2015 Rising 7th
Grade Summer Reading & Assignments
Welcome to 7th Grade! All rising seventh graders are required to read and reflect
on Naomi Shihab Nye’s novel, Habibi. This novel is a
realistic fiction reading about an Arab-American teenager
who moves at the age of 14 from St. Louis, Missouri to
Palestine with her family. Nye’s story details Liyana’s
journey, as she explores the issues surrounding becoming a
young woman, war within Israel during the 1970s, and
understanding her new found Arab heritage.
Summer Assignment Components
Required: This project will consist of the following five components for a total of
200 points and will be included in your first quarter grade! All assignments are
due on Friday, September 4th at 8:00 a.m. Late assignments will not be
accepted.
Five Double Entry Journal Response pages (75 pts) ...........................pg. 3-9
Culture Clue Detective Assignment (40 pts)..................................... pg. 10-14
Comprehension Questions (25 pts)...................................................... pg. 15-16
A DBQ – Document Based Question Assignment (30 pts) ............ pg. 16-23
Cultural Self Portrait (30 pts) ............................................................ pg. 24-26
Optional LIA Point Assignment: A presentation created for your cultural self
portrait assignment is worth 5 LIA (Leadership In Action) points and must be
presented to your class once we return to school in the fall.
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The Double Entry Journal
The Double Entry Journal allows you to record your responses to text as you read.
In the left-hand column, you will quote the text which is intriguing, puzzling, or
moving, or which connects to the topic of the double entry journal. In the right-
hand column, you will write your reaction to the quotation from the left side. Your
entry may include a judgment, an opinion, a question, a text connection, or an
inference about the character’s actions and motivations. Entries must be neat, in
complete sentences, and respond directly to the quote from the left hand column.
See the sample below for example responses.
Double-Entry Journal for Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Text Quote Reaction to Text
"To be awake is to be alive." (from the
chapter "Where I Lived and What I Lived
For") p. 83
I think that you can go through your whole life asleep if you don't stop
and think about what you're doing. It's important to make conscious
choices, especially when you're my age. (JUDGEMENT)
"I should not talk so much about myself if
there were anybody else whom I knew as well.
Unfortunately, I am confined to this by the
narrowness of my experience." (from the
chapter "Economy") p. 240
I disagree with what Thoreau says here. I think that you can know
another person as well as you know yourself. I know my best friend as
well as I know myself. Sometimes, I don't think I know myself well at
all. (OPINION AND TEXT CONNECTION)
"Say what you have to say, not what you
ought. Any truth is better than make-
believe." (from the Conclusion) p. 394
Sometimes it is difficult to tell the truth because you don't want to
hurt a person's feelings or because it's hard for you to admit
something. I wonder what happened that made Thoreau feel this way?
I can infer that he probably was lied to a lot when he was young.
(INFERENCE AND QUESTION)
Double Entry Journal Requirements – 75 Points
You will be required to complete five double entry journal pages based on five
focus areas. These focus areas are: 1) symbolism 2) internal conflict 3) character
motivation 4) setting and its influence on character action, and 5) strengths and
weaknesses. Each double entry page is worth 15 for a total of 75 points. Each
double entry journal page should include the following:
1. Three text quotes in the left-hand column. One example will be given for
each category. You will find the other two quotes from the text. You must
include the page number as a source for your quote!
2. One response for each quote. Your response may include a judgment about
the character or the action, a question, an opinion, a text connection, or an
inference about the character’s actions or motivations.
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Journal Focus Area: Symbolism
“What objects, actions or places become extensions of Liyana’s identity?”
“The secret kiss grew
larger and larger.”
Pg. 1
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Journal Focus Area: Internal Conflict
“When is it clear that Liyana is struggling to make decision or to accept a new outcome?”
“…her mouth tried to
shape the words,
“Maybe it’s a bad
idea,” but nothing
came out.” Pg. 2
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Journal Focus Area: Character Motivation
“What do you think is motivating Liyana’s actions or speech?”
“Liyana gave her short
shorts to Sandee
Lane...” Pg. 20
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Journal Focus Area: Setting and its Influence on Character Action
“How does the setting (time period, locations) affect what the characters say and do?”
