Unit Plan Template Title of the Unit – To Kill a Mockingbird Novel Study Grade Level – 11 Length of Unit – 20 hours Miss. Melissa Gartner, Canora Composite

UNIT OVERVIEW A class novel study of To Kill a Mockingbird. Prior to reading the book, we will examine the life of Harper Lee. We will also examine the topics of the Great Depression, Jim Crow laws, the Scottsboro trials and the Civil Rights movement. This will help students to establish a context for the novel, which will aid in comprehension while reading. The book is divided into 3 sections, ranging between 100 and 140 pages each. For each of these sections, the students will complete a reading guide and write a short quiz.

FOUNDATIONAL OBJECTIVES / LEARNING OUTCOMES / MAJOR GOALS Please refer to applicable/relevant Saskatchewan Ministry of Education curriculum documents. 1. Read an increasingly wide range of material for personal enjoyment and extension of experiences. 2. Practise the behaviours of effective, strategic readers. 3. Relate literary experience to personal experience. 4. Explore human experiences and values reflected in texts. 5. Assess an author’s ideas and techniques. 6. Assess a selection’s merit as a literary work. 7. Practise the behaviours of effective speakers, writers, readers, viewers, and listeners.

PRE-ASSESSMENT / PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

- Themes of prejudice and discrimination were covered in ELA B10 in the previous year. - The Great Depression was also studied in ELA B10.

Unit Organizer

Lesson Topics

•Introduction to Harper Lee

•Establishing context for the novel

•Chapter 1

•Chapters 2 - 8

•Chapters 9 - 18

•Chapters 19 - 31

Learning Strategies

•Class discussion

•Reading & responding

•Listening to the novel

•Creating a visual representation of learning

Duration •Approximately 20 hours

Assessment •Summative - quizes

•Formative - reading guides

•Presentation to class

To Kill a

Mockingbird

Novel Study

Topics

Outcomes & Indicators Activities Materials Assessment

Topic 1 Intro to Harper Lee, Scottsboro Trial, Jim Crow laws and the Great Depression 2 hours

- Skim, scan, and read closely for required information. - Speak to clarify and extend thinking - Recognize reading as an active process that requires readers to make connections, find meaning, make and confirm predictions and reflect and evaluate.

- Read biography of Harper Lee & fill in corresponding crossword puzzle. Discuss growing up in the Great Depression. - Have students define Prejudice & Discrimination. Brainstorm modern examples of each. Watch the Sneetches for additional examples. Discuss examples and have students draw connections to the ‘real’ world. - Read The Jim Crow South – supplement reading with pictures on Smart Board & additional facts re: context

- Article - Biography of Harper Lee - Smart Board Notebook file with brainstorming template & Jim Crow pictures - Video – The Sneetches - Article - The Jim Crow South

- The Harper Lee crossword and the discussion after the Jim Crow article will serve as a formative assessment. - The discussion following the Sneetches will allow me to see how familiar the students are with prejudice and discrimination in both the past and modern contexts.

Topic 2 Themes of TKAM and Chapter 1 1 – 2 hours

- Create appropriate visual images to enhance communication (brainstorm) - Explore human experiences and values reflected in texts.

- Brainstorm events between Lee’s birth & when TKAM was published that we read about/ discussed - Ask the students how each of these points may impact the writing of Harper Lee. - Discuss the main themes of the novel - Read Chapter 1 together as a class, have students fill in a reading guide in order to keep track of main events and characters.

- Smart Board Notebook file with a blank page to brainstorm on & with a list of the themes - Class set of TKAM novels - Chapter 1 reading guide

- Reading guide will be a formative assessment.

Topic 3 Chapters 2 - 8

- Explore human experiences and values reflected in texts. - Recognize listening as an active process that requires listeners to seek and check understanding by making connections, as well as to analyze and evaluate. - Be sensitive to ideas and purposes when listening. - Write for a variety of purposes including to reflect, clarify and explore ideas and to express understanding. - Recognize reading as an active process that requires readers to make connections, find meaning, make and confirm predictions and reflect and evaluate. - Record responses in a reader’s journal.

