7th and 8th grade Humanities

::2004 Summer Humanities Work for Grades 7-8::

Assignments

1. Read 3 books this summer from the following genres:

• Fiction 
• Non-fiction  
• Biography or Autobiography of a person who interests you

2. Complete Reading forms for each book

Click HERE for book report forms

3. Complete one of the following assignments for each book:

::fiction, biography and autobiography activities::

• Create a sculpture of a character. Use any combination of soap, wood, clay, sticks, wire, stones, old toy pieces, or any other object. A two-page explanation of how this character fits into the book should accompany the sculpture.
• Interview a character from your book. Write at least ten questions that will give the character the opportunity to discuss his/her thoughts and feelings about his/her role in the story. However you choose to present your interview is up to you.
• Write a diary that one of the story's main characters might have kept before, during, or after the book's events. Remember that the character's thoughts and feelings are very important in a diary.  Your diary must contain 5 entries and be a minimum of three pages long.
• Build a miniature stage setting of a scene in the book. Include a two-page explanation of the scene.
• Dress as one of the characters and act out a two-minute characterization. Include a page-long essay describing the character.
• Construct a diorama (three-dimensional scene which includes models of people, buildings, plants, and animals) of one of the main events of the book. Include a two-page written description of the scene.
• Write a letter (10-sentence minimum) to the main character of your book asking questions, protesting a situation, and/or making a complaint and/or a suggestion. This must be done in the correct letter format.
• After reading a book of history or historical fiction, make an illustrated timeline showing events of the story and draw a map showing the location(s) where the story took place. Write a two-page research paper about the topic and what you learned.
• Create a mini-comic book of the book.
• Design costumes for dolls and dress them as characters from the book. Explain who these characters are and how they fit in the story in a two page paper.
• Write and perform an original song that tells the story of the book.
• Be a TV or radio reporter, and give a report of a scene from the book as if it is happening "live".  This report must be a page long.  It must be presented on an interesting poster board with a visual of the scene.
• Create a newspaper for your book. Summarize the plot in one article. Cover the weather in another.  Do a feature story on one of the more interesting characters in another. Include an editorial and a collection of ads that would be pertinent to the story.
• Do a collage/poster showing at least 5 pictures or 3D items that related to the book, and then write a sentence or two beside each one to show the significance of each.
• Pretend that you can spend a day with one of the characters. Which character would you choose? Why? What would you do? Write a two-page paper that describes who you chose, why and what you did.

::non-fiction activities::

• Create a brochure about the topic of the book.  Be sure to include at least 4 paragraphs about the topic that you learned, as well as interesting visuals.
• Prepare an oral report of 5 minutes. Give a brief summary of the topic and describe what you have learned. Be prepared for questions from the class.
• Do a collage/poster showing at least 5 pictures or 3D items that related to the topic, and then write a sentence or two beside each one to show the significance of each.
• Read two books on the same subject and compare and contrast them.
• Create a mini-comic book of the topic.

Assessment:

During the first two weeks of school, students will present their summer work in a classroom exhibition for classmates.  These presentations will be organized by genre.  Presentations will serve as an exciting way to share their work with classmates and begin the year's humanities work.

Students will spend time in class creating a rubric for their presentations.

Enjoy your summer! I look forward to seeing you in the fall!