“Liyana, too, had been
trying to memorize at least
one small detail about each
house on their street. The
blue cottage with the crooked
chimney…” Pg. 12
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Journal Focus Area: Strengths and Weaknesses
“What character traits does Liyana demonstrate? Is this considered a strength or a weakness?”
TRAIT: THOUGHTFUL
“Sometimes you remind me of
Sitti, my mother,” he told
her…”Making something out of
nothing. It’s her favorite thing
to do. She gets a whole story out
of-a button or a rock.” Pg. 13-14
TRAIT: _________________________
TRAIT: _________________________
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Culture Clue Detective Assignment
So, what is culture?
Culture encompasses the beliefs and values, norms, religion, customs, behaviors,
housing, skills, arts, music, clothing, language, family structure, and foods of a
group of people. These characteristics are transferred, communicated, and passed
along to future generations and become part of that group’s shared identity.
Overview: (20 points)
As you read Habibi, you will become a Culture Clue Detective by recording what you
learn about Arabic culture through Liyana’s point of view and the view points of
other characters in the book.
Directions:
You will need to identify 10 examples of Arabic culture in the text, along with
which characteristic of culture you are identifying, and their corresponding page
numbers as show in the chart below. You must find examples from at least 5 of the
12 characteristics given in the definition of culture above. This may mean that you
repeat some culture characteristics, but no more than twice for your first set of
ten.
Optional Extra Credit: You can earn an extra 10 points towards your grade on this
assignment by finding an additional 10 examples of Arabic culture in the novel and
by creating an additional graphic organizer for them. (Attach your organizer to
this packet.)
Page# Preface
Characteristic: Foods
“Challah (special type of bread eaten by
Jewish people) and hummus (a dip made of
chickpeas) are foods eaten by the people
of the region.”
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Characteristic: ________________________
Page#
Characteristic: ________________________
Page#
Characteristic: ________________________
Page#
Characteristic: ________________________
Page#
Characteristic: ________________________
Page#
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Characteristic: ________________________
Page#
Characteristic: ________________________
Page#
Characteristic: ________________________
Page#
Characteristic: ________________________
Page#
Characteristic: ________________________
Page#
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Culture Clue Writing Assignment (20 pts)
Directions: When you are finished recording your clues, please reflect on the
following questions. Remember to A.C.E. (answer, cite, explain) it!
In what ways are Arabic and American cultures alike? Use examples from
the text to support your response.
1
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Comprehension Questions
Directions: Below are questions to answer about some of the highlights in the
novel. Be sure to answer each question in complete sentences.
In what ways are Arabic and American cultures different? Use examples
from the text to support your response.
2
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Comprehension Questions
Directions: Please respond using complete sentences. Your answers should be
at least THREE complete sentences. You may record your responses in a
notebook or on loose-leaf paper.
1. Why did Liyana’s family move to Jerusalem? In what ways was Jerusalem
different than what Liyana expected?
2. What are some of the things Liyana missed most about St. Louis and the
United States?
3. How did Liyana feel about the religious conflict in Jerusalem?
4. Once Liyana moves to Jerusalem, how does her identity (who she is and how
she sees herself) change? Give two examples.
5. What does Habibi mean, and how does it relate to the story?
Document Based Questions
Document Based Questions (DBQs) assess the ability of each student to work with
historical sources in multiple forms. The DBQ requires many skills - interpreting
primary and secondary sources, evaluating sources, considering multiple points of
view, using historic evidence, developing and supporting a thesis.
DIRECTIONS: The DBQ will consist of two parts. In the first part, students will
be required to answer a key question on each document. The second part will
require students to move beyond simply quoting all the documents. Students will
need to use the documents as evidence in support of a response to the assigned
question in part two.
More DBQ information for parents can be found below:
http://nysut.org/standards/101-parents-dbq.html
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Part I: Document Analysis (20 pts)
Document #1: Poem
Directions: On Page 14, Liyana talks to Poppy about the Emily Dickinson poem she
liked when she was younger. This poem is reprinted here. Read the poem and
answer the following questions. Your answers must be at least two complete
sentences.
