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2016-2017

Welcome Incoming 8th

Graders (and Parents),

I am excited to begin learning with you in August! We have the wonderful yet

pivotal task of preparing you for high school and for a life of reading, writing, and

communicating effectively. Please make sure you read the information below carefully.

Completing these tasks thoughtfully will ensure that you maintain your important

learning from 7th

grade and improve any grade level skills that still need growth. Do

your best work; I want everyone to be prepared for a great start in 8th

grade English!

Warmly,

Ms. Zacuto

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes Any Classic by Jules Verne

The Call of the Wild by Jack London The Princess Bride by William Goldman

A Separate Peace by John Knowles The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

A Secret Garden by Frances H. Burnett Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

A Little Princess by Frances H. Burnett Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi The Pearl by John Steinbeck

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery The Swiss Family Robinson by Johan Wyss

Use this checklist to help you stay focused. The 4 tasks below are required.

1) ______Read ONE book from the list above THAT YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY READ.

Look online for descriptions or browse the library or book store. Please make sure that your

parent approves your book choice. Not all books will be appropriate for all families. Also,

make sure that your book is at your correct reading level.

2) ______Read this book ACTIVELY by putting at least 1 thoughtful note on every page. If you

are borrowing the book, you may use post-its or write your notes on a piece of paper next to the

page number. To demonstrate mastery of this skill, you will have a balance of interesting

questions, observations, and literary devices you notice (characterization, imagery, metaphor,

simile, personification, hyperbole, suspense, foreshadow, etc.).

3) ______ TYPE YOUR ANSWERS to the FIVE novel questions in SHORT PARAGRAPHS that

show me YOUR best writing. (These novel questions are listed later in the packet.)

4) ______WRITE ONE JOURNAL ENTRY EACH WEEK. These entries can be based on the

suggested topics, or you may write about your own topic each week.

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YOUR BOOK WITH ACTIVE READING, YOUR 5 PARAGRAPHS ABOUT THE NOVEL,

AND YOUR 6 JOURNAL ENTRIES ARE DUE ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.

Novel Paragraphs --Mandatory Assignment

*Please keep in mind that I am looking for your own ideas in your own writing. You MAY NOT take

ideas from the Internet or other students. That would not only be a very serious form of cheating, but it

will also turn this work into a waste of your time since the entire purpose is to practice your skills. It’s

okay if you are not entirely correct or if your writing is not perfect. I’m your teacher, so I need to know

where you ARE so I can know how to SUPPORT your growth.

Also, copying is called plagiarism and a serious offense!

a) Paragraph 1: In 7-15 sentences, identify one character you like, one character you dislike, and one

character who changes in some clear way. Explain your ideas using CHARACTERIZION for each.

(Appearance, beliefs, personality, changes, etc...)

b) Paragraph 2: In 7-15 sentences, write down TWO different examples of FIGURATIVE

LANGUAGE (ONLY metaphor, simile, personification, or hyperbole). First define the device. Then

write and underline the example from the book, write the page number where you found it, explain

what they MEAN and explain HOW or WHY you think the author used them.

c) Paragraph 3: In 7-15 sentences, explain one or two major THEMES of the novel. Underline the

theme and then explain how you noticed each theme in at least 2 places within the novel. *Remember,

a theme should be expressed in a complete sentence. (Friendship is a motif. Friendship is essential to

our lives is a theme.)

d) Paragraph 4: In 7-15 sentences, identify, underline and explain TWO DEFINING MOMENTS.

Explain clearly why you think each one is so important. (What is its impact or effect?)

e) Paragraph 5: In 7-15 sentences, evaluate your reading, understanding, and enjoyment of this novel.

First, how well did you understand it (mostly, somewhat, or very little)? Was it at your correct reading

level or too easy or too challenging? Second, how closely did you read it? (Did you really pay

attention to every word or did you skim some of the novel?) Why did you enjoy or not enjoy the novel,

or did you only enjoy some of it? Back up your opinion with specific reasons.

Weekly Journal Entries—You need to write 6 journal entries (one each week). You may use the

following topics OR create your own. Each entry should be typed and at least 1/2 of a page

single spaced or 1 page double spaced.

1) Week 1: Introduce yourself to me as a whole person. Here are some questions you might

answer: What are adjectives you would use to describe yourself, what do you love or hate, what

makes you unique, what do you value most, or how would others describe you?

2) Week 2: Describe the world from the perspective of a bird OR from the perspective of a foot!

