Welcome to Pre-AP! The Pre-AP teachers at Plymouth Middle School are excited to

welcome you to the Pre-AP program at Plymouth Middle School.

In this packet, you will find the summer assignments that are due on Tuesday, Sept. 3rd, in your Pre-AP classes. For all sixth graders, this includes science, social studies and English. Please keep the three assignments separate. We hope you enjoy the research, reading, writing and lab work!

DUE DATE: Please have your assignment in your binder at the start of the school year. Projects

will be collected on Tuesday, Sept. 3rd.

NOTE: Planning ahead will help you avoid stress at the end of the summer!

English- Book Report –Fiction : Read a fiction novel, and

complete the “text passage assignment.”

Social Studies= Migration Story & Historic Research

Science= 2 Science Experiments (There are 4 to choose from.)

Be aware that all written responses must be written using complete sentences, restating the question, and should use

proper grammar and punctuation. Pre-AP classroom teachers expect high level responses to all questions.

Sample Question/Example: Describe one activity you participated in this summer.

Example of an insufficient response: Our family visited my grandmother this summer.

Example of a response that meets Pre-AP standards One activity I participated in this summer was visiting my

grandmother’s house in Saint Paul. When we visit, she always makes some of my favorite food, such as

homemade lasagna, peanut butter cookies, and fruit salad. I help her with chores, and we like to walk to Indian

Mounds Park. My grandmother always makes me feel like I am the most important person in the world. (Notice

how this answer restates the question and answers the questions in a detailed manner.)

*If you do not have internet access at your residence, there is good internet access at the Minneapolis and Hennepin

County public libraries. Please plan ahead to take advantage of these resources.

2013-2014 Summer Assignment

Grade 6 Name:

School in grade 5: Teacher:

Welcome to Pre-AP! The Pre-AP teachers at Plymouth Middle School are excited to welcome you to

the Pre-AP program at Plymouth Middle School.

In this packet, you will find the summer assignments that are due on Tuesday, Sept. 3rd, in your Pre-AP classes. For all sixth graders, this includes science, social studies and English. Please keep the three assignments separate. We hope you enjoy the research, reading, writing and lab work!

DUE DATE: Please have your assignment in your binder at the start of the school year. Projects will be

collected on Tuesday, Sept. 3rd.

NOTE: Planning ahead will help you avoid stress at the end of the summer!

English- Book Report –Fiction : Read a fiction novel, and complete the “text passage assignment.”

English classes are mainstreamed with the other classes.

Spanish Immersion Social Studies= Migration Story & Historic Research

Written responses must be in Spanish.

Spanish Immersion Science= 2 Science Experiments (There are 4 to choose from.)

Written responses must be in Spanish.

Be aware that all written responses must be written using complete sentences, restating the question, and should use

proper grammar and punctuation. Pre-AP classroom teachers expect high level responses to all questions.

Sample Question/Example: Describe one activity you participated in this summer.

Example of an insufficient response: Our family visited my grandmother this summer.

Example of a response that meets Pre-AP standards One activity I participated in this summer was visiting my

grandmother’s house in downtown Minneapolis. When we visit, she always makes some of my favorite food,

such as her homemade lasagna, peanut butter cookies, and fruit salad. I help her with chores, and we like to

walk to Powderhorn Park. My grandmother always makes me feel like I am the most important person in the world.

(Notice how this answer restates the question and answers the questions in a detailed manner.)*If you do not have

internet access at your residence, there is good internet access at the Minneapolis and Hennepin County public libraries.

Please plan ahead to take advantage of these resources.

2013-2014 Summer Assignment

Grade 6 Immersion Version

Name:

School in grade 5: Teacher:

Welcome to Pre-AP! The Pre-AP teachers at Plymouth Middle School are excited to

welcome you to the Pre-AP program at Plymouth Middle School.

In this packet, you will find the summer assignments that are due on Tuesday, Sept. 3rd, in your Pre-AP classes. For all sixth graders, this includes science, social studies and English. Please keep the three assignments separate. We hope you enjoy the research, reading, writing and lab work!

DUE DATE: Please have your assignment in your binder at the start of the school year. Projects

will be collected on Tuesday, Sept. 3rd.

NOTE: Planning ahead will help you avoid stress at the end of the summer!

English- Book Report –Fiction : Read a fiction novel, and

complete the “text passage assignment.”

Social Studies= Migration Story & Historic Research

Science= 2 Science Experiments (There are 4 to choose from.)

