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Junior School Summer Assignments 2008
SIXTH GRADE
English
This summer all incoming sixth graders are to read the 2008 Newbery Honor Winner, The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. The year is 1967, and everyone has bigger things to worry about, especially Vietnam. Holling Hoodhood is really in for it. He’s just started seventh grade with Mrs. Baker; a teacher he knows is out to get him. Why else would she make him read Shakespeare…outside class? In a series of mishaps and adventures over the course of the school year, fate sneaks up on Holling again and again. You are Holling Hoodhood, and your school year is coming to a close as are your Wednesday afternoons with Mrs. Baker. Write a letter to Mrs. Baker summarizing the lessons you have learned during your time with her. Review the many situations/mishaps/adventures Holling has faced over the course of the year. Be sure to use examples from the book and your own knowledge to explain his experiences, also include your thoughts about whether or not Mrs. Baker truly “hates” Holling, and include an explanation of the title. Finally, offer Mrs. Baker a suggestion for future lessons that could take place during the “Wednesday Wars.” You might find it helpful to discuss the book and your thoughts with your family and friends before writing.
The letter should be no more than two pages in length. It must be typed and double-spaced, and mailed by August 4, 2008 to:
Ms. Kathleen K. Shine
6th Grade English
Academy of Notre Dame de Namur
560 Sproul Road
Villanova, PA 19085
SEVENTH GRADE
English
This summer all seventh graders are to read the novel The Fifth of March by Ann Rinaldi. During the 1770s in Boston, the beginning of the American Revolution, Rachel Marsh, a servant for the John Adams’s family, has her loyalty tested as she befriends Matthew Kilroy, a British private.
Prepare a collage representing the American Revolution; such as, a magazine picture of a colonial boy holding a flag; or a colonial outfit, etc. The collage should be at least 9”x 11” and the paper should be completely covered. The collage will be presented and discussed in September as well as an essay which will be written in class about the reading.
If you have any questions, please contact me at the address below:
Mrs. Irene Vecchione
c/o Academy of Notre Dame de Namur
560 Sproul Road
Villanova, PA 19085
If you have any questions, you may reach me by email at ivecchione@ndapa.org.
Thank you and have a great summer!!! READ!!
Social Studies
You will be reading Fever 1793, by Laurie
Halse Anderson. It is a fictionalized account of a teenage girl’s
life during the yellow fever epidemic which swept Philadelphia in 1793.
Before you read the book go to the following website from the Atwater
Kent Museum and read about the epidemic: http://www.philadelphiahistory.org/akm/lessons/yellowFever/.
This assignment is to be handed in on the first full day of classes.
On one typed page, please answer the following questions:
- What was Philadelphia like in 1793?
- What were the advantages and disadvantages of living in the countryside
outside of Philadelphia?
- How was the life of a 14-year old in 1793 different from the life
of a 14-year-old today?
EIGHTH GRADE
English
All 8th graders will read All American Girl by Meg Cabot for summer 2008 reading. Each student is to create an original book cover. This book jacket must include title, author, and an appropriate visual concept, which relates directly to a character or idea expressed in the novel. These covers will be collected on the first Monday we are in school.
Below is a short list of recommended novels for leisure reading.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Stolarz
Seventeen Against the Dealer by Cynthia Voight
Begonia for Miss Applebaum by Paul Zindel
Mississippi Trial by Chris Crowe
Social Studies
The first semester of eighth grade Social Studies will examine the issue
of civil rights in the United States during the 20th century. The selection
of The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle
for Equal Rights will introduce the students to a great American artist
who made a significant contribution to the artistic and social fabric
of American history. After reading the book students should compose (1). a bio-poem about Marian Anderson and (2). on a separate piece of paper explain each of your lines. Bring your poem and explanation to class the first day of school. Enjoy!
Format of a Bio-Poem.
Line 1: First Name
Line 2: Title
Line 3: Four Words that describe the Person
Line 4: Lover of (three things or ideas)
Line 5: Who believed in (one or more ideas)
Line 6: Who wanted (three things)
Line 7: Who used (three methods or things)
Line 8: Who gave (three things)
Line 9: Who said (a direct quote)
Line 10: Last Name
For lines 2 to 9: Write an explanation of why you selected what you wrote!
In addition to the one assigned book, we recommend that each student choose at least four selections from the Summer Reading List for enjoyment. We encourage reading as one of the best ways to increase comprehension, vocabulary and facility in writing.
Miss Jean Phalan
Junior School Principal
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