EAST SIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL SUMMER 2017 HUMANITIES ...
EAST SIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL SUMMER 2017 HUMANITIES ASSIGNMENT FOR 8 GRADERS Due: September 7, 2017 TH
Dear Incoming 8 Graders: We would like you to complete a reading and writing assignment over the summer in preparation for 8 grade Humanities. This assignment will help us get to know you as readers and writers, as well as lay the groundwork for our Civil War Unit, which will begin the school year. Keep all of your work in a twin pocket folder labeled with your name and “8 Grade Summer Humanities Assignment.” Bring the folder containing your work to class with you on the first day of school. You will be assessed on the quality of your responses and the effort your work shows. This will be the first grade you earn in 8 grade Humanities. th
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DIRECTIONS FOR PURCHASING SUMMER READING BOOKS: 1. Purchase (or borrow) and read the novel Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen (ISBN 978-0-44022838-7). 2.
Purchase (or borrow) and read ONE of the following novels of your choice: o The River Between Us by Richard Peck (ISBN 0-14-240310-5) o Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reeder (ISBN 0-689-82696-6) o Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (ISBN 0-425-10241-6)
3.
Using both novels, independently complete all of the assignments in this packet.
QUESTION ONE: Conflict In every story the main character must face a conflict. There are two types of conflict: 1. External - A struggle with a force outside one's self such as another person, nature, or a social, political, or economic circumstance. 2. Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc. Write a three-paragraph response as follows:
In the first paragraph, please describe one of the main conflicts Charley faces in Soldier’s Heart. Include in your answer: o Is this an external or internal conflict? o How does Charley resolve, or deal with, the conflict? o What does this conflict teach us about the time period of the Civil War? In the second paragraph, please describe the main conflict that the main character in your selected book faces (Tilly, Will, or Jethro). o Is this an external or internal conflict? o How does the character resolve, or deal with, the conflict? o What does this conflict teach us about the time period of the Civil War? In the third paragraph, please compare Charley’s conflict to the main character in your selected book. o How are these conflicts similar? o How are they different? o Write a concluding sentence(s) that ties together your ideas across the three paragraphs.
***Please make sure that there are clear connections and transitions between the three paragraphs of your essay.
Name: EXAMPLE
Date: Summer 2017
Summer Assignment - EXAMPLE Question #1: Conflict Assigned Book: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins Choice Book: Divergent, by Veronica Roth In the two dystopian novels The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Divergent by Veronica Roth, the main characters face both internal and external conflicts that are ultimately resolved by the novel's end. In The Hunger Games, the main character Katniss Everdeen lives in a post-apocalyptic society where citizens must partake in a yearly lottery in which children are chosen to fight one another to the death. Katniss chooses to volunteer in lieu of her younger sister, and, throughout the novel, must face and overcome various obstacles in order to survive. The conflict in this story is an external one, and can more specifically be labeled as a character vs. society conflict because she is fighting against her society rather than something within herself. As mentioned, Katniss Everdeen volunteers for her beloved sister and begins to hate the dreadful lottery that takes place in her District. As the novel progresses, Katniss participates in acts of defiance and protest against the government that has forced her to participate. Ultimately, the novel ends with Katniss’ greatest act of defiance against her government and the society in which she represents when she and the boy from her District, Peeta Mellark, refuse to fight one another, which results in the government of Panem (the “society” that she is rebelling against) giving in and declaring them both winners. The conflict and the events of the novel reveal that in a dystopian society, it is important to give people choices and freedom. Without these two elements, rebellion and resentment will exist in a society, which will ultimately result in a dangerous revolution. Much like The Hunger Games, Divergent is also a dystopian novel that takes place in a fictitious Chicago neighborhood. The main character, Beatrice Prior (Tris), is faced with the life altering choice of which Faction she will belong to and represent. This decision is an internal conflict because Tris must choose between being loyal to her family’s faction (Abnegation) or choosing her own path. Ultimately, Tris decides to choose her own path, and in effect betrays her family with her choice of the drastically different Faction named Dauntless. Throughout the book, Tris must grapple with her decision and learn to challenge her thinking to fit this new Faction, which clearly signifies how the conflict in this novel is an internal one. Unfortunately, the conflict is challenged when Tris soon realizes that she is unable to fit herself into the mold of even the Dauntless and the novel ends with the start of a new revolution. The result of the internal conflict and the events in this book reveal that in a dystopian society, labels should not be put on people, and it cannot be expected that everyone can forcefully be fit into a specific mold. Instead, people should be given freedom and be accepted for who they are. Failing to do so would result in the creation of an unjust society and possible revolution. The two novels present both similarities and differences between the ideas of how a society should be ruled and what the expectations of a young woman are. Both novels employ the use of female protagonists demanding change in an unjust society, but the conflicts that the two girls face vary. On the one hand, Katniss must overcome external forces when trying to stay alive during the games that her government has put her in, and Tris must come to accept her position and choice in her new faction. Nonetheless, the overarching message is that in a society, the citizens must be given freedom and choice because without it, violent rebellions may occur in the already fragile state of dystopian worlds. ***Please use the structure of this exemplar response as a guide for your own responses***
QUESTION TWO: Historical Research 1. Pick a 2-4 page excerpt from the novel of your choice (The River Between Us, Shades of Gray, or Across Five Aprils). Do NOT use Soldier’s Heart for this question. 2.