Be aware that all written responses must be written using complete sentences, restating the question, and should use

proper grammar and punctuation. Pre-AP classroom teachers expect high level responses to all questions.

Sample Question/Example: Describe one activity you participated in this summer.

Example of an insufficient response: Our family visited my grandmother this summer.

Example of a response that meets Pre-AP standards One activity I participated in this summer was visiting my

grandmother’s house in Saint Paul. When we visit, she always makes some of my favorite food, such as

homemade lasagna, peanut butter cookies, and fruit salad. I help her with chores, and we like to walk to Indian

Mounds Park. My grandmother always makes me feel like I am the most important person in the world. (Notice

how this answer restates the question and answers the questions in a detailed manner.)

*If you do not have internet access at your residence, there is good internet access at the Minneapolis and Hennepin

County public libraries. Please plan ahead to take advantage of these resources.

2013-2014 Summer Assignment

Grade 6 Name:

Name______________________________________________

6th Grade English Pre-Ap Summer Assignment 2013

Purpose of assignment:

This assignment will lead into the school year. Teachers will use portions of student work during the first

three weeks of class to help introduce the Essential Outcomes for 6th grade Pre-AP English class.

How this assignment is going to be counted in the grade book:

The assignment will be marked COMPLETED or NOT COMPLETED in the grade book. Students must

complete the assignment to get their first quarter grade. Their grade will remain an incomplete until this

assignment is submitted. This assignment will be collected on the first day of school.

How this assignment is used to support student learning:

Teachers will use this assignment as baseline data to guide their instruction for the beginning of the year.

Directions: 1. Choose one fiction book and read it. The book must be at least 150 pages long and at an appropriate

reading level. **Also, the book must be a first read that does NOT have a movie version.

2. After reading the book, select 250 consecutive words from the text. Next, reproduce these 250 words using one of the following methods: rewriting by hand, typing, photocopying, printing, scanning, or attach if needed (by stapling it). 3. Place the 250 word text on the worksheet provided. (See website for additional copies.) 4. Summarize the text passage naming the key points. (To summarize means to express in a concise form.) 5. Justification: State WHY chose this passage was chosen from the text. (Example: it was the most descriptive, I made a personal connection with the text, it made me laugh, etc.) 6. Tell how the author’s word choice and descriptions helped build understanding of the passage.

7. A parent needs to sign off that you read the entire book.

Parent Signature: _____________________________________________________________________________

Book Title: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Author: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Number of Pages: _______________

Summary Statement: What is the gist of the passage?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Justification: Why did you choose this passage from the larger text (book)?

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Tell how the author’s word choice and descriptions helped your understanding of the passage. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Place 250 word text passage here.

Pre-AP Summer Assignment: Science

Hello and welcome to 6th Grade Pre-AP Science! An important part of any science program is conducting experiments. This

summer you will have the opportunity to conduct two experiments on your own with the help and supervision of your parents.

Background Information: You are an engineer! Follow the process listed below to discover a new way of

doing things.

Step 1: What is the problem?

Step 2: Explore possibilities

Step 3: Design

Step 4: Create

Step 5: Try it out

Step 6: Make it better

Step 7: Communicate your findings with other Scientists (This will be done at school.)

Experiments to choose from: (choose 2)

1. Flinker

2. Marble Ride

3. Paper Tower

4. Gumdrop Dome

Please bring your completed sheets with you to the first day of Pre-AP science class

(Tues. Sept. 3) and be prepared to share your results with your fellow engineers!

Write on the back side of your sheet or type up your process and attach it to the

document.

*Optional: Add a photograph or drawing of your best attempt!

Electronic copies in English and Spanish : http://pbskids.org/zoom/printables/activities/

Pre-AP Summer Assignment: Science

Hello and welcome to 6th Grade Pre-AP Science! An important part of any science program is conducting experiments. This

summer you will have the opportunity to conduct two experiments on your own with the help and supervision of your parents.

Background Information: You are an engineer! Follow the process listed below to discover a new way of

doing things.

Step 1: What is the problem?

Step 2: Explore possibilities

Step 3: Design

Step 4: Create

Step 5: Try it out

Step 6: Make it better

Step 7: Communicate your findings with other Scientists (This will be done at school.)

Experiments to choose from: (choose 2)

1. Flinker (Flotundor)

2. Marble Ride (La Cabalgata de Canica)

3. Paper Tower (Torre de Papel)

4. Gumdrop Dome (Domo de Gomitas)

Please bring your completed sheets with you to the first day of Pre-AP science class

(Tues. Sept. 3) and be prepared to share your results with your fellow engineers!