- Guided reading for chapters 2 – 8. In addition to discussing events as they occur in the book, students will have a reading guide to help them focus on significant characters and events in the plot. - At the start of each class, review what happened in the previous day of reading. Create visual representations on smart board when required. - Listen to the audio book version of TKAM for chapters 4 and 7. Have students read the rest out loud. - Quiz for chapters 2 – 8.

- Reading guide for chapters 2 – 8 - - Quiz

- Reading guide will be a formative assessment. Quiz as summative assessment of chapters covered

Topic 4 Chapters 9 – 18

- Explore human experiences and values reflected in texts. - Recognize listening as an active process that requires listeners to seek and check understanding by making connections, as well as to analyze and evaluate. - Be sensitive to ideas and purposes when listening. - Write for a variety of purposes including to reflect, clarify and explore ideas and to express understanding. - Recognize reading as an active process that requires readers to make connections, find meaning, make and

- Guided reading for chapters 9 – 18. In addition to discussing events as they occur in the book, students will have a reading guide to help them focus on significant characters and events in the plot. - At the start of each class, review what happened in the previous day of reading. Create visual representations on smart board when required. - Listen to audio book version of TKAM for chapters 10, 13 and 16. Have the students read the rest out loud.

- Reading guide for chapters 9 – 18 - Quiz

- Reading guide will be a formative assessment. Quiz as summative assessment of chapters covered

confirm predictions and reflect and evaluate. - Record responses in a reader’s journal.

- Quiz for chapters 9 – 18.

Topic 5 Chapters 19 - 31

- Explore human experiences and values reflected in texts. - Recognize listening as an active process that requires listeners to seek and check understanding by making connections, as well as to analyze and evaluate. - Be sensitive to ideas and purposes when listening. - Write for a variety of purposes including to reflect, clarify and explore ideas and to express understanding. - Recognize reading as an active process that requires readers to make connections, find meaning, make and confirm predictions and reflect and evaluate. - Record responses in a reader’s journal.

- Guided reading for chapters 19 – 31. In addition to discussing events as they occur in the book, students will have a reading guide to help them focus on significant characters and events in the plot. - At the start of each class, review what happened in the previous day of reading. Create visual representations on smart board when required. - Listen to audio book version of TKAM for chapters 20, 24 and 28. Have the students read the rest out loud. - Distribute final assignment options. Quiz for chapters 19 – 31.

- Reading guide for chapters 19 – 31 - Handout for final assessment - Quiz

- Reading guide will be a formative assessment. Quiz as summative assessment of chapters covered

Topic 6 Final Assignment

- Recognize writing as a process of constructing meaning for self and others. - Recognize and adjust verbal and nonverbal presentation elements effectively - Speak to express understanding

- Give students time to work on their final project in class. - Presentation to class

- Rubric to assess final presentations & final project.

- The final project will be the summative assessment for the entire novel study.

Biography of Harper Lee (1926-)

Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926, to Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham

Finch Lee. Harper Lee grew up in the small south western Alabama town of Monroeville. Her

father, a former newspaper editor and proprietor, was a lawyer who also served on the state

legislature (1926-38). As a child, Lee was a tomboy and a precocious reader, and she enjoyed the

friendship of her schoolmate and neighbour, the young Truman Capote, who provided the basis

of the character of Dill in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

Lee was only five years old in when, in April 1931 in the small Alabama town of Scottsboro, the

first trials began with regard to the purported rapes of two white women by nine young black

men. The defendants, who were nearly lynched before being brought to court, were not provided

with the services of a lawyer until the first day of trial. Despite medical testimony that the

women had not been raped, the all-white jury found the men guilty of the crime and sentenced all

but the youngest, a twelve-year-old boy, to death. Six years of subsequent trials saw most of

these convictions repealed and all but one of the men freed or paroled. The Scottsboro case left a

deep impression on the young Lee, who would use it later as the rough basis for the events in To

Kill a Mockingbird.

