Download Incoming 8 th Grade Ockerman Middle School Summer Reading

Incoming 8th Grade Ockerman Middle School
Summer Reading and Grammar Assignments
2013/ 2014
The summer reading requirement at Ockerman Middle School is part of a district-wide summer
reading program. The purpose is to promote a life-long commitment to independent reading
and to foster a love of literature. We encourage parents and students to discuss the books and
their characters. Summer reading provides students with an opportunity for personal
exploration, intellectual growth, and reading for enjoyment. As such, we ask that parents
support their student in the summer reading program which serves to nurture the student’s
imagination and build reading skills.
8th grade students are required to read The Giver, by Lois Lowry. Bring this completed
assignment to your reading teacher the first day of school and receive up to 100 points to
start the year with an A!
Grammar assignment
There is a grammar component to the English Language Arts summer assignment. It is
imperative that students know and understand the difference between the 9 parts of speech,
(nouns, pronouns, verbs, articles, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions conjunctions and
interjections), in order to be ready for the 8th grade grammar content. Review the descriptions
of each part of speech on the following page and commit them to memory. There will be a test
over the 9 parts of speech during the second week of school. To practice, we encourage you
to visit the two websites below, utilizing their practice exercises. Further, there is a practice test
included in this packet that will be similar in content and format to the test you will take.
Grammar practice: http://www.funbrain.com/grammar/index.html
Grammar practice: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/730/1/
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Parts of Speech Review
Noun
A noun names a person,
place, thing or idea.
Person
Maria
boy
doctor
Place
New York
park
outer space
Pronoun
Verb
A pronoun replaces the name
of a person, place, thing or
idea in a sentence.
A verb tells a noun’s action or
state of being.
you he him those
we she her these
they me this each
it that
Thing
Pen
watermelon
Idea
fairness
friendliness
Statue of Liberty acceptance
Adverb
An adverb tells how, how
often, when or where. It can
describe a verb, an adjective,
or another verb. Many words
that end in “ly” are adverbs.
How
loudly
quickly
How Often
always
never
When
before
soon
Where
away
inside
Action
ask
jump
think
want
run
dance
eat
fix
State of Being
is
am
are
be
have
has
was
were
Adjective
Article
An adjective describes
different qualities of a noun
or a pronoun.
Size/Shape
tiny
long
oval
Odor/Taste
nutty
flowery
sour
Texture
prickly
smooth
leathery
Appearance
bright
beautiful
faded
An article comes before a
noun in a sentence and
sometimes shows if the noun
refers to a specific or general
person, place or thing.
General
a dog
a farm
Specific
the dog
the farm
an apple
an octopus
the apple
the octopus
Preposition
Conjunction
Interjection
A preposition shows the
relationship (such as
direction, time or placement)
between a noun or pronoun
and another word in the
sentence.
A conjunction joins two ideas
or shows the relationship
between two parts of a
sentence.
An interjection expresses
strong emotion and is often
followed by an exclamation
point. It is also followed by a
comma when the emotion is
not as strong.
about
across
after
around into
before
through
between to
and
because
but
so
though
or
until
while
unless
Aw! Hurry up! Hey!/Hey,
Bravo! Oh no! Well!/Well,
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Grammar Review Activity
Identify the part of speech of each underlined and numbered word in the paragraphs below
(number appears below the word). Mark the letter of the part of speech, and be sure to use
the correct word bank for each.
Use this word bank for the first paragraph
a. adjective b. noun c. preposition d. pronoun
e. verb
The story of Demeter and Persephone was first told by Home in a Greek poem dating back to
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the seventh century. It tells the tragic tale of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, and her
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daughter, Persephone.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
6. _____
7. _____
8. _____
9. _____
10. ____
Use this word bank for the second and third paragraphs
a. adjective b. adverb c. article d. preposition e. verb
One day Persephone was on Earth picking flowers. Suddenly the ground opened up and
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she was taken hostage by Hades, the lord of the underworld.
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Demeter could not get over her grief. The year was dreadful for mankind all over the
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Earth because Demeter allowed nothing to grow. When it became apparent that all mankind
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would die of famine Zeus, kind of the gods, decided to intervene.
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11. _____
12. _____
13. _____
14. _____
15. _____
16. _____
17. _____
18. _____
19. _____
20. _____
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Use this word bank for the fourth and fifth paragraphs
a. adjective b. adverb c. conjunction d. interjection e. noun
Zeus sent his messenger Hermes down to the kingdom of the dead to secure the release
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of Persephone. Hades reluctantly agreed to release her only if she would return to him for four
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months every year. This length of time was decided upon because she had eaten four
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pomegranate seeds while in captivity, and this act bound her to Hades for eternity.
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Oh, Demeter was overjoyed to see her daughter. The Earth became fertile again. But
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every year when Persephone returned to her husband Hades, Demeter turned the Earth cold
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and barren once more.
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21. _____
22. _____
23. _____
24. _____
25. _____
26. _____
27. _____
28. _____
29. _____
30. _____
31. _____
32. _____
33. _____
34. _____
35. _____
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1.19 Characterization
Define characterization:
Review Chapters 1-5 of The Giver. Then complete the characterization graphic organizer for
Jonas. Use textual evidence to support each element of characterization.
Characterization of Jonas
Analysis
Textual Evidence
His actions
His appearance
(How he looks)
His thoughts
What other says about him/
how others treat him
What challenges does Jonas face?
Look back at Jonas’s actions. Would you describe any of his actions as heroic? Explain
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1.20 The Circle of Life
Finding a mate, welcoming babies, and mourning deaths are all part of the circle of life. Every
culture has its own way of handling these passages. Compare the way Jonas’s society handles
the circle of life to the way our society does. Remember to identify parallel differences.
Jonas’s Society
Our Society
Finding a Mate
(husband/wife)
Creating a Family
Mourning Deaths
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Comparing Circles
Now that you have examined the way Jonas’s society and our society handle the circle of life,
brainstorm the pros (good things) and cons (bad things) of each:
Jonas’s Society
Pros (good)
Cons (bad)
Our Society
Pros (good)
Cons (bad)
Finding a Mate
Creating a Family
Mourning Deaths
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1.21 Essential Attributes
In Chapter 8 of The Giver, Jonas is selected to be the next Receiver of Memory. The Chief Elder
lists five attributes that are essential for the Receiver of Memory. List those attributes and
evidence from the novel that Jonas possesses them.
Qualities of the Receiver of
Memory (what makes them a
good receiver)
Textual Evidence that Jonas
Possesses These Attributes
Visual Representation of
Quality (draw or insert a
picture of the quality)
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1.22 Rules in Society
Discussion Questions:
Are all rules and/or laws necessary? Why or why not?
Are all rules and/or laws fair? Why or why not?
What happens to people who do not follow the rules and/or laws? Explain.
Can rules and/or laws be changed? Why or why not?
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EPISODIC STORY MAP
Name: _________________________________ Date: _____________
Directions: Fill in the characters, setting (time and place), problem, and solution
in the first box. The flow chart boxes below are for the various episodes in the
story.
Title:
Setting, Characters, Problem, Solution
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