name: activities for to kill a mockingbird -...

Activities for To Kill a Mockingbird

Teachers: You may use all or just some of these ideas for alternative creative assignments with To Kill a Mockingbird. Some are quick assignments that could be used as a time-filler at the end of a class period or an opening anticipatory activity at the beginning of a new chapter. Handouts for some of the activities begins on Page 8.

Some of them can be adapted to other pieces of literature, as well. Just substitute other characters’ names (such as Chapter 5 activity).

In past years I’ve had students compile all the activities into a scrapbook; in other years I’ve collected them after each chapter. Either way works; do what you feel is best for you. I have found in recent years (as I have been forced to make time for standardized test preparation) that I do not have time to do all of the activities. I do try to use most, as they offer an alternative for students who may not necessarily score well on quizzes or essays, but can visually or physically describe the chapter in detail.

Alternative “Scrapbook”:

SCRAPBOOK PROJECT ASSIGNMENT

Throughout the novel, you will be compiling various assignments into a “scrapbook.” Some will be group assignments, some will be individual. Most will involve some creativity on your part. ALL will involve knowledge of the characters, the reading assignments, and the theme(s) of the novel.

Materials you will need for scrapbook: Notebook paper, plain white unlined paper, and a three-ring binder or folder JUST for your scrapbook (do not use it for any other class!).

COLLAGEOne assignment that is not listed and is due at the end of the novel is a collage about you. It will represent all the things that are important to you, define you, and even some things perhaps people do not know about you. Start collecting photos, clippings from newspaper or magazines, and other items to paste on your collage throughout the next few weeks.

DUE DATE: _________________________________________________

Name: ___________________________________________________

To Kill a Mockingbird Activities © 2006, Tracee Orman

Activities for To Kill a Mockingbird

Theme: “Shoes” exercise (creative). Answer questions about the person who wears the shoes you have selected. (SEE HANDOUT)

About the author: Find a picture of Harper Lee and write a brief (4-6 sentences) summary of her life.

Chapter 1: Make a bookmark for the book. Include one or more of the following: a quote from chapter 1, a picture of one of the characters that you drew yourself, a map of the town, a scene from chapter 1, or the title & author in a creative font.

Chapters 2-3: Scout’s first day. In a group of 4-5 students each, re-enact Scout’s first day of school to be performed in front of the class. Write the speaking parts for each actor for your scrapbook. You will only need to write the dialogue & what the “narrator” will read to the class. Characters are Before Lunch: Scout, Miss Caroline Fisher, Walter Cunningham, and Narrator. Lunch: Scout, Walter Cunningham, Atticus, Jem, Calpurnia, Narrator. After Lunch: Scout, Little Chuck Little, Burris Ewell, Walter, Miss Caroline, Narrator.

Chapter 4: Describe (in either writing or through a picture) the “game” the kids play in this chapter.

Chapter 5: Compare/Contrast Miss Maudie & Miss Stephanie using the following analogy:• Miss Maudie is like a ____________ (any household object) because…• Miss Stephanie is like a ____________ (something from your refrigerator) because…

Chapter 6: Finish the following: • If I were Jem, I WOULD go back for my pants because… or If I were Jem, I WOULDN’T go back for my pants because…• If I were Dill, instead of saying we were playing strip poker, I would have said…

Chapter 7: List all the items the kids have found in the knothole since chapter 4, through chapter 7. With a partner, choose one of the items and write an advertising slogan for it. (Such as: Nike—Just Do It.) Share with the class. (See HANDOUT)

Chapter 8: With a partner (or by yourself), write either a country-western or rap song that summarizes this chapter.

Chapter 9: How and why does the mood of the novel start to change in this chapter? Give at least 3 examples. Also, answer the question: What is Maycomb’s “usual disease”? Chapter 10: You are a Maycomb reporter and just witnessed first-hand the mad dog event in this chapter. Write up a news story for the Maycomb Tribune newspaper based on your account of the event. You may include quotes from any of the characters—remember, you were there, so you probably interviewed some of the people on the scene!

