Summer Reading Assignment - Beautiful Words

Washington Township Public SchoolsMiddle Level ELA2021 Summer Reading AssignmentGrades 6, 7, & 8Summer Reading Assignment - Beautiful Words(adapted from pennykittle.net)OverviewEnjoy this time to read over the summer. While you are only asked to read one book, you are encouraged todevour more!As you read your self-selected book, part of your assignment is to gather a collection of sentences, lines,and/or short excerpts that pop out to you. Let’s call them “Beautiful Words”. Beautiful doesn’t have to meanpretty or positive (as many of you are thinking).Beautiful words are meaningful or powerful. Sentences or short phrases that make you thinkdeeply or reveal hidden details about the story, conflict, or characters.Be careful! You are not looking just for similes or metaphors. You can certainly choose them, but really try tofocus on the author’s choice of words and phrases.Example:The character in your book could be struggling with a conflict they are having with their cousin. Maybe theycan’t agree on who should take the blame for something terrible that happened. As you read, look for how the author is describing their thoughts, images, reactions, etc. Are there any words or sentences that make you stop for a second and think deeply? Did the author paint a vivid image with certain words? Was there a section that really made you feel you learned something new that you never realized?These are BEAUTIFUL WORDS!Note: We are not looking for single words we are looking for phrases, sentences, lines oftext. Additional Examples: if your book is about a terrible natural disaster, you can find the power in certainsentences.describing the destruction or fear; if your book is about war, you can find the beauty in certainphrases describing the intensity of the situation.The point is author’s weave words that create beauty, no matter what they are writing about.After reading and collecting beautiful words, you are ready to complete the summer reading assignment!The assignment is due the first week of school. It will count as a supportive grade.If needed, you can request a conference with your ELA teacher prior to turning in your work.

Washington Township Public SchoolsMiddle Level ELA2021 Summer Reading AssignmentGrades 6, 7, & 8Directions1. Read and collect 5-7 examples of beautiful words. As a suggestion, start your collection from the verymoment you begin the book. Keep a journal or stack of post-it notes close by.2. Create a one-page handwritten visual representation OR a PowerPoint slideshow.3. Review the scoring criteria before turning in your assignment. Should you have questions, pleaseconfer with your ELA teacher during the first week of school prior to turning in your work.Option 1 – Handwritten Visual Representation Guidelines Title and authorQuote 5-7 lines from your book that demonstrate beautiful writing. (Be sure to include the pagenumber.)Briefly explain one central theme of the book.Briefly reflect on how you feel about that theme.Include a hand drawn image or artistic design that represents some part of the book.Note: All parts MUST be HANDWRITTEN.Option 1 - Scoring RubricFull CreditPartial CreditTitle and AuthorTitle and Author5-7 examples of beautiful writing (withpage numbers)Brief explanation of one theme or centralideaLess than 5 examples of beautiful writing;page numbers may be missingExplanation of one theme or central ideamissing or incompleteBrief reflection of personal thoughts andfeelings regarding the themeMissing or incomplete brief reflection ofpersonal thoughts and feelings regardingthe themeHand-drawn image/graphic design missingHand-drawn image or graphic design thatrepresents the bookFew, if any, grammar or mechanics errorsSeveral grammar or mechanics errorsSee sample student projects below.No CreditAssignment was notturned in and/orcompleted.

Option 2 – PowerPoint Slideshow GuidelinesSlide #What to Include on Each Slide2 Book TitleAuthorYour NameYour Grade LevelWrite 1-2 sentences to explain one of the themes or central ideas found in your summer reading book.(Remember, theme is the overall message the author is trying to convey to the reader. It is a big picturetakeaway about life and the world around you.)3 Write 2-3 sentences to explain your personal thoughts and feelings about the theme or central idea.45 Copy and paste 3-5 images that represents the theme you explained on Slide #2. 6 Write your quotes (beautiful words) on this slide.Make sure you have at least 5 examples of beautiful words.(Don’t forget to include quotation marks and page numbers.)Write 2-3 sentences to explain your thoughts about the book, if you would recommend it to a friend,and why.1Option 2 PowerPoint Slideshow Scoring Criteria:Full CreditPartial CreditTitle, Author, Your Name, Your Grade LevelTitle, Author, Your Name, Your Grade Level5-7 quotes of beautiful writing (in quotesw/page numbers)Brief explanation of one theme or central ideaLess than 5 quotes of beautiful writing (maybe missing quotes and/or page numbers)Explanation of one theme or central ideamissing or incompleteBrief explanation of personal thoughts orfeelings about the theme or central ideaIncomplete or missing brief explanation ofpersonal thoughts or feelings about thetheme or central idea3-5 images that represents the theme/centralideaLess than 3 images or images not included2-3 Sentences to explain your thoughts aboutthe book and recommendationIncomplete or missing explanation ofthoughts and recommendationFew, if any, grammar or mechanics errorsSeveral grammar or mechanics errorsNo CreditAssignment was notturned in and/orcompleted.

Option 1 Sample Student Projects

Option 2 PowerPoint Slideshow Sample TemplateFeel free to create your own slideshow template as you follow the assignment guidelines and scoring criteria.Here is a sample template design.

Hand-drawn image or graphic design that represents the book Hand-drawn image/graphic design missing Few, if any, grammar or mechanics errors Several grammar or mechanics errors . 5-7 quotes of beautiful writing (in quotes w/page numbers) Less than 5 quotes of beautiful writing (may