Summer Reading and Classroom Supplies

All seventh graders are required to read two books and complete the related assignments:

1. Seventh graders can choose to read any grade-level book, including fiction, non fiction or graphic novel. After reading the book, students should draw a detailed map of
the setting. Include significant places from the story and be sure to label all of the locations on the map and use detail and color. The map should be drawn on a minimum size of 8” x 11” paper or maximum size of 22” x 28” poster board.
2. Seventh graders will select a book from the list below and, in 3-4 typed paragraphs, describe the main character(s), setting and conflict of the novel.

Students may select:

Realistic Fiction
Ghost – Jason Reynolds
Booked – Kwame Alexander
Hatchet – Gary Paulsen
City of Ember – Jeanne Deprau
The Fault in Our Stars – John Greene
Stargirl – Jerry Spinelli
Wonder – R.J. Palaccio
Trouble – Gary D. Schmidt
The Wednesday Wars - Gary D. Schmidt
When You Reach Me – Rebecca Stead
The Maze Runner – James Dashner
A Good Kind of Trouble - Lisa Moore Ramee

Historical Fiction
Crispin - Avi
My Brother Sam is Dead – James Lincoln Collier & Christopher Collier
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – Christopher Paul Curtis
Fever 1793 - Laurie Halse Anderson

Science Fiction
Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card
The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
Sports
Heat - Mike Lupica

Science

Mosquitos Don't Bite Me - Pendred Noyce
Rosalind Franklin - A Life Story - Michael Ford
Bees on the Roof - Robbie Shell
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind - William Kamkwamba & Bryan Mealer
The Walking Fish - Rachelle Burk & Kopel Burk

Non-Fiction
Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick, a Monumental American Man - Tonya Bolden

8th Grade English:
Students should choose one of the following books and read it: Life of Pi by Yann Martel, A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger or The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. Please highlight or underline in your book at least five passages from the book relating to the main character’s personality, like important thoughts, actions, or speech. When school begins,
students will write an essay on their chosen novel during the first couple weeks of classes.

8th Grade Rhode Island / U.S. History:
Students will read Weetamoo: Heart of the Pocassets, Massachusetts, 1653 (The Royal Diaries) by Patricia Clark Smith. An oral book report will be due during the first week of school (Friday, Sept. 4). The oral book report should be an audio file. The body of the oral book report should be a discussion of the way of life of the
Pocasset tribe.

Students should address the following sub-topics: Weetamoo’s interaction with her immediate family, tribal food gathering (fishing, farming, and hunting), religious practices (including a discussion of Weetamoo’s interaction with the
spirit world), recreational activities, social activities (includes your re-telling of a story told by one of the elders), inter-tribal relations between the Pocassets and the Wampanoags, and the Pocasset tribe’s relations with the English colonists. The concluding section should be a critique of the book. Naturally, you should point out what you liked and disliked about the book.

Note #1: The recording should be about 10 minutes in length. The final draft grade for the oral book report assignment will be equivalent to two test grades.

Note #2: Please do not read the Epilogue at the end of the book. The content found in The book’s Epilogue should not be included in your oral book report recording.

Summer review assignments for all Upper School math classes are posted in this folder: link.

Assignments will be posted as they become available, with all assignments posted by Wednesday, July 8.

If you have any questions about the specific assignment, please email the teacher directly at the address listed in the Instructions & Teacher Info document (located within the folder). 

AP Biology:  Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston.  Students should be prepared to discuss general themes and there will be a written assignment in the first two weeks of class.

AP Physics:  AP Physics students will have a summer assignment that will be emailed to students at their PCD email address and posted on Google Classroom. The assignment will be due during the first week of school.

Honors Biology:  Hot Zone by Richard Preston.  Students should be prepared to discuss general themes and there will be a written assignment in the first two weeks of class.

Honors Chemistry:  Caesar's Last Breath: And Other True Tales of History, Science, and the Sextillions of Molecules in the Air Around Us by Sam Kean.  An accompanying reading guide and assignment will be emailed to students and posted on Google Classroom. The assignment should be completed as you read and will be due on the first day of classes. 

AP Computer Science: Students will read Blown to Bits (available online: https://www.niemanlab.org/pdfs/blowntobits.pdf) and should be prepared to discuss general themes. There will also be a written assignment in the first two weeks of class.