Chapter 11: Who is the bravest person you know? What makes this person brave?

Part One Review: Atticus’ nick-name was “One-shot Finch.” Give the following characters nick names (or different nick-names): Scout (Jean Louise), Jem (Jeremy), Dill (Charles Baker Harris), Miss Maudie, Calpurnia, Miss Stephanie, Walter Cunningham (Jr.), Miss Caroline, Arthur Radley, Mr. Avery, and Burris Ewell.

Name: ___________________________________________________


PART TWOChapter 12: Pretend you are Calpurnia. Write a summary of the day’s events in your journal. Remember, you are Calpurnia. Write as she would, using her dialect and slang. Reflect on all that happened today in your entry.

Chapter 13: Aunt Alexandra reminds me of ________ because… (give at least 3 reasons).

Chapter 14: Draw a 3-6 panel comic strip depicting different scenes from this chapter.

Chapter 15: Choose one of the following:• Describe a time when two or more people “ganged up” on you. What were the reasons? How did it make you feel?

OR • Describe a time that you either organized a group or were part of a group that picked on someone. How did you feel during and after the situation? What would you do differently today?

Chapter 16: You are Tom Robinson. Today is your first day of your trial. The courtroom is packed. You just watched everyone march in from your cell window. Pretend your wife just called right before the trial begins. Describe the courtroom environment to her. What do you see? Chapter 17: With a partner, create a timeline of events according to Heck Tate. Then, in another color ink or colored pencil, add the events according to Bob Ewell. (If you do this on the computer, select a different color font for each one.) (See also separate file for an alternative activity during the trial chapters.)

Chapter 18: In a third color, add Mayella Ewell’s version of events to your timeline. (Teachers: Sample colored timeline is in Teacher’s Notes file.)

Chapter 19: Predict the outcome of the trial. Why do you think the jury will vote this way? If you already know the outcome, write about something you learned from this chapter.

Chapter 20: We’ve all played “make believe” or pretended we were someone we’re not at some point in our lives. We also have secrets that few—if any—people know. Today, share one secret about yourself OR describe a time when you pretended to be someone else.

Chapter 21: Did you correctly predict the outcome of the trial? Are you surprised at the verdict? Summarize in ONE word your reaction to the trial. Draw the word big & color it.

Chapter 22: Jem goes through his rite-of-passage and it is marked by a small gesture from Miss Maudie in this chapter. With a partner and using the letters J-E-R-E-M-Y, choose one or more words that describes how he changes/matures from the beginning of the novel until now. (See HANDOUT)

Chapter 23: Describe a time in your life when you were witness to someone acting unreasonably. No matter what anyone said or did, the person would not change. Perhaps you have acted this way, as well. Describe how it felt to try to talk to this person or reason with them to no avail (talk ‘til you’re blue in the face).

Chapter 24: For one day your voice will be suppressed. This means you cannot talk as a form of communication (unless it is an emergency). After this experiment, write how you felt not having a “voice.”

Chapter 25: Write a haiku about or for Tom Robinson. (1st line, 5 syllables; 2nd line, 7; 3rd line 5).

Chapter 26: With two to three others, draw a T-chart with “JEWS” on one side and “BLACKS” on the other. List the ways in which each group has been discriminated against AND by whom. (See HANDOUT; also in a separate file.)

Name: ___________________________________________________


Chapter 27: Choose one of the following to do:• Draw or write about a childhood prank you (or someone you know) played on an adult. What was the adult’s reaction?

OR • Write a slogan for Miss Tutti and Miss Fruitti based on the events in this chapter.

Chapter 28: With a partner, sort out the events of this night. In a double-deck headline, summarize what happened as though this will be the top news story in the Maycomb Tribune the next day.

