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7th Grade English Language Arts Unit 5: Determining Themes in Fiction

Anchor Text(s)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Pacing 8 weeks

Unit Overview In this unit, students read and analyze a classic novel in order to access its timeless themes. To Kill a Mockingbird is the anchor of this unit, a novel that explores the realities of racial and class prejudice in the 1930s American South through the eyes of young Scout Finch. Through a study of this novel, students will deeply analyze the conflicting perspectives and motivations of Maycomb County’s residents, including the well-‐respected lawyer Atticus Finch, the wrongly accused Tom Robinson, the reclusive and mysterious Boo Radley, the hateful and bigoted Bob Ewell, and numerous other town members. In doing this, students will also explore a variety of themes that emerge from these contrasting perspectives, including lessons about empathy, tolerance, injustice, prejudice, and growing up. In addition to analyzing very complex characters and themes, students will also analyze how the author, Harper Lee, develops the point of view of our young narrator, Scout, and contrasts her perspective with that of other characters. They will also conduct close readings of short passages and key quotes, and analyze how that particular quote or section contributes to the development of larger themes. They will analyze how specific characters and things (i.e. the mockingbird of the novel’s title) have symbolic meaning and represent the author’s deeper messages. Finally, students will also compare and contrast the written version of the story with its filmed version by watching clips from the1962 To Kill a Mockingbird movie. This compare/contrast analysis will focus on the courtroom testimonies and the story’s conclusion, but you are encouraged to show additional scenes from the movie throughout the unit as well. The writing focus of this unit is based around making and supporting strong evidence-‐based claims (CCSS W.7.1). During the novel’s courtroom scenes, students will have a chance to identify other writers’ and speakers’ claims and evaluate the strength and reliability of the evidence presented. After studying these models (examples and non-‐examples of strong arguments), students will translate their analyses into writing by crafting their own arguments and supporting them with evidence. Supplemental texts are embedded throughout this unit for a variety of purposes: to build knowledge about the story’s historical and cultural setting, to provide a new lens through which to interpret the novel’s events, and/or to provide additional context for a developing theme. Students will engage with these texts in conjunction with the novel in order to enhance and deepen their understanding of both texts. Ideally students will come away from this unit with a greater understanding of complex characters and themes, and with a strengthened idea of morality, integrity, and our nation’s history.

Unit 7.5: Determining Themes in Fiction

Essential Questions Genre and Standards-‐Based Vocabulary Cutting to the Core Standards-‐Based Essential Questions:

I. How can a story’s historical and

cultural setting influence characters and events?

II. How and why do authors incorporate or alter aspects of history in fictional literature?

III. How do contrasting perspectives on issues create conflict?

IV. How do characters, symbols, events, and quotes develop and convey an author’s central themes? To what extent are one author’s themes relevant in other contexts?

Thematic Essential Questions: I. What significant turning points

determine our pathways from childhood to adulthood?

II. How can literature reflect the values and experiences of people living in a different culture or time period? How can literature help us learn from the past and reflect on the present and future?

III. What does it mean to show compassion and empathy, and what are the benefits of doing so?

IV. How and why do conflict and injustice stem from lines of difference? What actions can we take to stand up against prejudice and its harmful consequences?

character development logic direct characterization judgment indirect characterization rationale protagonist evaluate antagonist reliable conflict medium dynamic static symbol metaphor setting (historical and cultural) impact influence theme point of view perspective first-‐person point of view contrast structure plot events climax enhance develop evidence claim proof sound reasoning argument thesis statement persuasive argumentative quote paraphrase summary coherent

I: Building knowledge through content-‐rich nonfiction and informational texts Ø “Students need to be grounded in information

about the world around them if they are to develop the strong general knowledge and vocabulary they need to become successful readers”

II: Reading and writing grounded in evidence from the text Ø “Quality text-‐based questions, unlike low-‐level

"search and find" questions, require close reading and deep understanding of the text”

III: Regular practice with complex text and its academic vocabulary Ø “The ability to comprehend complex texts is the

most significant factor differentiating college-‐ready from non-‐college-‐ready readers. This shift toward complex text requires practice, supported through close reading”


Common Core State Standards (Including how the standards progress across grade levels) RL.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL/RI.7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL 8.1: Cite textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.6.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

RL.7.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL 8.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.6.3: Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

RL.7.3: Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

RL.8.3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

RL.6.6: Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

RL.7.6: Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

RL.8.6. Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

RL.6.7: Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they "see" and "hear" when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.

RL.7.7: Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).

RL.8.7: Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.

RL.6.9: Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.

RL.7.9: Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

RL.8.9: Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new.

RI.6.2: Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

RI.7.2: Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

RI.8.2: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.


RI.6.3: Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).

RI.7.3: Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

RI.8.3: Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

RI.6.6: Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.

RI.7.6: Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.

RI.8.6: Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

RI.6.8: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

RI.7.8: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

RI.8.8: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

RI.6.9: Compare and contrast one author's presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).

RI.7.9: Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.

RI.8.9: Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.

W.6.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.

b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.

d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section

that follows from the argument presented.

W.7.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.


that follows from and supports the argument presented.

W.8.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence

a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.


that follows from and supports the argument presented.


W.6.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

a. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres [e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics").

b. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not").


a. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history").

b. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. "Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims").


a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new").

b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced").

SL.6.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-‐on-‐one, in groups, and teacher-‐led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

c. Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.

d. Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.


a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

c. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.

d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.


a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-‐making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.

d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.


SL.6.3: Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

SL.7.3: Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

SL.8.3: Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.


Anchor Text: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Overview Important Considerations for Instruction

To Kill a Mockingbird is the story of the small town of Maycomb in 1930s Alabama. The novel chronicles a few formative years from the eyes of young Scout Finch. Through Scout and her brother Jem’s neighborhood meanderings with their best friend Dill, encounters with the misunderstood “neighborhood ghost” Boo Radley, and the example of their father Atticus, both Scout and Jem grow to understand that the world isn’t always fair and that prejudice and intolerance are very real (and illogical, unjust) aspects of the world. The novel hinges upon one of Atticus Finch’s court cases, which pits innocent, black Tom Robinson against two dishonest and hateful white citizens of Maycomb County. Atticus knows that he will lose the case due to the pervasive prejudice of Maycomb’s white residents and stringent social order, but he feels a moral obligation to defend Tom. The case disrupts the sleepy town and seems to turn much of the county against Atticus. Scout and Jem are forced to bear slurs and threats against their father – and even an attack against themselves – and they watch with shock and disillusionment as their fellow townspeople convict an obviously innocent man because of his race. Through the events of these few years and through her interactions and observations of a range of people, Scout and the reader learn of the senselessness and toxicity of racism and prejudice in the world, and how it can manifest itself in ugly ways. She also learns the importance of maintaining integrity in the fight for justice, and that taking a stand for others and for what’s right is the courageous thing to do, even “when you know you’re licked before you begin.”

