Summer Assignments

The next three posts are your Summer assignments.  There are both familiar and unfamiliar elements involved in them, so please be sure to contact me via the blog or through school e-mail at mckeebym@averillpark.k12.ny.us should you have questions.  I encourage you to send questions through the blog, since answers I post will help clarify the assignments for your classmates as well.  Have a great Summer!

Summer Assignment 1: Out and About

Out and About

            We are lucky to live in a region that is incredibly rich in history and culture, and I want you to use some of your summer to enjoy it.  Your first assignment is to go visit a museum, historical site, state park, or to attend a concert, play, art show or theatrical performance.  There are lots of places you can visit free of charge throughout our area, though if you want to go somewhere that charges an admission, that is up to you and your family.

            While on your visit take a moment to find out who manages the site, or who put together the exhibit or event you are attending.  If the place has a website, that might help you out with information.

            After the visit type a letter of about one-page to the person responsible for the site to tell them about your experience.  You might just want to let them know what the visit was like from the perspective of a student, you might make suggestions about ways to improve visitor experience, you might compliment the work they are doing, or you might politely critique some aspect of the site.  Ultimately, the content is up to you.  When you have completed your letter and carefully proofread it, keep a copy for submission to me and send a copy directly to the addressee.  Sending the letter is mandatory!  If you receive a response, please bring a copy to class, they are great fun to share.

            Please visit the class blog and post a quick note about your visit.  It might encourage others to try visiting a place you liked, and will let me know you are working on your summer assignments.

            One final note:  I strongly encourage you to go out and try something new and different.  Going to a local movie theatre, or hanging out with your buddies at Butler Park doesn’t count here.

Summer Assignment 2: Generations

2: Generations

          What would a summer English assignment be without a little reading?  While reading is often a solitary experience when you’re not in school, you’re going to read with another person.  The reason I call this activity Generations, is that the person with whom you read needs to be someone significantly older than you.  Here’s how it works:

            First, decide with whom you would like to read.  It might be a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, god parent, or an older family friend (who your folks say is ok).

            Next decide with them what you will read.  I would prefer that you choose a book that is new to you and challenging, something that might be considered a “classic.” The work can be a novel or a work of non-fiction, like a history or biography.  We all have our old favorites, but this is about sharing the experience of reading, so a work that is new to you both will be the most fun.  When you have picked your book visit the blog and let us know what you’re reading!

            Now read.  You don’t need to sit down and read together (though that can be fun!).  You should periodically make time to have a quick discussion with your partner about what is happening in the book, what you both think of it, surprises or challenges in the text, and messages or interpretations that you can take from the book.

            Finally: the interview.  After you have both finished the book visit the blog for a set of interview questions about the book and your shared reading process.  The questions will be posted by the end of next week.  You’ll need to write out answers to the questions, or see the enrichment ideas below for some other possible ways to showcase what you learn.

            Enrichment:  If you’re feeling ambitious (and I hope you are!) here are some ways to have more fun with this activity:

• Read with a larger group.  Try picking a book to read with the whole family and include  mixed generations, i.e. Mom, Dad, Grandparents, and younger siblings or cousins
• Try two books, one picked by you and one picked by your partner.  Think about what the choices say about each of you
• Try a work of fiction and a work of non-fiction.  Compare the techniques used by authors of both
• Rather than a written response to the questions, make video of you and your partner interviewing each other.

Summer Assignment 3: Where Have You Been?

3: Where Have You Been?

      English Language Arts is a subject that you have learned about every year, and one that you will take right through high school.  You have read, written, and learned many things up to this point in your career.  I want you to take some time to reflect what you have achieved in English so far.

First, purchase yourself a notebook or journal to house your writing.  You’re going to need one for class in the fall, so start it out now.  Get one that you will love!  A simple marble one works great.

Now, build a catalog page.  Try remembering and listing every book you’ve read in middle school, and as many as you can from the last few years of elementary school.  It’s also fun to add a few of the earliest books you ever read.  My two earliest favorites were The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss and The Sailor Dog by Margaret Wise Brown.

Create a second catalog page for your writing.  List as many of your written creations as you can remember. What are the best (and worst) pieces of writing you have created throughout middle school and late elementary school?  What made them good or bad? How long were they?  What is the earliest thing you remember writing?

Reflect on what reading and writing means to you.  What role does it play in your life?  How often do you do each?  What makes your writing strong?  What makes a book an interesting read?  What are your reading goals?  What are your writing goals?  What is your usual process for writing?  How, when, and where do you read?  What is the importance of language arts in your life?

Now write an essay of at least two pages, typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font.  In the essay discuss the role of reading and writing in your life so far.  Again, the content is up to you, but the reflection questions above should guide you.  Have the essay done for the first class.  If you would like to e-mail me a draft of it in advance (by the second week of August) I will be happy to comment on it and give you some suggestions.   You can reach me through the blog or at my school e-mail, mckeebym@averillpark.k12.ny.us