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Transcript
Welcome Incoming 8th Graders (and Parents),
I am excited to meet you and to begin learning with you in August! We have the
wonderful but important task of preparing you for high school and for a life of reading, writing,
and communicating effectively! This summer practice will help you review and improve your
English skills to ensure that you are ready to succeed in 8th grade English!
Please make sure that you carefully read the information below, as all of these review
assignments will be the foundation for the start of the year, and I want everyone to be prepared!
Use the checklist and the suggested planning guide to help you stay focused.
Warmly,
Ms. Zacuto
1) ______Read ONE book that you have not already read from the following list of novels.
*Look online for descriptions or browse the library or book store.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Secret Garden by Frances H. Burnett
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Oliver Twist OR David Copperfield by Dickens
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Actively reading the novel is optional; however, everyone must TYPE the following
information on a separate piece of paper AND be prepared to write about the novel
when we return to school. (You will need to bring this novel to class during the
first few weeks of school and be prepared to write a formal, short essay on it.)
2) ______Answer all of the questions below in COMPLETE SENTENCES that show me
your best writing. You MUST TYPE YOUR ANSWERS on a separate piece of paper.
Please use the format of the attached handout as a model.
1. Identify a protagonist, an antagonist, and one other major character. Write 4-5
sentences about the CHARACTERIZION of each. (Look like, believe, do, etc…)
2. Find and write down FOUR examples of FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE (at least 3
different devices). Write the example, explain what it one MEANS and explain
HOW the author used in at least 3 sentences? (metaphor, simile, personification,
hyperbole, symbol)
3. Identify and write down two major THEMES of the novel. In 5-7 sentences each,
explain how each one is a theme.
4. Identify and explain TWO DEFINING MOMENTS in the novel. Explain why each
one is a defining moment in at least 4 sentences for each one.
5. All of the books on this list have become classics. Whether or not you personally
would rate it a “10,” explain why you think this novel has become a classic,
meaning why people continue to read it. Then give your own opinion of the
novel. Write 6-10 sentences for your entire explanation. DO NOT use quotes,
but refer to the story to support your ideas.
3) Make flashcards for any of the grammar parts of speech on the following list that you
have not already mastered. Study them! Be prepared for an assessment in the first
weeks of school.
4) Make flashcards for any of the literary devices on the following list that you have not
already mastered. (You DO NOT need to know the devices that are shaded in gray. We
will learn those in the 8th grade. But you may study them if you want to get ahead. Study
all of the others and be prepared for an assessment in the first weeks of school.)
5) Practice typing until you can type at least 55 words per minute. You will have a typing
test in the first few weeks of school. You also need to be prepared to write timed, inclass essays on the computer.
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/keyboarding_games.html (free practice website)
OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT
______READ, READ, READ for pleasure!!!! Keep track of the books that you read on
the log that I have provided. (Reading is the BEST way to improve your writing, fluency
and comprehension skills!) (Do not read the following books as we will be reading them
together in class next year: Edgar Allan Poe Stories, Twelve Angry Men, To Kill a
Mockingbird.)
Suggested Planning
Week 1: 1) Read a fourth of your novel. 2) Highlight the grammar parts of speech and literary
devices that you need to study. 3) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.
Week 2: 1) Read another fourth of your novel. 2) Make flashcards for the grammar parts of
speech that you need to study. 3) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.
Week 3: 1) Read another fourth of your novel. 2) Make flashcards for the literary devices that
you need to study. 3) Practice typing for 20 minutes.
Week 4: 1) Read the final fourth of your novel. 2) Study your flashcards for at least 20
minutes. 3) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.
Week 5: 1) Type half of the answers to the questions about the novel. 2) Study your
flashcards for at least 20 minutes. 3) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.
Week 6: 1) Type the final
half of the answers to the questions about the novel. 2) Study your
flashcards for at least 20 minutes. 3) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.
(On the following pages you will find the lists of literary devices and grammar parts of speech.)
Name:
Book and Author:
Novel Questions: Type these answers and use complete sentences
that show your best writing. Avoid tired words.
1. Identify a protagonist, an antagonist, and one other character. Write 3-5 sentences
CHARACTERIZING each. (What the character says, does, thinks, feels, believes, etc….)
A. Protagonist:
B. Antagonist:
C. One other character:
2. Find FOUR examples of figurative language and at least 3 different types. In at
least 2 sentences each, explain the type of figurative language and what each
example means. (metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, symbol)
Example 1:
I found an example of hyperbole on page 138.
“Two geological ages later, we heard the soles of Atticus’s shoes scrape the front steps.”
The author creates a hyperbole by exaggerating that the kids waited for their father for an
entire geological age, which would really be thousands of years. She uses this hyperbole to
show that the kids felt like they were waiting an eternity since they were anxious about
how their father would react to their previous behavior which they knew was terrible.
