Grade 7 Requirements

For Rising 7th Graders

The ACDS Reading and Response Journal project is required summer work. Students may choose to keep either a hard copy journal, an online blog, or a combination of the two. The requirements are the same for blogging or journaling; it is just the format that is different. Students should view the journal as a way to chronicle their summer and to share their personality with their classmates and teachers in September. Students will not receive a grade on this project, but will receive teacher feedback, and the journal will provide the basis for conversations that will allow teachers to get to know students better. Everyone will want to keep a journal that helps them document a great summer and one that makes them proud.

Required Journal or Blog Entries (You must complete each of these)

Remember: all journal entries should include the date the entry was written. (It is okay if you create multiple entries on the same date.). Don't forget to use complete sentences, correct capitalization, punctuation and spelling.

1. Create a cover for your journal or design the format for your blog.

2. Read our 7th grade community read

The required seventh grade book is The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon.

Select one of the following questions and answer it in a paragraph in your journal or on your blog. Use evidence from the book to make a strong argument. Pay attention to grammar and spelling.

Pick one of the main characters (Caleb, Bobby Gene, or Styx Malone) and identify their character traits. You may choose to rank their traits and explain how one trait is more important to the story than others. Or you may explore their positive traits, as well as their less likeable traits.
Consider the role of power in Styx Malone's relationships with Caleb and Bobby Gene. How does Styx's power affect the other two boys? How does it drive the story?
Identify a theme in the book. How do the characters and their troubles serve to advance that theme?

This book is available at the Alexandria Public libraries, Hooray for Books (20% discount if you mention you're from ACDS) and elsewhere.

3. Just Right Books (2 or more)

Read: At least two books at your "just right" reading level.
Write: Two response journal entries for each book.

Entry #1 – When you are about half-way finished with the book, provide a reflection. What is the book about? (Make sure you include the main character and the setting.) Who is the narrator? What is the conflict? What do you think is going to happen?
Entry #2 – After you have finished with the book, provide a reflection. What did you like most about the book? What was your favorite “quotation” from the book? Would you recommend the book to a friend? (Why/why not?)

4. Book of your choice (1 or more)

Read: One book of your choice. Please select a book that you have not read before.
Select a book of interest to you. It can be any book-- fiction, nonfiction, biography, graphic novel, any book at any level, with your parents approval.

Write (or create a multimedia) Book Review Remember to include:

The full title of the book
The author's full name
A short summary of the plot. (Don't give away any surprises!)
What you liked about it
A rating from 1 to 5 where 5 stars is the best

Looking for ideas? Here are some great sources for book recommendations.

Optional Entries (Complete as many of these as you would like)

Students are encouraged to try some of the suggested optional entries, ideas from the Summer Ideas blog, or to use the rest of the journal to pursue other projects of interest. Be sure to click on the hyperlink in each task to see the specific reflection questions to inspire your answers. The reflection questions are a guide to help format your answers-- you may address other questions that interest you instead or as well.