to kill a mockingbird essay plans

101 To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Titles & Examples

If you struggle to find “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay topics on prejudice, race, the characters’ courage, or any other issue, look no further. Our team has prepared a list of titles and essay writing tips for this book.

🏆 Best To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Topics & Examples

📌 most interesting to kill a mockingbird essay titles, 👍 good to kill a mockingbird research topics, ❓ to kill a mockingbird essay questions.

Before we will talk about the do’s and don’ts in essay writing, let’s clarify the types of essay.

When working on “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay thesis, you can focus on the facts of the book or concentrate on your attitude towards its key issues and characters. According to your approach, we can divide essays into two main areas:

• Objective essay: you set out your personal thoughts on a chosen issue and provide supporting arguments and evidence;
• Subjective essay: you express your point of view on a specific topic without claiming the truth and strengthening it with facts.

For example, when you choose a “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay topics on goodness, you will state that Atticus is a kind and fearless. No doubt that this character has a positive role.

On the other hand, when you describe Mayella, you will have to choose: will you condemn her or express pity.

As for the essay content, it can be divided into many subcategories:

• Philosophical essay
• Critical essay
• Literary analysis
• Historical essay, etc.

There are also a few key literary types:

• Feature article, etc.

Do’s & Don’ts When Writing To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

Now, it’s time to talk about what you should write and what to avoid in your paper. First of all, you have to remember that all “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay titles should reveal the essence of the issue.

Recommendations for essay writing:

• Do mark your essay subject at the beginning of the text. “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay hooks will help you to catch the reader’s attention. Don’t forget to emphasize the central issue in the conclusion.
• Do support the style of presentation by your emotions, vision, and opinion. Use the “question-answer” in paragraphs. Make the transitions between paragraphs harmonious and smooth.
• Do use quotes, historical facts, and observations to argue the thesis statement, solve the main issue, and describe the key subject of the paper.
• Do stick to the central thesis of your essay. Avoid deepen into philosophical reflections — tell about concrete facts and examples. Here’s an example: don’t include the facts from the author’s biography if you focus on the events of the book and factors that affect discrimination.
• Do proofread the paper. Read carefully your essay several times and think if your readers will understand your expressions.
• Do not use specific terminology in “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay. For example, when you write about discrimination, you don’t necessarily have to provide its dictionary definition or use complex law, historical and psychological literature, and samples. Just your own language. However, it doesn’t mean that your opinion should seem ungrounded.
• Do add your emotions to the paper. Let your readers feel that you believe in your ideas when defending the essay thesis.
• Don’t choose the header before you write an essay. First, you should write an essay, and only then compile the title of your paper.

Well, now you know about the essay types, what to do, and what to avoid in your essay. Of course, you may ask: “What to write in my own essay?”

The key to success is to start. Check “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay examples on our website to get inspiration. Even the topic seems to you too complicated, start your research, and then you will be able to express new and original thoughts.

• Slavery in To Kill a Mockingbird Novel The introduction of Tom by the author is a plot device to represent the plight of the slaves in the state.
• “To Kill a Mockingbird”: Book and Movie Differences It is important to note that the film, To Kill a Mockingbird entails most of the aspects depicted in the novel.
• To Kill a Mockingbird Main Themes The main themes of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird cover both adult and children’s concerns, including the dignity of human life, the importance of truth, the rights of people to be different, the need […]
• “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962) by Robert Mulligan This movie presented a timely reflection of the extent of deep racial problems and social injustices existing in the southern part of the US in the early 60s.
• Novel Appreciation: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The contemporary discussion of this novel is often tied to the question of racism; nevertheless, I am convinced that this book can be of great interest to modern readers, and I would like to discuss […]
• Analysis of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird Although the innocent black man is killed while attempting to break out of prison when he might have gone free had the case proceeded to a higher court, Atticus and the town’s sheriff conjure a […]
• Themes in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird, in its imperfection, is a testament to the march of progress in social justice and racial equality.
• Moral Principles in Harper Lee’s Novel To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee explores a great number of themes in the first chapters of the novel, for example, integrity of a person and his/her ability contradict the norms, adopted in the community.
• To Kill a Mockingbird The author, in the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird presents a deeper understanding in relation to events occurring in her novel. To enhance understanding of the novel, the author has widely embraced symbolism in […]
• Lift a Ban on “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Lee Understanding different activities have remained vital in society.”To Kill a Mockingbird” is a book that explains the problems of the United States and promotes people to be just and respect human rights.
• The Title of Lee’s “How to Kill a Mockingbird” Book The novel’s core topic is the disappearance of innocence and the influence of bias on the lives of the novel’s characters.
• Empathy and Racism in Stockett’s The Help and Li’s To Kill a Mockingbird To start with, the first approach to racism and promoting empathy is to confront prevalent discrimination and racism, which was often shown in The Help. Another solution to racism and the possibility of promoting empathy […]
• Systemic Racism in Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” & Whitehead’s “The Nickel Boys” Racism in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is pronounced and presented as the natural habitat of the town of Maycomb.
• Nelle Harper Lee and Her Reflection in “To Kill a Mockingbird” The author perfectly reflects her life in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird as her father played an essential role in creating the story.
• “To Kill a Mockingbird” Drama Film The plot proves to be logical and consistent throughout the movie, motivating the audience to watch till the end of the film.
• Understanding Other Perspective: To Kill a Mockingbird The literature portrays the actual happenings in the society in an educative and corrective manner that is acceptable to both sides of the victim and perpetrator of injustices.
• “To Kill a Mockingbird”: The Novel by Harper Lee Scout does not realize the severity of many of the events of the book as they are taking place, and as such she is an innocent.
• American History in “To Kill a Mockingbird” Book & Film Racial attitudes and the dominance of white men over the black ones in the USA are the central ideas of the movie and the novel.
• Racist Trial in the Novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee For the purpose, evaluation would be made in the context of utilization of events, time and culture of the book and compare it to today’s society, culture and racial attitudes.
• Racial Prejudice in Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” Paul Lawrence Dunbar in his poem, “Sympathy” has vividly portrayed the pangs of a caged bird and likens it to the collective pain that colored people have felt like victims of racial prejudices.”And a pain […]
• “To Kill a Mockingbird” Novel by Harper Lee It is one of the main characteristics of the mockingbird includes its innocence and imitation of the songs of other birds in a loud voice.
• “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee In consequence, the book became a model source of reading that inspired people to further take on the issues of race in the USA and throughout the world.
• American Novel: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee It is also worth to mention that the novel is indeed relevant to its readership because it mirrors the nature of society affected by racism and inequality. Through the act of inclusiveness, I am in […]
• What It Takes to Kill a Mockingbird: In Search for the Differences Between the Novel and a Movie The characters both in the novel and in the movie were often pushed to the breaking point; however, one of such moments described in the book was left out of the movie.
• The Problem of Racism and Injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee In the novel, Harper Lee demonstrates her vision of the question of the social inequality with references to the problem of racism in the society based on prejudice and absence of actual principles of tolerance […]
• Social Issues in the “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee The phrase ‘to kill a mocking bird’ stands out as a metaphor in the book To kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
• To Kill a Mockingbird: Movie Analysis Speaking of the movements which convey the essence of the film without any speech “intrusion”, it would be a good idea to drive the example of Boo Radley standing in the darker corner of the […]
• “To Kill a Mockingbird” and the Techniques Used: Characterisation, Structure, Point of View, and Language
• The Different Types of Families Represented in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• Atticus Finch’s Views on Race and How They Change Throughout “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Racist Attitudes of the People in Maycomb County in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• “To Kill a Mockingbird”: How Symbolism Reinforces Important Ideas
• The Supproting Character of Boo Radley as a Hero in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• Unjust Persecution as a Major Theme in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Significance of the Title of “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• Use of Symbols in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• The Trial of Tom Robinson and Its Role in Exploring the Issue of Racism in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• Violence and Alienation in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• “To Kill a Mockingbird”: The Importance of Understanding Individual Differences
• True Courage in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• The Two Types of Underprivileged People in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Influences Parents Have on Their Children in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The References That Suggest to Boo Radley and Tom Robinson in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• Tom Robinson and Boo Radley as Mockingbirds in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Southern Gothic Elements in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• The Resemblance Between Tom Robinson and Boo Radley in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Themes of Childhoods in “Jane Eyre” and “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Role of Family in Shaping the Characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Affects of One’s Surrounding Environment on Their Personality and Morals in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The True Heroic Qualities of Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Theme of the Loss of Childhood Innocence in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• Town of Maycomb’s Role in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• The Different Types of Prejudice Represented in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• Atticus Finch as a Moral Compass for His Children in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Moral Development of the Characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Impact of Cowardice on the Characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• Mrs Dubose as an Example of Courage in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Impact of Scout’s Family on Her Development in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Victims of Stereotyping in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• Atticus Finch as a Father Figure in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• Tragic Hero in “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Crucible”
• The Themes of Racism and Fear of the Unknown in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• Hidden Symbols in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• The Value of Informal Education in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• Tom Robinson’s Trial as a Central Part of “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• Unarmed Bravery in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• Use of Piaget’s Theories of Child Development in Analyzing “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Tolerance Level of the Characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
• The Use of Symbolism and Irony in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• Tom Robinson’s Conviction in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• How Old Is Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• What Does Mrs. Maudie’s Nut Grass Symbolize in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• How Does Scout Describe Dill in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• How Is the Theme of Femininity and the Power of Women From “To Kill a Mockingbird” Still Relevant Today?
• Who Are the Radleys in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• Why Does Scout Have That Nickname in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• How Are Fathers Presented in the Novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• What Is the Main Meaning of “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• How Does Author Present Racial Issues During the 1930s in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• What Are the Two Main Plots in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• What Is the Irony in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• What Is the Most Important Lesson in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• Is “To Kill a Mockingbird” Still Relevant Today?
• How Does Lee Make Atticus Finch a Heroic Figure in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• What “To Kill a Mockingbird” Teaches Us?
• What Are Some Life Lessons From “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• What Is the First Turning Point in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• What’s the Climax of “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• What Are Some Symbols in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• How Are Prejudice and Hypocrisy Explored in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• How Does Harper Lee Build Up Tension Throughout the Novel “To Kill a Mockingbird?
• How Has “To Kill a Mockingbird” Changed the World?
• Why Should Students Read “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• How Does Harper Lee Use Minor Characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• How Does “To Kill a Mockingbird” Connect to the World?
• What Does the Reader Learn About the Social Setting in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• What Are the Most Important Quotes in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• Who Is the Protagonist in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• Who Lost Their Innocence in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
• What Does the Mad Dog Represent in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
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To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