I. Text Complexity: To Kill a Mockingbird has a Lexile level of 870L. While this quantitative measure of complexity falls on the low end for 7th graders, the novel’s challenging language, knowledge demands, nuanced characters, and mature, complex themes make it an appropriately rigorous and engaging read. II. Big Ideas/Themes: This book is rich with complex and timeless themes, including integrity, prejudice, empathy, “The Golden Rule,” courage, the loss of childhood innocence, and many more. Ultimately, this book asserts the importance of taking a stand against injustice, specifically against the systematic racism pervasive in the 1930s American South. III. Text Structure: The novel is broken down into two parts and contains 31 chapters that vary in length. Our protagonist Scout, who is now an adult but reflects back on a few pivotal and highly formative years of her childhood in Maycomb County, narrates the entire story from her first-‐person point of view. Although it is clear she is remembering the past, the majority of the story is told from the perspective of her childhood, which allows readers to follow Scout as she comes of age and loses her innocence. Part One paints a picture of Maycomb’s community and reveals the children’s fascination with Boo Radley, the town recluse. Part Two shifts to describing events leading up to the highly controversial trial of Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of rape, whom Atticus is defending in court. These two storylines collide by the end of the book to reveal the novel’s central themes. IV. Real World Connections: Students will be able to connect all of the book’s themes to real world situations and even current events surrounding racial prejudice and injustice. It is important to be transparent with students about these connections and the fact that many of the story’s conflicts are still prevalent in today’s world. This makes it even more important to read this book and to openly discuss its characters and messages. Additionally, students should relate to Scout and Jem as they struggle with growing up, and as their relationships with each other and their father evolve with age and new understanding.


V. Potential Challenges: This novel contains mature subject matter and themes (rape, hate crimes, prejudice, injustice in the legal system, etc.) that may be difficult to discuss without proper framing to students. Building knowledge about the reality of life in the South during the Jim Crow era will help students better understand the language, events, and Harper Lee’s intentions when writing this novel. It will be important to remain sensitive to students as they confront these things that are difficult to grasp and discuss, while also making sure not to shy away from important conversations. Additionally, the novel’s length and language (vocabulary, dialect, syntax, metaphor/symbolism, etc.) may present challenges; it may be helpful to read some longer chapters over the course of multiple days, and to create some system for keeping track of characters and events over time.


Instructional Calendar Weekly Focus Teaching Points Texts and Resources Suggestions for

Implementation Week 1:

I: RI.1, RI.2, RI.3

II: RL.1, RL.3, RL.9

III: RL.1, RL.3

I. Build knowledge about the novel’s historical setting (a small town in the 1930s American South) through content-‐rich nonfiction articles.

• Read the two informational texts that provide overviews of the history surrounding the Great Depression and also racial discrimination and prejudice in America. o The main purpose of reading these articles should be to

build knowledge that will provide context for students about the historical backdrop of the novel. As the unit progresses, students will continue to analyze how the historical and cultural setting of the South during the 1930s influences characters’ mindsets, students should keep these articles and return to them.

o Note: The structure of these articles is similar; both provide a vast and somewhat general overview of significant people, decisions, events, and circumstances across many years, so model and encourage strong note-‐taking habits to keep track of important information.

II. Analyze details (across Ch. 1-‐3 of To Kill a Mockingbird and two supplemental nonfiction texts) to draw conclusions about the culture and characteristics of Maycomb County.

• In chapter 1, get to know Maycomb County by collecting details from Scout’s descriptions (small, close-‐knit, southern town impacted by the Great Depression). Conduct a close reading of the two paragraphs in the middle of page 6 (“Maycomb was an old town, … nothing to fear but fear itself”). o Close Reading questions and a paired excerpt from FDR’s

Inaugural Address (to facilitate understanding of Scout’s allusion in this passage) are in Appendix D.

• In chapter 2, analyze what the incidents at school reveal about the population and social order/hierarchy in Maycomb. o I.e. Incident with Walter reveals economic/class differences

Anchor Text: Ch. 1-‐3

Supplemental Texts

(Appendix B) • “A Short History of the

Great Depression” • “A History of Racial

Discrimination and Segregation in America”

Supplemental Resources

(Appendix D)

• (All Weeks) LitChart: To Kill a Mockingbird (in depth analysis tool for teachers)

• (All Weeks) 7th Grade CCSS Question Stems

• “Maycomb County” Close Reading TDQs

• “The Radley House” Close Reading TDQs

• Map of Maycomb (create anchor chart)

• Supporting Character Inferences with Strong Evidence: Engage NY Unit 1 Lesson 9

• Decide whether you want to read both informational articles before beginning the novel, or if you would like to embed one or both in the middle or end of this week. Both sequences have value; consider the best way to invest your students and to provide the scaffolding they need.

• Before beginning this unit, take some time to read the “LitChart” in-‐depth analysis tool found in Appendix D. This resource will be extremely helpful when selecting zoom-‐in passages and planning big ideas and text-‐dependent questions throughout the unit, as it outlines key themes, character and plot analyses, and understandings. Do not share this with students; this is


between families in Maycomb o I.e. Miss Caroline’s criticism of Scout reveals rigid mindsets;

this is not an environment that foster open and critical thought

• Cross-‐Genre Analysis: Students should make connections between specific details in the two supplemental texts and what they’ve read in the novel so far. Make sure students’ connections are evidence-‐based; they should not assume that everything mentioned in the articles is true of Maycomb County until they uncover evidence to back it up. o What evidence can you find that the Great Depression has

impacted life in Maycomb County in ways that are similar to what’s described in the article?

o What inferences or predictions can you make about race relations in Maycomb based on evidence across both texts?

o Based on Chapters 1-‐3, how has Harper Lee incorporated and/or altered historical events and time periods in To Kill a Mockingbird?

III. Get to know the novel’s main characters (Scout, Jem, Dill, and Atticus) by analyzing what their words, actions, interactions, and responses to events reveal about them.

• Get to know Scout, Jem, and Dill, and analyze their view of the world at this young age. For example, students can consider: o Chapter 1 establishes Scout as our narrator. What do

Scout’s descriptions of Maycomb, its residents, and the events of her life reveal about Scout herself?

o Why are Scout, Jem, and Dill so quick to accept the legend around Boo Radley as true?

o What do the children’s treatment of Boo Radley and their fascination with the Radley house reveal about them?

