Middle School Summer Reading

Pre-Advanced Placement

7th Grade English

2013

The Lightning Thief

By Rick Riordan


Dear Parents of ECISD English Pre-AP students,

As this school year comes to a close, the middle school English teachers here in the Edinburg C.I.S.D. would like to let you know that we have your child’s education in mind when we make decisions about summer reading assignments. We understand how important it is for students to develop a love of reading as part of their intellectual growth and future success.

We have high expectations for all our students, but especially for our pre-AP students. Pre-AP classes help prepare students for the rigorous, yet rewarding academic challenges they will face when they enter high school and, later, college. Students need to develop a sense of responsibility and dedication to work to ensure their success—now and for the future.

In order to help develop your child’s independent reading skills and critical thinking skills, we require all 6th grade pre-AP, 7th grade pre-AP, and 8th grade English I pre-AP students to read an assigned novel during the summer months. Students will also be required to complete an assignment over their reading and may be assessed over the novel through tests, essays, and class activities at the beginning of the school year.

All students registered for 6th grade English pre-AP, 7th grade English pre-AP, and English I Pre-AP for the 2013-2014 school year MUST read the assigned novel and complete the corresponding assignment during the summer.

The Summer Reading Assignment is due by the end of the first week in September 2013.

Thank you,

ECISD Middle School Pre-AP English teachers

Summer Reading Assignment: Personal Response to Novel

After reading the novel, you will write an essay that shows a personal connection to the novel. In 1 ½ - 2 TYPED pages describe how events, people, and/or situations in your own life are reflected in some aspect of the novel. Think about—

Ø  what a character is like,

Ø  the choices he/she makes,

Ø  the obstacles (other people, circumstances, or societal expectations/ peer pressure) he/she must overcome; and/or,

Ø  the feelings he/she struggles with.

Describe and develop examples from your own life that are in some way connected to those in the novel.

Please TYPE your response, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 1” margins all around.

v  Don’t just summarize the novel

v  Include specific examples from your own life and the novel

v  Explain/describe enough that the reader can see the similarities

v  Include an introduction and conclusion

v  Separate your ideas into paragraphs (indent each paragraph)

v  PROOFREAD YOUR ESSAY CAREFULLY!

Personal Response Rubric

1
Does Not Meet / 2
Does Not Fully Meet / 3
Meets / 4
More Than Meets / 5
Exceeds
CONTENT / Writing does not relate a personal response connected to events/characters in the novel; no clear attempt to respond to the prompt. / Writing attempts to relate a personal response, but it is not clearly connected to events/characters in the novel. / Writing relates a personal response that is connected to events/characters in the novel, but it lacks development. / Writing relates a developed personal response that is closely connected to events/characters in the novel. / Writing relates a well-developed, insightful personal response that is clearly (and possibly creatively) connected to events/characters in the novel.
ORGNIZATION / Writing is disorganized and/or underdeveloped with no transitions or closure. / Writing is confused and loosely organized. Transitions are weak and closure is ineffective. / Writing is organized and fairly focused. Transitions are adequate. It leaves the reader with a sense of closure. / Writing includes a strong beginning, middle, and end, with effective transitions and a satisfying sense of closure. / Writing may include a strong, beginning, middle, and end or may be carefully organized in a more creative way. Includes smooth transitions and a focused, insightful, thought-provoking closure.
VOCABULARY/
WORD CHOICE / Careless or inaccurate word choice, which obscures meaning. / Language is generally trite, vague, or flat but occasionally demonstrates some variety. / Uses variety in word choice to make writing interesting. / Purposeful use of word choice. / Highly effective and engaging use of word choice including the use of figurative devices.
VOICE / Writer’s voice / point of view shows no sense of audience. There is no sense of the author’s personality. / Writer’s voice / point of view shows that sense of audience is vague. There is no clear sense of author’s personality. / Writer’s voice / point of view shows an understanding of a specific audience; author’s personality is emerging. / Writer has strong voice/ point of view. Writing engages the audience and somewhat reveals the author’s personality. / Writes with a distinct, unique voice / point of view. Writing is skillfully adapted to the audience. Author’s personality is clearly engaging.
SENTENCE
FLUENCY / Frequent run-ons or fragments with no variety in sentence structure. / Many run-ons or fragments; limited variety in sentence structure. / Uses simple compound, and complex, sentences. Some errors in sentence construction. / Varies the sentence structure. Few errors in sentence construction. / Consistent variety and sophistication of sentence structure throughout. Almost no errors in sentence construction.
CONVENTIONS / Parts of speech show lack of agreement; frequent errors in mechanics; numerous spelling errors. / Occasional errors between parts of speech; some errors in mechanics and/or spelling. / Maintains agreement between parts of speech. Few errors in mechanics and/or spelling. / Consistent agreement between parts of speech. For the most part, uses correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. / Uses consistent agreement between parts of speech. Almost no errors in mechanics or spelling.


Summer Reading

Student/Parent Agreement

Student

By signing below, I am indicating that I fully understand my responsibilities for summer reading and related assignments. I also guarantee to be ready to meet these expectations by the end of the first week of school, September 2013.

School attended in 2012-2013: ______

Name of English teacher (2012-2013): ______

Printed Student Name: ______

Student Signature: ______Date: ______

Parent

By signing below, I indicate an awareness and understanding of my child’s responsibilities for summer reading. I also support my child’s efforts to fulfill his/her classroom expectations and be prepared by the end of the first week of school, September 2013.

Parent Signature: ______Date: ______

Please Note:

Summer reading is REQUIRED for all students who will be taking

Pre-AP/GT English classes during the 2013-2014 school year.

Advanced Academics ~ Gifted Education

EDINBURG CISD