Lee studied first at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama (1944-45), and then pursued a

law degree at the University of Alabama (1945-49), spending one year abroad at Oxford

University, England. She worked as a reservation clerk for Eastern Airlines in New York City

until the late 1950s, when she resolved to devote herself to writing. Lee lived a frugal lifestyle,

traveling between her cold-water-only apartment in New York to her family home in Alabama to

care for her ailing father. In addition, she worked in Holcombe, Kansas, as a research assistant

for Truman Capote's novel In Cold Blood in 1959. Ever since the first days of their childhood

friendship, Capote and Lee remained close friends.

Lee published her first and only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, in 1960 after a two-year period of

revising and rewriting under the guidance of her editor, Tay Hohoff, of the J. B. Lippincott

Company. To Kill a Mockingbird won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize despite mixed critical reviews. The

novel was highly popular, selling more than fifteen million copies. Though in composing the

novel she delved into her own experiences as a child in Monroeville, Lee intended that the book

impart the sense of any small town in the Deep South, as well as the universal characteristics of

human beings. The book was made into a successful movie in 1962, starring Gregory Peck as

Atticus.

President Johnson named Lee to the National Council of Arts in June 1966, and since then she

has received numerous honorary doctorates. She continues to live in New York and Monroeville

but prefers a relatively private existence, granting few interviews and giving few speeches. She

has published only a few short essays since her debut: "Love--In Other Words" in Vogue, 1961;

"Christmas to Me" in McCall's, 1961; and "When Children Discover America" in McCall's,

1965.

http://www.gradesaver.com/author/harper-lee/

1

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5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

ACROSS

2. The town where 9 black men were

accused of raping 2 white women

5. Lee's first name

8. A mob of people kill someone,

normally by hanging, without permission

from the court

9. The university where Lee studied

abroad for one year

10. The number of essays published by

Lee

11. To Kill a Mockingbird was published

in 19??

12. Occupation of Lee's father

13. Lee's characters reflect the _________

characteristics of human beings

DOWN

1. Lee's hometown

3. Inspiration for Dill's character

4. Lee's only novel

6. Lee helped Capote do research for this

novel

7. An award that celebrates excellence in

American literature

Resources to be put up on the Smart Board

Prejudice Discrimination

A simple brainstorming chart

to activate student’s prior

knowledge on prejudice and

discrimination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3yJomUhs0g

The Sneetches – to be loaded

on YouTube before class starts

Jim Crow – A white minstrel

who, after observing a

mentally challenged black

man dancing, created the Jim

Crow character and became

famous. This was an

extremely racist time, and this

picture serves as evidence.

The official laws of

segregation in the American

South were named Jim Crow,

to honour the minstrel show.

A lynching – This photo is the

least graphic one to be found

online. There is a woman

hanging from the bridge.

Among the spectators are

women and children, since

lynchings were family events

for the white population.

The KKK – The infamous

white supremacist group.

During this time of

segregation, 6 million

Americans belonged to the

organization. They do still

exist today, but they are a

small organization

The Scottsboro Boys – The

nine young men who were

accused of raping two white

women while they were riding

in a freight car. The White

man kneeling in front was

their lawyer.

The Jim Crow South – Historical Context of To Kill a Mockingbird

In the American South former slaves and their children had little assurance that their post-Civil

War freedoms would stick. By the 1890s, a system of laws and regulations commonly referred to

as Jim Crow had emerged; by 1910, every state of the former Confederacy had upheld this

legalised segregation and disenfranchisement. The term originated around 1830, when a white

minstrel performer blackened his face, danced a jig, and sang the lyrics to the song “Jump Jim

Crow.” At first the word was synonymous with such terms as black, coloured, or Negro, but it

later became attached to this specific group of repressive laws.

During the Jim Crow era, state and local officials instituted curfews for blacks and posted

“Whites Only” and “Colored” signs on parks, schools, hotels, water fountains, restrooms, and all

modes of transportation. Laws against “race-mixing” deemed all marriages between white and

black people not only void but illegal. Almost as bad as the injustice of Jim Crow was the

inconsistency with which law enforcement applied it. Backtalk would rate a laugh in one town,

and a lynching just over the county line.