Example 2:
I found an example of symbol on page 56.
“Why one sprig of nut grass can ruin a whole yard.”
In this example, the nut grass is a weed that symbolizes racism. The author uses this symbol
to show that just like this weed can ruin the garden, racism can spread throughout a
community and ruin the lives of many people.
Example 3:
I found an example of metaphor on page 197.
“I saw Atticus in the yard with another knot of men.”
This example creates a metaphor in which the group of men is being compared to a knot tied
from string. The author uses this metaphor to show how the men looked so intertwined
with one another to outside observers.
A. I found an example of ___________________________________ on page ________. I have written
the example in the space below:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Explain the device or comparison and explain HOW the author uses it:
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
B. I found an example of ___________________________________ on page ________. I have written
the example in the space below:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Explain the device or comparison and explain HOW the author uses it:
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
C. I found an example of ___________________________________ on page ________. I have written
the example in the space below:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Explain the device or comparison and explain HOW the author uses it:
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
D. I found an example of ___________________________________ on page ________. I have written
the example in the space below:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Explain the device or comparison and explain HOW the author uses it:
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
3) Identify and write down 2 major themes of the novel. In 5-7 sentences each,
explain how each one is a theme.
Theme Reminder:
-The story’s main message that the author intends to communicate by telling the story.
-These messages are “universal,” meaning they can be found in many pieces of literature, poems,
movies, songs, etc…, and they must be communicated in a full sentence.
“Friendship” is not a theme. What is the author saying about friendship?
The author implies that the bonds of true friendship can withstand any hardship.
Theme 1: The author implies that _______________________________________________________________
Explain you see the theme in the novel in the space below:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Theme 2: The author implies that _______________________________________________________________
Explain you see the theme in the novel in the space below:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
4) Identify and explain TWO defining moments in the novel. Explain why each one is a
defining moment in 3-5 sentences.
1._______________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5) All of the books on this list are classics. In 5-7 sentences explain why you think
people continue to read this novel, years after its original publication. Whether or
not you personally would rate it a “10,” explain why you think this novel has
become a classic, meaning why people continue to read it. Then give your
own opinion of the novel. Write 6-10 sentences for your entire explanation and
review. DO NOT use quotes, but refer to the story to support your ideas.
*The literary devices and grammar parts of speech are on the
next few pages. Make sure you know all of the non-shaded ones.
Story Elements
Narrator
The speaker who tells the story. If the narrator is also a character who
participates in the story, it is important not to confuse the narrator with the
author—who may, in fact, hold a very different attitude toward the story.
-The Unreliable Narrator: Sometimes authors give clues that the narrator
cannot be trusted to tell the truth. The reader must discern the “real truth.”
(Edgar Allan Poe is famous for this technique.)
Point of View
-Type of
narration
- The
perspective
from which a r
story is told.
First Person: A character in the story tells the story using first person
pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we…) .
Third Person Limited: One person tells the story and uses the pronouns “he,”
“she,” and “it.” The reader only knows what this one character is thinking,
seeing, and feeling. The story is told only from this perspective.
Third Person Omniscient: The narrator uses the pronouns “he,” “she,” and
“it.” The narrator is all-knowing and, therefore, knows what all of the
characters are seeing, thinking, and feeling.
Plot
-The sequence
of events in the
story.
Exposition: The author gives background information about the characters,
setting, and sometimes the problem.
Rising Action: The writer sets up a main conflict or a problem and the tension
in the story rises.
Climax: The moment when the rising action comes to its highest point of
dramatic conflict. Usually this moment occurs before the actual ending of the
story.
Falling Action: The part of the story following the climax and leading to the
resolution.
Resolution/ Denouement: The outcome of the events in a story.
Protagonist: The central/main character around which the action takes place
Characters
-the “people” or (often the “good guy” but not always.)
“personalities”
within a story
Antagonist: The character who tries to interfere with the actions of the
protagonist (often the “bad guy”)
Characterization: The methods a writer uses to communicate information
about characters to readers.
(What the character says, does, thinks, feels, believes, etc…When the author
tells the readers directly, it is called direct characterization. When an author
shows the character in action, and allows readers to draw their own
conclusions, it is called indirect characterization.)
Conflict: The
central source
of tension and
drama in the
story. (It’s
sometimes
called the story
problem.)
Internal: A conflict between a character and him or herself
External: A conflict between a character and an outside force (another person,
an animal, a storm, etc…)
Four Kinds:
1) Man vs. Man (physical) - The leading character struggles with his
physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.
2) Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The leading character struggles
against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her.
3) Man vs. Society (social) - The leading character struggles against ideas,
practices, or customs of other people.
