8th Grade Literature
2008-2009
"The War Between the Classes" Vocabulary
"The Giver" Vocabulary
"Night" Vocabulary
Reading is Fun (RIF) and Speed Reading
1st Semester
1. Classes will be held Mondays and Fridays during first semester in the LRC. We will begin the program with class on Monday, August 25th and end with class on Friday, January 9th.
2. Each class will be separated into two groups. Each group will have 18 minutes of Speed Reading with Mrs. Smerko and 18 minutes of RIF with Mrs. Finnegan and Mrs. Gabriel. We will let you know when it is time to switch.
3. The book you choose to read is your textbook. It is your responsibility to bring the book each day to RIF. If you are unprepared for class, you will receive a homework notice/demerit.
4. Once you have chosen a book (from our library or another source), you must have it approved by Mrs. Gabriel, Mrs. Finnegan, or Mrs. Heimer. The book must be present to receive approval. After you receive approval, fill out the reading record sheet, don’t forget to get the initials from the approving teacher. If your book is not approved, you will receive a zero for the assignment.
5. RIF time will be spent reading the book you have chosen or working silently on the RIF project.
6. There are six assignments for RIF. You may choose the order you do the assignments as long as you complete each assignment. Sign up sheets will be available during RIF time.
The due dates for the assignments are:
September 12, 2008 November 14, 2008
October 3, 2008 December 5, 2008
October 22, 2008 January 9, 2009
Classic – Persuasive Presentation
Your assignment is to persuade your classmates to read the book you chose (even if you did not like it) by giving an oral presentation to the class. You should use the characters, setting, and events in the story to help persuade the other students. You are required to hand in your notes on index cards the day you give your presentation. You are allowed and encouraged to use the note cards during your presentation.
Please include the following information on the cards:
1. Your name, date, section/class period
2. Title and author
3. One interesting fact about the author
4. Genre (other than classic) and one example of why this book is in that genre
5. Description of your support (character, event, or…)
6. One theme, explain it and give one example. (remember a theme is universal)
7. Your favorite part of the story and why
*Be sure you encourage others to read the story.
Mystery - Critic’s Card
You will use a 5x7 index card to complete this assignment. Printing is acceptable and I have the cards for you. You must use the following format and numbers to complete your critic’s card:
1. Title, Author, Publisher/Copyright date (5pts)
2. Genre (5pts)
3. Awards - if there are awards, state which awards and the year. If there are no awards, state “no awards” (5pts)
4. Decide a rating: *, **, ***, or ****. Would you recommend it to others? Why or Why not? (15pts)
5. What is the mystery? Describe the moment you were able to solve the mystery. If you did not solve the mystery before the end of the story, why not? Why did it remain a mystery to you? (30pts)
6. Describe the main characters and the setting in detail. (30pts)
7. If you could change any event in the story which one would it be? Why? How would this change the story? (10pts)
Science Fiction or Fantasy
You will use KidPix or Apple works to create a slide presentation book talk. You should have 4-8 slides to use as visual aides during your book talk. The pictures should help you give your presentation but not have extensive writing. A book talk is not a summary of the story; you are sharing the highlights of the story to gain the attention of others.
In your book talk you must include at least one slide for each #:
1. Title & author (only words is fine)
2. One additional work by the same author
3. Genre and visual example to prove the genre
4. setting
5. main characters
6. the plot or main idea of the story
7. Your favorite quote/part from the story and why you liked it
Christian Values - Journal Page & Pyramid of Action
Journal Entry-
Choose one event in the story in which a character exhibits good Christian values. Write a journal entry from the point of view of the character. Describe the event (think about conflicts), the choices made, the choices that could have been made, and why you considered the actions to be those of a Christian. Your response should be 1-2 pages, double spaced, size 12 font with 1 inch margins. Please include a cover page with the book title, author, your name etc. and assignment name (Christian value). The journal entry should start “Dear Diary,” and end with the characters name.
Pyramid of Action- There is a form for the pyramid. Please print neatly and complete the form.
Nonfiction – Newspaper Article
You will be writing a newspaper article based on the reading. The article should be 2 columns, 1-2 pages, 1 1/2 spaced, size 12 font with 1 inch margins. Your article will need:
1. Newspaper headline
2. Your name as the author of the article
3. Interesting facts about the book/topic
4. The title. author, and genre of the book cited within the article
5. One picture with caption (must be related to the story)
6. One quote from the story
Historical Fiction – Compare/Contrast & Time Line
Compare/Contrast-
The title, author, your name, and section should be on a cover page. Using either a Venn Diagram or the Compare/Contrast form from class, you will be comparing yourself to the main character in the story. Be sure to focus on the historical similarities and differences whenever possible. You must use at least 6 of the following areas to compare/contrast:
1. social life 2. academic life 3.food
4.living conditions 5. social issues 6. fashion
7. chores/responsibilities 8. life problems/conflicts in life
9. hobbies/entertainment
Time Line-
Create a time line or list of important events in the story. They should relate to historical events or times. Minimum of 6. The time line can be hand drawn, the list should be typed.
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