Though violence used to subjugate blacks was nothing new, its character changed under Jim

Crow. Southern white supremacist groups like the Klu Klux Klan reached a membership of six

million. Mob violence was encouraged. Torture became a public spectacle. White families

brought their children as witnesses to lynchings, and vendors hawked the body parts of victims

as souvenirs. Between 1889 and 1960, over 5, 700 men and women were reported lynched in the

United States, many for challenging Jim Crow.

All this anger and fear led to the notorious trials of the “Scottsboro Boys,” an ordeal of

sensational convictions, reversals, and retrials for nine young African American men accused of

raping two white women on a train from Tennessee to Alabama. The primary testimony came

from the older woman, a prostitute trying to avoid prosecution herself.

Juries composed exclusively of white men ignored clear evidence that the women had suffered

no injury. As in To Kill a Mockingbird, a black man charged with raping a white woman was not

accorded the usual presumption of innocence. In January of 1932, the Alabama Supreme Court

affirmed seven out of eight death sentences against the adult defendants. A central figure in the

case was an Atticus-like judge, James E. Horton, a member of the Alabama Bar who eventually

defied public sentiment to overturn a guilty verdict.

http://ncowie.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/the-jim-crow-south-historical-context-of-to-kill-a-

mockingbird/

Resources to be put on the smart board

Anticipated brainstorm of things that impacted Harper Lee & the writing of To Kill a

Mockingbird

Major themes in To Kill a Mockingbird

Great Depression

•poverty

•hunger

•drought

•may affect how characters interact, since the novel occurs during this era

Jim Crow Laws

•segregation

•Martin Luther King Jr.

•Civil Rights movement

Scottsboro Trials

•Prejudices earned innocent boys the death sentence

•Lee based part of her novel on these trials

1926 -

1960

ELA 20 – To Kill a Mockingbird - Chapter 1 Answer the following questions in the manner required.

1. Fill in the blanks: a. __________________ begins to tell the story.

b. She looks back to when __________________ was nearly thirteen.

c. Jem thinks the story begins the summer __________________

arrived.

2. There are two important points to be aware of at the beginning of the novel:

a. Scout is the __________________-person narrator who tells the

story from her point of view.

b. Scout is looking back at events that happened when she was a

__________________.

3. What do you think the advantages are to telling a story through the eyes of a child?

What are the disadvantages?

4. Atticus and the Finch Family – Fill in the blanks a. The Finch clan was established by ________________

_________________ over a hundred years ago.

b. He founded the family homestead, __________________’s Landing.

c. Atticus left to study law in __________________, then moved to

Maycomb to practice law.

d. Atticus’ brother studied __________________ in Boston, with

financial help from Atticus.

e. Atticus’ sister __________________ stayed at Finch’s Landing

f. We find out that Atticus’ wife (Scout and Jem’s mother) died when

Scout was ________________ years old.

g. __________________, the family’s African-American cook, has

looked after the children since then.

h. Dill has come to spend the summer with his Aunt

__________________.

5. Scout’s description of Maycomb makes us see a small, tired town, where

life is slow and little happens. This is the period of the

__________________ ___________________ in America, when the

South in particular, suffered great poverty. There is only vague hope that

the newly elected President, Franklin D. ________________, will help to

improve things.

6. Scout says that Calpurnia is tyrannical with a wide and hard hand. What

does this tell you about the way Calpurnia treats her?

Does Atticus share Scout’s view of Calpurnia? Why or why not?

7. Boo and the Radleys – Fill in the blanks a. The __________________ have always kept to themselves.

b. __________________ (Boo) Radley was friends with the wrong

crowd as a teenager and got into trouble.

c. His __________________ told the judge he would keep Boo out of

trouble in the future.

d. He isolated Boo within the __________________.

e. There are many stories and __________________ about Boo

Radley.

8. The people of Maycomb regard the Radleys as strange because they do not behave the same as the rest of the community. They do not visit neighbours or join in local activities. The Radley place and its mysterious inhabitants are looked at with fear and superstition. From what you know about Maycomb, are you surprised that they react like this? Explain your answer.

9. We see the importance of religion to the Maycomb community. Going to church is Maycomb’s principal recreation; Mr. Radley took the word of God as his only law; the only films ever shown are Jesus ones. Does religion influence the way characters behave toward each other? Explain your answer.

