Seventh Grade Core (Class of 2016) Required Summer Reading 

Please contact Mrs.Lee Scarborough-Kirk,lscarborough-kirk@jbha.org, 610-922-2447,
Core Teacher (Social Studies and Language Arts) or

Mrs. Chris Farrell, cfarrell@jbha.org, 610-922-2352, Director of the Middle School
with any questions.

      Welcome to seventh grade at Barrack Hebrew Academy! This year, your Core curriculum will build on your sixth grade exploration of ancient civilizations and their establishment of governments and laws. We will move ahead in history, focusing for most of the year on American government.

   To prepare for your study of this material, read the following two books over the summer. Read actively. Your Core teachers might collect your books and notes to observe these active reading skills. For this assignment, “active reading” means: 

• highlight passages that relate to the questions listed below. Whenever you mark a passage, jot a few words indicating the question to which it relates. (Alternatively, you could write answers to the questions on sticky notes, or make a list of page numbers and comments on a Word document.)
• mark any passage that strikes you as interesting and/or important;
• write a question mark next to anything that confuses you;
• feel free to jot personal thoughts and feelings about characters and events.

         Then, type answers to the questions; write in complete sentences. Include quotations and page references to the book to support your responses. 
 

A. First Book: The Giver, by Lois Lowry 

      1. Define “utopia.” Do not quote; instead, write this definition in your own words. Include the name of the book or the website in which you discovered this information. Yes, you may use a sixth grade source! (Extra credit: How does this connect to Plato?)

      2. Why did the founders of this society assign roles, rather than letting people choose their own?

      3. What is the function of “The Giver”? What kind of memories does he store? According to the founders, how might the giver help others in the community to be content?

      4. What choice does Jonas make at the end of the novel? Why?  Do you think it is wise, or not? Explain. 

      Total length, including all four questions: 1- 2 pages, double spaced, typed. 
 

B. Second Book: The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton 

      Take active reading notes on the following questions. Then, instead of listing answers, complete one of the following creative writing assignments. Again, be sure to proofread. You will receive extra credit for including page references to specific passages in the novel. 

• Clearly, these characters do not live in a utopia. What is wrong with their families, schools and neighborhoods?
• Who feels like an “outsider”? Why?
• Do some characters have “better” lives than others? Why? In what sense are their lives “better”?

      Creative Writing Options: 

      1. Write a diary from a character’s point of view. In the diary, explore his feelings about important people and events in his life. Does he feel like an “outsider” in any way? Why? What are his fears, hopes and dreams? Is there anyone, such as a friend, policeman, teacher, social worker, counselor, or a legislator (a person who helps to pass laws) who could help him overcome his fears and create a happier life? 

            2. Write a letter or editorial from the point of view of one of the novel’s “outsiders” in which you explain the difficulties in his or her less-than-ideal life and ask for specific assistance. Again, focus on this character’s powers and choices, both as a minor and as an American citizen. Before you write your letter, decide upon your audience. For example, you could:

• write to your school newspaper, appealing to fellow students or to your principal;
• write to a local Oklahoma official (S.E.Hinton was born there), such as a policeman or politician, asking for certain laws to be passed or changed;
• write to a local social worker or counselor asking for new school programs to help kids in need;
• Other? You might think of another reader who might be able to help these “outsiders” to turn their lives around. If they cannot create a utopia, at least they might make a step in a positive direction.

             3. Create a new scene for the novel. This could be a prologue, an epilogue or an implied scene. An “implied scene” is one to which the author refers, but is not described in detail. Here are some examples, but you are not restricted to these: life with Ponybody, Sodapop and Darry when their parents are alive; an incident between Johnny and his parents; Dally on the streets of New York; an argument between Bob and his parents. Your scene should convey the characters’ personalities and conflicts.  

• Approximate length: 1-2 pages, double spaced, typed.  

• Due date: Both of these papers are due on the first day of Core class in September. Bring both books to class, along with these written assignments.