Suffern Middle School Summer Reading Assignment 2010

Dear Middle School Students & Parents:

In an effort to increase the interactivity, meaning and enjoyment of our summer reading program, we will once again be using an online discussion format.  This year, we will host the online discussions on "Saywire, "an academic Facebook-like social network that is self-contained and secure .  Following you will find a list of books, requirements and instructions for the summer reading assignment, and instructions for registering and logging on to Saywire.  If for some reason, technical or otherwise, your student is unable to participate online during the summer, he or she should make notes on paper and we will help him or her contribute to the discussion in September.  However, every effort should be made to contribute during the summer because the real fun of the assignment is to be in touch with one's peers, sharing opinions and observations about books over the summer.

Summer Reading Requirements

Each student should read at least two books from the list.  For each book, students should post to that book's discussion at least once, for a minimum total of two posts.  We are hoping, however, that the online discussions will be compelling enough that students will be tempted to post more than once for each book.  Also see the guidelines for participating in discussions below.

The attached book list is divided by reading level to make it easier for students to select an appropriate book.  However, students should always "test drive" a book before they commit.  If after a few chapters a student find his or her interest flagging or is encountering too many words he or she does not know, that book should be abandoned in favor of a more interesting book on an appropriate level.  The summer reading assignment is meant to encourage students to discover and enjoy new books; it should not be an unpleasant chore.

Go to the SMS front page and login from there

Your login and password is the same as how you login into the network. Meaning (for most):

Login: first initial last name

Password: Student ID

0. On the menu at the top of the page click "pages"
0. Click on the title of your book
0. In the top right corner, click on "Request Subscription"; your subscription approval should be instantaneous
0. On the book page menu click "Discussion Board"
0. Click the "Add New Topic" to add a new topic, or click "Post Comment" on a topic to respond to someone else's topic; either kind of post will count for credit

Guidelines for Participating in a Discussion

0.  Be polite.  Saywire is an online school environment and all rules regarding behavior in school apply to Saywire.  Bad or abusive language should be reported using the Saywire reporting tool. 
0. Remember, you are not agreeing or disagreeing with a person, but with an idea.  Always state that you agree or disagree with an idea, not with the person that expressed the idea. Students should be able to express their thinking without being personal.
0. Each post should express a complete idea.  Therefore each post should have three parts.  First the idea should be clearly expressed.  Second the reasons for the idea should be explained.  Last, one or more examples which support the idea should be given.  Below are some templates for different kinds of posts.

I think……because……for example……

I like (don't like)……because……for example……

I agree (disagree) with the idea……because……for example……

Possible topics for discussion:

• Characters:  What is the main character like?  Who is your favorite character?  Who is your least favorite character?  Why?

• Setting:  How does the setting impact the story?  Why did the author select this setting for this story?  How would this story be different if the setting was altered in some way?

• Conflict:  What was the main underlying conflict in the story?  Was the conflict resolved in a way that was believable and interesting? 

• Theme:  What was a theme you found while reading this novel?  How did the author develop this theme?  What other books, movies or articles share this same theme?