10. Fill in the blanks: a. Dill wants to make _____________ _________________ come out

of the house.

b. Dill dares __________________ to knock on the Radley front door.

c. Eventually, Dill reduces the dare to just __________________ the

house, and Jem does it.

d. The children think they see movement at one of the

__________________.

Reading Guide – Chapters 2 - 8

Main Characters For each of the following characters, write down two quotes. One will describe the character’s physical appearance, and the other will reflect the character’s personality.

Name Quote Describing Physical Appearance

Quote spoken by or about character that shows personality

Scout

Jem

Atticus

Boo Radley

Dill

Calpurnia

Walter

Themes As we read the novel, write down examples for each of the following themes. If you choose to include quotes, explain how they are an example of a certain theme.

Theme Examples of this theme from the novel

Coexistence of Good and Evil

Transition from Innocence to Experience

Social Inequality

Education and Perspective

Heroism and Bravery

Maycomb County Descriptions

As we read, write down ten quotes that describe Maycomb or that indicate the location of key places. Be sure to record the page number for each quote. It will make one of the tasks for Chapters 9 – 18 much easier.

Page Number

Quote

Chapter Questions

After we read each chapter, answer the questions of a separate sheet of paper. If you want full marks, use proper sentence structure and accurate spelling. Chapter 2

Why is Scout looking forward to starting school? Why does Jem not want anything to do with Scout at school? Is his behaviour

typical of an older child? What do you think of Miss Caroline Fisher as a teacher? Can you find qualities

which would make her good or not so good at her job?

Chapter 3 Who is Calpurnia? What is her place in the Finch household? What is Walter Cunningham like? What does his behaviour during lunch suggest

about his home life? Atticus says that you never really understand a person “until you climb into his

skin and walk around in it”. What does this mean? Is it an easy thing for Scout to learn?

What do you learn in this chapter about the Ewells?

Chapter 4 What superstitions do the children have in connection with the Radley house? Why do the children make Boo's story into a game? What do they do in this

game? Do you think the game is an accurate version of what happens in the Radleys' home?

What might be the cause of the laughter from inside the house? Chapter 5

Describe Miss Maudie Atkinson? How typical is she of Maycomb's women? What do the children think of her?

What does Miss Maudie tell Scout about Boo? How does this compare with what Scout already believes?

What reasons does Atticus give for the children not to play the Boo Radley game? Do you think he is right? Why?

Chapter 6

Why does Scout disapprove of Jem's and Dill's plan of looking in at one of the Radleys' windows?

What does Mr. Nathan Radley know about the intruders in his garden? Why does Miss Stephanie refer to a “negro” over whose head Mr. Nathan has fired?

Why does Dill's explanation of Jem's state of dress almost land him in trouble? Chapter 7

When Jem tells Scout about getting his trousers back, he tells her of something strange. What is this?

Can you find any evidence that Jem is beginning to understand more than Scout about Boo Radley? What do you think this is?

Does Jem still fear the gifts in the tree? Give reasons for your answer. When the children plan to send a letter to the person who leaves the gifts, they

are prevented. How does this happen? Who does it, and why might he do so?

Chapter 8

Why does Atticus save Miss Maudie's oak rocking chair? When Atticus asks Scout about the blanket around her shoulders, what does Jem

realize? Explain what Atticus means by telling Jem not to let his discovery “inspire” him to

“further glory”? Is there any reason why Jem might now do as his father says?

Journal Entries Complete two of the following questions in your journal. What is Scout’s attitude towards Miss Caroline? Can you remember a teacher that you really disliked? Why did you dislike them so much? How does your experience with this teacher compare with Scout’s experience with Miss Caroline? “I have a dream that….” To what extent do you believe that people are judged by the colour of their skin and not by the content of their character in today’s society? Do you think the situation was worse in the past? Has the situation gotten better? Worse? Stayed the same? Imagine you are Boo Radley at the end of Chapter 8. In his voice, write a diary entry of what is happening from Boo’s point of view. Include mention of specific encounters between you (Boo) and the children. You will need to draw inferences about Boo’s diction…keeping in mind the background information we have on him.