Describe the sights, sounds, aromas, colors, visions, and how you feel.

3) Week 3: Who is someone (past or present) you admire deeply and why?

4) Week 4: If you could create a new school rule, what would it be and why?

5) Week 5: What is your favorite book or what is your favorite place? Why?

6) Week 6: If you won a million dollars to put toward changing the world, what would you do

with the money?

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*** RECOMMENDED SUMMER ENGLISH SKILLS REVIEW***

The following work is suggested, since it will help you prepare for the skill assessment tests during

the first week of school. Your current skill level will determine how much you should do:

1) Literary Devices: Review the literary devices on the following list and make flashcards for any

you have not already mastered. Study them!

2) Vocabulary: Look over the commonly confused words. Make sure you know at least the ones on

this list. Make flashcards and study if needed.

5) Grammar: Review the grammar parts of speech and make flashcards for any information on

the following handouts that you have not already mastered. Study them!

6) Writing: Use the graphic organizer that is attached to practice writing MLA essays. You can

choose any thesis and write about any novel. (I have also provided a model essay to help you.)

Write every day in a journal to practice basic writing skills. You can write on any topic.

7) Typing: Practice typing until you can type at least 55 words per minute. You need to be prepared

to write timed, in-class essays on the computer.

8) READ, READ, READ for pleasure!!!! Keep track of the books that you read on the log that I

have provided. (Reading is the BEST way to improve your writing, fluency and comprehension

skills!) (Do not read the following books as we will be reading them together in class next year:

Edgar Allan Poe Stories, Twelve Angry Men, To Kill a Mockingbird.)

Parents need to monitor which books are appropriate for their children, but here are some links

with some book suggestions.

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/8th-grade-reading-list

http://eighthgradereadinglist.com/

http://www.fcps.edu/is/summer/reading/documents/Gr78SummRead.pdf

http://aadusd.k12.ca.us/hds/languagearts/summer%20reading%20list.pdf

Suggested Planning*Try to read for pleasure daily.

Week 1: 1) Read a fourth of your novel. 2) Complete the first journal entry. 3) Make flashcards for the

grammar parts of speech that you need to study. 4) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.

Week 2: 1) Read another fourth of your novel. 2) Complete the second journal entry. 3) Make

flashcards for the literary devices that you need to study. 4) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.

Week 3: 1) Read another fourth of your novel. 2) Complete the third journal entry. 3) Make flashcards

for the vocabulary words you need to study. 4) Practice typing for 20 minutes.

Week 4: 1) Read the final fourth of your novel. 2) Complete the fourth journal entry. 3) Study your

flashcards for at least 20 minutes. 4) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.

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Week 5: 1) Type half of the answers to the questions about the novel. 2) Complete the fifth journal

entry. 3) Study your flashcards for at least 20 minutes. 4) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.

Week 6: 1) Type the final half of the answers to the questions about the novel. 2) Complete the sixth

journal entry. 3)Study your flashcards for at least 20 minutes. 4) Practice typing for at least 20 minutes.

*The 7th

grade literary devices, grammar parts of speech, and vocabulary are on the next few

pages.

7th

grade Literary Devices

Story Elements

Narrator The speaker who tells the story. If the narrator is also a character who participates

in the story, it is important not to confuse the narrator with the author—who may,

in fact, hold a very different attitude toward the story.

Point of View

-Type of

narration

- The perspective

from which a

story is told.

First Person: A character in the story tells the story using first person pronouns (I,

me, my, mine, we…) .

Third Person Limited: One person tells the story and uses the pronouns “he,”

“she,” and “it.” The reader only knows what this one character is thinking, seeing,

and feeling. The story is told only from this perspective.

Third Person Omniscient: The narrator uses the pronouns “he,” “she,” and “it.”

The narrator is all-knowing and, therefore, knows what all of the characters are

seeing, thinking, and feeling.

Plot

-The sequence of

events in the

story.

Exposition: The author gives background information about the characters, setting,

and sometimes the problem.

Rising Action: The writer sets up a main conflict or a problem and the tension in

the story rises.

Climax: The moment when the rising action comes to its highest point of dramatic

conflict. Usually this moment occurs before the actual ending of the story.

Falling Action: The part of the story following the climax and leading to the

resolution.

Resolution/ Denouement: The outcome of the events in a story.

Characters

-the “people” or

“personalities”

within a story

Protagonist: The central/main character around which the action takes place

(often the “good guy” but not always.)