• Analyze how the author characterizes Atticus indirectly in the first three chapters, particularly in Chapter 3. o Draw conclusions about the type of person Atticus is based

on his words, thoughts, actions, and interactions with other characters. Also pay attention to how Scout describes him; for example, consider why his children

• Use strong textual evidence to support why characters act a certain way: Engage NY Unit 1 Lesson 11

• Theme Development in Chapter 3 (“The Golden Rule”): Engage NY Unit 1 Lesson 12

a planning tool. • The Engage NY

lesson resources found throughout this unit plan in Appendix D are included because parts of them correlate to teaching points outlined here. Feel free to use these as a reference or starting point for developing plans and student materials, but you generally should not follow them as written (as our protocol and lesson expectations are not completely aligned with Engage NY).

• Note: The incident at school with Burris Ewell is our first introduction to this family who will be central to the second half of the book.

• Ch. 1-‐3 lay the foundation for themes that will develop throughout the book, including growing up (establishing Scout


might call him by his first name instead of “Dad.” What do these details suggest about him and his beliefs?

o Zoom in on this quote (39): “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. 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.”

§ What does this quote mean? How does its meaning connect to the “Golden Rule” (“treat others the way you want to be treated” or “never do to others what you would not want done to you”)?

§ What evidence can you find that Atticus tries to abide by this rule as he goes through life? (i.e. consider the Cunningham family, his defense of Calpurnia, his decision to make a “compromise” with Scout)

as innocent, sees the world in “black and white”) and the narrow-‐mindedness and prejudice (class, race) of Maycomb County.

• Extension: In the opening pages of Chapter 1, analyze Simon Finch’s hypocrisy (he fled Europe because of persecution due to his religious beliefs, but then he turns around and gets slaves once he comes to America; another type of prejudice and marginalization of a group of people based on differences. This type of hypocrisy will surface in many of Maycomb’s residents again and again throughout the novel.


Week 2:

I: RL.1, RL.6

II: RL.6

III: RI.1, RI.2, RI.3, RL.9

I. Analyze the impact of the author’s use of first-‐person narration on the readers. How are we affected by learning about all events from Scout’s perspective?

• Review the differences between a narrator’s use of first-‐person and third-‐person point of view. Explain that point of view can also be “limited” (we have access to only one character’s thoughts/perspective) or “omniscient” (we have access to multiple characters inner thoughts/perspective). When narration is limited, readers must infer other characters’ motivations and perspectives to get a full picture.

• Another way that readers are affected by first-‐person point of view, especially when that person is a child, is that we are forced to make inferences and put together the puzzle pieces about what’s really going on. Scout is so naïve at this point that we as readers may even have a more robust understanding of things than she does. Find examples of this and analyze its effect on us as readers.

• Practice making inferences and drawing conclusions supported by evidence about specific events in the story and about other characters’ motivations. Ask questions using stems like:

o “What would [character] think or feel about __________?” o “Why would _________ do/say this? How does Scout

explain this? Do you think her explanation is accurate, and why?”

o “Is anything missing from Scout’s description of ____? What and why?”

o “How does Scout’s narration shape your opinion of __?” II. Analyze how the author develops and contrasts the point of view of different characters in the text.

• Compare and contrast Scout and Jem’s point of view about their game impersonating the Radley family with Atticus’s point of view.

o Why does Jem lie to Atticus when he catches them? o Why does Atticus defend the Radleys and what does that

reveal about him?


Supplemental Texts

(Appendix B) • Jim Crow Laws • 14th Amendment to

the U.S. Constitution Supplemental Resources

(Appendix D) • Jigsaw Protocol • 14th Amendment

Close Reading TDQs • Support Inferences

about Characters: Engage NY Unit 1, Lesson 14

• Teaching the Supplemental Texts: Pair the “Jim Crow Laws” text with a close reading of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. The TDQs included in the close reading lesson require students to have already read the Jim Crow Laws document for the purpose of building knowledge. Read these texts towards the end of the week so students will have more evidence to draw from when making connections.

• Whenever students grapple with an exceedingly complex text (like the 14th Amendment), allow them to discuss and collaborate with their peers and read it repeatedly. This is an excellent opportunity for you to step back and allow students time to struggle productively with each other to make


o How do these incidents with the Radleys relate to the developing theme of “The Golden Rule?” What lesson does Atticus try to teach his children by talking with them about the Radleys?

§ Is there evidence the children have taken these lessons to heart yet? Why or why not?

• In Chapter 5, make connections between Miss Maudie’s perspective on the Radley family with Atticus’s. (Both help the children develop a sense of empathy and encourage them not to judge based just on their preconceived notions.)

• Compare and contrast Scout and Jem. What difference does their three year age difference make in how they act and how they perceive/understand situations and events? For example, how do they interpret the situation around the presents being left in the tree’s knothole differently?

o In chapter 7 particularly, Jem starts to show signs of maturity that far exceed Scout’s growth so far. How does he begin to grow up in ways that Scout has not in this chapter?

• To practice this skill, use question stems including (but not limited to): o “How might ___ describe ___ differently than Scout does?” o “Would _______ agree or disagree with Scout’s

interpretation of __________?” o “Rewrite [scene/passage] from ________’s perspective.

III. Build knowledge about the injustice and inhumanity of Jim Crow Laws through a close reading of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

• Read the supplemental text “Jim Crow Laws” first. This text is a list of a selection of Jim Crow laws using their original language and is included to allow students to understand the depth of their injustice and the cruelty of their purpose: to marginalize, oppress, and dehumanize an entire race.

o You will not need to spend an entire class period on this text; consider doing a “Jigsaw” protocol where groups of students paraphrase a few of the laws and

meaning. Avoid frontloading the meaning or pre-‐teaching too much to allow students to come to the “lightbulb moment” on their own.


report back to the class. This text should be read on the same day you closely read the 14th Amendment.

• Using the student materials provided in Appendix D, students should paraphrase the 14th Amendment and answer cross-‐text analysis questions to make meaning and highlight the injustice of Jim Crow. Feel free to add to or adapt these student materials to meet needs of your students.

o For the questions that require students to make connections to the novel, direct student attention to Chapter 6, particularly the section where we discover why Mr. Radley shot his gun in the first place. They can also draw upon their knowledge from last week’s supplemental texts and conclusions about Maycomb County. Finally, students may also expand their interpretation of this amendment to include economically disadvantaged people like the Cunninghams if they support it with evidence.


