Dear Incoming 7 Grade English Students,

Dear Incoming 7th Grade English Students,

I hope you enjoy your summer break! I am very eager to begin working with you in August. You will learn many important concepts and skills that will not only prepare you for 8th grade but also make you a better reader, writer, and learner.

In order to help you maintain the skills you have worked so hard to acquire in 6th grade, teachers have created summer review packets. These packets are designed to help you keep your skills fresh, and they will prevent your brain from feeling out of shape when school resumes in August. Although summer is also meant to be restful and relaxing, it wasn't always that way.

Consider this: your school calendar is based on a time long ago when America was a nation of farmers who needed their children at home plowing the land during planting and harvest seasons. So instead of swimming in lakes and going to summer camp, most students were working long hours in the fields of their family farm during months they were not in school. Some schools even held sessions in the summer and winter so children could be free to help with spring planting and fall harvest seasons. Basically, the "break" may have been a break from school work, but it was certainly not a break from farm work. Knowing this, perhaps we can all appreciate the fact that today's students and teachers actually have a far more relaxing break than the teachers and students of our nation's history.

Many other countries have updated their academic calendars, and while students still have breaks throughout the year, including some time during the summer, they don't go as long without any learning and practicing of their skills. Unfortunately, we have not updated our calendar, so we have fallen behind as a nation, making it tougher each year for our students to compete with others around the world to be successful in the 21st century. Does this mean we should end summer breaks? Of course not! It just means we want to find a balance between resting our minds and practicing our skills. This is why we have a summer skills packet ? to get the best of both the old and new world and to prepare you for success in the ever-changing, fast-moving, future world. Even I won't be sitting around doing nothing all summer. Some of my favorite hobbies include playing guitar, reading novels, and writing screenplays. During the school year, I get so busy with preparing and teaching lessons that it can be difficult to practice these other skills as often as I would like. Therefore, in between my days of rest and relaxation, I'll be working on becoming a better reader and writer just like you. Hopefully, I'll compose a song or two as well!

**7th GRADE ENGLISH**

Dear Incoming 7th Grade English Students (and Parents),

Welcome! My name is Paul Ghiglieri, and I will be your new 7th grade English teacher beginning this fall. I want to share with you my enthusiasm and excitement about next year. Your English curriculum will stand on four pillars to make you a better writer, reader, and speaker. Those pillars are literature skills, writing proficiency, vocabulary study, and grammar and language mechanics.

In order to help you succeed in 7th grade, it is important that your skills in English don't get rusty during the summer. This summer packet will help you review what you've learned in English, since you will be assessed the first week of school in order discover your Language Arts skills. It will also reveal which areas we need to focus on and improve. Please use the CHECKLIST below to keep track of your progress.

MANDATORY SUMMER ENGLISH SKILLS REVIEW

You are responsible for the following work, all due on the first day of school:

1) _____READ Escape Under the Forever Sky by Eve Yohalem. 2) _____ TYPE your answers to all of the Discussion Questions for Escape Under the Forever

Sky in complete sentences and add a heading to your paper (name, date, class, assignment). The questions can be found on the next two pages.

3) _____Make FLASHCARDS and memorize the Literary Elements checklist (included). You will hand in your flashcards and be assessed the first week of school.

4) _____Complete the grammar worksheets on subjects, run-on sentences, fragments, nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. You will have a grammar assessment the first week of school.

5) _____Memorize the Spelling List and Commonly Confused Words List (included). These are words you should already know before entering 7th grade. You will have a test on these words during the first week of school.

6) _____Practice typing ? You will typing nearly everything in 7th grade, and you need to be proficient. Aim for 40 words per minute. You will have a writing/typing assessment to determine your skills during the first week of school.

7) READ as many books as you can to build your fluency and comprehension.

Additional information can be found at our class website at . While it might be tempting to forget about all school skills over the summer, your efforts over the break will help start 7th grade on the right foot! I promise that I will spend my summer thinking of creative ways to make class fun and enjoyable, yet at the same time productive and educational. Feel free to cut out the Active Reading Guide below to use for your summer active reading:

For now, have a wonderful summer vacation! I look forward meeting each and every one of you in August!

Paul Ghiglieri (Mr. G)

ESCAPE UNDER THE FOREVER SKY a novel by

Eve Yohalem

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

1. In the beginning of the novel, Lucy believes her mother cares more about her career than she does about her. Do you agree with her assessment? Explain.

2. What about Lucy's father and his career? Do you believe Lucy's experience with her parents is particularly unusual given their responsibilities in the workplace?

3. In what ways do her parents grow and reevaluate their family responsibilities because of Lucy's kidnapping?

4. Explain the significance of the title, Escape Under the Forever Sky. In your opinion, does it accurately describe the events and relationships portrayed in the novel? Explain.

5. Consider Lucy's relationship with the wild; why does she feel so connected to the animals there? What does her connection with these animals teach her about relationships in general?

6. Have you ever had a close relationship with an animal or pet? What was it about that relationship that made it special?

7. Explain why Lucy feels free to "just be herself" when she is in the bush. Is there a place that makes you feel that way?

8. What role does Dahnie, the park ranger, play in nurturing Lucy's commitment and connection to the wild?

9. Fear guides much of Lucy's mother's decisions regarding Lucy's experiences. Why is she fearful for Lucy's safety? Consider the incident at the market; though each of them blame each other, do you believe one of them is right? Why?

10. Describe your observations of the relationship between Lucy and her mother. Do you consider them a strong family? In what ways are they similar or different than your own?

