8th-Grade-Summer-ELA-Reading

8 downloads 523 Views 197KB Size Report
your Language Arts book, The Land by Mildred Taylor. Also, make sure you are documenting the books you are reading over the summer. See the Summer ...
8th Grade Summer Reading

---------Language Arts Ms. Browning~ Mrs. VonDolteren ~Mrs. Williams

Welcome to 8th grade! Below you will find the 3-part summer reading guide for your Language Arts book, The Land by Mildred Taylor. Also, make sure you are documenting the books you are reading over the summer. See the Summer Reading page on the JWJ Website for documentation information. Pre-Reading Assignment for The Land by Mildred D. Taylor 1. Examine the title and cover of the book. From your observation, what do you think the book will be about? 2. The story takes place during the post Civil-War era. What is your knowledge on this era and race relations during this time period? 3. What do the following terms mean to you? a.) Family Unity b.) Love of the land c.) Prejudices vs. Racism 4. Can you make a personal connection? Do you have a close friend who you would consider a relative (brother or sister)? What are some common traits you both have? What are some differences? 5. Using a dictionary or www.dictionary.com choose 6 vocabulary words from the novel and write a definition for each.

WHILE READING The Land by Mildred D. Taylor, do the following:

I.

Setting What is the time period and where does this historical fiction take place?

Why is land so important to the narrator? What are the “social taboos” of this time in America’s past.

II.

Characters List the names of the major characters as you meet them in the novel. Choose two of the characters and do the following: Find three quotes that reveal important or different aspects of the character. Then explain how those quotes reveal the character. Be sure to include page citations for your quotes. For example, Paul Edward says on page 126 at the end of Part 1 on Childhood, “I knew a part of my life was passing now, a part of my life I would never know again, the part of my life that was my daddy.” Explain this quote from Paul Edward. What part of his life was passing? What did this part have to do with his daddy?

III.

Plot The novel is divided into three sections. Before you read a section, make a prediction of the action. After each of the three parts, Childhood, Manhood, Legacy, write a short summary explaining the action of the novel and note whether or not your predictions came true.

After Reading The Land by Mildred Taylor, do the following:

Each of the following questions should be answered in separate paragraphs. Each paragraph should answer the question and support the answer with documentation from the novel. 1. Explain the significance of the setting to the story. 2. Explain the author’s theme. 3. What mood is created throughout the story? 4. What is the major conflict and what is the resolution of this major conflict? 5. Identify two symbols in the novel and explain their significance.