Twin Tiers Christian AcademyEnglish 12

2014Summer Reading Performance

Assessment

“With God’s leading, TTCA, as a ministry of the church, will assist parents by providing a quality education from a Biblical world view to help students develop their abilities for service to

Christ.”- TTCA Mission Statement

Index:Student/Parent Letter

Goals/Disclaimer/Permission Slip

Student Quotes

Teacher/Student Book Recommendations

Section I. Academic Language

Section II. Theme/Central Idea

Section III. Stating a Claim & Citing Evidence

Section IV. Character Development and Digital/Visual Literacy

Section V. Writing an Argument with Relevant Evidence

Section VI. Summer Reading Assessment Rubric

Section VII. Glossary

Section VIII. Appendix

Extra Credit

Dear TTCA Students and Parents,

What You Will Do:Ready or not, summer is upon us! I can’t

believe how quickly this year has gone. Throughout the year, you’ve taken strides in vocabulary, reading, and writing, and I am so proud of you! In an effort to continue helping you to grow in the skills that you have been learning, your teachers and I would like you to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and complete the attached handouts before you return to school in the fall. Turn in this completed packet on the first day of school.

Why Complete Summer Reading?: “Children need to engage with books every day

so they can maintain, and ideally strengthen, all the literacy skills they learned during the previous school year. Assistant Principal Twana Santana-Embry compares reading to exercising, telling her students that any time they read they are ‘strengthening their reading muscles.’

The stakes for children who do not read over summer vacation are high. Substantial research on this topic shows it's usually the students who can least afford to lose ground as readers who are most likely to suffer from summer reading loss and fall far behind their peers.

The few months of loss in reading skills compounds over the years; by the time children reach middle school, those who haven't read during the summers may have lost as much as two years worth of achievement.”1

The Benefits of Reading:Hopefully you are excited about this opportunity because you know that “avid readers:

Read better, write better, and concentrate better. Are quicker to see subtleties. Have an easier time processing new information. Have a better chance for a successful, fulfilling adult life. Have many interests and do well in a wide variety of subjects.Develop an ability to understand how other people think and feel.Acquire the ability to sift information and to understand how unrelated

facts can fit into a whole.Tend to be more flexible in their thinking and more open to new ideas.Weather personal problems better without their schoolwork being affected.And with the explosion of information in the workplace, only avid readers

can stay well informed with relative ease.”2

Random Reading Facts:Reading also helps improve your vocabulary, as well as opening up new

worlds and adventures for you! Did you know that a good reader needs to know at least 25,000 words?

GOALS: Read these books (and all books)

with a Christian worldview in mind. As you read, notice the ideas that are counter to what the Bible teaches.

Notice the unbiblical philosophies that are subtly and not

so subtly presented to the reader.

1 http://www.pbs.org/parents/experts/archive/2010/07/helping-to-prevent-summer-read.html2

Jewell, Andrea Vinley. “Benefits of Reading.” Focus on the Family. Focus on the Family. n.d. Web. 02 Jun 2013. <http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/protecting_your_family/time-for-a-good-read/benefits-of-reading.aspx>

My nephew Aidan and my niece Quinn love to read! From a very young age, they have been voracious readers. Aidan began reading complete books to me at the age of four. As a ten-year-old, he reads at a 7th-8th grade level. Quinn likes reading the children’s version of Emma.

Have internal and external discussions over the ideas presented in the books.

Analyze the books for literary elements to see what makes a good novel.

Analyze the books for literary elements to see how an author presents his/her ideas.

To sharpen your analysis skills To provide you with more experience in reading and

reading well To sharpen your thinking skills.

To help you practice skills you have learned this year To stop skill loss over the summer To prepare you for the Regents exam To prepare you for college To open a new world for you To prepare you for whatever God has planned for your

future To engage your mind To redeem the time

*Disclaimer- Due to the fact that different families have different standards for what their children read, we ask that you be conscious of the books you/your children choose. We’ve made an effort to include appropriate books. However, some of these books deal with adult ideas and worldly language. Parents, please make sure you approve of all books that your child reads, even the recommended books. You can check out Focus on the Family’s Book Review page (or other such pages) for some help. Please, contact me via Edmodo, e-mail (smcdivitt@twintierschristianacademy.org), on my website (missmcdivitt.weebly.com), or Sycamore if you have any questions or concerns.…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Parent/Student Book Form:

By signing my name below, I, ________________________________________________________________(parent name), affirm that I observed my child,

__________________________________________________________________________ (student name), read all of ______________________________________________________________________

__________________________________ (book title) in it’s entirety. I also affirm that I approved of him/her reading this book.