Vocabulary I. Define each of the following words. This will help you gain a better understanding of the events in the novel. Assuaged Spittoon Condescended Sojourn Erratic

Amiable Auspicious Quelling Asinine Quibbling Ramshackle Waning Whittle Meditative Taffeta Cordial II. As you read, write down and define four words that do not appear in the above list. Choose words that you do not know... not words like ‘chicken’ or ‘tree’

Reading Guide – Chapters 9 - 18

Main Characters Write a brief sentence to describe each of the following characters: Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose Tom Robinson Mayella Ewell Aunt Alexandra Uncle Jack Heck Tate Reverend Sykes Judge Taylor Bob Ewell Mr. Gilmer

Themes As we read the novel, write down examples for each of the following themes. If you choose to include quotes, explain how they are an example of a certain theme.

Theme Examples of this theme from the novel

Coexistence of Good and Evil

Transition from Innocence to Experience

Social Inequality

Education and Perspective

Heroism and Bravery

Map of Maycomb Draw a map of Maycomb. Marks will be given for accuracy and neatness. Be sure to include all of the following locations: The Finch house, the Radleys, Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose’s, Miss Rachel Haverford’s, the Ewells, Miss Caroline Fisher, Miss Stephanie Crawford’s, the courthouse, the jail and the school.

Chapter Questions After we read each chapter, answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper. If you want full marks, use proper sentence structure and accurate spelling. Chapter 9

How well does Atticus feel he should defend Tom Robinson? Is it usual for (white) lawyers to do their best for black clients in Alabama at this time?

Uncle Jack Finch tells Scout that she is growing out of her pants. What does this mean and why might he say it?

Does Scout learn anything from overhearing Atticus's conversation with Uncle Jack? What might this be?

Chapter 10

Scout says that “Atticus was feeble”. Do you think that this is her view as she tells the story or her view when she was younger? Does she still think this after the events recorded in this chapter?

In this chapter Atticus tells his children that “it's a sin to kill a mockingbird”. What reason does he give for saying this?

Jem and Scout have different views about telling people at school how well Atticus can shoot. Explain this difference. Which view is closer to your own?

Chapter 11

How does Atticus advise Jem to react to Mrs. Dubose's taunts? What request does Mrs. Dubose make of Jem? Is this a fair punishment for his

“crime”? Explain in your own words what Atticus thinks of insults like “nigger-lover”. How

far do you agree with him? Chapter 12

Comment on Jem's and Scout's visit to First Purchase church. What new things does Scout learn here about how the black people live? Explain why Calpurnia speaks differently in the Finch household, and among her

neighbours at church. Chapter 13

Why does Aunt Alexandra come to stay with Atticus and his family? What is she like?

Alexandra thinks Scout is “dull” (not clever). Why does she think this, and is she right? Are all adults good at knowing how clever young people are?

How does Aunt Alexandra involve herself in Maycomb's social life? Comment on Aunt Alexandra's ideas about breeding and family. Why does

Atticus tell them to forget it? Who is right, do you think? Chapter 14

Comment on Atticus's explanation of rape. How suitable is this as an answer to Scout.

Why does Alexandra think Atticus should dismiss Calpurnia? How does Atticus respond to the suggestion?

What do we learn from Dill's account of his running away? Chapter 15

What is the “nightmare” that now descends upon the children? What was (and is) the Ku Klux Klan? What do you think of Atticus's comment

about it? How does Jem react when Atticus tells him to go home, and why? What persuades the lynching-party to give up their attempt on Tom's life?

Chapter 16

What “subtle change” does Scout notice in her father? What sort of person is Dolphus Raymond? How does Reverend Sykes help the children see and hear the trial? Comment on Judge Taylor's attitude to his job. Does he take the trial seriously or

not? Chapter 17

What are the main points in Heck Tate's evidence? What does Atticus show in his cross-examination of Sheriff Tate?