In 2-6 sentences, summarize what happens in this excerpt of the text.
3. Consider, what historical research went into writing this section? Record 5-8 historical research questions that the author may have pursued in order to write this section. Using a graphic organizer, match each question to the historical detail that the author includes in the text. 4.
Please review the attached example below before beginning.
Name: EXAMPLE
Date: Summer 2017
Summer Assignment - EXAMPLE Question #2: Historical Analysis of Historical Details Selected Book: A Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen Focus Excerpt: Pages 1-3. Example Summary: In the opening pages of A Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen, Charley is introduced. The reader starts to learn about the Civil War through the eyes of the protagonist, a fifteen year old in Minnesota. Example Historical Details and Research Questions: Historical Details
Possible Historical Research Questions:
“There were going to be a shooting war” (1).
1. Which weapons (technology) existed during the Civil War?
“He’d never seen anything but Winona, Minnesota, and the river five miles each way from town” (1).
2. What important geographic landmarks are there in Winona Minnesota?
3. What kinds of travel experiences would a fifteen year from Winona Minnesota lively have had in 1861?
4. Which side of the Civil War were people from Minnesota on?
5. What words did they refer to the enemy?
6. How did the Civil War begin? What event may have stood out to people all over the country?
“He was fifteen and while he worked as a man worked, in the fields all of a day and into the night…” (2)
7. What kinds of jobs and responsibilities may a teenage boy have had in Minnesota in the 1860s?
“The thousand men in the regiment would be in companies of eighty to a hundred men from each section and it would be hard for a man to know men who weren't from the same area” (3).
8. How are army units organized? How many soldiers are in each division of the army?
“There would be a shooting war. There were rebels who had violated the law and fired on Fort Sumpter” (2).
***Please DO NOT use Soldier’s Heart for your response to Question 2. This serves only as a model for your responses to the book of your choice***
Dear Incoming 8 Graders: We would like you to complete a reading and writing assignment over the summer in preparation for 8 grade Humanities. This assignment will help us get to know you as readers and writers, as well as lay the groundwork for our Civil War Unit, which will begin the school year. Keep all of your work in a twin pocket folder labeled with your name and “8 Grade Summer Humanities Assignment.” Bring the folder containing your work to class with you on the first day of school. You will be assessed on the quality of your responses and the effort your work shows. This will be the first grade you earn in 8 grade Humanities. th
th
th
th
DIRECTIONS FOR PURCHASING SUMMER READING BOOKS: 1. Purchase (or borrow) and read the novel Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen (ISBN 978-0-44022838-7). 2.
Purchase (or borrow) and read ONE of the following novels of your choice: o The River Between Us by Richard Peck (ISBN 0-14-240310-5) o Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reeder (ISBN 0-689-82696-6) o Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (ISBN 0-425-10241-6)
3.
Using both novels, independently complete all of the assignments in this packet.
QUESTION ONE: Conflict In every story the main character must face a conflict. There are two types of conflict: 1. External - A struggle with a force outside one's self such as another person, nature, or a social, political, or economic circumstance. 2. Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc. Write a three-paragraph response as follows:
In the first paragraph, please describe one of the main conflicts Charley faces in Soldier’s Heart. Include in your answer: o Is this an external or internal conflict? o How does Charley resolve, or deal with, the conflict? o What does this conflict teach us about the time period of the Civil War? In the second paragraph, please describe the main conflict that the main character in your selected book faces (Tilly, Will, or Jethro). o Is this an external or internal conflict? o How does the character resolve, or deal with, the conflict? o What does this conflict teach us about the time period of the Civil War? In the third paragraph, please compare Charley’s conflict to the main character in your selected book. o How are these conflicts similar? o How are they different? o Write a concluding sentence(s) that ties together your ideas across the three paragraphs.