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To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

The good, the bad, and the deep south: character analysis of aunt alexandra anonymous 9th grade, to kill a mockingbird.

The novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee explored the racist south during the Jim Crow era through the lense of a girl, Scout Finch. Through the novel, we learn of the experiences of the people living through this time, and how racism was...

Walk in Their Footsteps: The Importance of Empathy in To Kill a Mockingbird and A Time to Kill Kristin Virginia Freitas 10th Grade

In the novels To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee and A Time to Kill by John Grisham, the towns of Maycomb and Clanton Mississippi have two men accused and most people already know who they are voting guilty. Their outlooks on each other...

To What Extent Do To Kill a Mockingbird, The Help, and Get Out Engage with White Poverty in their Depiction of White Women? Summer Jade Dolan College

With the defeat of Jefferson Davis’ confederacy in 1865, the American South became a region marked by poverty. The Civil War not only destroyed large amounts of Southern infrastructure, but also devastated the demographic that would typically be...

The Impact of Class Structure John Florio

The rigid class structure and social stratification of Maycomb County had a profound effect on the events in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The impact of this class structure and the underlying prejudice was especially evident in...

Justice in To Kill a Mockingbird Yiran Guo

Justice and its relationship with prejudice is the central theme of the timeless 1960 novel, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Its focal point is the trial of Tom Robinson, an African-American erroneously charged with the rape of a white girl,...

The Journey Motif in Works of American Literature Anonymous 10th Grade

The journey motif is one of the most widely used elements in American literature. The journey is a powerful symbol often used to represent a character’s adventure leading to an epiphany, or some sort of self-realization. This literary device can...

Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird and Goin' Someplace Special Anonymous 10th Grade

Prejudice is a pre-judgement formed about something or someone - but it is more than this as well? This complex idea is highlighted in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the picture book Goin’ Someplace Special by Patricia...

Character Analysis in To Kill A Mockingbird Katherine Dufour 10th Grade

While most people in society strive to have moral attributes, not everyone understands what traits are important in achieving this goal. Often, people attempt to model themselves after another’s example. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by...

Through Scout's Eyes: The Concept of Perspective Kyle R. Keenan College

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is one of the greatest works of American literature of all time. It has been reprinted again and again, and is a staple in almost any writing or history class. There are a number of reasons why it can be...

Scout’s Perception of Truth and Reality Anonymous 10th Grade

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 33). Atticus Finch tells this quote to the main character, Scout Finch, in the book To Kill a...

Mayella Ewell Anonymous 12th Grade

In the coming of age novel, To Kill a Mockingbird , Harper Lee portrays many characters in various ways, but none more insidious than Mayella Violet Ewell. Mayella is the story’s boldest antagonist. She is a static character who undergoes no inner...

The Key Influences in Scout's and Jem's Lives Anonymous 9th Grade

The course of growing up is always influenced by the people around you, since the people in your environment are vital in shaping the person you will become. Harper Lee demonstrates this reality in the classic tale To Kill a Mockingbird , through...

Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird: Farewell to Childhood Anonymous 9th Grade

Often, there is no greater power that influences an individual’s development than his or her surroundings. It is one’s society that establishes what is generally accepted and how one comes to act within that society. In the novel To Kill a...

Who's Afraid of Boo Radley?: An Essay on To Kill a Mockingbird Mahyar Mirrashed 9th Grade

Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird , Scout’s feelings and notions regarding Arthur “Boo” Radley change from her initial preconceived impression that he was a monster, to accepting Boo as a person and empathizing his perspective of the...

Jem the Visionary: Characterization in To Kill a Mockingbird Anonymous 9th Grade

In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird , Scout's (the narrator's) older brother, Jem, plays an ironically important role. He may seem similar to other boys in Maycomb given his brotherly characteristics, but there is more to his character. Jem is a...

Irreality in‭ ‬To Kill a Mockingbird: An Overview of Scholarly Perspectives Anonymous College

Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) is commonly understood to be a coming of age story that deal with the theme of racial discrimination in the American South during the Great Depression. Close inspection of the novel reveals many...

Bob Ewell: A Journey into the World of an Alcoholic Christopher J Parsick 10th Grade

To Kill a Mockingbird is many things: just to name a few, it is a comment on racism, class, and the mob mentality. In this brilliant novel, there are a lot of well defined characters whose goings on in the fictional Maycomb County help to propel...

Understanding the Meaning of the Books Mentioned in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" Amotz Fraenkel 11th Grade

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a variety of allusions to other works of literature arise, suggesting to the adept reader their significance to the plot and in our understanding of many characters and themes. Two books of special...

Influences of Society on Gender in The Color Purple and To Kill a Mockingbird Zaneb Mansha 11th Grade

Gender roles are learned mainly through social interaction rather than biologically. When people are born, they are supplied with very little knowledge of gender. Certain behavior is taught by means of social interactions and through relationships...

Jem and Gender, Calpurnia and Race: Challenging and Defying Stereotypes in To Kill a Mockingbird Anonymous 10th Grade

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird , multiple characters defy stereotypes made about them and are even able to change opinions and lifestyles of people around them. The book takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama during the 1930s. The book...

The Standards of Love Anonymous 9th Grade

Every society has unwritten rules that everyone respects, and it is momentous when these boundaries are crossed. In To Kill a Mockingbird , Harper Lee develops the argument that love creates a loyalty that can overcome any standards. The author...

A Comparison of Justice in Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ and Charles Dickens’ ‘Great Expectations’ Anonymous 12th Grade

While both Harper Lee and Charles Dickens have parallels in the way they portray justice and the legal system in their respective novels, there are contrasts in the way they portray both Victorian London and the Deep South in the 20th Century....

Discrimination to Destruction: The Impact of Individuals on Communities in Harper Lee and Anne Frank Anonymous 8th Grade

Throughout history, racism has been the cause of thousands of historical events that have ripped populations apart. To be more general, the discrimination of individuals always leads up to the split of the community itself. Within Harper Lee’s To...

Unexpected Models: The Importance of Neighbors as Seen in To Kill a Mockingbird Anonymous 10th Grade

The main focus of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) is that neighbors are, and always will be, the essence of a town and that they are important in many respects. Neighbors not only being those that live directly next to you but also those...

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Lesson Plan To Kill a Mockingbird: A Historical Perspective

Students gain a sense of the living history that surrounds the novel  To Kill a Mockingbird . Through studying primary source materials from the Library's digital collections  and other online resources, students of all backgrounds may better grasp how historical events and human forces have shaped relationships between black and white, and rich and poor cultures of our country.

This unit guides students on a journey through the Depression Era in the 1930s. Activities familiarize the students with Southern experiences through the study of the novel and African American experiences through the examination of primary sources.