What do we learn indirectly of the home life of the Ewell family in this chapter? Why does Atticus ask Bob Ewell to write out his name? What does the jury see

when he does this? Chapter 18

Is Mayella like her father or different from him? In what ways? How does Mayella react to Atticus's politeness? Is she used to people being

polite? How well does Mr. Gilmer prove Tom's guilt in the eyes of the reader (you) and in

the eyes of the jury? Can you suggest why these might be different?

Journal Entries Complete three of the following questions in your journal. Read the final sentence of chapter 9. Explain in your own words what it means and why it might be important in the story. How does this sentence relate to the ‘real’ world? Provide an example from your own life. When Atticus shoots the mad dog, Scout begins to see her father in a different light. Can you remember a time when one of your parents did something (either negative or positive) that made you see them differently? There are several examples of courage and heroism in these chapters. Atticus becomes a hero to his children when he shoots the rapid dog, and Mrs. Dubose becomes a hero to Atticus when she decides to die free of her morphine addiction. Which character do you believe is more heroic? Why? How does your chosen character relate to one of your personal heroes? The Ewells are very low in Maycomb society; they are uneducated, and people don’t want to associate with them. Can you think of any people like that in our own society? Do you have people in your own life that you really would rather not associate with?

Vocabulary I. Define each of the following words. This will help you gain a better understanding of the events in the novel. Ingenuous Obstreperous Feeble Apoplectic Tirade Frivolous Habiliments Tactful Curtness Manacles Ominous Acquiescence Elucidate Ruddy Gullet Dictum

Ambidextrous Mollified Arid Begrudge

Reading Guide – Chapters 19 - 31 Themes

As we read the novel, write down examples for each of the following themes. If you choose to include quotes, explain how they are an example of a certain theme. You can elaborate upon examples from previous reading guides.

Theme Examples of this theme from the novel

Coexistence of Good and Evil

Transition from Innocence to Experience

Social Inequality

Education and Perspective

Heroism and Bravery

Chapter Questions After we read each chapter, answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper. If you want full marks, use proper sentence structure and accurate spelling. Chapter 19

What made Tom visit the Ewell's house on November 21? “he would not have dared strike a white woman under any circumstances and

expect to live long, so he took the first opportunity to run – a sure sign of guilt” (261). Explain why this situation was lose-lose for Tom Robinson.

How does Dill react to this part of the trial? Why is this, in your opinion? Chapter 20

Scout says that “Mr. Dolphus Raymond was an evil man”. Is she right? What, according to Atticus, is the thing that Mayella has done wrong? Explain, in your own words, Atticus's views on people's being equal.

Chapter 21

What does Jem expect the verdict to be? Does Atticus think the same? What is unusual about how long it takes the jury to reach a verdict? Is the verdict

predictable or not? Chapter 22

Although Atticus did not want his children in court, he defends Jem's right to know what has happened. Explain, in your own words, Atticus's reasons for this. (Look at the speech beginning, “This is their home, sister”.

Why does Dill say that he will be a clown when he grows up? Do you think he would keep this ambition for long?

Why does Bob Ewell feel so angry with Atticus? Do you think his threat is a real one, and how might he try to “get” Atticus?

Chapter 23

What do you think of Atticus's reaction to Bob Ewell's challenge? Should he have ignored Bob, retaliated or done something else?

What is “circumstantial evidence”? What has it got to do with Tom's conviction? At the end of this chapter, Jem forms a new theory about why Boo Radley has

never left his house in years. What is this? How likely is it to be true, in your opinion?

Chapter 24

Do you think the missionary ladies are sincere in worrying about the “Mrunas” (a tribe in Africa)? Give reasons for your answer.

What is your opinion of the Maycomb ladies, as depicted in this chapter? Explain briefly how Tom was killed. What is Atticus's explanation for Tom's

attempted escape? Do you agree with Atticus? Chapter 25

How does Maycomb react to the news of Tom's death? How does one’s race affect their reaction?

Explain the contrast Scout draws between the court where Tom was tried and “the secret courts of men's hearts”. In what way are hearts like courts?