4) Man vs. Himself/Herself (psychological) - The leading character
struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong,
physical limitations, choices, etc.
Setting
The environment--time and place—of the story.
Mood/Tone
The overall feeling of the story created by the author’s choice of words. (light
and happy, dark and brooding, Serious, suspenseful, humorous, ironic etc…)
Literary Devices: Techniques that the author uses to create a particular effect
in the story.
Figurative
Language
Figurative language uses "figures of speech" to describe something in a nonliteral way.
Imagery
Vivid language and details used to describe in a way that creates a picture in
the mind of the reader.
Metaphor
A figure of speech that compares two unlike objects without using “like” or
“as.”
An exaggeration used to make a point or for emphasis.
Hyperbole
A figure of speech in which an idea, object, or animal takes on human
Personification characteristics.
A figure of speech that compares two unlike objects using the words “like” or
“as.”
Simile
Symbol
An image, object, character or action that stands for an idea beyond its literal
meaning.
Idiom
Phrase or expression meaning something different from what the words
actually say
Paradox
Irony
A statement that seems contradictory on the surface, but on closer inspection
actually holds a truth.
(Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage.)
1) Verbal irony: a figure of speech in which the words contradict what the
speaker actually means.
(After almost being hit by a bus to say, “Well, now that that little excitement is
over, how about some tea?”)
2) Dramatic irony: when a character in a story or play utters words which the
reader or audience understands to have a different meaning, but of which the
character himself is unaware.
(The character exaggerates that it’s so cold he will die, not knowing that he
will actually die in the scene.)
Suspense
3) Irony of situation is when a situation occurs which is quite the reverse of
what one might have expected.
(The dentist’s child has a mouth full of cavities.)
Techniques used by the author to keep the reader interested in the story and
wondering what will happen next.
Flashback
A past event remembered clearly and which affects the development of the
story – usually interrupts or is inserted within the chronological development
of the story.
Foreshadow
A writing technique that gives readers hints or clues about events that will
happen later in the story.
Diction
The author’s choice of words; the level of vocabulary in the story.
Denotation
The literal meaning of a word, the dictionary meaning. (opposite of
connotation)
“Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest” (sleep)
Connotation
An implied meaning of a word. (opposite of denotation)
“Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest” (burial)
Dialogue
The actual words the characters speak.
Onomatopoeia
The use of words to imitate the sounds they describe as in zip, buzz, bang,
hiss, and swish.
Putting two contradictory words together. i.e. bittersweet, jumbo shrimp, act
naturally, wise fool, sad joy, eloquent silence,
Oxymoron
Anachronism
Placing an event, person, item, or verbal expression in the wrong historical
period.
In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Shakespeare writes the following lines:
“Cassius: The clock has stricken three” Of course, there were no household
clocks during Roman times, no more than there were DVD players! The
reference is an anachronism, either accidental or intentional.
Archetype
An original model or pattern from which other later copies are made,
especially a character, an action, or situation that seems to represent common
patterns of human life.
Characters: the hero, the outcast, the scapegoat, the villain in black, the mother
figure, the helpless little old lady, the mad scientist, the underdog, etc…
Situations: the damsel in distress being rescued from the monster, the quest or
search for some treasure, the orphaned prince being discovered by long lost
parents, the underdog emerging victorious, etc…
Theme (s)
-The story’s main message that the author intends to communicate by telling
the story.
-These messages are “universal,” meaning they can be found in many pieces
of literature, poems, movies, songs, etc…, and they must be communicated in
a full sentence.
“Friendship” is not a theme. What is the author saying about friendship?
The author implies that the bonds of true friendship can withstand any
hardship.
The author implies that love is blind.
The author implies that people are afraid of change.
*Do not give themes as rules: “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is too
elementary.
Motif
A more sophisticated theme for 8th grade would be…
The author implies that people are not always what they seem.
A recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature. (one word vs.
a sentence for theme)
A motif may also be two contrasting elements in a work, such as good and
evil.
Alliteration
The repetition of beginning sounds of two or more words in a sentence;
emphasizes a description or point.
Allusion
A reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another
work of literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to wellknown characters or events.
(The most famous references are to Greek/Roman mythology, Shakespeare,
history, or the Bible.)
Literary Genres: Types of Writing
Non-fiction
Informational text dealing with an actual, real-life subject.. (Biography,
Autobiography, Articles, Historical Essays, Speeches)
A story of someone’s life written by a different person.
Biography
A story of one’s own life written by the person featured.
Autobiography
A short literary composition that reflects the author's outlook or point.
Essays
Factual information presented in a format which tells a story.
Narrative
Nonfiction
Fiction
Fantasy
Stories that are totally invented or imagined; content based on the imagination
and not necessarily on fact.