Students will be able to:

• learn about the history of African Americans in the South through analysis of historical and literary primary source photographs and documents;
• demonstrate visual literacy skills;
• master research skills necessary to use Library of Congress digital collections;
• distinguish points of view in several types of primary sources;
• demonstrate the technique of recording oral histories; and
• write creative works that reflect the themes of racism, compassion, and tolerance in  To Kill a Mockingbird .

Time Required

Four to five weeks

Lesson Preparation

• Primary Source Analysis Tool

Optional Timeline Activity

At any time during the study of  To Kill a Mockingbird , the creation of a timeline can enhance students’ understanding of the story’s sequence of events. In addition, whenever historical events and people are referenced in the text of  To Kill a Mockingbird , the timeline gives students an opportunity to physically organize that information.

The timeline can span the years from 1890 to 2000. It should be large enough to be seen from any part of the room. For our purposes, the timeline was oriented horizontally across the front of the room, divided into decades, and color-coded so that literary happenings could be distinguished from historical events.

• During the portion of the book that recounts Tom Robinson’s wait for his trial and the formation of a mob outside the jail, the timeline is especially effective for demonstrating to students how pervasive and longstanding the record of violence against African-Americans has been.

Students should go to the home page of  African American Perspectives: Materials Selected from the Rare Book Collection  and enter the Timeline of African American History, 1852-1925 for  1881-1900  and  1901-1925 .

Ask students to note the number of lynchings that take place during those years on black cards with white tags and attach them to the timeline. When the students have attached all the black cards to the timeline, ask them to calculate the total number of lynchings that took place between 1880 and 1925. Ask students how the crime of lynching relates to the story and how it impacts Tom Robinson.

• African American Perspectives: Materials Selected from the Rare Book Collection
• Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives
• Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Color Photographs
• American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940
• Words and Deeds in American History: Selected Documents Celebrating the Manuscript Division's First 100 Years
• Explore Your Community: A Community Heritage Poster for the Classroom
• Teachers Guide to  Analyzing Photographs and Prints

Lesson Procedure

I - historical understanding of setting (2 days).

1. Students view photographs from  Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives . (Students should be given time to browse this collection, then select one photo for careful analysis.)

• They should search for: Selma, Alabama Eutaw, Alabama Greensboro, Alabama
• After browsing through these images, students should select one photo for careful analysis. Students analyze the photograph, recording their thoughts on the  Primary Source Analysis Tool . Before the students begin, select questions from the teacher’s guide  Analyzing Photographs and Prints  to focus and prompt analysis and discussion. If time allows, students should browse some of the other photographs in this collection.

2. The Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress also has a collection of images entitled " Photographs of Signs Enforcing Racial Discrimination: Documentation by Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information ." Ask students to read the information explaining the nature of the photo collection then review the photographs. They should select one. Students analyze the photograph, recording their thoughts on the  Primary Source Analysis Tool . Before the students begin, select questions from the teacher’s guide  Analyzing Photographs and Prints  to focus and prompt analysis and discussion.

II - Exploring Oral History (3 days)

• Ask an oral historian to speak to the class on the value of oral history as a research tool and as a vehicle for passing history from one generation to the next.
• Review with students the concepts of open and closed questions and what kinds of questions best serve the oral historian. Note:   Explore Your Community: A Community Heritage Poster for the Classroom , by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, has pointers for conducting oral history interviews.
• Take the students online to  American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940  and read about the collection. Begin with the  Introduction .
• Download and print " I's Weak an' Weary " from  American Life Histories, 1936-1940 . The class should read this document and determine voice, time, and place.
• " Amy Chapman's Funeral "
• " Looking Around With a Hay Farmer "
• " Sallie Smith "
• " The Story of Katy Brumby "
• " Terrapin Dogs "
• From the oral histories reviewed, ask students to create an original work, either a found poem or an interpretive reading, from the materials they have reviewed. They may use one or a combination of readings. They must capture the voice of the selection and perform their original material in an open mike setting.

III - Writing Connection (1 day)

Students create a "Town Poem" from their observations of the photographs in Lesson II.

Directions for students:

Create an imaginary town based on the photographs you viewed from the Library of Congress collections.

• Take emotional possession of the town.
• Rely on your impressions and your subjective observations.
• Let your imagination give each person, building, object its own story.
• List assumptions, hunches, observations and feelings.
• What are the town secrets?
• What is the mood or tone of the town?
• Write a poem about your town in the second person.
• You have never been to this town, but write as though you have lived there all your life.

IV - Getting into the Novel (3 days)

• After reading the first three chapters of the novel, students should refer back to their notes on the photographs they viewed from  Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives  and " Photographs of Signs Enforcing Racial Discrimination: Documentation by Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information ."
• Review Harper Lee’s descriptions of Maycomb and discuss pictures from the collection that could be scenes from Maycomb.
• Ask students to reflect on the oral histories studied in Activity II and compare the language, colloquial expressions, and the vocabulary unique to the Depression Era and the Deep South to the style and dialogue in  To Kill a Mockingbird.
• Ask students to identify examples of discrimination against Arthur Radley.
• Draw contrasts and parallels between that discrimination and the discrimination directed toward African Americans in earlier readings.
• Begin a list of the foreshadowings of racial tension that will grip Maycomb during the Tom Robinson trial.

V - Mob Justice (4-5 days)

• Read Chapter 15 of  To Kill a Mockingbird

Clippings from Some of our Leading Southern Papers

NOTE: This is an excerpt. The full text of  A sermon on lynch law and raping : preached by Rev. E.K. Love, D.D., at 1st. African Baptist Church, Savannah, Ga., of which he is pastor, November 5th, 1893  can be found in  African American Perspectives: Materials Selected from the Rare Book Collection

Excerpt begins ...

{Begin page no. 13}

CLIPPINGS FROM SOME OF OUR LEADING SOUTHERN PAPERS.

"At first lynch law was only resorted to as a punishment for felonious outrages upon women. But the spirit of lawlessness never stands still. Give it an inch and it will take a mile. The men who delight in lynching have grown bolder, and they now murder the kinsmen of a criminal who refuse to reveal his hiding place, and whip a woman for the crime of being true to her religious convictions, and burn gin houses because their owners will not hold their cotton until the price reaches ten cents. All this would indicate that our civilization is only skin deep. There is an inexhaustible layer of barbarism just under the surface, and a mere scratch reveals it.-- Atlanta Constitution.

"Mob law is breeding a race of savages. The young men and boys who engage in this bloody business will as surely grow up to be blood thirsty and cruel as the tiger will become a man eater after tasting human blood. Unless these scenes shall end and the rule of law be restored, the mob will drive all the better class of people from the South and give it over to outlawry and ignorance. The evil has progressed so far that none but a blind man can be insensible to the enormity of the peril that hangs like a black cloud over the Southern States. The prevailing conditions are surely tending to a crisis of blood and horror. The earnest, thoughtful, and patriotic men of the South must give themselves to the work of redemption as to a task appointed of God and blessed with His benediction. -- Memphis Daily Commercial

The Roanoke Times denies that Roanoke, during the recent popular outbreak against the lawful authorities was a mobbed-ruled city, and characterizes the statement of the Index-Appeal , and other papers to that effect as false.

The Times should be more careful in the choice of its language at a time when it has everything to palliate and nothing to gain by controversy. Its attempted vindication is neither ingenious nor ingenuous. If a city is not mob-ruled when a mob takes a prisoner from the lawful authorities, and hangs and burns him, and then creates a state of terror, such as to cause officials and other persons to seek safety in

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flight and concealment, in the name of common sense when is a city mob-ruled and what is mob-rule?-- Petersburg, (Va.) Daily Index Appeal

It will not do to say that such cases of violence are due to any fear that justice will not be done. There was no question that these two murderers, if caught, would be tried speedily and punished justly. But that was not what the mob wanted. They wanted the sight of blood. It was the instinct of cruelty which actuated them. They were not civilized much less were they Christian people. They were savages, barbarians! We talk of Kurdish atrocities, of African cannibalism, of Indian tortures, but nothing more atrocious or horrible is enacted anywhere by any savages on the face of the earth. Are we a nation of barbarians?-- New York Independent

"We do not believe that there is any section of the South, however small, where mob law is endorsed by public sentiment; and yet the men who make up murderous mobs go unpunished. Law-abiding men are in the majority everywhere, and yet they permit the lawless to defy the authorities and treat the State with contempt. Why is this the case? The reason is plain and humiliating. Good men are cowards while bad men are aggressive. The good submit with a protest, while the bad run rough shod all over opposition. It is time for southern manhood to wake up. We boast of our chivalry and we have a right to. Our people have a history to be proud of, but every heroic deed of the past but brands with deeper disgrace the howling mobs, who, safe in their numbers, attack and murder defenseless men. If our laws do not punish crime we should mend them. We certainly should not turn over our temples of Justice to men who are unworthy to enter them except to receive punishment for their crime.-- Jacksonville, (Fla.) Daily Times-Union

I confess that as a citizen of the South I feel very much humiliated when I read such as this about my home and these are but a few out of many such things that are being said about the South.