Week 3:

I: RL.6

II: RL.2

III: RI.2, RL.2, RI.6, RL.9, RI.9

I. Continue to track how the author develops Scout’s point of view through the use of first-‐person narration. How does her perspective change throughout the first 10 chapters?

• After reading chapter 8, analyze how and why Scout’s perspective on Boo Radley has changed since the beginning of the book. How does the specific incident on the night of Miss Maudie’s house fire impact her (and our) perception of him? Make inferences supported by evidence. o See Engage NY Unit 1, Lesson 16 for guidance/resources

• What evidence is there that Scout is growing up? How do her changing opinions and growing understanding of people and events support the claim that she’s beginning to grow up?

• Compare and contrast Scout’s perspective on specific events with Jem and Atticus’s perspectives. Continue last week’s work by considering how we as readers are impacted by Scout’s first-‐person narration. o I.e. In chapter 10, compare Scout and Jem’s understanding

of and reaction to the “mad dog” situation. What does Jem understand that Scout does not? How does this incident deepen our understanding of Atticus?

• When news of the trial breaks, analyze Scout’s internal struggle to understand the circumstances and reactions of white Maycomb residents when news of the trial breaks.

II. Analyze how specific characters (especially Atticus), quotes, and symbols develop important themes in chapters 9 and 10.

• In chapter 9, explore how Atticus’s decision to defend Tom Robinson (despite the town’s objections) develops themes about integrity and morality.

o See Appendix D for close reading passages that lead students to unpack Atticus’s motivation for taking the trial, to witness white residents’ hateful backlash, and to explore Scout’s struggle to understand why this is happening and what it means.

• In chapter 10, explore how Lee uses quotes and symbols to develop a theme about innocence (and about how racism and white Maycomb’s rigid, intolerant belief system threatens


Supplemental Texts

(Appendix B) • “Love – In Other

Words” (essay by Harper Lee, published in 1961)

• “Love – In Other Words” (EXCERPTS)


(Appendix D) • Chapter 9: Close

Reading Passages and TDQs

• Chapter 10: Symbolism Student Materials

• Infer how and why Scout’s perspective on Boo Radley changes: Engage NY Unit 1 Lesson 16

• When looking at the Engage NY lesson included this week, you may want to cut out the first part of the lesson and focus only the portion dedicated to Scout’s changing views.

• Within teaching point I, there are numerous examples of ways you could address this teaching point. Decide whether your students need repeated practice with this skill (in which case you may want to address all examples, or whether they’d benefit more from digging deeply into one or two examples.

• Two versions of Lee’s essay are included in Appendix B. Ideally all students should read the full text, but if you are under time constraints and/or wish to zoom in on smaller chunks of the essay, please see the second version that


security and community). o Analyze the symbolism of the “mockingbird” that Lee

refers to in the novel’s title through a close reading of page 119 (“When he gave us our air rifles…that’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”).

o Analyze the symbolism of the “mad dog” as a threat to innocence and security within the town. What is symbolic about Atticus’s role in the mad dog situation, in light of the larger story? See Appendix D for text-‐dependent analysis questions.

o Consider how both of the above passages and symbols develop a theme about innocence and the rigid small-‐town beliefs (including racism and prejudice) as a threat to the town’s safety and community.

III. Determine Harper Lee’s central ideas in her essay called “Love—in Other Words” and connect its purpose and central themes with those in To Kill A Mockingbird.

• First, read Harper Lee’s essay to determine the author’s central ideas and point of view about her topic. Ask text-‐specific questions such as (but not limited to):

o How does Lee want readers to define “love?” o According to Lee, how is love greater than just

“romance” or “compassion?” o What does Lee mean when she says that love is a

“paradox?” Explain using an example. o Why does Lee describe boredom as “dangerous?” o Paraphrase this sentence: “Few of us achieve

compassion; to some of us romance is a word; in many of us the ability to feel affection has long since died; but all of us at one time or another-‐ be it for an instant or for our lives-‐ have departed from ourselves: we have loved something or someone.”

• Then, analyze how Lee uses anecdotes, examples, allusions to history and other texts, and broad claims like “love transforms” to convey her ideas. How persuasive is she? Allow students to debate whether they agree or disagree with Lee’s definition and evaluation of love’s place in the world through

contains select excerpts.

• The student materials included in Appendix D can be used as a tool for planning, but feel free to add to them or change things to meet the needs of your students. You will still need to consider how you will teach and model these concepts through the text.

• Classroom Environment: Build a living word wall for new literary and text-‐specific vocabulary, including words like omniscient, symbol, etc. Continue to refer to the Maycomb County town map anchor chart you created last week to help students situate characters and events.


discussion and writing. • Finally, students should make meaningful thematic

connections between Harper Lee’s essay and her novel: o Compare the key ideas and themes that each text conveys.

What similarities and differences exist between the messages?

o Analyze Lee’s purpose for writing “Love—In Other Words,” and compare it to her purpose for writing To Kill a Mockingbird. Do they serve a similar or different purpose? Why or why not?


Week 4:

I: RL.2, RL.3, RL.6

II: RI.6, RI.9, RL.9

I. Analyze how specific characters, quotes, and symbols develop important themes.

• Courage and “Taking a Stand” o In Chapter 11, notice how and when the big ideas of

“courage” and “bravery” come up. How does Atticus define courage? Analysis might include questions such as: § Why does Atticus call Mrs. Dubose the most courageous

person he ever knew? § How does this quote from page 134 develop and support

Atticus’s definition of courage: “It was times these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.”

• Integrity and “The Golden Rule” o Analyze Atticus as representation of “The Golden Rule”

(i.e. he finds admirable qualities in Mrs. Dubose and treats her respectfully despite her constant ridicule of his decision to defend Tom Robinson; he is always able to see beyond the “bad” and into the potential for goodness that may also lie within people).

§ Zoom in on the passage beginning on page 139 with “Scout, when summer comes…” and ending on page 140 with “before I can live with other folks, I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” What does this passage reveals about Atticus’s beliefs and motivations? Students should paraphrase significant quotes within this passage to infer Lee’s themes.

