Sophomore Summer Reading Project

Book Needed: Your Catholic Youth Bible

Due: The first day of class given to your sophomore religion teacher.

You MUST complete this assignment to continue at SJC.

You have successfully completed your studies in Hebrew Scripture and now have an understanding of the world into which Jesus of Nazareth will be born.

The four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – are accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus, as interpreted by different authors. The first 3 of these Gospels are called “synoptic” – that is, they follow the same basic outline and present events in the same basic order. You will read ONE of these Gospels for your summer project as indicated below:

If your last name begins with letters
A-I: Read the Gospel of Matthew
J-Q: Read the Gospel of Mark
R-Z: Read the Gospel of Luke

Express what you have learned about Jesus through the reading of your Gospel as follows:

• PART I - Creative Writing Assignment: It is to be 1-2 pages, typed, double-spaced, using font 12, with one inch margins on all sides. Choose one scene in your Gospel, which is particularly meaningful to you or memorable for some reason. Imagine yourself IN this scene and write a first person account of that event.

Describe who you are, what you are doing there, what is happening – use your 5 senses: What do you see, hear, smell, etc. How do you feel about what is happening? What affect does it have on you? What impact, if any, does it have on your life?

Use your IMAGINATION
• At the end of your paper, list all the questions you had while reading your Gospel.

• PART II- Scrapbook: Create a scrapbook on the life of Jesus based on your Gospel. You are to provide at least one “slide” – one “photo” – per Gospel chapter (minimum). You may add "items" one might find in a scrapbook as well. Be creative and have fun!

• Give each “photo” a caption or title and a brief description. “Photos” or “slides” may be creatively made from pictures, photos, magazines, newspapers, graphics, drawings, artwork, etc. Capture Jesus’ life from birth to death. “Photos” can be “literal” or “symbolic.”

• This is NOT an “Art grade,” so your grade will not be evaluated on “art” as much as on creativity, effort, pride taken in your work, neatness, originality, theological substance, content covered, insights, etc.

• Evaluation:
C = you have done the minimum expected of you.
B = you have gone beyond the minimum expectations, and have done a very good job in all the areas stated above
A = OUTSTANDING effort and work; superior work – “Wow”!

GET INTO IT! LET YOUR CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION SOAR!