Fiction with strange or other worldly settings or characters; fiction which
invites suspension of reality. (J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit)
Historical
Fiction
Stories that are made up but are based in historically significant and accurate
periods.
Story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting.
ScienceFiction
A form of fiction that draws imaginatively on actual, imagined or potential
scientific knowledge. It is often set in the future or on other planets.
Mystery
Fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets.
(Sometimes called detective fiction — in other words a novel or short story in
which a detective, either professional or amateur, investigates and solves a
crime.
A made up story that could actually happen and is true to life.
Realistic
Fiction
Adventure
A genre of fiction that has adventure, an exciting undertaking involving risk
and physical danger, as its main theme.
Stories composed in verse (poetry) or prose (regular sentence structure),
Drama/Play
Fable
usually for theatrical performance, where conflicts and emotion are expressed
through dialogue (characters talking) and action (characters moving across a
stage).
Narration demonstrating a useful truth, especially in which animals speak as
humans; often a legendary, supernatural tale.
Folklore
The songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a people or "folk" as handed down
by word of mouth.
Humor
Fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to entertain (but can be
contained in all genres).
Legend
Story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, which has a basis in fact but also
includes imaginative material.
Horror
Fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread in both the characters and the
reader.
Short
Fiction of such brevity that it supports no subplots.
Story
Poetry
Verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that creates emotional responses in
the reader.
Grammar Parts of Speech
Make Flashcards and Study the Ones you DO NOT KNOW.
Part of
Speech
Noun
Common vs.
Proper
Collective vs.
Plural
Concrete vs.
Abstract
Definition
A word that
names a person,
animal, place,
thing, idea, or
feeling
Other Important
Information/ Hints
1)The three articles (a,
an, the) signal that a
noun follows
Common
Suffixes
-tion
-sion
-ence
-ance
Examples
democracy
relevance
referral
artisan
independence
boy vs. Jack
team vs. boys
desk vs. idea
Part of
Speech
Definition
Important
Information/ Hints
Suffixes or
more info.
Examples
Verb
1) action verb
shows action (run,
fly, think)
1) It tells what the
subject is doing.
-ate
-ize
dictate
attained
moisten
ponder clarify
-ible
-able
-ous
-ent
-ant
incredible
territorial
important
dependent
spectacular
relevant
malevolent
curious
reliable
fluently
homeward
timewise
Action
Linking
2) linking verb
shows state of
being verb (is,
appear, seem, be)
Helping
3) helping comes
before another
verb
(could, would)
Adjective
A word that
describes
(modifies) or
limits a noun or
pronoun
2) Two are more verbs
working together are
called a verb phrase.
1) Answers the
questions
Which one?
What kind?
How many?
How much?
2) The three articles
(a, an, the) always
function as adjectives.
Adverb
is a word that
describes
(modifies) or
limits a verb,
adjective or other
adverb
Answers the questions
How?
When? Where? To
what extent?
Common
Suffixes:
-ly
-ward
-wise
Pronoun
a word that takes
the place of a
noun
The word that it
replaces, its
antecedent, is always a
noun.
Types of
pronouns:
Subject
Object
Possessive
Demonstrative
He, she, it
Him, her
His, their
This, that,
these, those
Interjection
A word that
expresses sudden
or strong emotion
It has no
grammatical
relation to other
words in the
sentence.
1) An interjection
usually comes at
the beginning of a
sentence.
2) An interjection
must be followed
by either a comma
or an exclamation
point.
A word that
shows a
relationship (often
position) between
a noun or a
pronoun and some
other word (noun)
in the sentence.
1. Think relation to a
fence, the stairs, and
lunch…
through the fence
up the stairs
after lunch
2. It always begins a
prepositional phrase
and has an object.
Conjunction
A word that joins
sentence parts
Coordinating
Conjunction
A single word
Two nouns
Two verbs
Two sentences
Two prep phrases,
Etc..
1. They work ALONE
Preposition
Correlative
Conjunction
that joins sentence
parts of the same
type
a pair of words
that joins sentence
parts of the same
type
Wow!
Ouch,
Yippee!
2. They always work
with a “relative.”
Memorize those
that do not
follow the rule
or that you do
not naturally
notice!
Of
With
Follow the
Rule:
Over
Under
Around
Through
Beside
Into
Before
During
If you see this
Fanboys:
conjunction, you For, and, nor,
have two of
but, or, yet, so
something!
If you see these
conjunctions,
you have two of
something!
neither…nor,
either…or,
both…and, not
only…but
also,
whether…or,
Summer Reading Log
How many books can you read?
Book Title and Author
Overall Rating
Summer Reading Log
How many books can you read?
Book Title and Author
Overall Rating