Antagonist: The character who tries to interfere with the actions of the

protagonist (often the “bad guy”)

Characterization: The methods a writer uses to communicate information about

characters to readers.

(What the character says, does, thinks, feels, believes, etc…When the author tells

the readers directly, it is called direct characterization. When an author shows the

character in action, and allows readers to draw their own conclusions, it is called

indirect characterization.)

Conflict: The

main tension or

problem.

Internal: A conflict between a character and him or herself

External: A conflict between a character and an outside force (another person, an

animal, a storm, etc…)

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Setting

The environment--time and place—of the story.

Mood/Tone

The overall feeling of the story created by the author’s choice of words. (light and

happy, dark and brooding, Serious, suspenseful, humorous, ironic etc…)

Literary Devices: Techniques the author uses to create a particular effect.

Figurative

Language

Figurative language uses "figures of speech" to describe something in a non-literal

way. (metaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification)

Imagery

Vivid language and details used to describe in a way that creates a picture in the

mind of the reader.

Metaphor A figure of speech that compares two unlike objects without using “like” or “as.”

Hyperbole An exaggeration used to make a point or for emphasis.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an idea, object, or animal takes on human

characteristics.

Simile

A figure of speech that compares two unlike objects using the words “like” or “as.”

Symbol

An image, object, character or action that stands for an idea beyond its literal

meaning.

Idiom

Phrase or expression meaning something different from what the words actually

say (Example: You are walking on thin ice.)

Suspense Techniques used by the author to keep the reader interested in the story and

wondering what will happen next.

Flashback A past event remembered clearly and which affects the development of the story –

usually interrupts or is inserted within the chronological development of the story.

Foreshadow A writing technique that gives readers hints or clues about events that will happen

later in the story.

Dialogue The actual words the characters speak.

Onomatopoeia

The use of words to imitate the sounds they describe as in zip, buzz, bang, hiss, and

swish.

Theme (s) -The story’s main message that is universal (can be found in many pieces of

literature, poems, movies, songs, etc.), and communicated in a full sentence.

“Friendship” is not a theme. What is the author saying about friendship?

The author implies that the bonds of true friendship can withstand any hardship.

The author implies that people are afraid of change.

*Do not give themes as rules: “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is too elementary.

A more sophisticated theme for 8th

grade would be…

The author implies that people are not always what they seem.

Alliteration The repetition of beginning sounds of two or more words in a sentence; emphasizes

a description or point.

Allusion A reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work

of literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to well-known

characters or events.

(The most famous references are to Greek/Roman mythology, Shakespeare,

history, or the Bible.)

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Literary Genres: Types of Writing

Non-fiction Informational text dealing with an actual, real-life subject.. (Biography,

Autobiography, Articles, Historical Essays, Speeches)

Biography A story of someone’s life written by a different person.

Autobiography A story of one’s own life written by the person featured.

Fiction Stories that are totally invented or imagined; content based on the imagination and

not necessarily on fact.

Fantasy Fiction with strange or other worldly settings or characters; fiction which invites

suspension of reality. (J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit)

Historical

Fiction

Stories that are made up but are based in historically significant and accurate

periods.

Story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting.

Science-

Fiction

A form of fiction that draws imaginatively on actual, imagined or potential

scientific knowledge. It is often set in the future or on other planets.

Mystery Fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets.

(Sometimes called detective fiction — in other words a novel or short story in

which a detective, either professional or amateur, investigates and solves a crime.

Realistic

Fiction

A made up story that could actually happen and is true to life.

Poetry Verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that creates emotional responses in the

reader.