Chapter 29: You are the director of the movie version of TKM. List who you would cast in each part (listed below) AND why. Cut out pictures of the actors (printed off the internet OR cut from a magazine) and paste them next to the character’s name. Jem, Boo, Scout, Atticus, Aunt Alexandra, Calpurnia, Heck Tate, Dr. Reynolds, and Bob Ewell

Chapter 30: Have you ever lied to protect someone from getting hurt? Do you think Heck’s “lie” is a good or bad thing? Why/why not?

Chapter 31: Who does Scout finally “see”? Over the next three days, put yourself in someone else’s “shoes.” Look at one particular situation through someone else’s eyes and relive it from their perspective. What do you “see”? What new understanding have you realized? Write a narrative about the experience. This is a formal essay—it should be typed and be of appropriate length.

Review: Complete these sentences:1. _______________ is a symbol of a mockingbird because… (Re-write this sentence for as many characters that would work.)2. I realize Harper Lee titled the book To Kill a Mockingbird because…3. One thing I like about the book is… because…4. One thing I do not like about the book is… because…5. The character I will never forget is… because…

Review: Research on the internet as many references in popular culture this novel has sparked. For example, there is a band called the “Boo Radleys.” Find more examples—as many as you can!

Create a cover for your scrapbook: Include your name, title of your scrapbook, and any pictures, embellishments, or whatever, you’d like to include to “decorate” it.

Name: ___________________________________________________


Shoes Assignment - For the teacher

This assignment is adapted from an NCTE Read-Write-Think lesson by Traci Gardner http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=265

Materials Needed: 1. Copies of the Handout (attached)2. You will need to supply five to 15 shoes (all different) depending on your class size. If you cannot find actual shoes, pictures of various shoes will do, but students may not be able to answer all the questions completely.

These are some of the shoes I use each year for this exercise, to give you ideas (keep in mind you do not need the pair—just one will do):

Salvaged from my parent’s attic:one silver flat from the 80’s my mom’s old saddle shoes from her days of cheerleading in the late 50’s/early 60’smy brother’s checkered canvas Vans from the 80’s

From my own house: one steel-tipped work boot of my husband’s one golf shoe of my husband’s an old furry slipper of mine a half-chewed up flip-flop of mine my son’s old Nike tennis shoes a hot pink pump I wore as a bridesmaid (once, of course!) an old Birkenstock sandal From garage sales: a wooden clog a cowboy boot a long black fake leather (like vinyl) black boot with a 4 inch spiked heel very large basketball shoe

From the school’s lost & found (They had been in there for over a year, so our secretary said they were safe to use in class. I left one of the shoes in case anyone claimed them, and she would let me know so I could return the other):

a medical type wedge shoe a teen’s tennis shoe a girl’s flip flop baseball cleats

The point is to get a wide variety & ones that have some “character” students can get creative with.

Name: ___________________________________________________


Shoes Assignment – For the Teacher

Directions: 1. You may group the students in pairs or groups of three, or let them work individually.

2. Display the shoes you have selected on a table or on the floor.

3. Each group or individual should select one shoe & take it back to their desk(s).

4. Students should answer the questions on the handout about the owner of the shoe. They will make up the answers, obviously, because they will not know who the owner of the shoe is. They have to judge that person based on his/her shoe.

5. Allow the groups to share their answers with the class. The listeners should take note of any stereotypes the group formed about the owner of the shoe.

6. Let the listeners share their observations & discuss stereotypes. If you know the owner of the shoe & know that that person does not fit that stereotype, share that information with the class.

7. Further discussion can lead to topics such as how we portray ourselves with the different shoes we wear. And while this can be used to introduce a novel about racism and stereotypes, it can also be used in a classroom discussing current issues such as racial profiling, teen self-image, etc.

8. Go even further and have pictures of real people in those shoes (like some of your co-workers or former students) to show that anyone can wear those shoes—not just the stereotype they described.