II. Mob violence inexcusable and all matters should be determined in a lawful assembly

There was no need of lynching the Apostles. The Ephesians had everything their own way. The Apostles had, at most, but few friends in Ephesus, and perhaps none, who would interpose for them in a public way. There was scarcely an Ephesian who was not in some way personally interested in the cause to which the Apostles were defendants; hence any jury that might have been selected would have been prejudiced against the defendants, and upon any technical grounds that the law could have been made to sanction, would have brought in a verdict of guilty. They had the privilege of, and they were honor bound to try them by their law. There might have been some excuse for lynching had they been compelled to try them by alien laws. If, as the Jews said to Pilate on the trial if Christ, they could have truthfully said, "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die," then there might have been an excuse for lynching. Lynching could have

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been and can be defended on no other ground than that punishment by law is impossible. It will not do to say that the provocation is such that the lynchers are justifiable. That dishonors our education, disgraces our civilization, slanders our Christianity, disrespects our law, undermines our government, and declares our people to be a set of ungovernable, ferocious brutes, hinders the development of the greatness of our country and as blind Samson at the festival at Gaza, throws down our temple of liberty upon its votaries.

If when a man is arrested for rape, a mob is raised to rescue him from the clutches of the law, then should a counter mob be raised and kill the wretch rather than have him escape justice, then it would be far more more excusable.

In this country, situated as the Negroes are, a case of lynching is never justifiable. If the woman assaulted is white, there can be no possible escape for the Negroes. The Judge is white, the jury is white, the lawyers are white, the Sheriff is white, the Jailer is white, and as Doctors Broadus and Haygood say, race blood will assert himself,--the Negroes must die. It will not do to say that our people are so weak, vicious, brutal, satanic, and uncivilized that they have no faith in their own laws, which they, themselves, have made, and cannot wait with even enough patience for their courts to convene to try their criminals, that they prefer to stain their hands in human blood in unlawful assemblies. To say this is to admit that it is unsafe to live among us, and that we resort to murdering and the most heartless outrages for amusement; that we determine no trying cases in a lawful assembly; that we respect law so long as it suits us and when we are not mad; but when the trying provocation comes, as Dr. Haygood puts it, we get "insane for the time," and hence it must follow that we are not responsible for our action under this spasm of "insanity."

The Lord only knows how far this "insanity" business will go, and He alone knows to what extent it has and will injure this country and especially our lovely southland, the paradise of the globe. Just how much this "insanity" argument palliates our awful crimes in the eyes of the civilized world, Dr. Haygood is better prepared to say than I am. If these burnings and murders are put on the "insanity" doctrine for a defense, I plead for a house of correction for the many hundreds of spasmodic "insane" people that abound in our favored country. I plead not for the criminals. I have no pity for them. I plead that these matters should be determined in a lawful assembly.

Brute force is a dangerous element in any government. It is destructive to prosperity, happiness, and liberty and is the parent of no good. Every good citizen should discard and unite to exterminate it. The Almighty has ordained that matters of difference should be adjusted in a lawful assembly, that reasonable men should implead reasonable men before reasonable men in a lawful assembly.

The officers of the law are just as much opposed to these crimes as those who compose these lawless mobs. Lynching is as much a violation of the law as raping. There should be a resort to law however atrocious the crime charged may be, as it then would be less likely that the innocent would be killed. It cannot be denied that the lynchers sometimes have killed the wrong man. This could and would have been avoided in a painstaking, lawful assembly. However enraged a people may be at the assault upon a woman, surely they do

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not want to kill the innocent and this can best be avoided in a lawful assembly.

There can be nothing more horrifying to a refined, honest, fair-minded, law abiding, upright Christian gentleman than the riddling with bullets, hanging and burning of an innocent man, and yet this is possible under a system of lynch law. Indeed I regret to state that this has occurred. The lynchers can hardly justify themselves by saying that the man confessed his crime. He did not do so in a lawful assembly nor in the presence of lawful witnesses. For these men, themselves, were assembled for the purpose of committing an unlawful act. Before the bar of civilized opinion, they stand charged of the foulest murder known to the annals of history, and hence, I gravely doubt that they are competent witnesses.

The great American liberty-loving people will not wait much longer for these outrages to stop. They will arise in their majesty and might and demand a halt to these savage outrages.

The action of these mobs show that they are not after a mere punishment of these crimes, but that they are seeking in the most barbarous manner, revenge. For they hang, shoot and burn. Either one of these deaths is barbarous enough. I think that no tribunal on earth would give sentence for more than one of these at the time and yet our civilized, Christian people give all of them at once. This shows that these men are utterly unprepared to take the law into their hands. If they are justifiable in one case, they would be justifiable in all.

Pushing this argument further to its logical conclusion we would have no need for courts to administer the law, for Legislatures, nor Congress to make laws, and hence every lawful assembly would be destroyed in our country and every man would be a law unto himself and would punish crime as his senseless passion might dictate. Indeed, no man in this country would be safe.

Law is that principle which governs a people and regulates their affairs and promotes their truest. Wise and equitable laws, fairly interpreted and impartially administered, will meet every emergency of a people. Happily for us, we can boast of such laws and there is absolutely no need to over-ride them. Lynch law is a sad reflection upon the courts. The lynchers in effect say that the officers of the law are unreliable; dishonest and cannot be relied on to punish criminals in accordance with their oath. Surely the lynchers will not presume to say that they know more about the law than the officers of the law. I ask, therefore, in all seriousness, what is the objection to the law taking its course? I have yet to see or hear a reasonable excuse for lynching and surely a thing for which not a single reason can be given ought to be abandoned.

III. We are in danger to be called in question for our conduct

Webster says, "Lynch law is the practice of punishing men for crimes or offences, by private, unauthorized persons, without a legal trial. The term is said to be derived from a Virginia Farmer, named Lynch, who thus took the law into his own hands."

Chamber's Encyclopaedia.-"Lynch-law, the name given in the United States of America to the trial and punishment of offenders in popular assemblies without reference to the ordinary laws of the country. This barbarous mode of administering justice has always

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more or less prevailed in every country in times of great popular excitement, and has been necessarily resorted to in countries newly settled, where the power of the civil government is not yet sufficiently established. The name is derived by Webster from a Virginia farmer; but a more interesting history is found in the story of James Lynch, mayor of galley about 1495, who in the spirit of Brutes with his own hand, hanged his son from a window for murder." JOHN BOUVIER.

"Lynch-law, a common phrase used to express the vengeance of a mob, inflicting an injury and committing an outrage upon a person suspected of some offense."

The lynchers in effect say that our country is newly settled and is not yet sufficiently strong to punish its criminals. The silence and inactivity of our authorities beg the question and in effect say that while they very deeply deplore these outrages, the outlaws being in the majority they are powerless. This is an admission that the vicious, lawless class out number our good citizens. Would not every good citizen blush to admit this? Can our country afford this admission? Does it not hold up our people in an awful light? Is there not obliged to be a reaction which will call us in question for these things? It is not true that the authorities can not find out who commit these crimes. There is scarcely any effort upon the part of the lynchers to conceal their crimes nor themselves. The papers publish detailed accounts of these lynchings and lynchers and all but call their names. How came they by this information? It is bosh to say that the detectives with these clews could not hunt down the guilty parties. In the case where a boy raped a woman in South Carolina it is said that the woman's husband kicked his eyes out and, I think, called his name. If this man had personally encountered this boy and done this, I would starve on a jury before I would bring in a verdict of guilty. But he had a mob and did this. They took him from an officer of the law and killed him, and this was lynch.

The grand jury of Roanoke, Va,. has broken this monstrous monotonous farce of "We, the jury, find that the deceased came to his death by gun- shots in the hands of parties unknown to the jury," and indicted a number of persons and among them, the chief of police. This is a healthy beginning.

The downfall of the Roman Decemvirate was due to outrages and unlawful conduct. Notably among them was the case of Virginia, the daughter of Virginius. This beautiful girl was just blooming into womanhood and was betrothed to Ieilius. Appius Claudius, the Decemvir, lusted after her. He planned to get her. With this view he ordered M. Claudius to seize her and claim her for his slave. The trial would be before him and he had planned to render a decision in favor of M. Claudius with the understanding that he would secretly turn her over to him. She was claimed and seized by this man on her way to school. The trial came before Appius and he decided that she should be delivered to M. Claudius until her father should appear and prove her his daughter. This was to be the next morning. Her father was in the army twenty miles from Rome. Appius sent a secret message to the general in the army not to grant Virginias leave of absence. His friends, meanwhile, had sent him word. When Appius' messenger got to the army Virginius was half way to Rome.

