to kill a mockingbird, phrases, and research...

To Kill a Mockingbird, Phrases, and Research Techniques

Essential Question(Objective of lesson)

Standards(Common Core standards addressed in the session)

Activating Strategy(Specific info about a graphic organizer, vocabulary intro, story, video clip, music etc. to be used)

Teaching Strategies(Specifically what and how content/skills will be taught)

Summarizer/Assessment(formal and/or informal; formative and/or summative)

1. How does prejudice and racism affect an individual and/or asociety?

(2 days)

RI.9-10.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RI.9-10.2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course ofthe text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

RI.9-10.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

SL.9-10.1c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas;actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize pointsof agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.

First encounters with prejudiceThe novel begins with the narratoras a young child. Scout has not experienced racism and prejudice in her young, sheltered life. The events that follow expose her to the harsh reality of Alabama in the1930s. Think back to your first encounters with prejudice and racism. Write about one of them in your journal. How did you feel then? Do you feel the same today? If your attitude changed, what changed it?

Share with a learning partner.

• Complete anticipation guide• Teacher “Book Talk” about the novel.

Provide students with information about setting, key characters, and themes – but don’t give specific details about the plot away.

• Who or What was Jim Crow?◦ Informational text reading “Say

Something” Engagement◦ Socratic Seminar/Fish Bowl

discussing then and now▪ What do you think the total

effect of Jim Crow laws was meant to be?

▪ Are there circumstances under which you could justify joining asorority, fraternity, or social clubthat openly discouraged membership by blacks, Jews, or any other group?

▪ How would you respond to the argument that segregation created more opportunities for blacks than integration, because separate black institutions employed more principals and teachers, for example, in schools set aside for blacks, than did racially mixed schools?

▪ Does the display of the Confederate battle flag bother you? Construct an argument in favor of taking the flag down or leaving it up on the dome of a state capitol building.

▪ What passages from the booksof your religious tradition wouldyou cite to support your position on the role that race should play in modern life?

• HW: Read chapters 1-2 before moving to Lesson 2

• 3-2-1• Three interesting facts

you learned about the Jim Crow laws that you did not know before.

• Two questions you'd like answered

• The big picture

2. What roles can prepositional

L.9-10.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of

Write a sentence with three prepositional phrases

• Review prepositional phrases• Adjective phrase (508)

• Informal teacher observation






phrases play in sentences?

standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

• Adverb phrase (509)• Review (510)

• Homework: Review A (510)

3. How does Lee develop her voice in the opening pages of TKM?

(1.5 days)

RL.9-10.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

RL.9-10.5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

What does it mean to be a southerner? What does it mean totalk like a southerner? To write likeone? Are these three things related? If so, how.

• Elements of the southern style (mention Southern Gothic)

• Close reading: Opening pages of TKM◦ Scaffolded work on “Establishing

Voice and Tone in To Kill a Mockingbird” handout (handout_voice_tone_openingpages.odt)

◦ Analyze text for style issues (Long sentences, Diversions, Dated language, Folksy-sounding language) and style (Importance of family, Sense of community, Importance of religion, Importance of time, of place, and of the past)

• Read chapters 3 and 4 before moving toLesson 5


• “Establishing Voice” handout

4. What are participles and participial phrases?

L.9-10.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions ofstandard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Make an educated guess what a participle is. Include an explanation of your reasoning.

• Check homework• Participles and participial phrases (513-

517)


• Homework: Review C (517)

5. How does the narrator’s point of view influence thereader’s perspective of thetext?

(2 days)

RL.9-10.3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., thosewith multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.


What do they have to do with each other?One way to check understanding of the reading is to ask questions that require a level of analysis about what you read. Explain whatthe following pairs have to do with each other. It may take you more than one sentence to discuss the relationship. Encourage students to really think about your answers – look beyond the obvious for more significance to their relationship.

• Miss Caroline and Atticus• Dill and Jem• Walter Cunningham and

Boo

• Review point of view• Identify point of view used in novel• Brainstorm ideas when a narrator can

be considered reliable and when they should not

• Guide students to think about a narrator’s age, place in history, social culture, and other factors that might biashis/her perspective.

• Reliability of Scout◦ The story is told from Scout's

viewpoint. It is written in the first person. This means that Scout usesthe pronouns I, me and the possessives my, mine to refer to herself. She does not confine the narrative to things that she has directly experienced - for example she recounts stories from the history of Simon Finch and repeats what other people tell her.

