Summer Reading Assignment
TOTTEN
SCIENCE
Welcome to Living Environment!
Dear Students and Parents:
Congratulations! You have been selected to take Living Environment (Biology) as your 8th grade science class. You have
demonstrated a proficiency and interest in science on exams and to your teachers. This class should prove to be very
rewarding for every student who has an interest in exploring their environment, their place and effect on it, and how
people can make it better for all living things. We will be following the high school scope and sequence for Living
Environment.
Due to the high demands of the course, the criteria of the class include the following:
 Homework is a requirement and is given regularly, including weekends and holidays. Assignments will be posted
on Ms. Verderber’s website, verderbz.com.
 Students are expected to come to school every day. Living Environment is a fast- paced class and can be difficult
to “catch- up” in. Class material will be available on the website as well.
 As per New York State Board of Regents, students are required to complete 30 labs (1200 minutes), which is
demonstrated in 30 satisfactory lab reports. Students must complete these labs in order to be eligible to sit for the
New York State Living Environment Regents Exam in June. Labs will be during class time. Students must be
present to do the labs. Make up labs will be very limited! Students who fall behind in lab report progress will not
receive credit for the course for high school.
Mandatory Summer Reading Assignment:
Read The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston (292 pages, incl. glossary)
The book is in paperback for $7.99 and can be ordered from Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. It can also be
ordered from the New York Public Library through the reserve system for free.
Reading about a real- life experience with scientists who are dealing with diseases such as small pox and anthrax and the
front- line fight to protect people from biological weapons will probably be a new reading experience for you. The genre of
narrative non- fiction can be even more gripping when we know that these events are real and meet the people who
actually do the work and how they make decisions that affect everyone. This book explains how scientists work in
critically secure laboratories, and play a larger role in society and in political decision – making.
Reading Journal Writing Assignment:
For each chapter heading (8), make a note of 10- 12 important facts, events, decisions, etc. that occur in the chapter.
You will be using this log for a project when you return to school in September. Logs should be neatly handwritten and
include substantial and relevant information . Some thoughts to keep in mind while you read:
 The disease process in victims
 The impacts on the health of the public
 The economic impact on society
 The roles scientists play
 The impact of smallpox eradication on the world
 Bioterrorism
 Vocabulary list of new terms
This book will count towards one of your 25 required books in ELA
Have a great summer……….Ms. Verderber
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Student’s Name ________________________________
Homeroom _________ Date ___________
My Child and I have read the requirements for the Living Environment class. I understand a more detailed contract will
follow in September.
Student’s signature ___________________________________________________________
Parent’s Signature ___________________________________________________________
.