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The people all knew this was contrary to the law which Appius himself had framed. The people clamored for justice. Icilius and the uncle of the girl argued boldly against the legality of the judgement and Appius fearing a tumult among the people, ordered that she be left in their hands upon the condition that they give bail to bring her before him the next morning and that if her father did not appear he would give her to her pretended master. His intention was to get him away. Virginius seeing Appius' intention, asked to be allowed to take the girl aside to inquire closely of her if he was her father, that if he was not he could bear her loss more easily. This was granted and he took her off a piece, snatched up a butcher's knife and said to her "by this means only can I keep thee free," and stabbed her to her heart. He returned waving the bloody knife Appius ordered him arrested, but the people were in sympathy with Virginius and made way for his escape. He returned to the army, told his story and immediately the soldiers left their Decemviral generals and marched to Rome. The city was surrounded by them; the senate was immediately called and appointed a committee to negotiate terms of peace with the Plebeians.

The Plebeians demanded 1st. That the Tribunalship should be restored and the Comitia Tributa recognized. 2nd. That the right of appeal to the people against the power of the supreme magistrate should be secured. 3rd. That full indemnity should be granted to the movers and promoters of the late secession. 4th. That the decemvirs should be burned alive.

The senate committee agreed to all but the fourth. They said that was unworthy of a free people. That it was a piece of tyranny as bad as the worst acts of the late government. That it was needless because if any one had any reason of complaint against the late Decemvirs, they might proceed against them according to law. The wisdom of these words had the desired effect and the Plebeians withdrew their fourth demand. This is exactly my contention. I do not deny that a great crime has been committed nor that it should not be punished by death, but that we should proceed according to law. It will be seen that this violation of law and the blood of Virginia overthrew the Decemvirate of Rome. The Tribunalship was established and Virginius was elected on of the Tribunes. He singled out Appius and had him put in prison and refused him bail unless he could prove that he did not assign Virginia to be a slave until she proved that she was free. This was impossible and he was thrown into prison where he killed himself. Then followed the execution of Oppius and when others were about to be executed M. Duillius came forward and said "Enough has been done to vindicate justice and to uphold freedom. Further punishment would bear the semblance of revenge and make it much more difficult to reconcile the two parties." I submit that enough of this unlawful and inhumane murdering has been done to vindicate the pride and morality of the South. Enough has been done to show that rape has aroused the indignation of a chivalrous. Virtue-loving people. Enough has been done to vindicate outraged justice. O, that a Duillius would appear at this terrible crisis to utter such words of wisdom. We are willing to bury the past and hope for the future because God knows that enough of this bloody work has been done. What it has not vindicated it cannot vindicate.

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What it has not accomplished it cannot accomplish. The terror it has not excited it cannot excite. It is enough of that kind of business and I pray you, my countrymen, in God's name, to stop and stop now.

When Appius planned this outrageous, unlawful course with Virginia, he did not dream that he would be called in question for it. The entire Decemviral body was called in question for their conduct and paid for it dearly. Alexander, Caesar, Nebuchadnezzer, Belshazzar, Antiochus, the Maccabees, Herod and a host of others too numerous to mention were called in question for their conduct. This country has been called in question for traffic in human slavery. When the slaves were not profitable at the North, the North shipped the slaves to the South, and later on the North endeavored to shift the responsibility to the South. But when the day of retribution came, the North in common with the South was called in question for this sin and both sacrificed much property, millions of dollars, and the blood and lives of hundreds of thousands of as noble men as any country ever produced. It was an awful calling in question. It was a bloody answering. This country has not yet fully recovered from that terrible judgment. I tell you, my friends, a just God lives and presides over the destiny of nations, and we are in danger to be called in question for these days of uproar. May the mighty God of Jacob pity our nation and a loving heaven smile gently on our country for Jesus' sake. AMEN.

... Excerpt ends.

• How are Love's comments on mob behavior reflected in Tom Robinson’s experience?

The Blood Red Record

NOTE: This is an excerpt. The full text of  The blood red record : review of the horrible lynchings and burning of Negroes by civilized white men in the United States : as taken from the records : with comments by John Edward Bruce ...  can be found in  African American Perspectives: Materials Selected from the Rare Book Collection

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According to the Chicago Tribune, which kept a daily record of lynchings for the year 1900, 117 persons were lynched, of whom only eighteen were charged with rape--the only crime which white men at the South say for which Negroes are lynched. The Chicago Conservator, another influential newspaper, has rearranged the record given by the Tribune in the following order:

Charge of Murder. January 9, Henry Giveney, Ripley, Tenn. January 9, Roger Giveney, Ripley, Tenn. March 11, Unknown Negro, Jennings, Neb. March 24, Walter Cotton Emporia, Va. March 27, William Edward, Deer Creek Bridge, Miss. April 16, Moses York, near Tunica, Miss. April 28, Mindee Chowgee, Marshall, Mo. May 4, Marshall Jones, Douglas, Ga. May 13, Alexander Whitney, Harlem, Ga. May 14, William Willis, Grovetown, Ga. May 14, Unknown Negro, Brooksville, Fla. May 14, Unknown Negro, Brooksville, Fla. May 22, Calvin Hilburn, Pueblo, Colorado. June 10, Unknown Negro, Snead, Fla. June 17, Nat Mullins, Earl, Ark. June 21, Robert Davis, Mulberry, Fla. July 12, John Jennings, Creswell, Ga. July 26, Robert Charles, New Orleans, La. September 11, Unknown Negro, Forest City, N.C.

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September 11, Thomas J. Amos, Cheneyville, La. September 7, Frank Brown, Tunica, Miss. September 14, David Moore, Tunica, Miss. September 14, William Brown, Tunica, Miss. October 9, Wiley Johnson, Baton Rouge, La. October 23, Gloster Barnes, near Vicksburg, Miss. November 16, Preston Porter, Lymon, Col. December 16, Bud Rowland, Rockford, Ind. December 16, Thomas Henderson, Rockford, Ind. December 19, Unknown Negro, Arcadia, Miss. December 20,--Lewis, Gulf Port, Miss.

Plot to Kill Whites. April 22, John Hughley, Allentown, Fla.

Suspected Robbery.  June 17, S.A. Jenkins, Searcy, Ark.

Rape. June 5, W.W. Watts, Newport News, Va. March 4, George Ratliffe, Clyde, N.C. March 10, Thomas Clayton, Hernando, Miss. March 26, Lewis Harris, Belair, Md. April 3, Allen Brooks, Berryville, Ga. April 20, John Peters, Tazewell, W. Va. May 4, Henry Darley, Liberty, Md. May 7, Unknown Negro, Geneva, Ala. June 3, Dago Pete, Tutwiler, Miss. June 23, Frank Gilmore, Livingstone Parish, La. July 23, Elijah Clark, Huntsville, Ala. July 24, Jack Hillsman, Knoxville, Ga. August 13, Jack Betts, Corinth, Miss. August 19, Unknown Negro, Arrington, Va. August 26, Unknown Negro, S. Pittsburg, Tenn. October 19, Frank Hardeneman, Wellaston, Ga.

{Begin page no. 9}

December 8, Daniel Long, Wythe county, Va. December 21, Unknown Negro, Arkadelphia, Ark.

Attempted Assault. March 18, John Bailey, Marietta, Ga. March 18, Charles Humphries, Lee county, Ala. April 19, Henry McAfee, Brownsville, Miss. May 11, William Lee, Hinton, W. Va. May 15, Henry Harris, Lena, La. June 9, Simon Adams, near Columbia, Ga. June 11, Senny Jefferson, Metcalf, Ga. June 27, Jock Thomas, Live Oak, Fla. July 6, John Roe, Columbia, Ala. September 10, Logan Reoms, Duplex, Tenn. September 12, Zed Floyd, Wetumpka, Kan. October 2, Winfield Thomas, Eclectic, Ala. October 18, Fratur Warfield, Elkton, Ky.

Race Prejudice.  July 25, Unknown Negro, New Orleans, La. July 25, August Thomas, New Orleans, La. July 25, Baptiste Fileau, New Orleans, La. July 25, Louis Taylor, New Orleans, La. July 25, Anna Mabry, New Orleans, La. July 25, Unknown Negro, New Orleans, La. July 25, Silas Jackson, New Orleans, La. October 24, James Suer, Liberty Hill, Ga. October 24, James Calaway, Liberty Hill, Ga.

Giving Testimony. March 23, Luis Rice, Ripley, Tenn.

Attacking a White Man. May 1, Henry Ratcliff, Gloucester, Miss. May 1, George Gordon, Albin, Miss. September 8, Grant Weley, Thomasville, Ga.