• “Loss of Innocence” and Growing Up o Continue to note instances when Jem’s behavior

demonstrates a greater level of maturity and understanding than Scout’s. On pages 153-‐154, descriptions of Jem’s changes reveal how uncomfortable and alone this change can make a person feel. Also consider how Jem’s experience with Mrs. Dubose changes him in ways that Scout does not yet understand.

o Zoom in on pages 164-‐165 when Calpurnia tries to explain the circumstances surrounding Mr. Ewell’s


Supplemental Texts

(Appendix B) • Paired Texts: o “Last of Scottsboro

Boys Get Justice Long Delayed: Pardons” (Newsela)

o “SPLC President: Exoneration Only the First Step in Making Amends to the Scottsboro Boys”


(Appendix D) • “Taking a Stand” &

Motivations Analysis -‐ Graphic Organizer

• Ch. 11: Graphic Organizer (Conflicts and Character Development)

• Using strong evidence to support claims about characters: Engage NY Unit 2, Lesson 1

• (optional extension): Poetry – “Solitude” and questions by Ella Wilcox Wheeler (pair with Chapter 11)

• This week, a major goal is for students to refine and add nuance to their understanding of Lee’s developing themes. Your questions this week will need to consciously push students past a simplistic understanding of Lee’s messages; for example, challenge students to debate whether or not people like Mr. Ewell and Mrs. Dubose are deserving of the same level of respect from Atticus as other members of the community, or to think critically about how limited our understanding of Tom’s personal experience is during this time because of the limited nature of our narrator. What do all of these circumstances make you think about the themes that are being developed?

• It may be helpful to


accusation of Tom Robinson and its impact on his family. Analyze why Scout’s response (disbelief that anyone would belief Mr. Ewell over the Robinsons based on their reputation as “trash”) is different than most of Maycomb’s white residents (who believe Mr. Ewell automatically because he is white).

II. Compare and contrast the point of view of two authors writing about the same topic (the 2013 ruling to pardon the last Scottsboro Boy), and make connections between the actual historical events and To Kill a Mockingbird.

• Read the NewsELA article (“Last of Scottsboro Boys…”) first to gain knowledge about what happened in 1931 and also the circumstances surrounding when and how the last of the nine boys was pardoned years later. Second, read the paired article that discusses the same event (the posthumous pardoning of the last Scottsboro Boy) from the SPLC president’s POV.

• Then, compare and contrast the tone, messages, and purpose of both articles. How and why do the two authors convey very different opinions about the same issue? Which do you agree with more, and why?

• Finally, analyze how and why Harper Lee drew upon the historical events discussed in both articles in To Kill a Mockingbird. Students should make connections between the events of To Kill a Mockingbird and the historical events surrounding the accusation and arrest of the Scottsboro boys in 1931. Ask questions such as (but not limited to): o How are the experiences of the Scottsboro Boys and Tom

Robinson similar? How are they different? Cite evidence. o Which characters in To Kill a Mockingbird remind you of the

two girls who accused (and the police officers who arrested) the Scottsboro Boys? Why?

o What connections can you make between Maycomb County and the environment/place where the Scottsboro boys were arrested and tried for rape?

o How has Lee altered historical events? What is the impact of her allusion to these events?

provide students with a graphic organizer where they can collect ongoing evidence that relates to or develops recurring themes from week to week.

• If you choose to use the multiple choice questions provided by Newsela with the article, make sure to supplement them with additional open response questions that address Teaching Point II.

• Teaching Point II lends itself well to a discussion of current events and to considering how much has or has not changed in terms of race in the US. An article like this may be a starting point if you and students are interested in exploring this: https://newsela.com/articles/ferguson-‐oneyear/id/11549/

• (Optional Poetry Connection – Ch. 11) See Appendix D


Week 5:

I: RL.1, RL.3

II: RL.2, RI.2 RI.6, RI.9, SL.2

I. Character Development: Infer characters’ motivations in order to analyze how characters are changing, specifically how Jem and Scout are growing up.

• Collect evidence of Jem’s loss of innocence (i.e. by his decision to tell Atticus about Dill’s hiding under the bed).

• In this section, Scout becomes exposed to Aunt Alexandra’s social prejudice and the intolerance/illogical nature of her views about class and what makes people “fine folks.” Scout’s tears show the discomfort that comes with new understanding of her aunt’s views and another step towards her loss of innocence.

• Analyze the motivations behind both Jem’s and Scout’s actions in the standoff at the courthouse to reveal differences between them in Chapter 15.

o I.e. Scout clearly senses the tension and danger of the situation, but her childish attempt to engage Mr. Cunningham in small-‐talk conversation represents that she still holds onto some of her innocence. On the other hand, Jem’s refusal to leave and his defiance acknowledges understanding of the situation and portrays him as a man taking his own stand.

• Analyze how Harper Lee continues to develop Atticus’s character through his interactions with a variety of people and also through other characters’ conversations about him. • See Engage NY Unit 2, Lesson 1 for guidance/resources

III. “The Golden Rule” TED Talk: Determine a speaker’s point of view, and make thematic connections across texts and genres.

• Watch the TED Talk by Karen Armstrong called “Let’s Revive the Golden Rule.” First, watch it to delineate Armstrong’s central argument about what must happen in the world and how we are responsible for making it happen. Provide students with a copy of the transcript (in Appendix B) and guide their thinking with text-‐dependent questions and/or a graphic organizer.

• Then, watch and read the talk (or select excerpts) again to connect Karen Armstrong’s message to themes and characters


Supplemental Texts

(Appendix B) • “Let’s Revive the

Golden Rule” (TED Talk by Karen Armstrong) http://www.ted.com/talks/karen_armstrong_let_s_revive_the_golden_rule

• TED Talk Transcript Supplemental Resources

(Appendix D) • Using strong evidence

to support claims about characters: Engage NY Unit 2, Lesson 1

• When analyzing Atticus, push students past a one-‐dimensional and simplistic understanding of him. It is important for students to understand that he (unlike most other characters in Maycomb) does not see people as part of just one category. To him, nobody is wholly “good” or “evil,” but imperfect with both positive and negative qualities. This is demonstrated by his willingness to try to “stand in another’s shoes and walk around in them for a day” and also by his respect even for people who treat him with great disrespect (i.e. Bob Ewell and Mrs. Dubose). Students can debate the merits and dangers of this philosophy, instead of taking it as “good” on its surface level.


in To Kill a Mockingbird. Questions should enhance the synergy between these two texts and push students to make deep connections. For example, questions might sound like:

o Armstrong says that people often don’t want to show compassion because instead they want to be right. Which character(s) in To Kill a Mockingbird support Armstrong’s claim? Which character(s) contradict this claim? Provide specific evidence to support your thinking.

o Armstrong encourages us to ‘feel empowered to challenge uncompassionate speaking.’ Do any characters in To Kill a Mockingbird do this successfully?

o Armstrong emphasizes that implementation of the Golden Rule has the potential to “heal divisions” between people and to help “differences melt away.” Does “To Kill a Mockingbird” substantiate this claim so far? Why or why not?


