Summer Learning Week of July 13: Summer Reading and more (Grades 6-8)

We hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer break! Each Monday through August 17, we’ll share a Weekly Learning Menu with simple, mostly screen-free activities to help keep learning going all summer long. Choose one or two activities that fit your family’s schedule and enjoy learning together!

Weekly Learning Menu

Daily Reading

Join the Arlington Public Library Summer Reading Challenge and encourage your student to read for at least 30 minutes each day. Talk about what they are reading by asking questions such as:

• What was the most interesting part?
• What surprised you?
• Would you recommend this book to someone else? Why or why not?

Students can also access digital books through APS Library Resources in Canvas.

Math & Problem Solving

Choose one of these real-world math activities:

• Shopping Smart: While grocery shopping, estimate the total cost, compare unit prices, or calculate discounts in your head.
• Math in Sports: Follow statistics from a favorite team or player. Calculate averages, compare performances, or make predictions about the next game.
• Recipe Resize: Double or halve a favorite family recipe using fractions and ratios.

Civic Engagement

Visit one of Arlington’s more than 80 historical markers with your student. Talk about why that location is historically significant and what it teaches us about our community.

Science & Nature

Take a nature walk or visit a local park. Observe the plants, animals, and habitats you see. Encourage your student to:

• Record observations in a nature journal.
• Sketch or describe the organisms they find.
• Create a simple food web showing how the plants and animals are connected.

World Languages

Practice language learning at home by labeling everyday objects with their names in the language your student is studying. You can also:

• Practice using the words in simple conversations.
• For American Sign Language (ASL), sign the labels and practice phrases such as “Where is ___?” and “I need ___.”
• For Latin, identify Latin roots in everyday words (such as aquarium) and compare items in your home with how they may have been used in ancient Rome.

Creative Arts & Expression

Create a zine, or mini booklet, by folding a sheet of paper into a small book. Fill the pages with drawings, poems, stories, comics, or reflections about your summer.

• You can also explore artwork together through the National Gallery of Art Virtual Tours.

We hope these activities help create meaningful moments of learning and connection for your family.