Signed: __________________________________________________________________________ (Parent Signature)

By signing my name below, I affirm that my parents preapproved my book selection. I also affirm that I read the book in its entirety before watching the

movie and without skimming or reading any summaries. I completed the packet without any adult, peer, or on-line help.

Student Signature: __________________________________________________________________________

*This form is due on the first day of school.*

What Students Like/Liked About Summer Reading:

12th Graders:

“I liked the book. I like reading books like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”- Megan Teeter

“Even though I didn’t actually like reading, I did like the book (Screwtape Letters)

because it was very intellectually stimulating.”- Jonathan Aldrich

“[I liked] having an excuse to read.”- Jasmine Copeland

“I liked getting a grade for something I enjoy doing.”- Steven Burns

“I liked getting into a new book and talking about it with my sister because she loves

to read and learn.”- Hailey Pipher

“I liked choosing from two books…”- Libby Weston

“I liked finishing the book.”- Nicholas Hamilton

11th Graders:

“I liked reading different literature that I would have read.”- Emily Orr

“It made me read books. I never read, and if I do, I never finish. So it made me finish

and read a book.”- Allison Clark

“[I liked that] when I was on long trips I had a book to read.”- Mary Elyna Fish

“I read the book and enjoyed it.”- Neah Palmer

“It helped me get better at reading.”- Collin Swimley

“[I liked] reading something different and out of my comfort zone.”- Brianna Neiss

“It gave me something to do while I sat in a warm bookshop for four hours.”- Dylan

Baley

10th Graders:

“(Summer Reading and Edmodo) kept me on task and responsible.”- Erika Rexford

“I like reading.”- Gregg May

“I liked using Edmodo [for summer reading] because it kept me in touch…with

people.”- Kassidy Wood

“It kept me busy over the summer, so I did not have to sit around with nothing to

do.”- Josiah Patrick

“I kind of liked responding to classmates posts [on Edmodo] because it helps you

stay in touch (even if it is homework) with them a little bit.”- Kaleb Patrick

“I liked to hear what others thought of [the book] and what they felt about it.”-

Breeanna Forrest

“I like the idea [of summer reading]. It’s a good concept.”- Shyann Stroud

9th Graders:

“Being able to talk about the books with my classmates was my favorite part, mainly

because that never happens.”- Sarah Proper

“I learned something about the book I read.”- Lakesha Smith

“I like to read…”- Garrett Beese

“I liked going on Edmodo.”- Nick Noteboom

“I liked talking on Edmodo because I can see what my friends are up to...”- Greg

Depue

“I liked the book because it was interesting.”- Lauren Clark

“[I liked the] discussion…”- Cristian Lau

Teacher Recommended Reading:

11/12th grade American Literature: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger The Crucible by Arthur Miller Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe The Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane The Call of the Wild Jack London Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury The Old Man and the Sea Ernest Hemingway Turn of the Screw by Henry James Moby Dick by Herman Melville

11/12th grade Other Fiction: The Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason (Mrs. Miner) The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Pastor Steve) The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (Pastor Steve) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Mr. & Mrs. Cooper) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Mr. & Mrs. Cooper) The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy (Mr. & Mrs. Cooper) The Quest by Bob Hostetler (Mr. Cooper)

11/12th grade Non-Fiction Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper (Mrs. Miner) Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport by Mark Jonathan, Deborah Oppenheimer,

Deborah Harris (Mrs. Miner) Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill (Pastor Steve) Desiring God by John Piper (Pastor Steve) Red Moon Rising: How 24-Hour Prayer is Awakening a Nation by Peter Greig (Pastor Steve) The Prayers of Soren Kierkegaard (Pastor Steve) Cries from the Heart by Ravi Zacharias (Pastor Steve) Hand Me Another Brick by Charles Swindoll (Pastor Steve) Crazy Love by Francis Chan (Pastor Steve) No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green by Melody Green (Pastor Steve) The Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent (Miss McDivitt) Every Young Man’s Battle by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker (Mr. Cooper) Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door by Bob Hostetler (Mr. Cooper & Pastor Steve) When People Are Big and God is Small by Ed Welch (Mr. Shaw & Pastor Steve) The Soul of a Lion: A Biography of Joshua L. Chamberlain by Willard Wallace (Pastor Steve)