Commonly Misspelled/Misused Homonyms and Similar Words

5th

-7th

Grade Objectives

Accept, except

1. Sarah will accept the offer.

2. Samuel liked the house except the basement

Affect, effect

1. The storm will affect the school field trip.

2. The effects will probably disappoint students.

Borrow, lend

1. My friend asked if he could borrow my new book.

2. I will lend it to him this week.

Conscious, Conscience

1. When you are sleeping, you are not conscious.

2. You should listen to your conscience, so you make moral choices.

Desert, dessert

1. The desert does not receive much rain.

2. Last night we had ice cream for dessert.

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Emigrate, Immigrate

1. We emigrated from Europe.

2. We immigrated to the United States.

It’s, its

1. It’s time to take the dog to the vet.

2. Its shots are due.

Lay, lie

1. Lay the book on the shelf. (Lay something else down.)

2. If you lie down to read, you might fall asleep. (Lie down yourself.)

Loose, lose, loss

1. The lion got loose.

2. The zoo cannot lose the lion.

3. It would be a terrible loss.

New, knew

1. I bought a new shirt.

2. She knew all of the important spelling rules.

Passed, past

1. I passed my English test.

2. I spent the past two weeks studying for it.

Peace, piece

1. There was a peace march at the corner.

2. I wrote a story on a piece of paper.

Principal, principle

1. Our school principal will give the speech.

2. He thought the most important principle was honesty.

Precede, Proceed

1. First grade precedes second grade.

2. When you finish this task, proceed to the next one.

Quit, Quite, Quiet

1. Do not quit before you find the right path.

2. Be quite sure of your choice before you make a decision.

3. Keep your voice quiet in a library.

Then, Than

1. I am taller than my sister.

2. We will walk to the park, and then we will play the game.

Their, there, they’re

1. Where should the students study for their test?

2. Over there is a good place to study.

3. They’re going to be studying every afternoon.

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To, two, too

1. I am going to the store.

2. I would like two cookies.

3. I am going to the movies too.

Through, Threw, Thorough

1. I am through with this book; now you can read it.

2. I walked through the hall after class.

3. She threw the ball into the air.

4. Make sure you look through your essay in a thorough way so you catch all errors.

Weather, whether

1. The weather outside is stormy.

2. I don’t know whether to run or walk around the park.

Weak, week

1. My arm is still a little weak since I broke it last year.

2. Next week we will attend the concert.

Where, were

1. Where are you going on vacation?

2. They were doing their homework after school.

Whose, who’s

1. Do you know whose phone this is?

2. Who’s calling?

Women, woman

1. All of the women have arrived.

2. One woman was earlier than the others.

Your, you’re

1. Is your house on the corner?

2. You’re not going to be home.

Right, write

1. This is not the right dress.

2. I love to write book reports.

The following are common mistakes because certain words just DON’T EXIST.

A lot vs. alot

1. A lot (many)

2. Alot (NOT A REAL WORD)

Could have, should have, would have vs. Could of, should of, would of

1. Could have, should have, would have (correct)

2. Could of, should of, would of (INCORRECT!)

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Grammar

A. Nouns

1. Nouns are words that name people, places, things, and ideas.

2. Proper nouns name specific people, places, things and ideas.

EX: One West Bank, Guatemala, Kathryn, Google

3. Common nouns name general people, places, things, and ideas.

EX: bank, country, friend, company

4. Collective nouns are singular in form but name a group of persons or things. EX: jury, faculty,

audience, family, team

B. Pronouns

1. Pronouns are words used in place of nouns.

2. Pronouns function in three different ways.

Person Subjective

(Subject)

Objective

(Objects)

Possessive

(Adj. and pro.)

1st Person I me my, mine

2nd

Person you you your, yours

3rd

Person he, she, it him, her, it his, her, hers, its

1st Person we us our, ours

2nd

Person you you your, yours

3rd

Person they them their, theirs

*Remember, every time you use one of these pronouns, you need a CLEAR antecedent (the noun the

pronoun takes the place of).

Important Hints:

Test if a word is a noun by placing an article (a, an, or the) or a possessive pronoun (his, her, their) before it.

his idea a cat their car her discovery her new hat

Important Hints:

1. A subject pronoun DOES an action and is the subject. _____ ran.

2. An object pronoun RECEIVES an action. He saw ____. He ran (with ____.)

3. A possessive pronoun will act possessively and replace something. He took ___.

4. A possessive adjective will act possessively and modify a noun. He saw ___ dog.

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C. Verbs

1. A verb, also called a predicate is a word that expresses an action, state of being, or helps

another verb.

2. An action verb tells what the subject is doing.

EX: They threw the ball around the diamond.

3. A linking verb links a subject to another word. It shows what the subject is equal to.

EX: The man is = a doctor. EX: The salad tasted = delicious.

The girl has a book. (Is has linking or action? Is the girl a book?)

4. A helping verb comes before action or linking verbs to form a verb phrase. (I am running

or I will be running.)

-Helping verbs and main verbs are often separated in questions. (Flip the questions into a

statement to check.)

EX: Are the boys waiting? (The boys are waiting.)

-Adverbs may come between a helping verb and main verb.

EX: We will not arrange the seating yet.

