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7th grade
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Students will be discussing their summer reading book in class. Also,
students will be reviewing basic literary features of both Wolf Brother and
their second summer reading book. After that, students will begin work on an
essay about a book that they hated reading (a very popular topic). We will
spend extra time on reviewing the complete writing process as we pre-write,
draft, peer conference, revise, edit and publish the final piece. Details
about the assignment will be available under "English Handouts" after the
assignment has begun in class.
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8th grade
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Students will be engaging in Shared Inquiry Discussions of their summer
reading book, The Hunger Games. These discussions require higher level
thinking and practicing skills like using specific evidence from the book to
support student opinions. Students will also be writing a persuasive essay
about the book, as well as reviewing basic literary features of this and
their other summer reading book.
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Extra Credit
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I don't offer extra credit, since it encourages students
to wait until the last minute to actually start doing some work. The essay
students can do to help raise a poor grade is described here:
• Students wishing to bring their grade up may opt to write an extra
literary essay. The optional extra essay is a literary essay, not a book
report, or a report about facts.
. This option is ONLY for students who are close to failing or failing.
If you fooled around all quarter and got a B instead of an A, this option is
not for you.
• This means you evaluate some literary aspect of what you read – how
the author used author’s craft, how a character changed, what the author’s
message is, how this book compares to another book, for example. You may
not simply rework an earlier essay you wrote.
• If you write a plot summary or mostly facts from what you read, you
will not receive credit, since that’s not a literary essay. Ask for help if
you need it; don’t just throw it together and hope for the best.
• There are graphic organizers galore on Mrs. Lo’s website; please use
one to help you stay organized.
• Expect to put effort into your essay. If your essay is filled with
errors (spelling, puncutation, capitalization), it will be returned to you
ungraded and you won't receive any credit.
• The extra essay, which can earn up to 100 points, will replace a
poorly done 100 point assignment, or a not-done 100-point assignment. It
will not be scattered across several lower-point assignments.
• You may do only one extra essay per quarter.
• Due by the Friday of the week before the end of the marking period.
At the end of a semester, the essay is due before exams begin.