Student Recommended Reading: Steven Burns- The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien Steven Burns- Sinner by Ted Dekker Steven Burns- Saint by Ted Dekker Steven Burns- Showdown by Ted Dekker Jasmine Copeland- The Giver by Lois Lowry Jasmine Copeland- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Emily Roy- Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Libby Weston- Dracula by Bram Stoker Libby Weston- Eragon by Christopher Paolini Allison Clark- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Allison Clark- Anne of Green Gables- Lucy Maud Montgomery Allison Clark- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Brianna Neiss & Neah Palmer- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Brianna Neiss, Sarah Proper, & Cristian Lau- Maze Runner Series by James Dashner Dylan Baley- The Wolf of Tebron by C. S. Lakin Dylan Baley- The Map Across Time by C. S. Lakin Emily Orr- Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly Erika Rexford- White Fang by Jack London Kassidy Wood, Mason Rios, Nate Drake, & Margory Orr- The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collin Josiah & Kaleb Patrick- Downfall by Terri Blackstock Breanna Forrest- Garden of Madness by Tracy L. Higley Breanna Forrest- Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury Shyann Stroud- Inkheart by Cornelia Funke Shyann Stroud- A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park Emily Clark- My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George Cristian Lau- The Song of Albion Series by Stephen R. Lawhead Jacob Seager- The Circle Series by Ted Dekker Greg Depue- Redwall Series by Brian Jacques Ashley Schouten- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Ashley Schouten- The Barcode Tattoo Series by Suzanne Weyn Nick Noteboom- Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent Bridgett Morgan- The Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare Bridgett Morgan- The Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle Bridgett Morgan- Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus by Kyle Idleman Bridgett Morgan- Wonder by R. J. Palacio Bridgett Morgan- High Hurdles Series by Lauraine Snelling Bridgett Morgan- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Bridgett Morgan- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain Sarah Proper- The Testing by by Joelle Charbonneau Sarah Proper- Graceling by Kristin Cashore Sarah Proper- Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer Sarah Proper- Unwind by Neal Shusterman Stephen Speck- The Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Margory Orr- Matched by Ally Condie Margory Orr- New Wings by Donna Stanley Emily Morgan- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Emily Morgan- When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke Rachel Jackson- My Wolf, My Friend by by Barbara Corcoran Kiley Easton- Red Rock Mysteries Series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry Alex Clark- The Door Within Trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson Sarah Caporiccio- The Sarah Dessen books Aaron Bell- The Hardy Boys Series by by Franklin W. Dixon Aaron Bell- The Sugarcreek Gang Series by Paul Hutchens

https://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/grade-equivalent/grade-equivalent-chart/

Section VI:

VII. Glossaryacademic language: generalizable language found in a variety of texts

adjective: a word or phrase that modifies or describes a noun

alternate reference: referring to another source to clarify information

analyze: examine in detail for purpose of explanation

argument: a position a writer would take that is considered debatable

cite: quoting from a source for support of an argument/claim

claim: see argument

clarify: to make a statement or situation less confusing and more clearly understood by others

comprehension: the act or capability of understanding something

conflict: a struggle between opposing forces such as man vs. self, man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society, man vs. God (fate or god), etc.

depict: to represent in a picture

develop: to create

digital/visual literacy: the ability to create information using digital and visual images to interpret and make meaning from information presented

generalizable: common

identity: characteristics by which something is identified

language acquisition: gaining language

objective summary: recount of material that is uninfluenced by emotion or opinion

opinion: a firm belief

recurrent: happening or tending to happen again or repeatedly

relevant/relevance: having a connection between thoughts and ideas to show importance

resolution/denouement: the part of a literary work in which the conflicts of the plot are resolved or simplified

textual evidence: facts from any written work for the purpose of supporting an argument/claim

theme: a central idea or main message or moral of a written work

VII. Appendix

Extra-Credit:

Do you want to earn some extra credit?So, you know how you students are always asking for extra-credit? Why not read another book this summer that you have never read before or watch a movie and complete the independent novel (movie) project on my website for extra-credit next school year? If done well, this project will count as a test grade for you!

Extra-Credit Assignment: Read another book/Watch a movie. Complete the independent novel project on missmcdivitt.weebly.com.

Reading Contest:Each set of classes (8th, 9/10th, 11/12th) will be in competition to see who can read the most books during the summer. The winner of each set will win a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble.

Rules:1. Read only books off the recommended reading list by your teachers. (Ask me if you need more

titles.)2. Read books at your grade level/lexile level or above. (This means your reading level. See the

attached link to determine if your book is at grade level.) https://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/grade-equivalent/grade-equivalent-chart/

3. Read only books you have never read before. Watching the movie does not count as reading a book in this contest.

4. You must create a list of every book you read (title and author). On this list include when you started the book and when you finished the book. Your parents must sign off on every book that you choose. They also must sign that they saw you read this book. You can find a form to fill out on my website: missmcdivitt.weebly.com

5. The contest ends on the first day of school.