-Think of helping verbs like “assistant” verbs.

*Memorize the main helping verbs.

is, be, been, am, are

was, were, have, has, had

do, does, did

may, can, might

could, must, shall, will

should, would, being

D. Adjective

1. An adjective is a word that modifies (describes or changes) nouns or pronouns.

(Think of a snowy mountain. Now think of a green mountain.)

2. Adjectives answer these questions: Which one? What kind? How many? How much?

(Candy Store Questions)

3. Articles (a, an, the) are adjectives. We call them article adjectives.

a dog (any dog) the dog (a specific dog)

*Note: If it looks

like a helping

verb, but there is

no verb after it,

what must it be?

She is tired.

She is walking.

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E. Adverb

1. An adverb is a word that modifies (describes or limits) verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

2. Adverbs answer these questions: How? When? Where? To what extent? (Detective ?’s)

3. When adverbs and adjectives look similar, draw an arrow to the word being modified and

write the questions being answered above.

F. Preposition

1. A preposition shows the relationship (above? below?) between its object and some other word in

the sentence.

EX: The dog slept (below the table).

2. A preposition ALWAYS begins a prepositional phrase. This makes it easy to spot. (Preposition,

possible modifier, noun object)

*Notice: If it does not have a noun after, it cannot be a preposition. Then it must be an adverb.

EX: The dog ran around the house. VS. The dog ran around.

3. Memorize “of, with, from,” and any others you cannot identify easily.

Aboard

About

Above

Across

After

Against

Along

Among

Around

At

Before

Behind

Below

Beneath

Beside

Besides

Between

Beyond

But (except)

By

Concerning

During

Down

Except

For

From

In

Inside

Into

Like

Near

Of

Off

On

Over

Past

Since

Through

Throughout

To

Toward

Under

Underneath

Until

Up

With

Within

Without

Helpful Hints:

1. Adjectives are often created from other parts of speech like nouns and verbs.

EX: The running man dripped sweat.

EX: Her broken arm hurt.

EX: I visited the Oregon coast.

2. Beware! Some adjectives end in the “adverb” ending of –ly.

(The friendly girl…, The kindly stranger…, The timely report…)

3. Draw the arrow and ask what the word is modifying to be sure!

EX: (Prior to class) I saw the child (in front of the house.)

G. Conjunction

1. Conjunctions are words that join words, phrases, and clauses.

2. There are three types of conjunctions. (You will learn the 3rd

next year.)

A. Coordinating conjunctions work alone to join words, phrases, or clauses of the

same kind or type.

FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

EX: The boys and the girls wrote. (connects two subjects)

EX: He drove into the river or around it. (connects two prepositions)

B. Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to join words, phrases, or clauses of the

same kind or type.

Both…and, not only…but also, either…or, neither…nor, whether…or,

EX: Both trees and rocks are strong. (connects two subjects)

EX: We will neither run nor jump near the pool. (connects two predicates)

H. Interjection

1. An interjection is a word that can express sudden or mild emotion and has no

grammatical relation to the sentence.

2. Interjections that show sudden emotion are followed by an exclamation point.

EX: Oh! Wow! Ouch! Gosh! Really!

3. Interjections that show mild emotion are followed by a comma.

EX: Oh, Well, Yes, Right, Gee,

4. This looks like an interjection, but…it’s a noun of direct address.

Carol, we won! Yes, Jack, I like the red one.

Helpful Hints:

1. Check to see if a word is a preposition by relating to these three nouns: house, lunch, stairs. (EX: in the

house, under the house, over the house, behind the house, during lunch, after lunch, down the stairs, up the stairs)

3. The word “to” will always be a preposition or part of an infinitive. to the store It’s a preposition. There are NO verbs.

to run It’s part of an infinitive. It is followed by a verb.

Part II: Sentences

A. Subjects

1. The subject of the sentence is the noun or pronoun that does the action of the verb.

2. You find the subject by finding the verb and asking who is doing that verb. This hint

helps when you have many nouns in a sentence.

EX: On the bank beside the glistening pond a little dove relaxed.

Commands/Imperative Sentences: The “invisible you” is always the subject of a command.

You must add it when scanning a sentence.

Put the dog in the backyard.

Show me the test you took.

B. Clauses

Clause: A group of words with its own subject and verb

There are 2 types of clauses: Independent and Subordinate

1. Independent Clause

It contains a subject and a verb AND a complete thought. It is a sentence. It can stand

alone.