• 3-2-13 things you learned about Scout2 reasons why she is or is not reliable.1 point of view used in the novel


• Note card writing






◦ Later in the novel, she will make comments about how reliable other people's accounts are. How reliableis she as a narrator? With your learning partner, discuss how reliable she is as a narrator. Is she believable? Justify your response with a good explanation about why she is or is not reliable. On a notecard write a response.

• Climbing inside another person’s skin: Atticus says that you never really understand a person “until you climb intohis skin and walk around in it.” Summarize the events in the novel that lead to this quote. In a separate paragraph, explain why you think climbing inside someone else’s skin maybe a difficult task for Scout.

• Read chapters 5-8 before moving to Lesson 7

6. What are gerundsand gerund phrases?


A gerund is similar to a participle. Make an educated guess what a gerund is.

• Check homework• Gerunds and gerund phrases (518-521)


• Homework: Exercise 9(521)

7. How have other tragedies in African American history been represented in other media?

(2 days)

RL.9-10.7. Analyze the representation of a subject or akey scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s W.9-10.7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

RI.9-10.3. Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which thepoints are made, how they are introduced and developed, and

What are some of the events that you know led to the Civil Rights movement becoming a national movement? Discuss with a partner.

• Comparison/completion of Emmett Till case from three sources:◦ Before death:

infotext_emmett_till_part1.odtPages 9 through 12

◦ Immediate aftermath from the documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWHN9y3BOuwHide video from description of body;go to 33:40

◦ “Death of Emmett Till” by Bob Dylan• Use graphic organizer to compare the

three and make time-line• Use the researched information to make

an argument about the importance of Emmett Till in the Civil Rights Movement

• HW: Read chapters 9-11 before moving to Lesson 9

• Graphic organizer• Informal teacher

observation• Online argument

planning forum• Final product:

argument

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWHN9y3BOuw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWHN9y3BOuw






the connections that are drawn between them.

W.9-10.1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis ofsubstantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

W.9-10.1a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create anorganization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

8. What are infinitives and infinite phrases?


An infinitive is similar to a prepositional phrase with “to.” Make an educated guess what an infinitive is.

• Check homework• Infinitives and infinitive phrases (522-

524)


• Homework: Exercise 13 (524)

9. How do characters in a novel assist the reader in understanding thesocial and politicalissues of a time period?

(3 days)




W.9-10.1b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengthsand limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.

L.9-10.1. Initiate and participateeffectively in a range of

Preparing to GroupAs students come through the door, hand them an index card with a 1, 2, or 3 on the card and the topic sheet (could be pasted on the back of the card). This will divide them into topic groups.

Have students pre-write thoughts on the questions.

• Group preparation: Review discussion guidelines and have students set goals a la Socratic Seminar

• Prepare arguments• Calpurnia and the First Purchase African

M.E. ChurchWhat is Calpurnia’s purpose in the novel? In order to answer that question,you need to think about the attitudes thetownspeople of Maycomb express aboutAfrican Americans. Then ask yourself why Harper Lee places an African American inside the Finch home. Her role there is traditional – she is a servant. But what else is Calpurnia? What is the significance of her taking thechildren to her church? Share your thoughts about Harper Lee’s purpose in creating Calpurnia for the novel. Include quotes from the text to support your points. During the presentation, the group should guide other class members to

• Lady Is as Lady DoesAunt Alexandra represents another segment of Southern society in the 1930s. Read the interview with three

• Graphic organizers for presentations

• Self-assessment for collegial






collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their ownclearly and persuasively.

SL.9-10.1a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.

SL.9-10.1b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on keyissues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.


women who “grew up white in the South” during the ‘30s. Fill in the Southern Behavior – Interview concept map with things they were taught to do as a young girl – compare the list with what Aunty is trying to teach Scout and Jem (complete the Southern Genteel Behavior concept map). Is there an overlap? Create a third Concept map showing the similarities between the interview and the novel. Only fill the boxes in the third concept map with the lessons they have in common (Lessons in Common concept map).http://library.thinkquest.org/12111/girl.htmlDraw this concept map on the board to use as a reference during your discussion.

• No Man is an IslandAtticus’s decision to represent Tom in court begins to have a negative impact on his family. In other words, his decision to represent a black man angered the entire community, and his children suffer from the racial unrest generated by the trial. Did Atticus make a poor decision to represent Tom in suchan emotionally charged trial? Was it the right decision? In your oral presentation, support your position on whether Atticus made a right or a wrong decision when he agreed to represent Tom Robinson. What does his decision reveal about the society he lived in?

• Presentations on Day #2• Read chapters 16-18 before moving to

Lesson 1110. What is an

appositive?L.9-10.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions ofstandard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Based on the stems in the word, what is an educated guess as to what an appositive might be.

