Saturday, July 8, 2017

Don't Forget Your Summer Reading!

Now that we've enjoyed the first few weeks of summer break, don't leave your Summer Reading until the last minute. Bird Middle School students are required to read a minimum of two books during the summer. All students have one required title based on their grade level (see directly below) and one book of their choice from the list of twenty-five titles. Try reading your mandatory book in July and your second book in August.

Mandatory Reading Requirements
Students Entering 6th Grade - Flush by Carl Hiaasen
Students Entering 7th Grade - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition) by William Kamkwanba & Bryan Mealer
Students Entering 8th Grade - The Martian (Classroom Edition) by Andy Weir

You are encouraged to take notes while reading your required grade level book. A Note-taking Guide and a Chapter Summary sheet are available on our website to help you organize your thoughts. The Science department teachers will have an assessment or assignment for you shortly after you start school in September. If you have read the book and taken a few notes, you should be able to successfully complete the assignment.


Summer Reading Activities
Please read one book from the list of twenty-five Summer Reading titles (click here to access list and book descriptions). Then complete one of the following activities.

  1. Write a book review. Write the title, author, and genre of the book. Provide a brief summary of the plot without giving away the ending. Comment on the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Include a favorite quote from the book (cite the page number) and what you enjoyed about this title. Your book review may be published on the BMS Media News blog!

  1. Compose a Tweet. Draft a Tweet promoting the book you have read. Tweets contain up to 140 characters. Be sure to include the title, author, a very short description without giving the plot away. Writing a short review is harder than you think! Incorporate at least one hashtag # or the author’s handle. A hashtag is used in front of a keyword or phrase and helps categorize the tweet during a search. You can use the following character counter to make sure you do not go over the 140 limit: http://www.twitter-character-counter.com/ You can email the draft of your tweet to Mrs. O’Malley at aomalley@walpole.k12.ma.us. Your tweet may be used on the BMS Media twitter feed!

  1. Create a book talk. Write a script for a 2 minute video book talk. Include the title, author, and genre of the book. Provide a brief summary of the plot without giving away the ending. Comment on the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Include a favorite quote from the book (cite the page number) and what you enjoyed about this title. If you are tech-savvy, film your book talk and email your submission to Mrs. O’Malley at aomalley@walpole.k12.ma.us. Your book talk may be used on the BMS Media website!

  1. Design a promotional book poster. Draw a picture of the book cover or an important scene/element from the book. Make it look like a movie poster. At the top list the title and author. Include a quote from you about why you liked the book and why others should read it too. At the bottom include an exciting plot description without giving away the ending. Your promotional book poster may be hung in the Media Center or school hallway!

Happy Reading!

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