Summer Reading Program

1
Summer Reading Program

• Humanities Approach -
• Building
• Literacy Skills through Great Stories

2
SEMS HumanitiesSummer Reading Program Objectives

• Help build literacy skills
• Enhancing knowledge of historical timeframes
• Opportunity for adventure and excitement
• Learning about great figures, their strengths and
  weaknesses, of the past and present

3
Summer Reading Program Guidance

• Over the summer, students are highly recommended
  to read at least one of the books listed as a
  choice for their incoming grade level. If you
  have another book that you would like to read,
  please contact.
• In 7th and 8th Grade students will be asked to
  present information on the book they read in a
  format defined by their teacher in the first
  weeks of school.
• Students will receive some type of credit their
  history class for their efforts and presentations.

4
Incoming 6th Grade Literacy Choices

• Novel suggestions
• The Egypt Game
• The Golden Goblet
• Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greeks
• The Labors of Hercules
• The Bronze Bow
• Lightning Thief
• Higher (Honors) level suggestions
• Hobbit
• Iliad and Odyssey (Junior level)

5
Incoming 7th Grade Literacy Choices

• Novel suggestions
• Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
• Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher
  Staples
• Crispin At the Edge of the World or Cross of
  Lead
• Bud, Not Buddy
• Lord of the Rings
• Story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
• Other possibilities are Ivanhoe (Junior level)
  a biography of Charlemagne, Marco Polo, King
  Henry VIII, Galileo, etc

6
Incoming 8th Grade literacy Choices

• Novel suggestions
• Nothing But the Truth by Avi
• My Brother Sam is Dead by James L. Collier and
  C. Collier
• Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
• Biographies of Founding Fathers or other
  Americans
• Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
• Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

7
Incoming 8th Grade literacy Choices (continued)

• More 8th Grade literature options
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• Historical fiction books that cover American
  historical period, 1492 - early 1900s
• A biography of Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln,
  Robert E. Lee, Andrew Carnegie or others from
  Americas rich history.

8
History-Social Science Department Overview

• 6th Grade World History- Ancient Civilizations
• 7th Grade World History- Medieval Period and
• Early Modern Times Approximately
  400s 1600s CE
• 8th Grade United States History - Growth and
• Conflict Approximately late 1700s
  Early 1900s CE
• Key Points
• More in-depth discussions with historical
  connections
• Discuss and write opinions using proper format
• Independent team assignments with
  student-centered learning
• Coordination with LA for projects and readings
• Higher expectations for quality work enhanced
  rigor
• Contact dan.wiley_at_smusd.org