Week 6:

I: RL.1, RL.6, RI.8, W.1

II: RI.2, RI.8

III: RL.7

I. Trace and evaluate the arguments made by the defense and the prosecution throughout Tom Robinson’s trial. Analyze and contrast the testimonies of key witnesses to determine how reliable and truthful they are.

• For each witness, record the key points of his/her testimony and compare the details and claims with other witnesses’ versions of what happened.

• For each witness, assess the reliability of the testimony by analyzing whether or not the character’s reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant.

o Notice inconsistencies in testimonies or moments when a witness seems distressed or untrustworthy based on descriptions or dialogue.

o Make inferences about the motivations of each witness for testifying a certain way based on prior knowledge about the person and Maycomb County.

• Writing Connection: Develop and support an argument about what the just and fair outcome of the trial would be, based on the evidence presented. Should Tom be ruled guilty or innocent? Do you think Maycomb County’s court system and jury will rule him guilty or innocent, and why?

o Compare your thinking to Jem’s. Jem believes that the evidence will be enough to exonerate Tom. Do you believe the evidence will be enough based on what you know about Maycomb County?

II. Conduct a close reading of Atticus’s closing speech on pages 271-‐275 to determine his central argument and to evaluate the strength of his reasoning and evidence.

• Read (and reread select excerpts from) Atticus’s closing argument. Using the text, students should put his central argument into their own words.

o Using a graphic organizer, students should reread for the purpose of collecting evidence and quotes that Atticus uses to support this argument.

o To establish understanding of this evidence, students should paraphrase each piece of evidence and evaluate


Supplemental Texts

(Appendix B) • To Kill a Mockingbird

DVD (select scenes from the court room)


(Appendix D) • Courtroom Diagram

and Vocabulary (use to create an anchor chart and build common vocabulary)

• Before reading these chapters you should build students’ knowledge about courtroom proceedings and legal jargon that will be essential to understanding (i.e. witness, testimony, prosecution, attorney, “innocent until proven guilty,” jury, evidence, etc.). It may be helpful to post an anchor chart with a drawing of a courtroom and key people/areas labeled.

• Provide students with a note-‐catcher or graphic organizer where they can record key points of each person’s testimony and analyze its reliability in one place. This will help them track thinking over time, notice inconsistencies, and synthesize thinking across witnesses.

• By the end of this week, students should clearly


whether or not his reasoning his sound. • Finally, allow students to make their own claim about the

strength of Atticus’s argument and discuss (i.e. On a scale from 1-‐10, how strong is Atticus’s evidence and how sound is his reasoning? What evidence provides the strongest foundation for his case? Explain.)

III. Compare and contrast the written version of the court room proceedings in these chapters to its filmed movie version, and analyze the effect of techniques unique to each medium.

• Make sure that students read the written version first, before watching the movie. This will push them to visualize and draw conclusions about evidence from the text instead of relying solely on the movie for comprehension.

• Analyze to what extent the movie stays faithful to the book. What decisions did the director make that influence your understanding of events and characters? Why do you think he made these decisions?

o How does watching the filmed version impact your opinion of characters and the trial itself?

• You may decide to focus students’ comparisons on the portrayal of a particular character or testimony. In this case, make sure to provide very specific guiding questions to push student thinking and analysis past the surface level of noticing “similarities and differences.” Also ask them why they believe these exist and how they impact the viewer/reader.

understand that Tom did not rape Mayella Ewell and therefore should be declared innocent. Through discussion and writing, they should be able to explain why using evidence from multiple testimonies across chapters. They also may speculate about whether or not the ruling in Maycomb will be fair and just.

• When showing the film, make sure that you provide students with a lens and structure through which to watch and analyze. They should have a note-‐catcher or other questions to consider while viewing.

• Note: Make sure to pause the movie before they reveal the verdict! It is extremely powerful for students to read this section of the book before watching it revealed on film.


Week 7:

I: RL.1, RL.2, RL.3, RL.6

II: RL.2, RL.5

III: RI.2, RI.3, RI.9

I. Characters respond differently to events or challenges. As readers we can learn a lot about who characters are by comparing their responses and inferring the lessons they’ve learned.

• Collect evidence about how each of the following characters responds to the “guilty” verdict: Jem, Atticus, Miss Maudie, Maycomb’s black community, Bob Ewell, and/or Dill. o What do their reactions to the verdict reveal about that

character or group? § Analyze which characters Harper Lee portrays

sympathetically and which she seems to condemn. How do her descriptions of these characters at this critical moment in the text reveal themes? What does Lee want readers to learn from the contrast between these characters?

o In Ch. 22-‐23, analyze how Atticus’s words and actions connect to the developing themes of integrity, “The Golden Rule,” and “taking a stand.” How does his reaction continue to reveal nuances in his character and beliefs?

II. Analyze how specific characters, events, and symbols can directly convey a story’s important themes. Students should paraphrase and explain the significance of quotes that convey important themes.

• Prejudice o Analyze Jem’s and Scout’s inability to comprehend or accept

the guilty verdict when all of the evidence points to Tom’s innocence, along with their inability to understand why people are prejudiced in the first place. Their mindsets convey a theme about how illogical and wrong prejudice is – they can’t understand it because there’s no logical reason for it. § Note: Jem and Scout provide a stark contrast to Aunt

Alexandra and Mr. Bob Ewell, both of whom hold onto prejudices (class and race) long after the trial.

§ In chapter 24, Miss Grace Merriweather also signifies the hypocrisy of Maycomb’s residents and lasting prejudice. She is unable to “stand in the shoes” of her


Supplemental Texts

(Appendix B) • “Pecking Order”

(informational text) Supplemental Resources

(Appendix D) • Analyzing Atticus

TDQs (Ch. 23) • Ch. 25 Close Reading

Passages and TDQs • Engage NY: Module

2A, Unit 2: Lesson 6 • Engage NY: Module

2A, Unit 2: Lesson 7 • Engage NY: Module

2A, Unit 2: Lesson 8 • (Optional) Essay

Outline: Analyzing Why the Verdict is Unjust

• These chapters further reveal differences between Jem and Scout (the incident with the roly-‐poly bug is a prime example). Although contrasting their perspectives is not a teaching point this week, encourage students to continue tracking their relationship.

• After reading the verdict, provide a space for students to react and process the news on a personal and emotional level. They will likely have strong reactions that can result in meaningful conversation and an organic way to draw out themes.

