Dear Parents of Rising Seventh Graders,
I am looking forward to teaching your children in the seventh and eighth grades. To encourage
progressive development of reading and writing skills, your child should read one required book
and one choice book during the summer. The required book is The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. The
choice book may be fiction or nonfiction, should be appropriately challenging (at grade-level or
above), and may be of your child’s own choosing. For recommendations, I have many resources
available on the “Suggested Reading” page of my website at the following url:
http://jl.csov.org/suggested-reading.html.
1.
The Outsiders Short Essay – due Wednesday, September 3
S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders is about the conflict between two gangs in 1960’s Tulsa,
Oklahoma. Over the course of the novel, many of the story’s characters grow as
individuals. Ponyboy remarks at one point, “Sixteen years on the streets and you can learn a
lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to learn” (122). By the end of the novel,
what is the most important lesson Ponyboy has learned from his experiences? Support your
ideas with examples from the novel.
Write a 3-paragraph essay including 1. An introduction with thesis, 2. A well-developed and
organized body paragraph using specific examples from the text, and 3. A conclusion. You do not
need three body paragraphs. Your essay should be between 300 and 500 words.
Choice Book Poetry & Collage Assignment –due Wednesday,
September 3
2.
On an unlined sheet of construction paper, write a bio-poem (see instructions and rubric attached)
about one of your choice book’s main characters. Include your book’s title and author. Around
your poem and filling up all remaining blank space on the page, add thoughtfully chosen images
representing characters, themes, or symbols from your book. You should be prepared to explain
your images’ significance. You may either hand-draw your collage or use digital images and word art
(or both!), and your images should be neat and visually appealing. You will present your poem and
collage in class, and it will be displayed on our classroom bulletin board.
I will be checking my email periodically and am happy to answer any student questions over the
summer. Please feel free to email me at jlelchitski@csov.org.
Happy Summer Reading!
Jeanette Lelchitski
7/8 English Teacher
Choice Book Assignment: Bio Poem
Directions: Write a bio-poem about one of your choice book’s main characters (whether
fictional or nonfictional). Your writing should include vivid, specific word choice and figurative
language, exhibit critical thinking about the character, and be mechanically accurate. Include 11
lines and follow this pattern:
Line 1: Your character’s first name
Line 2: Four words that describe your character
Line 3: Brother or daughter or friend or etc. of...
Line 4: Lover of...(three ideas or people)
Line 5: Who feels...(three ideas)
Line 6: Who needs...(three ideas)
Line 7: Who gives...(three ideas)
Line 8: Who fears...(three ideas)
Line 9: Who would like to see...
Line 10: Resident of
Line 11: His or her last name
For example:
To Kill a Mockingbird
By Harper Lee
Scout
Tomboy, brave, intelligent, loving
Sister of Jem
Lover of justice, chewing gum, reading, and Alabama summers
Who feels outrage when her dad is maligned, happiness when school is over, and fright on a
dark Halloween night
Who needs her dad's acceptance, Jem's loyalty, and Dill's admiration
Who gives friendship easily, black eyes to cousins, and sass to Calpurnia
Who fears Boo's dark house, owls in the night, and giving her open palms to the teacher
Who would like to see all mockingbirds sing freely, whether they are creatures of flight, shy
neighbors, or kind handymen
Resident of Maycomb, Alabama
Finch