9. I adapted this lesson from the original, posted by Traci Gardner (see web address below). I found that I did not have the time to spend three class periods on the lesson, so I condensed this to a one period activity. Check out her lesson for additional material; the website offers an abundance of materials and suggestions, as well as a writing assignment & rubric. Here is the web address: http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=265

Name: ___________________________________________________


Shoes Assignment! ! ! ! ! _____________________________________________

Directions: Select a shoe from your teacher. Look at it closely and answer the questions below. You are making up who the owner is, so you may be creative! (Use the back if you need more room to write.)

1. Describe the shoe.(Looks: size, color; age of it; smells?)

2. Who is the owner?(First, middle, last name)

3. How old is the owner?4. Family Status: Married, Single, Divroced, Dating, Children, etc.?

5. Describe the owner.(What does he/she look like?)

6. What does the owner do for a living?

7. Where and with whom does the owner live?

8. List three personality traits of the owner.

9. What does the owner like to do in his/her spare time?

10. What is the owner’s favorite food?

11. Favorite book?

12. Favorite movie?

13. Owner’s bad habits?

14. What do others say or think about the owner?

15. Name one accomplishment this owner has made that few people know about.16. Other pertinent information about the owner you’d like to include:This assignment is adapted from an NCTE Read-Write-Think lesson by Traci Gardner.

Name: ___________________________________________________


The next few pages are optional supplements/handouts to go with the activities.

Name: ___________________________________________________


Part II – Chapter 13

Choose a category from the following: -Sports Team -Type/Model of Car -Item found in the bathroom-Character from a movie -Kind of Soup -TV show

Using the category you have chosen, fill in the blanks, comparing that item with the character:

1. Aunt Alexandra is like (a/an) __________________________________________________________________

because ____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Part II – Chapter 13 Name: _____________________________

Choose a category from the following: -Sports Team -Type/Model of Car -Item found in the bathroom-Character from a movie -Kind of Soup -TV show

Using the category you have chosen, fill in the blanks, comparing that item with the character:

1. Aunt Alexandra is like (a/an) __________________________________________________________________

because ____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: ___________________________________________________


Name: ________________ Title of Comic Strip: ____________________

Chapter: ________ Page(s): ____________

Name: ___________________________________________________


TKM Chapter 22 Activity - Acrostic Poem ExerciseJem goes through a rite-of-passage, which is marked by a small gesture from Miss Maudie. By yourself or with a partner, choose one or more words that describe Jem’s transformation or maturity into adulthood using the letters of his full name. The words do not have to start with the letters, just contain them.

J

E

R

E

M

Y

Name: ___________________________________________________


Chapter 26 Activity Comparison Chart of Treatment of African Americans & JewsList (in the appropriate boxes) the ways in which each group has been unfairly treated by others & who the offenders have been.

What connection (between the two groups) was SCOUT able to see that MISS GATES could not? Why can’t people like Miss Gates see this?

Name: ___________________________________________________


African Americans Jewish Members

Methods Used/Ways of Being Mistreated & Discriminated

Against

Offenders/People Treating them Unjustly/

Inhumanely (Include any individuals,

Organizations, Groups, etc.)

A scene from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee...

From chapter: _______ , page(s): __________

Name: ___________________________________________________


Write a SLOGAN for the items from the knothole...Name: ___________________________________________________


Wrigley Doublemint Gum

Ball of Twine

1900 & 1906 “Indian Head” Pennies

First Place Spelling Medal

Pocket Watch with Knife at End of Chain

Carved Soap Dolls

Name: ___________________________________________________


Predict the Outcome of Tom’s Trial

Why do you think the jury will vote this way?

Compare two characters: Boo Radley & Tom Robinson.

Draw a picture of Boo Radley: Draw a picture of Tom Robinson:

Boo’s Characteristics: Tom’s Characteristics:

Similarities Between Boo & Tom:Similarities Between Boo & Tom:

Name: ___________________________________________________


Racism & Use of the “N” word in To Kill a Mockingbird

In order to expose the racist behavior in the novel, Harper Lee needed to show authentic language and dialogue. The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate the differences in the use of the language and what it says about that character.