• The article “Pecking Order” is included as a chance for students to make “out of the box” connections between two texts. Do not reveal why we are reading this article before they begin; allow them to


maid and empathize in a way that Scout and Jem can. • Innocence (and our responsibility to protect it) o Conduct a close reading of passages from Chapter 25 (the

“roly-‐poly bug” and the “senseless slaughter of songbirds”). Analyze how both the roly-‐poly bug and the songbirds symbolize the innocent, and how the each of these passages develops the major themes of empathy, compassion, and justice. Who or what might these symbols represent?

o See Appendix D for student materials and questions (feel free to adapt or add to these handouts as needed).

III. Connect ideas from an informational article about how chickens establish social hierarchy to the novel in order to better explain how To Kill a Mockingbird’s setting influences its characters and events.

• First, read the informational text to determine its central ideas (findings about how and why chickens establish and maintain social dominance and hierarchy, along with factors that contribute to the hierarchy and social status/rank).

• Then, reread the article as an “allegory” for TKAM. Encourage students to begin drawing parallels between the informational text and To Kill a Mockingbird. Students should reread the article carefully for this purpose, highlighting and annotating (or recording in a graphic organizer) anything that reminds them of characters, events, or the setting of Maycomb County. Some may include:

o “In a flock that is confined to a small, enclosed space, the fighting will be much more intense” à potentially explains why Maycomb’s race and class relations are exceedingly tense

o “This behavior [pecking, etc.] is used to intimidate and distress the other chicken, giving the pecking chicken the advantage to food, water, and social rank” à connects to the motivation of people like the Jacobs and the Ewells

• Students should discuss with their peers to share connections and explore (through additional cross-‐text analysis questions) how these two seemingly unrelated texts work together to

figure out the connections and parallels through repeated reading and discussion.


help us better understand the ideas presented in both. o Draw attention to this closing line: “Although painful

and sometimes downright traumatic for us to observe, this process of defining a hierarchy within the flock does appear to create a more civil and peaceful social environment.” Ask students to grapple with the nuances and moral implications of this line – are “peace and civility” only possible if inequality, a hierarchy, and oppression exist? Are there times when “peace and civility” (the status quo) must be disrupted to fight for a good cause? What does TKAM suggest?


Week 8:

I: RL.1, RL.2, RL.6, W.1

II: RL.7

I. Analyze how specific characters and their role in the story’s culminating events reveal important themes (about integrity, empathy, compassion, acceptance, taking a stand, the Golden Rule, etc.).

• Miss Gates: Analyze Miss Gates’s hypocrisy and prejudice in Chapter 26 using the passages in Appendix D. How does Harper Lee use Miss Gates as an symbol of Southern beliefs in order to convey important themes?

• Bob Ewell: During chapters 27 and 28, Bob Ewell begins to descend even further into evil. He has no dignity or compassion at all, and it finally boils over during the story’s climax (his physical attack of the children on Halloween night).

• Boo Radley: Analyze Boo Radley’s motivation for protecting the children and evaluate whether or not he should be exposed as Bob Ewell’s killer. Explore the very blurry line between what’s morally “right” and “wrong” in this situation; for example, murder is obviously morally reprehensible, but how do the nuances of this particular situation blur our traditional understanding of this judgment?

• **Scout: Compare Scout’s acceptance of Boo Radley (“Hey, Boo”) with her treatment and opinion of him at the beginning of the book. How has her perception changed, and why? What has she learned? What theme does her transformation convey?

• Atticus vs. Heck Tate: Compare Atticus’s perspective with Heck Tate’s in Chapter 30. How does Heck Tate’s perspective convey a theme about innocence and our moral responsibility to one another?

• Tom Robinson: Analyze Tom Robinson as a symbol. What does his tragic death (and the circumstances surrounding it) represent? What message or theme does it convey about the state of Maycomb and of society as a whole? How does Harper Lee want us to interpret all of the interconnected parts of the novel’s ending (Tom’s attempted escape and murder, Bob Ewell’s attack and death, Jem’s injury, Scout’s relationship with Boo, etc.)?

• Writing Connection: Have students form an argument about which character or characters represent the symbolic


Supplemental Texts

(Appendix B) • To Kill a Mockingbird

DVD (select clips from the final scenes to compare)


(Appendix D) • Analyzing Miss Gates’s

hypocrisy: TDQs (Ch. 26)

• List of Significant Quotes (that develop themes)

• You will likely not have time to analyze all of the characters listed in Teaching Point I. Prioritize your focus for each chapter this week based on the themes you think it would be most meaningful for your students to dig deeper into. Scout, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson are recommended as top priorities for analysis.

• Draw from the list of significant quotes in Appendix D when analyzing characters and themes this week. Prolonged focus on a select few of these quotes can yield rich discussion and deep thinking. (I.e. If you are analyzing Scout, zoom in on the quotes from page 373 that begins, “Neighbors…” and on 374 that begins, “Atticus was right.”)

• An interesting thing to note in these final


“mockingbird.” Defend your argument with persuasive text evidence. In your argument, acknowledge and address at least one counter-‐claim.

o Note: Students are likely to select Jem, Boo, or Tom. II. Compare and contrast the written version of the novel’s ending to its filmed movie version, and analyze the effect of techniques unique to each medium.

• Make sure that students read the written version first, before watching the movie. This will push them to visualize and draw conclusions about evidence from the text instead of relying solely on the movie for comprehension.

• Analyze to what extent the movie stays faithful to the book. What decisions did the director make that influence your understanding of events and characters? Why do you think he made these decisions?

o You may decide to focus students’ comparisons on the portrayal of a particular character or scene. In this case, make sure to provide very specific guiding questions to push student thinking and analysis past the surface level of noticing “similarities and differences.” Also ask them why they believe these exist and how they impact the viewer/reader.

• Allow students to discuss which medium most affects them on an emotional level and in terms of their understanding.

o How effective were the media techniques the director used to portray the work? Cite evidence from both the movie and the book.

o What are the benefits of experiencing both mediums together (reading and watching)?

chapters is that Atticus is “wrong” for the first time – he believes that Mr. Ewell is harmless but it turns out that his belief in Bob’s “goodness” ends up putting his children’s lives in danger. He then is “wrong” again about the best way to handle Mr. Ewell’s death. Allow students to grapple with what this means and how it makes Lee’s themes and characters even more complex and nuanced. Students may even be interested in debating whether or not Atticus is truly the one-‐dimensional hero he’s often made out to be.


RL 7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RL 7.2: Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text RL.7.3. Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

Seventh grade students develop the ability to gather more than one piece of evidence to support their thinking about the texts they read. Students need to be able to find pieces of relevant evidence that not only support their thinking, but are linked together to a common idea or conclusion. To do this work, students need practice in locating, evaluating, and categorizing evidence and linking this evidence to conclusions or claims they have made about the text. At this level, seventh grade students continue to make inferences and draw conclusions based upon the relationship between the support (key details) they find in the text and the background information they bring to the reading. Seventh grade students take notice of the author’s use of coherent language to build relationships between ideas and evidence in a text. They can use partner, small group and whole class discussion as well as note-‐taking and graphic organizers to clarify their thinking about the development of the author’s theme over time within a text.