Write on the back side of your sheet or type up your process and attach it to the

document.

*Optional: Add a photograph or drawing of your best attempt!

Electronic copies in English and Spanish : http://pbskids.org/zoom/printables/activities/

Name:

Date:

Teacher: The new Minnesota State Standards in social studies

have designed a common LOGO to help guide our

curriculum K-12.

Sixth grade will be fully adopting a Minnesota Studies

program during the 2013-2014 school year, with a focus

on the “History” quadrant, including viewing history from

different frames of reference, learning about Minnesota

government, . Students will also learn about personal

Your summer assignment has two parts:

Part A: Personal Migration Story An important part of Minnesota History is the people who have journeyed

to our state, and have added to our state’s history. Your family has its own history of arrival. When speaking of migration,

historians talk about the “push” and “pull” factors that influence why individuals, families and groups of people leave a region or

come to a region. Ask your parents to help you find out when and why your family moved (you may do just one side of your

family if your parents were born in Minnesota). The information below might help you to think of some factors:

Push Factors: Reasons people leave a region. (People are “pushed” from an area.):

War/Political Unrest

Climate/Natural Disasters, including floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, too hot, too cold…

Economics: no jobs or opportunities for living a good life

Lack of services

Pull Factors: Reasons people come to a region. (People are “pulled” to come to an area.):

Economics: Job opportunities

Family, they want to live near relatives

Quality of life: Lower Crime, Good Neighborhoods, Restaurants, Parks, Concerts, etc.

Climate: Good Weather

Good Services

Part B: Mini-Research Project (two options, pick one)

Option 1: Visit a Minnesota Historic Site (Any site with historical significance within the state of Minnesota

qualifies.) and write an essay describing what you learned from your visit. Several well-known options include:

The Minnesota History Center, The James J. Hill House, The State Capitol, The Glensheen Mansion, The Charles

Lindbergh House, Historic Fort Snelling, Forest History Center, Jeffers Petroglyphs, Mille Lacs Indian Museum

and Trading Post,…more found at www.exploreminnesota.com

Option 2:

After you pick one migration story to represent your family’s arrival in Minnesota, examine some of the push and pull

factors involved, then write a short summary. Your family may have arrived fairly recently, or more than a hundred years

ago. To help you sort the factors, use the boxes below to organize your information. A finished sample is on the following

page.

Personal Migration Story

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PUSH FACTORS

PULL FACTORS

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After you have chosen one migration story to represent your family’s arrival in Minnesota, examine some of the push and

pull factors involved, then write a short summary. Your family may have arrived fairly recently, or more than a hundred

years ago. To help you sort the factors, use the boxes below to organize your information. A finished sample is on the

following page.

PUSH FACTORS

Only the oldest son could inherit land

Jobs were hard to find in Norway

PULL FACTORS

Other Norwegian families from the town of Lesjeskog were moving to Minnesota and North Dakota

Homestead Act of 1862 allowed people to acquire land

There were opportunities for employment

The climate was similar to Norway.

Personal Migration Story Example #1

In the mid to late 1800’s, the economy in Norwary, and much of Europe, was in decline, so jobs were not always available. Oldest sons

inherited land, but younger children often could not afford to purchase land or homes, and struggled financially. My great-grandfather, along

with several other families from his hometown of Lesjeskog, brought his wife and children to Minnesota. They lived in Minneapolis until they

earned enough money to move west to settle land in North Dakota.

My father lived there until he came back to Minnesota to attend Lutheran Bible Institute, which was in downtown Minneapolis. He met my

mom, and they settled in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, because jobs were more plentiful here than his hometown of Souris, North Dakota.

The push-pull factors for my dad and great-grandfather were mostly economic. But for my great-grandparents, having neighbors move at

the same time made the move seem less risky. They knew that they could have the help and support of people they had known their whole

lives.

My dad and mom liked the suburbs of Minneapolis, because they were both raised on farms, and there was still a lot of open land. They

thought Eden Prairie would be a good place to live and raise their own family. All of my brothers and sisters still live in the suburbs of

Minneapolis. The economy in Minnesota has provided jobs and opportunities for all of us.