I’m Nobody! Who are you?
I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there’s a pair of us?
Don’t tell! They’d banish us, you know!
How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a frog –
To tell one’s name – the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!
-Emily Dickinson, 1951 Questions:
1. In your own words, what message is Dickinson trying to convey to you, the
reader? Support your answer with evidence from the poem.
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2. How does the message of this poem relate to Liyana and her experiences?
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Document #2: NY Times Article
Directions: Read the June 2011 New York Times article below about the current
conflict in Jerusalem. After reading the article, please respond to the following
question. Your answers must be at least three complete sentences.
1. In your own words, explain the Palestinian and Israeli conflict described in
the article.
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June 4, 2011
Israel Braces for Clashes During Border Protests
By ISABEL KERSHNER and FARES AKRAM
JERUSALEM — Israel on Saturday was bracing for possible clashes along its borders after Palestinian
activists in the region called for protest marches on Sunday, three weeks after a similar wave of
coordinated protests led to deadly clashes with Israeli troops.
Protests on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the Palestinian “naksa,” or setback, in the June 1967
Middle East war were being planned in the West Bank and Gaza, territories that were conquered by Israel
then. There have also been calls on social networking Internet sites for Palestinians in Lebanon and Syria
to march at the Israeli border.
That echoed the conditions that led to the violence on May 15, the day Palestinians mark as the “nakba,”
or catastrophe, of Israel’s establishment in 1948. Taking a cue from the so-called Arab Spring movement,
organizers in multiple countries and territories called for a coordinated action against Israel, and huge
crowds of Palestinians responded.
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They clashed with Israeli troops on four fronts, and breached the border between Syria and the Golan
Heights for the first time in more than 30 years. At least 14 protesters from Lebanon and Syria were
killed, stoking outrage in Palestinian camps across the region and intensifying pressure on Israel to create
the conditions for a return to peace talks.
The Israeli military was not giving out details of its preparations, but television reports showed soldiers
repairing fences and bulldozers digging trenches along the borders in the north. On Thursday, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed Israeli forces to act with restraint, but also with
determination, to protect Israel’s sovereignty and borders. According to reports from Lebanon, activists
there canceled plans to march to the Israeli border after the Lebanese authorities declared the border area
a closed military zone.
On Saturday, Palestinian officials signaled another possible source of pressure on Israel, saying they
would accept a French proposal to attend a peace conference in Paris next month with the aim of
restarting negotiations based on the broad principles laid out by President Obama last month. Mr. Obama
said that talks should be for a future Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed land
swaps. He also suggested that talks should focus first on the issues of borders and security, and deal later
with the contentious issues of the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees of the 1948 war
and their descendants.
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said that in principle, the French proposal was acceptable.
He told the Reuters news agency on Saturday that under the plan, neither Israel nor the Palestinians
would carry out “unilateral actions.” The Palestinians have demanded a freeze in Israeli settlement
building, while the Israelis oppose Palestinian plans to bypass negotiations and seek recognition for
statehood at the United Nations this fall.
There has been no public response to the French plan from the Israeli side, but Israel has previously
rejected talks based on the 1967 lines. Moshe Yaalon, the minister for strategic affairs in the Israeli
government, told Israeli television on Saturday that Israeli leaders would discuss the French proposal this
week.
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In a sign of growing frustration in Gaza, travelers tried to force their way through a crossing on the border
with Egypt that was temporarily closed on Saturday, a week after Egypt declared it open permanently in a
move hailed by Palestinians as an end of the Israeli-led blockade of the coastal enclave.
Officials of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, said they had not been told in advance
about the closing. Egypt said it was a result of delays in renovation work that should have been completed
on Friday.
Dozens of Palestinian travelers gathered in front of the closed gate leading to the Egyptian side of the
crossing in the morning. Peering through barbed wire next to the gate, they realized that it would be
impossible for buses to pass through because of the works on the other side. After waiting for three hours,
the travelers forced open the gate and entered the Egyptian section. The Egyptian police persuaded them
to return peacefully.