Chapter 26 In her lesson on Hitler, Miss Gates says that “we (American people) don't believe

in persecuting anyone”. What seems odd to the reader about this claim? Why is Scout puzzled by Miss Gates' disapproval of Hitler? Why does Scout's question upset Jem? Is there a simple answer, or any answer,

to the question (“How can you hate Hitler an’ then turn around an be ugly about folks right at home?”)

Chapter 27

What three things does Bob Ewell do that alarm Aunt Alexandra? Why, according to Atticus, does Bob Ewell bear a grudge? Which people does

Ewell see as his enemies, and why? What was the purpose of the Halloween pageant? What practical joke had

persuaded the grown ups to have an organized event? Chapter 28

Why does Jem say that Boo Radley must not be at home? What is ironic about this? (Is it true? Does he really mean it? Why might it be important for him and Scout that Boo should not be at home?)

Scout decides to keep her costume on while walking home. How does this affect her understanding of what happens on the way?

Why had Atticus not brought a chair for the man in the corner? Who might this stranger be?

Chapter 29

What causes the “shiny clean line” on the otherwise “dull wire” of Scout's costume?

What explanation does Atticus give for Bob Ewell's attack? What does Heck Tate give as the reason for the attack? Do you think the sheriff's explanation or Atticus's is the more likely to be true?

Chapter 30

Who does Atticus think caused Bob Ewell's death? Why does Heck Tate insist that Bob Ewell's death was self-inflicted? In what way

is this partly true? Is Heck Tate right to spare Boo then publicity of an inquest? Give reasons for

your answer. Chapter 31

How do the events of the final chapters explain the first sentence in the whole novel?

How does Scout make sense of an earlier remark of Atticus's as she stands on the Radley porch?

How much of a surprise is it to find what Boo Radley is really like? Has the story before this point prepared the reader for this discovery?

Journal Entries Complete three of the following questions in your journal. This story is set in the 1930s but was published in 1960. Have attitudes to racism remained the same (in the USA and Canada) or have there been any changes (for the better or worse) since then, in your view?

In what ways are both Boo and Tom Robinson like mockingbirds? How is the way they are treated like killing a mockingbird?

Scout, Jem, and Dill are obsessed with the Radley place. Can you remember something that you were obsessed with when you were young? For example, a certain toy, a type of food, etc…?

Bob Ewell spits in Atticus’ face and swears that he will get revenge on him no matter how long it takes. Have you ever wanted to seek revenge on someone? What ended up happening? How did you feel about it? Would you have handled the situation differently if you could do it over again? Why does Aunt Alexandra accept that the Cunninghams may be good but are not “our kind of folks”? Do you think that people should mix only with others of the same social class? Are class-divisions good or bad for societies?

Vocabulary Define each of the following words. This will help you gain a better understanding of the events in the novel. Discreet Corroborative Acquit Heathen Furtive Vehement Squalor Hypocrite

Scowl Spurious Eccentricity Irascible Gait Reprimand Connive

To Kill a Mockingbird - Final Project Pick one of the following assignments to express your understanding of the novel. Each project will be presented briefly to the class. 1. Atticus tells Scout that you “never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Become one of the following characters and narrate a specific event from the novel in his/her voice and from their point of view: Boo Radley Tom Robinson Atticus Mayella Ewell Mrs. Dubose 2. Create a game board tracing Scout and Jem’s journey through To Kill a Mockingbird. At the various spaces players land on which are pivotal to events in the text, such as Mrs. Dubose’s house, write a card in which you question the player about what Scout and Jem learned at that place on the board. Accompany your game board with an explanation of how your game reflects the plot, setting, characters, and themes in the novel. 3. Become Scout and create an annotated scrapbook of at least 10 pages. On each page, paste in something that reflects some aspect of Scout’s experience growing up. Make sure that at least two items are written--for example a letter from Dill, a newspaper article, or a diary entry. Annotate each entry as Scout, explaining why she is saving this item. 4. Write the front page of The Maycomb Gazette—from just after the trial of Tom Robinson or after the death of Bob Ewell. You should have a feature article on either the trial or death and an assortment of other articles to fill the page (ie - news articles, editorial, advice column, illustrations with captions.) 5. If you have an idea of how you want to represent your learning that is not on this sheet, come speak with Miss Gartner.