***Please make sure that there are clear connections and transitions between the three paragraphs of your essay.
Name: EXAMPLE
Date: Summer 2017
Summer Assignment - EXAMPLE Question #1: Conflict Assigned Book: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins Choice Book: Divergent, by Veronica Roth In the two dystopian novels The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Divergent by Veronica Roth, the main characters face both internal and external conflicts that are ultimately resolved by the novel's end. In The Hunger Games, the main character Katniss Everdeen lives in a post-apocalyptic society where citizens must partake in a yearly lottery in which children are chosen to fight one another to the death. Katniss chooses to volunteer in lieu of her younger sister, and, throughout the novel, must face and overcome various obstacles in order to survive. The conflict in this story is an external one, and can more specifically be labeled as a character vs. society conflict because she is fighting against her society rather than something within herself. As mentioned, Katniss Everdeen volunteers for her beloved sister and begins to hate the dreadful lottery that takes place in her District. As the novel progresses, Katniss participates in acts of defiance and protest against the government that has forced her to participate. Ultimately, the novel ends with Katniss’ greatest act of defiance against her government and the society in which she represents when she and the boy from her District, Peeta Mellark, refuse to fight one another, which results in the government of Panem (the “society” that she is rebelling against) giving in and declaring them both winners. The conflict and the events of the novel reveal that in a dystopian society, it is important to give people choices and freedom. Without these two elements, rebellion and resentment will exist in a society, which will ultimately result in a dangerous revolution. Much like The Hunger Games, Divergent is also a dystopian novel that takes place in a fictitious Chicago neighborhood. The main character, Beatrice Prior (Tris), is faced with the life altering choice of which Faction she will belong to and represent. This decision is an internal conflict because Tris must choose between being loyal to her family’s faction (Abnegation) or choosing her own path. Ultimately, Tris decides to choose her own path, and in effect betrays her family with her choice of the drastically different Faction named Dauntless. Throughout the book, Tris must grapple with her decision and learn to challenge her thinking to fit this new Faction, which clearly signifies how the conflict in this novel is an internal one. Unfortunately, the conflict is challenged when Tris soon realizes that she is unable to fit herself into the mold of even the Dauntless and the novel ends with the start of a new revolution. The result of the internal conflict and the events in this book reveal that in a dystopian society, labels should not be put on people, and it cannot be expected that everyone can forcefully be fit into a specific mold. Instead, people should be given freedom and be accepted for who they are. Failing to do so would result in the creation of an unjust society and possible revolution. The two novels present both similarities and differences between the ideas of how a society should be ruled and what the expectations of a young woman are. Both novels employ the use of female protagonists demanding change in an unjust society, but the conflicts that the two girls face vary. On the one hand, Katniss must overcome external forces when trying to stay alive during the games that her government has put her in, and Tris must come to accept her position and choice in her new faction. Nonetheless, the overarching message is that in a society, the citizens must be given freedom and choice because without it, violent rebellions may occur in the already fragile state of dystopian worlds. ***Please use the structure of this exemplar response as a guide for your own responses***
QUESTION TWO: Historical Research 1. Pick a 2-4 page excerpt from the novel of your choice (The River Between Us, Shades of Gray, or Across Five Aprils). Do NOT use Soldier’s Heart for this question. 2.
In 2-6 sentences, summarize what happens in this excerpt of the text.
3. Consider, what historical research went into writing this section? Record 5-8 historical research questions that the author may have pursued in order to write this section. Using a graphic organizer, match each question to the historical detail that the author includes in the text. 4.
Please review the attached example below before beginning.
Name: EXAMPLE
Date: Summer 2017
Summer Assignment - EXAMPLE Question #2: Historical Analysis of Historical Details Selected Book: A Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen Focus Excerpt: Pages 1-3. Example Summary: In the opening pages of A Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen, Charley is introduced. The reader starts to learn about the Civil War through the eyes of the protagonist, a fifteen year old in Minnesota. Example Historical Details and Research Questions: Historical Details
Possible Historical Research Questions:
“There were going to be a shooting war” (1).
1. Which weapons (technology) existed during the Civil War?
“He’d never seen anything but Winona, Minnesota, and the river five miles each way from town” (1).
2. What important geographic landmarks are there in Winona Minnesota?
3. What kinds of travel experiences would a fifteen year from Winona Minnesota lively have had in 1861?
4. Which side of the Civil War were people from Minnesota on?
5. What words did they refer to the enemy?
6. How did the Civil War begin? What event may have stood out to people all over the country?
“He was fifteen and while he worked as a man worked, in the fields all of a day and into the night…” (2)
7. What kinds of jobs and responsibilities may a teenage boy have had in Minnesota in the 1860s?
“The thousand men in the regiment would be in companies of eighty to a hundred men from each section and it would be hard for a man to know men who weren't from the same area” (3).
8. How are army units organized? How many soldiers are in each division of the army?
“There would be a shooting war. There were rebels who had violated the law and fired on Fort Sumpter” (2).
***Please DO NOT use Soldier’s Heart for your response to Question 2. This serves only as a model for your responses to the book of your choice***