Seventh grade students read the text closely to analyze the impact specific story elements have on the text. For example, they may think of how the plot and setting affect the actions/choices of the characters. To do so, students will need to read across various genres (widely and deeply) and use a comparison tool (graphic organizer) to take note of the relationships.

RL.7.6. Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

Seventh grade students observe the viewpoints of characters and how these viewpoints resemble or differ from one another. Students keep track of what characters say, do, and think. To do this work, students may compare and contrast the characters’ points-‐of-‐view in a Venn Diagram. In doing so, students may be able to trace how the author succeeded in creating and conveying the similar and/or dissimilar characters to the reader.

RL.7.7: Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film). RL.7.9: Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

Seventh grade students build an understanding of how content differs because of the medium in which it is presented. To do this work, students need to interact with content expressed through multiple and varied formats (written, audio, staged, multimedia). They may generate a list of techniques expressed in each medium or compare and contrast two or more mediums. Students should ask themselves how the techniques of a particular medium affect the content. They should also be able to explain what makes each medium unique. Seventh grade students notice the similarities and differences between historical fiction and a factual text. Students may read a factual account of a historical event and then read about the same event as historical fiction. With the support of a Venn Diagram, they may compare and contrast the two (including time period, location, and historical figure). Students are looking for clues that explain how authors of historical fiction omit, embellish, or alter the information found in factual text to create a story.

Appendix A: Unpacked Standards Guide Source: Public Schools of North Carolina NCDPI Collaborative Workspace Standard Explanation and Example


RI.7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RI.7.2: Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.7.3: Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

Seventh grade students develop the ability to gather more than one piece of evidence to support their thinking about the informational texts they read. They need to be able to find pieces of relevant evidence that not only support their thinking, but are linked together to a common idea or conclusion. To do so, students at this level need practice locating, evaluating, and categorizing evidence and linking this evidence to conclusions or claims they have made about the text.

At this level, seventh grade students must be able to locate and describe the central ideas presented in a text. They understand how the central ideas are related to the details and examples that support them. Students pay attention to how the central ideas are developed throughout the text, and they observe how the details and examples work together to uphold the central idea. Seventh grade students should be able to summarize what they have read, free from their own opinions and bias.

Seventh grade students need to read closely to analyze relationships between individuals, events, and ideas in a text. For example, in an informational history book, students may reflect on how historical figures influenced ideas or events of the time period and vice versa. To do so, students will need wide and deep exposure to informational texts. They may also need tools for recording the relationships they observe, such as a graphic organizer or structured note-‐taking

RI.7.6: Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.

Seventh grade students continue to investigate the author’s point of view and purpose for writing. They notice how the author makes their point of view unique from the opinions of others. This work might require students to read several pieces of text around a particular topic, noting how authors approach the topic differently

RI.7.8: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims. RI.7.9: Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.

Seventh grade students understand that arguments need to be supported with evidence. They read the text closely in order to determine which textual segments most strongly support the author's argument. Students need practice to evaluate this evidence accurately and decide whether or not this evidence supports the author's claim. Students also need instruction on how to sort the evidence. They may wonder: "Is the evidence relevant and strong or pointless and weak? Has the author provided enough evidence to support their claim?" Seventh grade students become more familiar with how information can take several shapes. They investigate how one topic may be presented in different ways. While reading two or more texts on the same topic, students pay particular attention to how the authors use the same information, but produce different texts because they interpret the information differently. To begin thinking this way themselves, students may need teacher modeling through think-‐alouds to point out how the authors’ use of the same information differs.


W.7.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. a. Introduce claims, acknowledge

alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

b. Support claims with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.

d. Establish and maintain formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or

section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

Seventh grade students write arguments that are supported by several pieces of relevant evidence. At this level, students are developing the ability to combine pieces of evidence to demonstrate the validity of their claim(s). They learn to present their belief to the intended audience by introducing their claim(s) (with alternate and opposing ideas) and ending their piece with a concluding statement or section. They also learn to connect their ideas in a logical way. To do so, students will need strategies for finding relevant evidence to defend the judgments and interpretations they make about the texts they read. They will also need to spend significant amounts of time and effort writing in order to produce numerous pieces over short and extended time frames throughout the year.

Students need to engage in behaviors that lead to the expression of ideas and claims about what they read. This should be practiced both verbally and in writing and in various formats: partner work, small group discussion, debates, etc. Students need a purposeful focus on how to make choices. For example, seventh grade students need to be able to choose words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion among ideas and evidence in their writing. They also need to be able to choose accurate, credible sources.

W.7.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to

literature (e.g. “Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history”).

b. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims”).

Seventh grade students need to draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support their writing. They will develop the ability to break-‐ apart and reflect upon textual evidence. The thoughts and reflections derived from the text's evidence may spark a students' interest from which they may conduct research. Conducting research enables students to expand their thinking and grow their ideas. Teachers may refer to the reading standards for literature and literary non-‐fiction for tasks already familiar to students.


SL.7.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-‐on-‐one, in groups, and teacher-‐led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Seventh grade students will work together in groups to collaborate and 'bounce ideas' off one another to build on others’ ideas and bring their own thinking to light. To show mastery, students might participate in partnerships, book clubs, Socratic seminars, philosophical chairs, or teacher-‐led class discussions. These structures require students to prepare for discussions/debates by becoming familiar with the topic, text, or issue. Students then come together, under the guidelines of a specific structure, and probe for deeper meanings beneath the topic, text, or issue. They should take responsibility for the groups’ work by monitoring their progress, asking and answering pointed questions that require participants to explain their responses, and should reflect on and re-‐evaluate their initial belief or stance. This process encourages students to practice skills such as active listening, connecting to others’ ideas, and progress monitoring.

SL.7.3: Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

Seventh grade students evaluate a speaker’s argument to distinguish between solid, supportive evidence and weaker details that do not support the claim. One way to approach this is through analyzing debates. As students listen to a debate, they must observe and follow claims, facts, and evidence presented as support for the speaker’s argument. They may take notes and use them to determine how tightly woven the argument is to its supporting evidence. "Does the evidence actually support the argument? Is there enough evidence to support the claim?" As students sort the evidence and repeat this process with a variety of texts, they may notice and discuss patterns. For instance, students may recognize that a number of texts cite data without having the original studies explained.

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