Dear Incoming 7 th Grade GT Students and Parents,
Summer 2015
As part of our ongoing commitment to providing our Gifted and Talented student with a challenging and rewarding curriculum, the Johnston Middle School Language Arts department has created a summer reading program for our GT students. We believe summer reading will both enrich students and create a strong foundation for the reading and writing we will be doing during the upcoming school year. This summer we are asking students to read three books.
1.
Since much of the seventh grade year is spent working on writing personal narratives, the seventh grade English teachers have made the required reading the memoir Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Patillo Beals. This book recounts the author’s experiences as one of the nine teenagers who integrated Arkansas’s Little Rock High School in 1957.
Please note that while there is an adult version of this memoir, we are suggesting that students read the abridged young adult version . Students should complete the study guide provided for this text, which is available on the JMS website : www.houstonisd.org/johnston . The study guide will be due at the beginning of the school year. Additionally, themes from this book will be incorporated into a beginning of the year writing assignment and test.
2.
Students should also read one book from the list of science fiction / fantasy books below.
The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Guinn
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
Birth of the Firebringer by Meredith Ann Pierce
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Dragon’s Bait by Vivian Vande Velde
Students should complete the following assignment for the science fiction/fantasy book they choose from the list. Create a postcard about the book to send to their English teacher during the summer. We suggest students use a 5 x 8 index card. They should illustrate one side of the postcard in a way that reflects the book. On the back side, they should choose one of the following questions and answer it using well-written, multi-sentence, developed paragraph:
1.
Pick a major character in the book and describe how he or she changed throughout the novel. Would you have made a different set of decisions than this character?
2.
What is the major conflict in this novel? Compare and contrast this conflict to a conflict you have read or heard about in the news.
3.
Could this book be rewritten as realistic fiction? Why or why not? Would you want it to be? Why or why not? Explain and Elaborate.

Postcards should be mailed by August 2 to
Johnston Middle School
10410 Manhattan Street
Houston, TX 77096
Thornburgh.
House J students send postcards in care of Ms. Bates.
House M students send postcards in care of Ms. Berry.
House S students send postcards in care of Ms. Beaubrun.
House G students send postcards in care of Ms.
We recognize that many of our GT students are cross-housed, but teachers will ensure that the postcards make it to the proper teacher once school begins.
3.
Students should read one non-fiction, informational book of their choosing. The book should be 100 or more pages. Students need to complete the Nonfiction Reading Survey available on the website and turn it in at the beginning of the school year.
370’s
500’s
520’s
530’s
550’s
560’s
570’s
580’s
020’s
100’s
200’s
300’s
320’s
340’s
350’s
360’s
Use this list of non-fiction ideas to choose a book. The list is arranged according to the Dewey
Decimal system so locating a book at your local library will be easy.
Subject Subject Dewey
Decimal
Category
000’s Computers
Internet
Supernatural, Psychology, and Ethics
Religion
Social Issues
Political issues, Civil rights
Court systems, Famous trials
Military
Teen issues
Science, Natural history
Stars, planets, astronomy
Physics – the way things work
720’s
780’s
790’s
Social problems, Environmental issues 900’s
Dewey
Decimal
Category
600’s
610’s
620’s
630’s
700’s
590’s
Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Weather
Dinosaurs
Forests, Deserts, Mountains, Oceans
Plants, Trees
Animals, Fish, Birds
910’s
920’s
921
930’s
940’s
950’s
960’s
970’s
980’s
Inventions
Human body
Mechanical – cars, robots
Pets
Arts
Architecture
Music
Sports, Games, Fishing
Events in American history
Explorers, Pirates
Collections of biographies
Interesting people
Ancient histories
Countries in Europe – castles
Countries in Asia
Countries in Africa
North America
South America
If you have any questions about the summer reading program, please don’t hesitate to contact us via E-mail. We hope this experience will be a valuable and enjoyable one for your child.
Sincerely,
Ms. Bates – House J abates2@houstonisd.org
Ms. Beaubrun – House S dbeaubru@houstonisd.org
Ms. Berry – House M lberry1@houstonisd.org
Mrs. Thornburgh-Barron– House G sthornbu@houstonisd.org