Character Name How Does Character Show Racism?

Impression This Character Leaves on Reader

Example:

Mrs. Dubose

She calls Atticus a “n”-lover to the children (never to his face) as they walk past her house.

She’s not a likable character since she is mean to the children; she’s two-faced because she won’t say to Atticus’s face what she says to the children.

Cecil Jacobs

Francis Hancock

Bob Ewell

Mayella Ewell

Others:

Continued...

Name: ___________________________________________________


Racism & Use of the “N” word in To Kill a Mockingbird, continued

Questions to ponder

1. Some of the characters may use racist language because they hear it at home or learn it from their peers. Which characters do you think use it intentionally and which characters are using it just because they’ve heard it somewhere?

2. Make a list of characters who do NOT use racist language in the chart below. How do they differ?

Character Name Impression This Character Leaves on Reader

Example:

Miss MaudieMiss Maudie is fair and compassionate, even though she may seem harsh sometimes. But that is because she

doesn’t let people get away with speaking badly about others; she stands up for them and calls people out on their hypocrisy.

Atticus Finch

Heck Tate

Others:

Name: ___________________________________________________


TEACHER’S NOTE TO “RACISM...” HANDOUTStudents should recognize the difference between the characters who use racist language & those who don’t:

• The characters using racist language are portrayed as ignorant, sick (Mrs. Dubose), unlikeable, mean, hypocritical, etc. (Negative character traits)

• The characters who do not use racist language are portrayed as intelligent/smart, compassionate, fair, nice/friendly, etc. (Positive character traits)

It is important to point out to students that the racist behavior (including the use of the “n” word) is necessary to show this contrast. If the racist behavior was toned down, it would not seem quite as bad. That would defeat the purpose and also make it unauthentic, in my opinion. People were--and still are--racist. It needs to be shown as ugly as it was back then so students recognize it and see the difference.

Characters (These are just examples of answers; student answers will vary)

Cecil: -Calls Atticus an “n”-lover -Shows the reader either his racist upbringing or that he is just repeating what he has heard at home. Either way shows ignorance.

Francis: -Same behavior as Cecil; goes a bit further with saying he’s ruining the family -Shows his racist upbringing & also note that even though Atticus & Aunt Alexandra were raised together, there’s quite a difference in how they view people. We do not learn much about his parents, except that they deposit Francis off every Christmas to do their own thing, but based on his behavior, it’s likely they are racist in a snooty, too-good-for-others way. Reader will most likely dislike Francis.

Bob: -He has accused Tom of raping and beating his daughter, even though Tom didn’t do it; he uses the n-word freely and thinks he’s better than the black people who live near him, even though it’s evident that he is a drunk, trashy, and doesn’t care for his children. -Impression left should be that Bob is not only stupid, trashy, and ignorant, but just plain mean. In order to make himself feel worthy, he has to put others down.

Mayella: -Even though she was attracted to Tom, she still accuses him of raping and beating her. She uses the “n” word. -Reader will most likely feel some pity for her; she is ignorant and a victim of her circumstances, but she knew what she was doing in court, so the reader will most likely resent her for doing that to Tom.

Other characters may include: Mrs. Merriweather, Mr. Gilmer, Mr. Nathan Radley, Mr. Cunningham, etc.

Questions to Ponder

1. Answers will vary, but perhaps Cecil Jacobs, maybe Francis Hancock, and maybe even Mayella (in the beginning). Discussion about whether the students feel that these characters will grow up to be racist or not may be interesting. Or ask them whether they think a child raised by a racist parent will automatically be racist, or if the cycle can be broken.

2. Atticus: Impression should be that he is honest, kind, loves all people, etc. Heck Tate: He is fair, caring (in his own way), and tries to do the right thing. Other characters may include: Link Deas, Judge Taylor, Dolphus Raymond, Scout, Jem, etc.

Name: ___________________________________________________


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Name: ___________________________________________________


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