{Begin page no. 10}

Suspicion of Murder. June 10, Askew, Mississippi City, Miss. June 10, Reese, Mississippi City, Miss.

Complicity of Murder. June 10, John Sanders, Snead, Fla. December 17, John Rolla, Booneville, Ind.

Unknown Offenses. June 27, Jordan Hines, Molina, Ga. June 20, James Barco, Panasoffkee, Fla.

No Offense. May 7, Unknown Negro, Amite, Miss.

Arson. April 5, Unknown Negro, Southampton county, Va. December 28, George Faller, Marion, Ga.

Suspicion of Arson. January 11, Rufus Salter, West Spring, S.C. Aiding Escape of Murderers. January 16, Anderson Gause, Henning, Tenn.

Unpopularity. July 9, Jefferson Henry, Greene's Bayou, La.

Making Threats. March 4, James Crosby, Selo Hatchel, Ala. June 12, Seth Cobb Deyall's Bluffs, La.

Informer. March 22, George Ritter, Canhaft, N.C.

{Begin page no. 11}

Robbing. May 26, Unknown Negro, West Point, Ark. October 8,--Williams, Tiponville, Tenn.

Burglary. September 21, George Bickham, Ponchatoula, La. September 21, Charles Elliott, Ponchatoula, La. September 21, Nathaniel Bowman, Ponchatoula, La. September 11, Charles Elliot, Ponchatoula, La. September 21, Isaiah Rollins, Ponchatoula, La.

Attempt to Murder. June 12, John Brodie, Lee county, Ark. November 15, Unknown Negro, Jefferson, Texas. November 15, Unknown Negro, Jefferson, Texas. November 15, Unknown Negro, Jefferson, Texas.

Threats to Kill. February 17, William Burts, Basket Mills, S.C.

Assault. May 16, Samuel Hinson, Cushtusha, Miss. October 30,--Abernathy, Duke, Ala.

It should be borne in mind that this list represents the number of Negroes  killed  by mobs of white men for  alleged  crimes,  and not by any legal process of law , which a white man charged with crime would demand as his right under the Constitution. Trial by jury is never denied any white criminal, even though he should  assassinate  the President of the United States. The disposition to be fair to white men who go wrong, even when they steal $620,000, or when, like brute beasts, three or four of them unite in outraging a helpless mill girl, and after violating her person murder her--is an American characteristic. The Alvord defalcation and the Paterson scandal are cases in point. Has any Negro, living or dead, committed

{Begin page no. 12}

a greater robbery than Alvord, or a more fiendish, brutal or cowardly murder, combined with rape, than the young white men at Paterson, N.J., who have recently been convicted by a jury of their peers for the outrage upon and murder of Jennie Bosschieter? Have any of the Negroes who have been lynched and roasted by white mobs in various parts of the country, North and South, had the advantages of social culture and refinement--of educating themselves and improving their opportunities that were possessed by either Alvord or the four highly-respectable young white men who have just been convicted of the brutal crimes charged against them? We do not offer in extenuation of crime the ignorance of Negroes who commit crime. Nor do we seek to palliate or condone their offenses against society and against the law of the land. We have merely referred to these cases to show that crimes of the character described are not confined to a particular race or class that the educated and refined criminal can be more brutal and vicious than the ignorant criminal, or, at least, equally so. He has the advantage of the ignorant man in mental resources and low cunning, and when once the sleeping devil within him is aroused he is just as human, just as fiendish and blood-thirsty as the most depraved criminal that ever expiated his crime on the gallows or suffered martyrdom at the hands of a civilized and christianized mob of the best citizens.

• Students should discuss how this article emphasizes the danger that Tom is in and the hopelessness of his case.
• At any time during the study of  To Kill a Mockingbird ,  creating a timeline  can enhance students’ understanding of the story’s sequence of events. In addition, the timeline gives students an opportunity to physically organize historical events and people mentioned in the novel.
• The timeline can span from 1890 to 2000. It should be large enough to be seen from any part of the room. For our purposes, our timeline was positioned horizontally across the front of the room, divided into decades, and color-coded so that literary happenings could be distinguished from historical events.
• Students should use  African American Perspectives: Materials Selected from the Rare Book Collection  and enter the Timeline of African American History, 1852-1925 for  1881-1900  and  1901-1925 .
• Ask students to note the number of lynchings that occur during those years on black cards with white tags and attach them to the timeline. When the students have attached all the cards to the timeline, ask them to calculate the total number of lynchings that took place between 1880 and 1925. Ask students how the crime of lynching relates to the story and how it affects Tom Robinson.
• What is her position on the issue of lynching?
• What is the tone of her letter?
• What words or phrases strengthen her argument?
• If their letter is in response to one of these historical documents, they should assume the writing style and tone of that specific time period.

VI - Pulling it all Together

Students should complete one or more of the following activities:

• Newsletter Create a newsletter covering the trial of Tom Robinson, prepared by students in small groups. The newsletter should chronicle the events of the Robinson trial as well as cover related articles on similar issues of actual occurrences during the same time period.
• Oral History Interview Observe an oral history interview of a member of their community conducted by an experienced oral historian. After the interview the students can write an account of the interview. (This exercise prepares the students to launch into a research project in which they will be taking oral histories of community members.) The power of  To Kill a Mockingbird  has much to do with the authentic voice and simple honesty of its narrator.  As a culmination to the study of this novel, it is helpful for students to realize that the intolerance described by Scout exists in every community and in every era. Consider whether there are people in your community who have experienced prejudice during their lifetime. Look for individuals with an historical perspective on social attitudes and behaviors regarding prejudice. Invite them to take part in an oral history interview conducted in front of the class and ask their permission to tape the interview. Prior to the oral history interview date, arrange for someone who has a background in oral history to explain the interview process to the students and to help generate questions for the interview. The day of the interview make both an audio and video recording of the interview. Leave time for students to ask the community member any follow up questions that arose while they listened to the interview. If you plan to retain the tapes for future viewing or for creative writing opportunities, be sure to obtain written permission from the interviewee.

Lesson Evaluation

Student evaluation may be based on:

• response to oral history interview
• An objective test on the novel; and
• Active participation in all class discussions.

Kathleen Prody & Nicolet Whearty

The examiner is looking for you to show that you understand the relationship between Atticus and Scout and how Harper Lee uses Atticus to present the morals of the novel.

1 – Introduction

What are you going to do? You are going to argue either for or against this statement, i.e In this essay I am going to explore the fact that Atticus’ role in the novel is more important than Scout’s because………..

2 – Relationships

What is the relationship between Atticus and Scout like? Look at their differences e.g. Scout tells the story with her child like eyes, whilst Atticus is a constant reminder of the morals of the novel as he educates his children.

3 - Atticus

Select a few examples of when Atticus is important in the novel – the trial, educating Scout and Jem. Why are these important? How do they show the views of Harper Lee?

4 – Scout Select a few examples of when Scout telling the story is important – Why are these important? How do these show the view of a child?

5 – Conclusion

Come to a firm conclusion do you or do you not agree with the statement? To what extent do you or do you not agree? Maybe end with a quotation.

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Teaching Mockingbird

Published: March 14, 2016

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At a Glance

• English & Language Arts

About This Collection

For educators who choose to teach  To Kill a Mockingbird —or whose districts mandate it—we offer this collection of classroom-ready activities, documentary-style videos, primary source readings, and more. Beloved by many readers and educators as a story of moral courage, it has also been criticized for its limited portrayal of Black characters, dated treatment of racism, and promotion of a “white savior” narrative. This complex novel can be the entry point for meaningful learning, but it demands a careful and intentional approach in the classroom. 

At a time when many in the United States and around the world are reckoning with systemic racism, responsibly teaching Mockingbird involves setting Harper Lee’s fictional story in its historical context, centering Black voices that are missing from the text, and examining the story and its messages with a critical lens. 

For educators who choose to teach To Kill a Mockingbird —or whose districts mandate it—we offer this collection of classroom-ready activities, documentary-style videos, primary source readings, and more.

Essential Questions

• What factors influence our moral growth?
• What kinds of experiences help us learn how to judge right from wrong?

Meeting Standards

Our Teaching Mockingbird study guide closely aligns with the instructional shifts encouraged by the Common Core State Standards and is informed by Facing History’s unique pedagogical approach, grounded in adolescent and moral development. The shifts include:

• Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction
• Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational
• Regular practice with complex text and academic language

For each section, there are suggestions for writing, reflection, and close reading activities that engage students in deep investigation of the text.