Personal Migration Story Example #2

I was born in the town of Sierra Leone, in Liberia. There was a war going on, and my family was forced to leave our town. When I was six,

we lived in a refugee camp, in a country miles from my home. We had to walk many days to get there. For some reason, my family was one of

the few chosen to come to America. I was sad to leave my friends, and some of my other family members, but my parents thought it was a

good idea. They wanted to have a better and more peaceful life for my brothers and me.

I have been in America for six years now, and I like my school in America. The teachers are less strict here, and the classes are smaller.

Our home is different, too. In Liberia, our whole family lived in one room

My family is Muslim, so we celebrate different holidays than most of my classmates. I like Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Thanksgiving,

but we do not celebrate Christmas.

PUSH FACTORS

War

Forced to Leave

We didn’t want to stay in a refugee camp

Our family was chosen to leave

PULL FACTORS

We knew another family that moved to Minnesota

There were jobs available

Minnesotans sponsored us to come

We wanted peace and safety

A chance to go to college

My parents have worked many jobs since coming to the United States, and want us to have a better lifestyle than we left behind in our old

country. He I have a chance to go to college, and want to become a lawyer so I can help many other people from my country.

Mini-Research Project :

Research a Historic Site or a Historic Person

What I learned:

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Topic (or Site Visited):

Option 1: When did you visit?

Option 2: What source(s) did you use?

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Mini-Research Project Example:

Research a Historic Site or a Historic Minnesotan

Source: http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_parks/spk00173_summer.pdf, and

(I visited this park several years ago in person and wanted to know more information about it.)

What I learned:

Grand Portage State Park is farther east than any other Minnesota State Park. It is a beautiful park that

is known primarily for three things. It is the home of Minnesota’s highest waterfall, has a nine mile portage trail,

and was a center for copper mining long before Europeans arrived in northern Minnesota.

The Pigeon River, which forms a part of the Northeastern boundary between Minnesota and Canada,

tumbles nearly 120 feet to reach the base of the high falls, then travels a mile and a half before it empties into

Lake Superior. This waterfall is twice as high as Minnehaha Falls.

The Pigeon River has numerous gorges and rapids that required Voyageurs and Indians, who traveled by

birch bark canoe, to create a nine mile hiking trail from the mouth of Lake Superior, to a tranquil spot upriver

from the mighty falls. This nine mile portage was called Git-che O-ni-ga-ming by the Ojibwe and Grand Portage

by the French. Early voyageurs transported heavy packs and carried their canoes to keep them from being

destroyed in the rough waters. Some voyageurs carried two ninety pound packs at a time. Beaver pelts were

one of the most lucrative furs to trap and sell at the time, and trapping routes extended for miles along the

banks of many of Minnesota’s rivers.

Topic: Grand Portage State Park

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, there was a flourishing mining community in the area. Copper was

mined to create spear head, axes, fishhooks, awls, knives and decorative objects. When Europeans arrived they

also made pots, pans, and firearms.

The land for this park is still owned by the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, and is managed by the

Department of Natural Resources. The park is beautiful and wild, and it isn’t hard to imagine Chippewa or

Ojibwe and Voyageurs carrying their supplies along the wooded banks of the Pigeon River.

Summer Assignment Rubrics:

Personal Migration Story & Push/Pull Factors Rubric

Excellent (3 points) Good (2 points) Needs Improvement (1 point)

Mechanics/Word Choice

Migration story told effectively with few errors

Migration story told with errors, but they don’t take away from the story

Migration story told with errors that make the story difficult to comprehend

Structure Paragraph(s) have well thought out ideas, good flow

Paragraph(s) and ideas are not fully developed

Paragraph(s) include run on sentences, no logical flow of paper

Push/Pull Factors Includes multiple push/pull factors

Includes one push/pull factor

Doesn’t include push/pull factors

Neatness Bonus Point=1 Score: /10

Student Name:

Teacher:

Mini-Research Project (Visit or Online)

Proper Citation: (1 point)

Option 1: Visit a historic site: The location and date of the historic site visit are clearly listed. Yes No Option 2: Research using online source(s): The topic and web addresses are recorded. Yes No

Writing:

Excellent (4 points) Good (3 points) Needs Improvement (1 point)

Mechanics/Word Choice

Research project effectively written with few errors

Research project written with errors, that do not take away from the meaning of the research

Research project written with errors, that make the project difficult to read

Essay Information Accurate information, includes many details, well researched topic

Accurate information, some details should have more research

Information not accurate or details are missing, research lacking

Neatness Bonus Point=1 Score: /10