SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT – 8th GRADE PRE-ADVANCED PLACEMENT 2016/17 School Year Dear Parents and Students: 8th grade Pre-advanced Placement (Pre-AP) classes are designed to develop complex reading, writing and thinking skills necessary for success in completion of both high school and college credit. In order to ensure that students enrolled in our Pre-AP classes are prepared for this advanced curriculum, they are expected to complete a Summer Reading Assignment. Summer assignments provide several advantages for students, such as ensuring that students maintain skills over the summer, fostering independent learning, creating an initial common framework for discussion and study, and promoting lifelong learning. Students who are registered for Pre-AP courses will need to do the following: 1. Choose only ONE of the following three novels from the 2016 Texas Lone Star Reading List: a. When by Victoria Laurie b. Sweet by Emmy Laybourne c. Con Academy by Joe Schreiber 2. Buy or check out a copy of the novel of your choice and ANNOTATE it. a. Suggestions include highlighting or underlining names and information about each new character as they appear in the book, circling new or challenging vocabulary that you encounter, identifying examples of figurative language such as similes, metaphors, personifications, and hyperboles. In addition, write notes in the margins with your thoughts and questions as you read. Also, make note when the settings change. Your book should look "used" when you finish reading it. Be prepared to turn this in as soon as you return to school. b. It helps to “color code” the different items. Ex. Theme - Blue, Characters - Pink, etc… c. If you choose to check out the novel from the library, complete your annotations in a spiral notebook or journal. Detailed notes, direct quotes and page numbers will be required. 3. Complete the following assignments: a. AP Data Sheet b. Analysis Assignment ***These Assignments will be DUE on: “A” Day: Tuesday, September 6, 2016 “B” Day: Wednesday, September 7, 2016. If you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected] Have a great summer! Thank You, Christy Roberts

Name ___________________________ Date ________________ Class ______ AP ENGLISH DATA SHEET Book Title _______________________________________________________ Author ________________________________ Publication Date _____________ Source of Information for Data Sheet _____________________________________

Provide significant details about the author.

Identify the genre (fiction, nonfiction, etc.) and specify how this work fits its characteristics.

Name of each significant character.

Relationship to other characters.

Provide 3 adjectives that describe each character.

Purpose/function in story (flat, round, static, etc.)

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Write at least 5 vocabulary words, the page number you found them on, and define them. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Provide significant plot points (create a bulleted list).

Name ___________________________ Date ________________ Class ______

Analysis Assignment Sheet - Summer Reading ●

As you read, tab your book where you locate responses to questions, and identify these page numbers in your responses.

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Write your answers neatly and legibly in complete sentences. When required, copy exact words from the text to support your answer.

A. Character - The main character of a book is the protagonist. Some books have multiple protagonists. The character or condition that creates a conflict for the protagonist is the antagonist. Character development refers to the way a writer reveals a character to the reader. 1. Identify the main protagonist. Describe this character’s role or position (example: “Ponyboy is a fourteen-year-old gang member.” or “George is a traveling farm worker.”).

2. Identify the main antagonist. Describe this character’s role or position.

Characteristic traits - External characteristics include physical appearance, abilities or talents. Some writers use external traits to reflect a character’s personality or identity. Internal characteristics— personality, emotions, beliefs, attitudes, or fears—are what make a main character unique. 3. If possible, identify an important external trait of the protagonist.

4. Why is this trait important to the protagonist’s character development?

5. Copy sentences or a passage from the novel (give page numbers) that reveal this trait:

6. Identify one of the protagonist’s important internal traits.

7. Why is this trait important in the novel?

8. Copy sentences or a passage from the novel (give page numbers) that reveal this trait:

B. Setting - This is defined as when (time of day, year, season, historical period) or where (location/s) the story takes place. Setting can be integral to the story (example: survival, fantasy, history genres). 9. Where does this story take place?

10. When does this story take place?

11. Why is the Setting important to the story?

12. Copy sentences or a passage from the novel (give page numbers) that reveal the setting:

C. Plot/Conflict: Most protagonists have a main conflict--an enemy, obstacle, or problem that stops the protagonist from reaching a goal. This conflict can be external (m v. m) or internal (m v. himself). 13. Identify the main conflict of this novel. Is this conflict external or internal?

14. Copy sentences or a passage from the novel (give page numbers) that reveal this conflict:

15. How does this conflict stop the protagonist from reaching his or her goal?

D. Resolution: This is the outcome of the story, where the conflict is settled (or not settled). By the end of the story, the protagonist usually experiences, or should have experienced, an internal change. 16. What is the resolution of the story? It is a positive or negative resolution?

17. Describe how the protagonist changes from the beginning to the end of the story.

18. Copy sentences from the novel (give page numbers) that reveal the resolution:

E. Theme - The theme of the story is a broad statement about life or human nature. The theme is not what happens in the story (that’s the plot) – the theme is why it matters. A story can have more than one theme, but most stories have one main theme. What are you supposed to learn? It is not just one word (theme topic), like love or trust, but what the story says about those things (Love cures all problems; Trust is necessary in relationships). 19. What do you think is the main theme of this novel?

20. Copy sentences or a passage from the novel that reveals this theme:

21. Write 3 questions or topics of discussion related to your novel.

F. Evaluation/Critique: To evaluate is to determine the worthiness of a literary work – was it worth reading or not and why? Evaluation must include specific references to the effectiveness of character development (Did you feel like you knew the characters? Did their actions ring true?), plot development (Did the plot make sense? Was the plot confusing, boring or silly?) Evaluation must include details from the book to support your position. 22. Write a six to ten sentence evaluation/critique of the book.