English/Language Arts and Reading ~ SUMMER READING INFORMATION

Pine Grove Middle School and the English/Language Arts/Reading Departments have a simple message for students:  READ!  It is especially important for students to read over the summer months when they are not reading textbooks or novels for school. 

Reading just three books over the summer can prevent what is called the “summer slide,” where students lose educational ground because they may not be as stimulated as they are during the school year. According to the children’s literacy organization Reading is Fundamental (RIF), experts have found that “children who read during the summer gain reading skills, while those who do not often slide backward.” According to Johns Hopkins Center for Summer Learning: “A conservative estimate of lost instructional time is approximately two months or roughly 22 percent of the school year.... It's common for teachers to spend at least a month re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer. That month of re-teaching eliminates a month that could have been spent on teaching new information and skills.”

The statistics show:

• Students can lose up to 25 percent of their reading level over the summer.

• Students can lose up to three months of their education over the summer.

• This loss is cumulative – so by the time a student enters high school, he/she could be years behind grade-level standards.

This can be prevented – by reading!  Reading just three books over the summer can prevent the “summer slide” and can actually increase a student’s reading level.

Pine Grove Middle School and the English/Language Arts and Reading Departments would like to encourage each student to read at least three books this summer.  Suggested book lists and follow-up activities for the books will be distributed and explained to students in their English classes before the end of the year. With the completion and submission of three novels and follow-up activities at the start of the 2014-2015 school year, your child will receive a summer reading certificate and small reward from the school.

Have a wonderful and safe summer. READ ON!

 

CRITERIA:

1. Select and read a book from the proposed list of novels.

2. Choose one of the attached activities (writing or organizers) and complete it with textual evidence.

3. Have a parent/guardian sign and date the assignment upon completion.

4. Write your name on the page.

5. Complete #1-4 for two more novels.

6. Submit all three writing activities/organizers to your English teacher at the start of the 2014-2015 school year to earn a small reward and certificate. (Summer reading will only be accepted until Friday, September 12, 2014.

 

Proposed Book Lists

1. Novels with lexile scores ranges: 860 – 1185 or higher (www.lexile.com)

2. Black-Eyed Susan Award Winners/Nominees (any year) – grades 6-9 or higher

 

Grade 5: RL Standards

• RL1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

• RL2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

• RL3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

• RL4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

• RL5 Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.

• RL6 Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

• RL7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

• RL9 Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fifth grade summer reading packet

June 16, 2014

bcps

 

Over the summer, you will want to continue to read literature to maintain and strengthen literacy skills. Attached are some activities you can complete to help you capture your understandings. Bring any completed activities to your new teacher in the fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RL1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

 

Title of book:

Author:

Author:

 

 

 

Brainstorm a list of the major characters from the novel you have read:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Directions: Think about the characters you listed. Who is most important in determining the final outcome in the novel?Place the character who is most important in determining the final outcome on the top rung. Who is least important to the final outcome? Place the character with the least importance on the bottom rung. Use your own judgment to place other characters/groups along the middle rungs of the ladder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Think about the character that you identified as being the most important to the final outcome in your book. Explain why this character was the most important. Use specific details and at least three quotes from the text to support your answer. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

RL2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

Title of book:

Author:

 

Author:

 

You are a graphic artist, and you have been asked to design a new cover for a novel. The author wants the cover to attract the interest of kids while still reflecting the novel’s message or theme and how the characters in the novel responded to challenges. In the space below, create a unique book cover for the novel that you have read. Your cover should reflect the novel’s central message or theme and show how at least two characters responded tochallenges.

 

 

 

RL2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

Title of book:

Author:

 

Author:

Write a letter to the author of the novel explaining how your book cover reflects the central message or theme of the novel.

___________________________

___________________________,

 

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____________________,

RL3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

Title of book:

Author:

 

Author:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Select two characters from the novel you have read. Compare the two characters by completing the graphic organizer provided.

Character 2

Character 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RL3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

Title of book:

Author:

 

Author:

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did the characters’ similarities and differences affect the way the two characters interacted in the story?

 

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RL4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

 

 

Title of book:

Author:

Author:

In the novel you have read, identify 3 exampleswhere the author uses some form of figurative languagelike similes or metaphors. For each example, provide the information required in the chart below.

 

 

Figurative Language Example from Novel	Chapter & Page Number	Type of Figurative Language (e.g. simile, metaphor)	Meaning
1.
2.
3.

Title of book:

Author:

Author:

RL5 Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.

The plotof a story is the events of the story. Usuallythe plot begins with an introduction to the characters, setting and problem (exposition), followed by an increase in conflict (rising action), a moment where the conflict is the most exciting and the main character changes in some way (climax), the conflict lessens (falling action), and the conflict ends (resolution).

List the 5most important events in the book you read. Then think about how important each event was to the outcome of the story. Rate the importance of each event on the right.

Important Events in the Book		Rating 5=Very important 1=Not important
1.		5 4 3 2 1
2.		5 4 3 2 1
3.		5 4 3 2 1
4.		5 4 3 2 1
5.		5 4 3 2 1

Based on your analysis, which event had the largest impact on the plot of the story? Explain your choice.

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RL6 Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

Title of book:

Author:

 

Author:

 

Pick one event from the life of one of the characters in the book you have read. Describe how the point of view of the narrator influenced your understanding of the event.

 

___________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________,

 

 

RL7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

Title of book:

Author:

 

Author:

 

 

 

 

 

Graphic novelscontain cartoon-like drawings that tell a story and are published as a book. Graphic novels rely on illustrations to help tell the story to the readers.

Read a graphic novel of your choice. Pay close attention to the illustrations in the graphic novel. Identify three places in the graphic novel where the illustrations add to your understanding of the story. Complete the chart below.

 

Description of illustrations found in the graphic novel that add to my understanding of the story	Page # in the graphic novel the illustrations can be found	Explanation of how the illustrations help me to understand the story better.

RL7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

 

Title of book:

Author:

 

Author:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explain why the illustrations in a graphic novel are important in helping the reader understand the story. Use examples from the graphic novel you selected to support your answer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RL9 Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.

 

Title of book:

Author:

 

Author:

 

 

Think about the novel you have just read. Identify the theme or lesson of the novel. Record the theme/lesson and your reasons for the theme/lessonin the thought bubble below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, think about a novel from the same genrethat reflects a similar theme or lesson.In other words, if you read a mystery book, think about another mystery book that you have read that reflects a similar theme. In the box below, identify the second noveland explain how it reflects the same/similar theme or lessonas first novel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RL9 Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.

 

Title of book:

Author:

 

Author:

 

 

 

How did these two novels approach the same theme differently? Use details from both works to support your answer.

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