By the afternoon, there was some one-way traffic of people crossing from Egypt into Gaza by foot. But
Palestinian officials would not let people pass through to the Egyptian hall on foot, saying it would be an
offense to travelers. It was unclear whether the crossing would formally reopen open Sunday.
After Hamas took full control of Gaza in 2007, Israel responded by cutting off the territory, and Egypt
kept the crossing mostly closed. In June 2010, former President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt ordered the
crossing to reopen on a regular basis, but conditions for travel remained tightly restricted. The border was
sealed again from January, when Egypt was rocked by protests that eventually ousted Mr. Mubarak.
Last Saturday’s opening, ordered by Egypt’s interim leadership, was seen as a sign of a new approach,
giving Gazans a gateway to the world that bypassed Israel. But complications have already emerged. By
Tuesday, Hamas officials were complaining that the movement of travelers was being limited and that
dozens had been returned from the Egyptian side.
Isabel Kershner contributed reporting from Jerusalem.
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Document #3 – Cartoon
Directions: Review the cartoon below. Then, answer the following questions.
1. What message is the illustrator of this cartoon trying to convey to you, the
reader? How do you know?
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Part II: Key Question (10 pts)
DBQ: Is present day Jerusalem more similar or different from the Jerusalem
that was described in the novel? What are the effects on Liyana? Use
information from all three documents to answer this question.
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Optional Extra Credit: Over the summer, find another article, illustration,
drawing, poem, cartoon, or news source about the ongoing conflict between the
Palestinians and the Jews. After reviewing this fourth source, please reflect on
the following questions.
Document #4: ________________________________
1. Describe this source. Please attach a print out of the source.
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2. Based on this new source, what additional information did you gain about the
relationship between the Palestinians and the Jews?
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Cultural Self Portrait Assignment (30 pts)
Overview: This activity will get you thinking about your own individual and cultural identity
in terms of family history, as well as past and current experiences that have shaped who
you are today.
Directions:
1. The first step is to complete the two-part ‘Defining Your Culture’ worksheet. Part I
involves answering simple questions or making lists of ideas for each of the 12
items. Please write “none” for any item not relevant to you. On Part II of the
worksheet, you will answer three open-ended reflection questions. Be sure to
answer each of these question using complete sentences.
2. Next, you will create a Cultural Self Portrait. Your Cultural Self Portrait should be
a tangible object that can be hung on the wall, hung from the ceiling, or displayed
on a counter in the classroom upon your return in September. This Cultural Self
Portrait will draw upon the information you recorded on the ‘Defining Your Culture’
worksheet. Your Cultural Self Portrait can take the form of a drawing, mobile,
collage, montage, shadow box, or other medium of your choice. Be sure that at
least 6 sections from the ‘Defining Your Culture’ worksheet are reflected in your
Cultural Self-Portrait.
3. If you would like to earn 5 LIA points, you may choose develop a 3-5-minute
presentation to accompany your Cultural Self-Portrait. This will be presented to
your class in September. This presentation cannot simply be a description of your
Cultural Self Portrait, but must add to or enhance what you will submit in
Instruction #2 above. This presentation might be a collection of music, a dramatic
act or interpretive reading, or a media presentation. Presentations must be at least
3 minutes long, but should not exceed 5 minutes.
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Defining your CULTURE Worksheet – Part I What language(s) do you
speak?
What do you wear on special occasions?
What holidays and ceremonies are important in your family?
What music do you listen to?
What dances do you know?
How often do you see your extended family? What role do they play in your life?
Describe something very important to you (could be a value, a person, a goal, a hobby, a belief…)
What foods do you eat at
home?
What role (if any) does religion play in your life?
List your talents and interests.
In your family, what is
considered polite and what is
considered rude? What
manners have you been
taught?
What social organizations do you belong to?
What after-school activities are
you involved with or hoping to
join?
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Defining your CULTURE Worksheet – Part II
1. Looking at what you wrote in Part I, how would you describe yourself as an
individual?
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2. Looking at what you wrote in Part I, how would you describe the basic
characteristics of the culture you’re a part of? ________________________________________________________
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3. Think again about the culture group you are a part of. How do you relate to or
differ from that group’s beliefs, norms and values?
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