11. Early in the novel, Lucy states, "Tana is everything I'm not: calm, patient, beautiful, charming." How does Lucy see herself? Do you agree with her self-assessment?

12. How does the time spent working to escape help Lucy come to better understand herself? Discuss the character traits that allow Lucy to ultimately persevere. Do you share any personality traits that are similar to hers? If so, what are they?

13. What are some of the ways in which living in Ethiopia is different from living in your country? What are some of the similarities?

14. Consider the variety of settings for Escape Under the Forever Sky; name the three places you believe to be most important to the story. Using textual evidence from the book (actual sentences from the story), explain why you find them to be significant to the overall story structure.

15. The curator of the National Museum of Ethiopia tells Lucy, "Nationality and religion are just politics. We are all one species." What do you think he means by that? Do you agree or disagree? Explain your position.

16. While discussing Dawit, Tana's father's new driver, Lucy tells her friend, "He gives me the creeps." What is significant about Lucy's gut reaction toward her captor? Have you ever had a similar experience where your felt "warned" by your instincts? How did you resolve the situation?

17. Compare Teddy's life in Guge to his life at school in Addis Ababa. How do these differences shape him as a person? Though they are poor, his parents insist he receive the best schooling possible. What do his parents hope to accomplish by ensuring his education is exemplary?

18. Consider how race is portrayed in the novel; in what ways does the author help readers understand the complexities of racial relationships and expectation throughout the world? What role does race play in your life?

19. Did you expect Abba and the rest of the villagers to believe Markos or Lucy? Why or why not?

20. Tana describes what it's like being a girl in Ethiopia: "Lucy, if you think it is bad to be a girl here, just imagine what it is like to be a woman. Men are in charge of everything . . . When I grow up, they will all expect me to behave a certain way just because that is how it has always been. I hate it." How does that compare to how girls are treated in your country?

21. Consider the standoff between Lucy and her captors in the wild; why do you think the lions surround Lucy? In what ways is this gesture symbolic of Lucy's connection to animals?

22. Though the setting of Escape Under the Forever Sky is the country of Ethiopia, there are many rituals and routines that likely feel similar to those in your own life. Considering the story, what are the elements that feel most familiar? How do these universal elements enhance the story?

23. Describe Tana. What makes her such a dynamic character? Does she remind you of anyone you know? In what ways does her relationship with Lucy help you better understand her character?

24. Describe Markos, Dawit, and Helena. Though they are all guilty of kidnapping Lucy, do you find one of them to be more villainous? If so, which one and why?

25. Through the course of the novel, Lucy and her mother learn that the world as they know will be forever changed. In what ways will it be better or worse for them? Have you had an experience that reshaped your life? In what ways have you changed due to this incident?

FOLLOW THE SUGGESTED PLANNING CALENDAR TO AVOID FEELING OVERWHELMED WITH THE SKILLS REVIEW PRACTICE.

Suggested Planning

Week 1: 1) Read Chapter 1-5 of your novel. 2) Complete first 6 grammar worksheets in order

to practice identifying subjects, fragments, run-ons, nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. 3) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.

Week 2: 1) Read Chapter 6-10 of your novel. 2) Complete an additional 6 grammar

worksheets in order to practice identifying subjects, fragments, run-ons, nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. 3) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.

Week 3: 1) Read Chapter 11-15 of your novel. 2) Complete an additional 6 grammar

worksheets in order to practice identifying subjects, fragments, run-ons, nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. 3) Make flashcards for the literary elements and devices that you need to study. 4) Practice typing for 20 minutes.

Week 4: 1) Read Chapter 16-20 of your novel. 2) Complete an additional 6 grammar

worksheets in order to practice identifying subjects, fragments, run-ons, nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. 3) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes. 4) Study your flashcards for at least 20 minutes.

Week 5: 1) Read Chapter 21-23 of your novel. 2) Complete an additional 6 grammar

worksheets in order to practice identifying subjects, fragments, run-ons, nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. 3) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes. 4) Type half of the answers to the literary analysis questions about the novel. 5) Study your flashcards for at least 20 minutes or practice typing for 20 minutes.

Week 6: 1) Type the last half of the answers to the literary analysis questions about the

novel. 2) Study your flashcards for at least 20 minutes. 3) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes. 4) Practice writing all the spelling words and commonly confused words.

(On the following pages you will find the lists of literary devices and grammar parts of speech.)

LITERARY TERMS AND DEVICES Checklist

Make flashcards for each and memorize:

Metaphor

A comparison between two seemingly unlike things that does not use the

words "like" or "as." Examples: Students are sailors on a journey. OR His

stomach tightened into a series of rolling knots.

Simile

A comparison between two seemingly unlike things that does use the words "like" or "as." Example: The moon hung like a light bulb in the sky.

Personification Giving inanimate (not alive) things human characteristics or qualities. Example: Your homework will rise up and bite you if you put it off.

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words in a phrase or sentence. Example: Mike's mean mother meant well. The consonant sound made by the letter "m" is repeated.

Imagery

A device that involves using at least one or more of your five senses (hearing, taste, touch, smell, sight) to make a clear picture of something for the reader. Example: The bruise on her arm was purple at top, blue at center, and the size of a dime.

Hyperbole

A figure of speech in which the writer uses exaggeration for emphasis. Example: I've told you a billion times to clean this room!

Foreshadowing When a writer gives details that hint at what is to come later in the story.

Flashback

A device that allows the writer to present events that happened before the time of the current story. Various methods can be used, including memories, dream sequences, stories told by characters

Onomatopoeia The imitation of natural sounds in word form. Examples: buzz, roar, woof, bang, pop, hiss, and sizzle

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