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Summer Reading
Summer Reading
Dear Rising 6th Grader,
You worked extremely hard all school year long, so let’s keep that momentum going! This summer we want you to relax, have fun, and keep learning. At the bottom of this letter, you will find six (6) engaging books and corresponding STEAM activities/projects that match your upcoming standards. Complete any three activities (or more). These books and activities are only suggestions. If you find a different book and want to complete a different activity, that is fine too!
We are partnering with Live Oak libraries, so get started there! At the library, you will be able to find all the books or similar type books you need to complete your summer reading and STEAM activities. Since you’re already at the library, allow your imagination to run free this summer. A good book can take you anywhere! Join the #ImagineYourStory themed summer reading program! It will be super easy! Then when you return in the fall with your summer reading and STEAM activities, you will receive PBIS Points and extra credit worth 100 each!
The district has also compiled information about summer reading. To find information about middle grades, please go to pages 20-28 and pages 35-43 at SCCPSS Summer Reading Enrichment. There, you'll find suggested books, other ways to show what you enjoyed with your reading, as well as a summer learning adventure calendar.
You have lots of choices on how you demonstrate that you have read this summer. We just want you to enjoy reading (and earn some extra credit during the first marking period.) All summer reading activities are due NO LATER than August 31, 2020 to your ELA teacher. You can earn a maximum of two extra credit assignments for summer reading (just make sure to follow the directions on the activities, or you won't receive the credit).
We’ll be excited to see all the great things you create this summer! Remember to have fun, relax, and read!!
See you in the fall!
The Sixth Grade Team
Topics discussed in Sixth Grade
Science - Natural resources, Astronomy, Rocks & Minerals, Earth, Water, Pollution,
Weather & Climate, Fossils
Social Studies - History, Geography, Government & Economics of Europe, Canada,
Latin America, and Australia
Suggested Sixth Grade Books with Accompanying STEAM activities (see back of this letter):
Maus by Art Spiegelman (a graphic novel about one man’s experience during the Holocaust)
Memories of Anne Frank by Alison Leslie Gold (a novel about Anne Frank’s friend, Hannah, and her struggle during World War II)
House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (novel about an Hispanic-American in Chicago) There will be a Literature Based Question (LBQ) essay at the beginning of school based on this book.
We Beat the Streets by Sharon Draper (Three young men overcome hardships)
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam (The true story of four young men who grew up in a coal mining town and decided to pursue their dreams instead of following the cultural norms to become miners like their fathers)
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey (This book addresses habits that will help you become successful.) The sixth grade team highly recommends this book to all sixth graders to help them with time management and other important issues of being a middle schooler.
Each activity/project is different, so you decide on the time-frame. Remember, these books and activities are only suggestions! Our goal is to make reading fun! So find a book you love and create a project to go along with it. The possibilities are endless! For each of the books, you may choose to do one of the following reading activities:
- Create a script of the book and have a movie trailer about it.
- Write a letter to the author explaining what you learned after reading the book and letting the author know your opinion of the book.
- Research the decade the novel took place and write two newspaper articles that would have taken place during that time in history.
- Create a song or rap that describes the events in the story. This can be recorded and played for the class at the beginning of the year, or you can perform it live!
- Create a diorama about a major event from the novel. Be sure to include the characters and details. Write a description of your scene and attach it to the back of your diorama.
- Write 2-3 paragraphs about the important lesson(s) you learned from reading the novel.
- Create a commercial advertising your book. Make sure to let your readers know some of the highlights of the book.
- Imagine time traveling in order to/or visiting one of the characters from the book (or the author) to conduct an interview. Write your questions and research the answers. Include 8-10 questions that focus on what this person accomplished in life and the impact their accomplishments had/have on the world. Were there any major obstacles they had to overcome to make this accomplishment?
- Create a comic strip that communicates information from the novel.
- You can also look at the following websites for STEAM activities:
https://tinkerlab.com/easy-stop-motion-animation-kids
https://lemonlimeadventures.com/50-totally-awesome-steam-projects-to-boost-creativity/
https://stemactivitiesforkids.com/category/middle-school
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