Teaching Mockingbird: Alignment with Common Core Standards

This resource is grounded in the three instructional shifts required by the Common Core State Standards for Literacy:

• Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction This resource combines a deep exploration of To Kill a Mockingbird with a variety of primary and secondary sources, memoir, and other informational text that can help enrich students’ understanding of the novel’s themes. Students build knowledge through their deep investigation of text and content through discussion, writing, and individual and group activities.
• Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational Many of the Connection Questions, journal prompts, and other activities throughout this resource require that students explain and defend their responses and analysis using evidence from one or more texts, including both the novel and related informational texts. (One example of this is the culminating writing assignment based on the central question, mentioned above.) In addition, the resource provides a wide variety of opportunities for different forms of writing and discussion.
• Regular practice with complex text and academic language Many of the texts included in this resource are indeed complex and highly sophisticated. In order to support students’ engagement with these texts, each section highlights key academic vocabulary that students should understand and each section also includes specific close reading activities, both for passages from the novel and also comparing passages from the novel with related nonfiction. The close reading activities were created by Dr. David Pook, chair of the history department at The Derryfield School and an educational consultant. Pook was a contributing writer to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, and he consults with several organizations, districts and schools on work aligned with the CCSS.

What’s Included

This collection is designed to be flexible. You can use all of the resources or choose a selection best suited to your classroom. It includes:

• 9 videos 
• 3 audio interviews
• 17 readings

Preparing to Teach

A note to teachers.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a complex text that demands careful teaching. Some read the novel as a compelling portrait of moral courage. Yet the novel’s limited perspective on race and racism, and its one-dimensional portrayal of Black characters within a larger story of a young white girl’s moral awakening, raise the concern that teaching the novel can do more harm than good. 

We offer these principles for educators who want to engage with the complexity of the novel and guide students through a sensitive and critical reading that encompasses the novel, the world of the novel, the world of Harper Lee, and our world today.

Start with Yourself

As readers and as educators, our own identities and experiences shape our understanding of this—or any—text. What is your own relationship to the novel? What perspectives and experiences shape your reading of the text and the goals you have for teaching it? What other, different perspectives might you want to consider?

Center Your Students

Who is in your classroom? How might your students’ own identities and life experiences shape their encounter with this novel? How might you use journals , exit tickets , or other tools to better understand how students are responding to the novel? How can you directly address the novel’s repeated use of racist epithets and ensure that the experience of reading and discussing the novel doesn’t further marginalize some students? (Facing History’s Teaching Mockingbird guide contains resources that can help.) Are students prepared and developmentally ready to critically engage with the novel? Given that Mockingbird is often taught in middle schools, might your school consider moving the text to a high school-level course?

Related Materials

• Book Teaching Mockingbird
• Teaching Strategy Journals in the Classroom
• Teaching Strategy Exit Tickets

Reflect on Your Purpose

Educators always need to consider the purpose behind our curriculum choices and articulate learning goals for our students. With a novel like Mockingbird, which has been a fixture of many curricula for decades, it’s especially important to intentionally develop learning goals. What do you want students to learn from their engagement with this novel? How might your students’ identities and experiences—and current events and contemporary issues—influence what they can gain from studying it?

Put the Novel in Context

Readers experience the story through the eyes of a young narrator who often doesn’t grasp what she is seeing. Use historical sources that more fully portray the world of the novel, including the brutal injustices of Jim Crow and white supremacy in 1930s Alabama. Also, consider the context of the 1950s, when Harper Lee was writing Mockingbird . How did Lee seek to shape her readers’ thinking about race and justice? Why was the novel so celebrated when it was first published? What new ideas, insights, and imperatives have emerged in the 60 years since?

Center Black Voices

Harper Lee’s Black characters—Calpurnia, Tom, Lula, and others— are less fully realized than Atticus, Scout, Miss Maudie, and other white characters. Incorporate supplementary sources that more fully voice Black experiences in the 1930s and prompt students to consider the events of the novel from those perspectives. A wide selection of such resources and related activities is included in Facing History’s Teaching Mockingbird guide.

Cultivate Critical Readers

Teaching Mockingbird responsibly today involves inviting students to critically engage with the text and its implications—not communicating an established set of moral lessons. Even as students follow Scout’s coming of age and awakening to the injustices of her world, they can also consider the novel’s limitations as a guide for racial justice—including how the story presents Atticus as a white savior (though he actually fails to save Tom from a violent death) and stops short of confronting white supremacy and systemic injustice.

Consider Your Whole Curriculum

To Kill a Mockingbird should not be the only book in your syllabus that addresses issues of race and racism. If you teach Mockingbird, what other texts come before and after it? How might you thoughtfully select texts that complement Mockingbird by exploring other periods, voices and perspectives? Our friends at Learning for Justice produced some text selection tools that you may find helpful.

• Link Reading Diversity

Fostering a Reflective Classroom

To Kill a Mockingbird, like many literary works, includes both language and topics that require careful consideration from teachers and students. We believe the best way to prepare to encounter these topics is to create a class contract outlining guidelines for a respectful, reflective classroom discussion.

Creating Classroom Contracts

One way to help classroom communities establish shared norms is by discussing them openly through a process called “contracting.” Some teachers already customarily create classroom contracts with their students at the start of each course. If you do not typically do so, we recommend that before beginning your class’s journey through this Facing History unit, you engage the students in the process of creating one. Contracts typically include several clearly defined rules or expectations for participation, and consequences for those who do not fulfill their obligations as members of the learning community. Any contract created collaboratively by students and the teacher together should be consistent with the classroom rules already established by the teacher. Many Facing History teachers differentiate their own classroom rules, which are non-negotiable, from the guidelines set forth in the classroom contract, which are negotiated by the students with the teacher’s guidance. Some sample guidelines that might be included in a class contract are provided below.

We have also found that the classroom environment is enhanced by emphasizing journal writing and employing multiple formats for facilitating large and small group discussions. Throughout this unit, we suggest specific teaching strategies designed to encourage students’ critical thinking and encourage each of them to share their ideas.

We encourage you to frequently remind your students that, regardless of the classroom strategy you are using or the topic you are addressing, it is essential that their participation honors the contract they helped create and follows your own classroom rules. In addition, we strongly recommend that you post the contract in a prominent location in your classroom and that when students stray from the guidelines set forth in the contract you refer to the specific language in the contract when you redirect to them. You might find that when one student strays from the guidelines of the contract, other students will respond by citing the specific expectations listed in the contract.

Consider the following list of guidelines for your classroom contract. As you work together to create your own, we encourage you to include (or modify) any or all of the items on this list:

• Listen with respect. Try to understand what someone is saying before rushing to judgment.
• Make comments using “I” statements. (“I disagree with what you said. Here’s what I think . . .”)
• If you do not feel safe making a comment or asking a question, write the thought down. You can ask the teacher after class to help you find a safe way to share the idea.
• If someone says an idea or question that helps your own learning, say “thank you.”
• If someone says something that hurts or offends you, do not attack the person. Acknowledge that the comment—not the person—hurt your feeling and explain why.
• Put-downs are never okay.
• If you don’t understand something, ask a question.
• Think with your head and your heart.
• Share talking time—provide room for others to speak.
• Do not interrupt others while they are speaking.
• Write down thoughts, in a journal or notebook, if you don’t have time to say them during our time together.

Dehumanizing Language

Harper Lee includes the the "N" word deliberately to illustrate the society she writes about. Therefore, when quoting the text of To Kill a Mockingbird and in the historical documents included in this guide, we have chosen to let the word remain as it originally appeared, without any substitution. The dehumanizing power of this term and the ease with which some Americans have used it to describe their fellow human beings is central to understanding the themes of identity and human behavior at the heart of the book.

It is very difficult to use and discuss the "N" word in the classroom, but its presence in the novel makes it necessary to acknowledge it and set guidelines for students about whether or not to pronounce it when reading aloud or quoting from the text. Otherwise, this word’s presence might distract students from an open discussion about characters and themes. We recommend the following articles to help you determine how to approach the term in your classroom:

• “Exploring the Controversy: The ‘N’ Word” from Huck Finn in Context: A Teaching Guide (PBS)
• “Straight Talk about the N-Word” from Learning for Justice (Southern Poverty Law Center)
• “In Defense of a Loaded Word” by Ta-Nehisi Coates (New York Times)

You may also wish to point out the use of the word “negro” in the novel. In earlier times, this was an acceptable term for referring to African Americans. While not offensive in the past, today the term “negro” is outdated and inappropriate unless one is reading aloud directly from a historical document or work of literature.

Accusations of Rape

Accusations of rape play a central role in both the story of To Kill a Mockingbird and the history of the Scottsboro Boys, which is included in this guide. While explicit depictions of rape do not appear, the accusations in these stories may simultaneously be difficult to understand for some students and all too real for others.

Discussions of rape are complicated in relation to To Kill a Mockingbird and the Scottsboro Boys because both of these stories involve false accusations that play into racial fear and hatred. Experts tell us that most accusations of rape are not false. There is material provided later in this guide to help explore the beliefs and stereotypes that led to the false accusations students will learn about.

