Summer Reading Activities - A Jump Start to Literature

 

I am very fortunate to teach in a program that allows me to have contact with my 8th grade class at the end of their 7th grade year.  All of the teachers in our unique Creative Arts Magnet Program have a list of summer reading selections that allow us to jump start our year with several group and independent activities surrounding YA literature.  This year, there were seven various titles to choose from with a variety of genre and reading level choices; the students were tasked to choose two of those titles to read over the summer break.  They were also provided a template to help them keep track of their responses in several areas: plot, characters, interesting quotes, new vocabulary, author's purpose or theme, etc.. 

My students are in the final stages of their group projects and presentations.  This group activity allows the students to choose from a list of project ideas, and I encourage them to discuss each student's strengths before making their final choice.  The students are also allowed to suggest an alternate project for approval, and this year I had one group propose their own project, a "children's book" based on the Grievers in the novel The Maze Runner.   This first activity has given the students a forum to discuss the books and compare ideas they took away from the readings.  This first group interaction also supplies me with a great deal of information as I observe the group dynamics, individual contributions, communication strategies, problem solving skills, and much more.  The students will also be making video reviews of their book choice and posting them on my classroom blog over this next week.  I'll look forward to posting those as they are completed. I have included the titles my students had to choose from this year.
Enjoy! Kelly Sporrer