• Check homework• Appositives and appositive phrases

(526-528)


• Homework: Exercise 13 (524)

11. What are the factsof the case against Tom?

3 days


How well do you know the case against Tom? Rate yourself between 1-5, then share with a partner. Why did you make that rating?

• Lit circles are a graphics company that specializes in creating graphics for lawyers in court cases.

• Each group is to make a graphic for each of the three versions of the court

• Diagrams/illustrations• informal teacher

observation






case:◦ Bob Ewell◦ Mayella Ewell◦ Tom Robinson

• Each graphic is to include:◦ A frame-by-frame illustration of what

is done◦ A map of the scene from above to

accompany each frame12. How does justice

come into conflict with morality?

(2 days)

RL.9-10.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.




W.9-10.1c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link themajor sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify therelationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

W.9-10.1d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

Five minutes of reading Day one• Project the following on the board as

you explain

Small Towns – Small MindsSmall towns thrive on gossip. A sensational trial like Tom Robinson’s will only add to the talk. Several of the olderwomen in the novel categorize other citizens by social standing, heritage, etiquette and manners, yet they rarely mention true moral or ethical values as acriteria for judging someone’s character. As a way to evaluate your own feelings about these characters, place them in rank order from the most moral to the least moral. Then write a paragraph explanation of why you placed him/her in the two extreme positions. ◦ Mr. Dolphus Raymond◦ Miss Maudie◦ Aunt Alexandra◦ Reverend Sykes◦ Judge Taylor◦ Bob Ewell◦ Mayella Ewell◦ Heck Tate

• Have students get with a new partner and share their reasons. They then needto get a consensus between the two of them and find evidence in the book for each ranking

Day 2• Socratic Seminar: As with sixth period,

these students know what to do: Students know how to work the Socratic Seminar. Tell them they'll be doing the speaker-partner version, with the pairs

• Crafting the argument GO







W.9-10.1e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

being the pairs they worked in day one. Give them ten minutes to prepare, then have them do the Socratic Seminar: they'll know exactly what to do.

• Remind the coach to take notes as it willbe useful for the actual planning phase.

• Create a class consensus ranking the morality of characters in the novel.

Day 3 (half)• Plan an argument for the top two and

the bottom two in the moral ranking (on back of original graphic organizer)

Read chapters 19- 23 before moving to Lesson13

13. How does an author create tension in a text?

(2 days)

RL.9-10.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.9-10.5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

W.9-10.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a dayor two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

What is tension? What makes a situation tense?

• Intro to tension: “How to Create Tension”: marking the text: ◦ underline any specific actions a

writer can take to make tension◦ circle any terms unknown; connect

with arrows to words in context that help the reader determine the meaning; write the possible meaning in the margin

• Close-reading scaffolding◦ Tom's testimony as class◦ Tom's cross-examination in pairs

• HW: Read chapter 24 twice• You can read this aloud with them in

class if you wish. There's a copy of the book in the podium.

• Marked texts

14. How does Harper Lee use irony to create indirect commentary about the Jim Crow Christian south?

3 days

RL.9-10.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

RL.9-10.5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order

What is your view of Aunt Alexandria? Write a short paragraph describe her in your view.

• Close reading: Chapter 24• Group discussion to analyze the The

Missionary Circle’s discussion of the African Mrunas tribe and its role in the novel as a whole.

• Discussion questions • Homework: Read chapters 25-28

• Marked texts






events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

15. What steps do I use to write a comparison contrast essay?

Culminating Product





W.9-10.1c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link themajor sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify therelationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

W.9-10.1d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

W.9-10.1e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

Organize notes taken from research on Scottsboro Boy’s Trial

Comparison-Contrast essay assignment

Essay Topic: How does Harper Lee’s American classic To Kill a Mockingbird demonstrate the practice of literature becoming a reflection of history?The essay will be multi-paragraph with no less than three points of comparison between the novel and the historical account. Each point of comparison needs support from the novel and theScottsboro case. Some suggestions are:

• the charges• the accused • the defense • the prosecution • the community response • the outcome • media coverage

Getting StartedLook over my suggestions about the Process for Gathering Information. Then just get going.

Summary each day will be to turn in the writing goal for the day (i.e.: the goal for day #1 might be a brainstorming chart making connections between the novel and the historical accounts. Day #2 might be an outline or rough draft of paper…)






W.9-10.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, andstyle are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

W.9-10.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research


to kill a mockingbird, phrases, and research...

Documents