EX: Jane found the treasure.

2. Subordinate Clause (Dependent Clause)

a. It contains a subject and a verb BUT it does not have a complete thought. It is a

fragment.

b. It begins with a subordinating conjunction that makes it a fragment.

c. It cannot stand alone. It is dependent on another sentence.

d. It needs to be attached to an independent clause.

Since she discovered the answer, . . .

While we are looking for the keys, . . .

C. Simple, Complex, and Compound Sentences

1. A simple sentence has only one independent clause.

It can have a compound subject, compound predicate, etc…These are all simple sentences.

Jane saw the trees.

Jane glimpsed the peach blossom trees flowering in Delaware.

Jane stopped the car and set out to smell the blossoms.

2. A complex sentence has one dependent and one independent clause.

EX: When she looked inside the abandoned house, she saw the treasure.

EX: She saw the treasure when she looked inside the abandoned house.

3. A compound sentence two independent clauses.

a. You can combine independent clauses with a comma and a coordinating

conjunction (fanboys).

b. You can combine independent clauses with a semi-colon.

EX: Marcus ran home, for he was late.

EX: Marcus ran home; he was late.

D. Phrase

A phrase is a group of words that work together. (It is like a clause but does not have a subject-

verb pair.)

1. PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE a. It must begin with a preposition and end with an object (noun).

b. It might have modifiers (articles, adverbs, or adjectives) in the middle.

c. It will NEVER have a subject or a verb inside of it.

EX: The girl (in the market) noticed the sale items (around the store).

2. VERB PHRASE

a. Any time you have more than one verb working together, you have a verb phrase.

b. The first verb or verbs in a verb phrase are helping verbs and the final one is the

main verb.

c. A main verb can be action or linking.

EX: We had been happy all day.

EX: We had been walking all day.

3. APPOSITIVE PHRASE

a. An appositive is an interrupting definition.

b. It follows a noun with another noun that gives more information.

c. An appositive can be a single word or a phrase.

d. Appositive phrases can include articles and modifiers, but they will never have a

subject or a verb.

e. We usually surround them with commas.

EX: Martha, the science major, has discovered a new star.

EX: Kipp, my dog, is adorable.

4. INFINITIVE PHRASE

It is created by the root of the verb preceded by “to.”

to run to jump to fly to be

*Also make sure you know everything on your 7th

grade final exam.

MLA Writing Practice: Organizer

Topic Sentence (story title, author, and argument (thesis) what you are proving)

Evidence #1 (The Quote Context and the Quote)

Explanation #1 (In 2-4 sentences, explain how your quote proves your thesis.

Transition Sentence (Also, In addition, Furthermore, Likewise, However, Meanwhile,

Moreover, etc.. )

(Transition from your first example into the second way you will prove your thesis.)

Evidence #2 (The Quote Context and the Quote)

Explanation #2 (In 2-4 sentences, explain how your quote proves your thesis.)

Concluding Sentence (Pull together your thesis and the two ways you proved it.)

7th

Grade Student Model Essay

A Connection to the Past

In The Devil’s Arithmetic, by Jane Yolen, Hannah lacks a true connection with her Jewish

heritage. Hannah, the protagonist, does not want to go to her family’s annual Passover Seder.

She is loath to attend because the Seder is mainly about remembering, and she does not see the

point in commemorating the past. She says, “All the Jewish holidays are about remembering

Mama. I’m tired of remembering” (Yolen 4). Hannah feels that she has no authentic connection

to the past of her family or her people because she did not live through it. She thinks that what

happened has happened, so there is no point in caring to remember it. Hannah fails to see the

connection between the past and the present. She is unable to acknowledge how the sacrifice of

others has shaped her world. Furthermore, Hannah lacks belief in her Jewish traditions. Hannah’s

grandfather chooses her for part of their family’s Seder tradition to open the door for the prophet

Elijah, but she feels that opening the door will not actually conjure the prophet. She claims, “No

one believed those superstitions anymore. No one except babies” (Yolen 20). Hannah thinks that

the Jewish customs of the Passover Seder are preposterous, and to believe in them one would

have to be very naive. She fails to realize that opening the door for the prophet Elijah is not

literal, but rather that it has a deeper, spiritual meaning. Hannah is unable to understand the

importance of remembering and caring about the traditions of her Jewish heritage; she should try

to realize that everyone has a connection to the past, even if he or she does not live through it.

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