we’ll be doing US and Arizona Constitutions and history.

www. Faithfirst.com --- it is connected with our books, many links to places of interest.

azcentral.com – the internet site for the Arizona Republic

--- learn about the Senate

--- “ “ “ House of Representatives

– great connection with the Vatican

-- Smithsonian Institute of Washington DC online

-- searchable Supreme Court cases

Try to get to a museum this summer:

*Arizona History Museum, near Papago Park

*Arizona Science Museum, downtown north of Chase Field

*Phoenix Art Museum, Central and McDowell

*The Heard Museum, Central about ½ mile north of McDowell

*Children’s Museum of Mesa, McDonald and Center, downtown

*Rock and Roll Museum West, across from Chase Field, an extension of the one in Cleveland

JUNIOR HIGH SUMMER BOOK REPORT

Report on one United States historical book. Can be a biography, historical fiction, historical or nonfiction informational book. Use format below, turn in first day of school.

ON A SEPARATE SHEET NUMBER AND INCLUDE ALL CRITERIA:

1. YOUR NAME

2. BOOK’S TITLE

3. AUTHOR

4. GENRE (historical, realistic, etc.)

5. SETTING (TIME & PLACE)

6. HOW LONG TO READ

  1. NUMBER OF PAGES

8. WRITE YOUR PERSONAL OPINION OF THE BOOK ,WITH GOOD REASONS FOR YOUR OPINION.

9 IF YOU READ A BIOGRAPHY OR HISTORICAL NOVEL:

  • DESCRIBE MAIN CHARACTER WITH AGE, PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND PERSONALITY TRAITS.
  • DESCRIBE2 MINOR CHARACTERS AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER .
  • STATE THEME OR MORAL OF THE STORY (what can be learned)
  • WRITE SUMMARY OF THE STORY WITH LOGICAL SEQUENCING OF EVENTS, BEGINNING TO END. THIS SHOULD BE EXTENSIVE, 3 OR 4 JUNIOR HIGH PARAGRAPHS

10. IF YOU READ A NONFICTION INFORMATION BOOK:

  • DESCRIBE THE THEME, in a good paragraph.
  • DESCRIBE EXTENSIVELY THE FORMAT IT IS IN (ie timeline, groups of people or materials, events, a war, etc). BE SPECIFIC WITH EXAMPLES.
  • DESCRIBE AT LENGTH 5 POINTS OF INTEREST FROM THE BOOK (THIS SHOULD BE EXTENSIVE, EACH IN A JUNIOR HIGH PARAGRAPH)