Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School
8th grade ELA summer course work
2017 – 2018 Academic Year
Instructor: Ms. Edythe Thompkins, Ed.S.
Required Reading: The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank with an introduction by Eleanor Roosevelt
1. John Steinbeck’s The Pearl is a novella written in 1947. It is a parable that tells the story of a pearl diver who experiences greed, evil, and death. The novella gives us a glimpse into the life of a poor family who encounters many obstacles.
We will discuss the book thoroughly and assess your understanding of Steinbeck’s
idea of The American Dream. We will also address the themes of loneliness, isolation, and death.
1. Assignment: Read the novella, The Pearl. Pay attention to specific scenes, quotes, and events that are important to the development of each character. The discussions will lead to your first graded in-class essay for the academic year. Write a character analysis of Kino, Juana, the doctor, and Juan Tomas. Describe each one and add character traits.
2. Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl is a novel written in diary style as they are in hiding in an attic for two years during the German occupation of Holland. She received the diary for her thirteenth birthday and documented their self-imposed entrapment for the next two years.
**Summaries will not be accepted.**
2. Assignment: Read and annotate the novel, The Diary of a Young Girl, and keep separate typed notes. There should be at least four typed pages of annotations spanning the book. I will evaluate hard copies of notes during the first week of school. Pay attention to specific scenes, quotes, and events that are important to the development of each character. Write down your thoughts, questions, and reactions as you read the book. Do NOT summarize the book.
Begin to annotate. Use a pen, pencil, post-it notes, or a highlighter (although use it sparingly!).
*Summarize important ideas in your own words.
*Add examples from real life, other books, TV, or movies.
*Define unfamiliar words.
*Mark passages that you find confusing with a ???
*Write questions that you might have for later discussion in class.
*Comment on the actions or development of characters.
*Comment on things that intrigue, impress, surprise, or disturb.
Example of annotation - Chapter 1 – Down the rope that hung the baby’s box from the roof support a scorpion moved slowly. Page 5
I was terrified when the scorpion was dangling above where the baby slept. I wondered if it would sting Coyotito.
Reference the website to properly annotate the text.
http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/hopewellHS/Documents/how_to_annotate_a_text.pdf
The annotation will be your first project grade. Do well. Do NOT summarize.
The annotations you make on Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl will be used to construct your first in-class literary essay of the school year. Read carefully and think deeply. If you do, your eighth- grade year will be off to a great start! **
3. Compare and Contrast the adversity and sense of loneliness of the main characters in both The Pearl and The Diary of Anne Frank .
Major Goals of 8th grade English/Language Arts:
- Write and speak carefully and formally.
- Support general observations with specifics from the text.
- Write with steady control over grammar and usage.
- Write with purpose and have clear intentions.
- Read closely and think about your reading.
- Remember – The summer is short and there are assignments to be done and deadlines to meet. You have approximately nine weeks to complete both books and the aforementioned assignments. Please do NOT wait until mid-July to begin reading.
**Summaries will not be accepted.**