Dear Future 8th-grade students and parents,

We hope that you are having an enjoyable final few weeks of school and are preparing for a safe and fun-filled summer break.

The Summer Assignment for the students is as follows: A math assignment, reading two novels, and an essay based on their reading. The math assignment will consist of a skills packet that is posted below. Please print off a copy and complete. Students must show all work involved in completing the math assignment in order to receive full credit. In ELA the students will be writing a number of essays next year, and this summer assignment will show them exactly what to expect. The essay is to be typed in MLA format and will be due on Wednesday, September 6th. Further directions will be provided below along with the essay prompt.

If you have any questions regarding the summer work, please do not hesitate to email a teacher. We hope you all have a safe and enjoyable summer!

The 8th Grade Teachers

• This year there is a summer reading assignment AND a grammar packet.  
• READING 
  • Students must choose ONE of the following novels below to read.
    • Ali Cross by James Patterson
      • Ali Cross has always looked up to his father, former detective and FBI agent Alex Cross. While solving some of the nation's most challenging crimes, his father always kept his head and did the right thing. Can Ali have the same strength and resolve?
    • Code Girls: the True Story of the American Girls Who Broke Code in WWII by Lizz Mundy
      • More than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II, recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to the nation's capital to learn the top secret art of code breaking
    • Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
      • Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.
    • Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
      •  The novel focuses on Esperanza, the only daughter of wealthy Mexican parents, and the events that occur after her father's murder and her subsequent move to California due to the actions of Esperanza's uncles, Tio Luis and Tio Marco.
    • Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson 
      • It's late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever. Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse.
    • A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen:
      • With the rise of the Berlin Wall, Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle
        brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, yet
        she can't help herself.
    • Restart by Gordon Korman: 
      • Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again.
  • Summer Reading Assignment
  • Directions: Choose and answer all of the following questions. These should be well-thought out answers with details to support students’ answers. 
    
    Answers should be typed with MLA heading, size 12 font, double-spaced, Times New Roman.
    
    MLA Heading on the left-hand side of the page is as follows:
    
    Student Name
    Mr. Braun 
    English Language Arts
    Day Month Year 
    
    **Spelling, grammar, and punctuation all count!!!**
    
    1.     Summarize the story in at least 5 sentences. Include characters, setting, conflict and resolution.
    
    2.     Describe a choice one of the main characters or people made in the book.  How did this choice change that character/person? How did it affect the story as a whole?
    
    3.     What was the theme of the story? What lesson was the author trying to teach?
    
    4.     From whose point of view is this story told? How does this point of view shape the story?
    
    5.     Describe some personal connections that you made while reading the book. Were they related to any personal experiences, past readings, and/or current events? Be sure to reference specific moments from the text.
    
     
    Note: Students are required to type their responses and print them out to be handed in on the due date. Students should take their time to plan and organize their thoughts and responses prior to writing. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation all count!
    
    SUMMER WORK IS DUE THE FIRST DAY BACK TO SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 3, 2024
     
  • GRAMMAR PACKET Assignment
    • The grammar packet needs to be completed and turned in on the first day of school (9/3/2024). 
      • The packet can be found on the following Google Classroom 
        • Code: dfuwbal (all lowercase)