Johnston Middle School
Name ______________________________
Summer Reading Assignment
7 th Grade GT English
Study guide due at the beginning of the school year.
By Melba Pattillo Beals
1.
Write, edit, and revise a complete summary of the novel. Attach the rough draft and a final, typed copy to the end of this study guide.
2.
When Melba was born, her scalp was injured and she got an infection. A doctor
put in a drainage tube to get the infection out. Why didn’t her health improve
immediately? What happened?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
How do you feel about this? ___________________________________________
3.
Which words describe Melba’s grandmother?
Determined Intelligent Wresting fan
Religious / Spiritual Well-read Protective
4.
Describe Melba:
___________________ ____________________ ____________________
___________________ ____________________ ____________________
5.
Research and explain the Brown vs. Board of Education court case.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
Using information from the book, describe the other members of the Little Rock Nine.
Record the page number.
6.
Ernest Green: ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
7.
Terrence Roberts: ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
8.
Jefferson Thomas: ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
9.
Elizabeth Eckford: ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
10.
Thelma Mothershed: ________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
11.
Minnijean Brown: ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
12.
Carlotta Walls: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
13.
Gloria Ray: ________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
14.
What was Governor Orval Faubus’ view of integration? _____________________
15.
Why did Melba sign up to go to Central High School? ______________________
_____________________________________________________________________
16.
When Melba signed up to go to Central High School, did she expect the
experience she got? Explain your answer.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
17.
Who was Danny? __________________________________________________
18.
What do you think Danny’s feelings were about the job he was assigned to do?
Do you think he was for or against integration? Was he sympathetic or indifferent
to Melba’s situation? Support your answer with a sentence from the book.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
19.
Who was Link? ____________________________________________________
20.
What event from Link’s background made him more open to African-American
students being at Central High School?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
21.
What was Link’s conflict? ____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
22.
Melba experienced inner and outer turmoil during the 1957-58 school year.
The outer turmoil was obvious. Explain her inner turmoil.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
23.
Why didn’t Melba spend her senior year at Central High School?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
24.
Predict what would have happened if Melba had gone to Central for the 1958-59
school year.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
25.
During her year at Central High School, what do you think Melba learned about
herself?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
26.
In your opinion, was Melba’s experience worth the costs? Explain your answer.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

27.
If you were an African-American student in 1957 living in Little Rock, Arkansas,
would you have volunteered to integrate Central High School? Why or why not?
Explain your answer.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
28.
Each day Melba had to make important decisions about how she would conduct
herself. Knowing how Melba handled herself, what things would you have done
the same?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
29.
What things would you have done differently?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
30.
How long do you think you would have stayed enrolled at Central High School and
endured the treatment she received? Explain your answer.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

31.
Why is the book called Warriors Don’t Cry ? Identify a place in the story where
Melba hears this mantra.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
32.
Do you think the title fits this book? Why or why not?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
33.
What would you like to share with me about the book?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

34.
Illustrate a scene from the book. Be neat and use color. No stick people!
Explain your scene.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Book Title: __________________________________________________
Author: _______________________________ Number of pages: ______
Interesting things I learned from this book include:
1. _________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________
What type of text structures were used in this book? (Circle your answer.)
Description Problem / Solution
Time Order / Chronological
Compare / Contrast
Cause / Effect
Nonfiction texts often include a table of contents and an index.
How are the table of contents and index organized differently?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Use the index to look up something in your book. I looked up
____________________________________________________________

Find an illustration, map, picture, or timeline in your book.
How did this add to your understanding of the text?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Find an interesting paragraph. Write the topic sentence here:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What examples, proof or description does the author give to support the topic sentence?
1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________
After reading this book, would you be interested in learning more about this topic?
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?