Galena Park Independent School District
Summer Reading Acknowledgement
7th Grade
Date:
Home Campus:
2009-2010 Grade Level:
6th
I understand that I have chosen to be enrolled
in Pre-Advanced Placement English Language Arts
class for the 2010-2011 academic year. I
understand that I must complete the attached
summer reading requirement and that it will be for a
grade. I also understand that I will be tested on the
information included in the novel. The assignments
are due to my teacher by September 10, 2010.
Failure to complete the assignment will negatively
affect my grade. For every day the project is late,
10% will be deducted from my total grade, up to a
maximum of 50%.
Student Signature
Parent Signature
GALENA PARK ISD PRE-AP SEVENTH GRADE
REQUIRED SUMMER ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ASSIGNMENT
Dear Students:
Congratulations on your enrollment in the Pre-AP class for the 2010-2011 school year. Pre-AP
English Language Arts includes a summer reading component with required reading and
responding. Getting started in the summer provides you with initial preparation for the course
you will take next year, and allows you the flexibility to precede on your own schedule and at
your own pace. The summer reading assignment is due by September 10, 2010. The guidelines
and requirements are clearly explained below.
PRE-AP SEVENTH GRADE SUMMER ASSIGNMENT
1. Read the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry.
(You may check out a book from your librarian. North Shore Middle School and Woodland
Acres Elementary will have copies available for you to check out during the month of June. You
may also visit your public library to obtain a copy of the novel, or you may choose to purchase
your own book. If at any time during the summer you need a copy of the novel and the above
options have not been successful, please email ssalge@galenaparkisd.com (CMS) or
kwagner@galenaparkisd.com (NSMS), kwalker1@galenaparkisd.com (WAMS),
acray@galenaparkisd.com(GPMS).
2. Complete a reading response journal for the novel and turn in by September 10, 2010.
A. Directions for Reading Response Journals (Example Attached)
1. Fold several loose leaf pages in half vertically to make equal long columns.
Label the left hand column “Quotes" and the right hand column "Significance".
2. As you read, choose 23 quotes from The Giver (1 per chapter) that you feel are
significant (in terms of character development, an important theme, or which
simply made you think about an idea in a new or different way). Write the quote,
the chapter, and page number in the left column. If there is a specific speaker
other than the author, identify the speaker. Remember quotations don't have to
be dialogue. (Don’t forget quotation marks where needed!) Attached you will
find a list of literary terms and definitions and an example of a literary
journal.
3. In the right hand column, think about the significance of what is being said.
Make connections to the world outside the reading, explain how the selected
quote is important to a character or event, and/ or use the quote as a connection to
your own life. For each quote your response should be no less than 2-3 sentences,
and may be longer.
4. When you turn in the journals in the fall, bind them on the left side and add a
cover page with your name and date clearly written on the front. Just remember
to write the title of the novel at the top of the first response page. The journals
should be done in blue or black ink or typed.
5. Evaluation of journals will be based on the number and selection of quotes,
thinking on the significance of the quotes, and response to the novels.
3. Character Analysis - Remember, characterization includes not only descriptions of a
character’s physical appearance and personality. It also depends on what the character says,
does, acts, and how other characters regard him/her.
Use blue or black ink or type the answer to each of the following questions. Answer in complete
sentences. For your heading: Place your name at the top right corner. The title (Character
Analysis) goes below the heading, centered, and below that, centered, goes the title of the book.
Indent each paragraph or skip a line between paragraphs.
Paragraph One (5-15 sentences)
1. Who is your favorite character in the book and why? Give details from the book to explain
why this character is your favorite.
2. In what ways are you similar to this character?
3. In what ways are you different from this character?
Paragraph Two (5-15 sentences)
1. The main character in a story always faces some kind of conflict or problem. What is the
main character’s conflict or problem? How is it resolved; in other words, how does it
turn out in the end?
2. Have you ever faced a similar problem or do you know someone who faced a similar
problem? Describe the situation. How was it resolved?
Paragraph Three (5-15 sentences)
1. Does the main character change during the course of the story? Does he/she learn a lesson
or grow emotionally in some way? Explain using details from the story.
2. Looking back at your life, how have you changed the most in the last few years? What
important lessons have you learned?
4. Mini Project (Examples Attached)
Please choose one of the projects below to complete for your novel.
A. Book Jacket
1. Fold a sheet of paper like it’s a hard cover book jacket.
2. On the cover create/include an illustration that will describe the story.
3. On the inside flap write a description of the main character. (50 – 100 word)
4. On the inside back flap write a description of the central problem/conflict.
(50 – 100 words)
5. On the back cover create a plot diagram (use one from literary definitions) for the
story. List the antagonist and protagonist. (50 – 100 words)
B. Newspaper (At least 1 page)
1. Summarize the plot in one article.
2. Cover the weather in another article.
3. Do a feature story on one of the more interesting characters.
4. Include an editorial about a character or an event from the story.
5. Also include a collection of ads that would be pertinent to the story.
C. Diary (At least 2 pages) - Write a diary that one of the story's main characters might have
kept before, during, or after the book's events. Remember that the character's thoughts and
feelings are very important in a diary.
LATE WORK POLICY
Failure to complete the assignment will negatively affect my grade. For every day the project is
late, 10% will be deducted from my total grade, up to a maximum of 50%.
The Giver
Fantasy by Lois Lowry
Awards
Newbery Award
American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Regina Medal
Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
Booklist Editor's Choice Pick
Summary
Author Lois Lowry creates a futuristic utopia in The Giver. This novel, a
cross between George Orwell's 1984 and the popular film The Matrix,
addresses questions the author received after the publication of Number
the Stars, her Newbery Award-winning Holocaust tale. Repeatedly,
readers inundated her with one comment: “The past is past. Why
remember this terrible time?" In reply, she wrote The Giver, a story
chronicling a young boy's experiences within a “perfect" society. Jonas
and his neighbors inhabit a totally controlled world of ever-sunny days,
perfect health, and families that never argue. However, on the day that
Jonas turns 12, he expectantly awaits news about the job he will hold for
life, a decision made for him by the powers that be. Jonas's assignment
is different from the rest of his peers. Chosen to be the "Receiver," a
position of extreme responsibility, high honor, and rare privilege, Jonas’
life evolves into one of solitude and pain as the sole savior of the
community. To preserve the community's way of life, Jonas (having no
prior experience with loss or elation), must suddenly confront memories
of pain, war, love, Christmas, snow—memories that overwhelm the
young boy both physically and emotionally. Ultimately, Jonas embarks
on a plan that will result in drastic changes for both the youngster and
his community.