It is possible that some students will have additional questions or comments on the topic of rape outside of the context of the book. It is important to preview how you might respond to such questions and comments in case they arise. If they do, make sure to return to the class contract you have established with students to guide any discussion that follows. You might also consider alerting your building administrator to the fact that the topic of rape—critical in the analysis of the novel—might be brought up in your class in case any concerns about the discussion arise in the broader school community

• Link Exploring the Controversy: The ‘N’ Word
• Link Straight Talk about the N-Word
• Link In Defense of a Loaded Word

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Inside this collection, explore the resources, teaching mockingbird media and readings, moral growth: a framework for character analysis, maycomb's ways: setting as moral universe, scout as narrator: the impact of point of view, you might also be interested in…, current events in the classroom, media and strategies for teaching farewell to manzanar, 10 questions for the past: the 1963 chicago public schools boycott, the union as it was, radical reconstruction and the birth of civil rights, expanding democracy, why is the coronavirus disproportionately impacting black americans, voting rights in the united states, unlimited access to learning. more added every month..

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'To Kill a Mockingbird' GCSE notes - theme essay plans + context

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

22 May 2020

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This is a bundle of Word Documents designed for the WJEC GCSE English Literature exam on ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ but can be applied to other exam boards. It contains 7 essay plans for all of the main themes in the novel. There is also a poster on Context which can be printed out and students can be asked to stick the dates on the second page onto the corresponding event/movement. These notes are very detailed and would be suitable for students’ independent revision or to be covered in class. I made them while revising for my Literature exam and achieved an A*. The 12 character essay plans can be found in a separate resource.

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Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird : Profiles in Courage

Author Harper Lee holding large tire swing with Mary Badham (“Scout”) reclining inside, during a break in filming “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Hollywood.

The Library of Congress

In an August 1960 book review, The Atlantic Monthly ’s Phoebe Adams described To Kill a Mockingbird as “sugar-water served with humor.”

Sugar-water? Far from it.

This lesson plan asks students to read To Kill A Mockingbird carefully with an eye for all instances and manifestations of courage, but particularly those of moral courage. Lesson Two, To Kill A Mockingbird and the Scottsboro Boys Trial of 1933: Profiles in Courage , requires students to study select court transcripts and other primary source material from the second Scottsboro Boys Trial of 1933, a continuation of the first trial in which two young white women wrongfully accused nine African-American youths of rape.

Guiding Questions

How does To Kill A Mockingbird frame issues of courage and cowardice against the backdrop of the American South in the 1930s?

Why has To Kill A Mockingbird remained a widely read novel since its publication?

Learning Objectives

Analyze the historical and cultural context of the Scottsboro Trial and the publication of  To Kill A Mockingbird .

Compare fictionalized depictions of racism and the judicial system with historical events during the Jim Crow era. 

Evaluate the short and long term cultural and political significance of the Scottsboro Trial and  To Kill A Mockingbird .

Lesson Plan Details

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird highlights instances of heroism and courage in a small Alabama town riddled with the poverty and racial tensions characteristic of the south in 1935. The novel focuses on the Finch family over the course of two years—lawyer and father Atticus Finch; his ten-year-old son, Jem; and his six-year-old daughter, Jean Louise, “aka” Scout. Scout serves as the narrator of the book; her narration is based on her memories of the events leading up to, during, and after her father’s defense of a black man, Tom Robinson, accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Through Scout’s inexperienced eyes (she is only eight at the conclusion of the novel), the reader encounters a world where people are judged by their race, inherited ideas of right and wrong dominate, and justice does not always prevail. Through the novel, Lee strives to illustrate the racial climate of the South in the 1930s, a time when Jim Crow was the law of the land, racial segregation was entrenched, and mob rule could chew up and spit out the individual.

By observing Atticus Finch’s responses to the threats and gibes of the anti-Tom Robinson faction and his sensitive treatment towards Tom Robinson and his family and friends, the reader—again through Scout’s eyes—discovers what it means to behave morally—to do the right thing—in the face of tremendous social pressure. By observing her father, Scout gradually discovers that moral courage is both more complicated and more difficult to enact than the physical courage most familiar and understandable to children.

In short, To Kill A Mockingbird reveals the heroic nature of acting with moral courage when adhering to social mores would be far less dangerous. At a time in the South when it was outrageous and practically unthinkable for a white person to look at the world from a minority’s perspective, Harper Lee has Atticus explain to Scout: "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" (36); for Atticus Finch, climbing into someone’s skin and walking around in it represents true courage.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

• Review the lesson plan. Locate and bookmark suggested materials and other useful websites. Download and print out documents you will use and duplicate copies as necessary for student viewing.
• In preparation for student activities, download the chart worksheet on Mockingbird characters, available here as a PDF , which will help students frame the attributes and development of characters in the novel. Print out and make an appropriate number of copies of any handouts you plan to use in class.
• This lesson is intended for students as they prepare to read and then as they do read To Kill A Mockingbird .
• Note: Note: This lesson plan has a companion lesson— To Kill A Mockingbird and the Scottsboro Boys Trial of 1933: Profiles in Courage —that teachers should complete following this one. A related lesson— Scottsboro Boys and To Kill A Mockingbird :Two Trials for the Classroom —is available for an interdisciplinary approach that complements social studies and civics education. 

Activity 1. The deep South in 1930s America—an Introduction

Before beginning the novel, the students should read in class The Need for Change section of the EDSITEment-recommended We Shall Overcome: Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement for general background information on what life was like for an African American living in the south under Jim Crow laws.

In addition to this site, the class should also examine Remembering Jim Crow from the Edsitement approved History Matters website History Matters . Particularly good sections from this site include those entitled " Bitter Times ," " Danger Violence and Exploitation ," " Whites Remember Jim Crow ," and " Jim Crow Laws ." Each of these sections is a link that leads to vivid descriptions of the south during the time of Jim Crow. Each site makes use of audio clip interviews as well as slide shows featuring people who remember and experienced life in the South when segregation was the norm and the color barrier seemed insurmountable. Of especial interest is the link to "Jim Crow Laws" which lists and describes by state and topic (education, housing, entertainment, etc.) the ways in which blacks and whites were to be separated. When browsing this site, students should consider what the slide pictures and the audio clips tell them about life for African Americans under Jim Crow laws—what do they learn from looking at the slides and hearing the voices?

Both Remembering Jim Crow and We Shall Overcome will help students get a sense of the world Harper Lee describes in To Kill A Mockingbird .

Questions to consider during class discussion:

• Define Jim Crow. What is a Jim Crow law?
• Describe the economic, social, and legal status of African Americans during the time of Jim Crow.
• How were African Americans attacked during this time? Did African Americans have any legal recourse against acts of violence waged against them?
• How do whites now regard their treatment of African Americans during this time?

Activity 2. Reading the Novel: Character/Courage/Cowardice

See the PDF chart . As the students read To Kill A Mockingbird , they should use the chart to keep account of each listed character’s distinguishing or identifying traits; e.g., the significance of Scout’s name—what is a scout and what does a scout do? What is his or her purpose? The students might think of their Boy or Girl Scouts’ code of behavior, or they may think of the more adventurous possibility of a scout as one who faces and navigates “uncharted territory” in the novel. For example, how does Scout respond to society’s efforts to make her into a “lady”? In what ways does she break codes of behavior? Does her behavior represent a type of courage?

What does Atticus’ name refer to? It resonates with Greek tradition and history of the Attic period, a time noted for civility and a push towards democracy, particularly by one of its most prominent statesmen, Solon. Solon advocated more democracy in the court systems of Greece—more equality and justice, concepts Atticus himself finds sorely lacking in the Southern courtroom.

The chart also contains space for students to list the instances of courage and/or cowardice that these characters manifest along with the page numbers on which these acts may be found. The students should also feel free to write down any quotation that might reveal a character’s courage or cowardice. Characters on the chart include: Jem, Scout, Mrs. Dubose, Atticus, Tom Robinson, Bob Ewell, Mayella Ewell, and Boo Radley.

This activity may be done as in-class group work with each group focusing on a single character on the chart. The groups should find passages revealing not only of their character’s personality traits, but also of their character’s courage and cowardice. Each group can then present their findings to the class as a whole and may then fill out the rest of their chart with their classmates’ findings.

Activity 3. Reading the Novel: The Journal

Students should trace Scout and Jem’s evolving views on the nature of courage and show how this evolution is directly tied to their changing perception of their father, Atticus, as well as their changing perceptions of Boo Radley. Specific chapters on which to focus in regard to Atticus include Chapter 1, wherein the children view courage as something physical; chapter 9, in which town attitudes towards race are revealed; chapter 10, in which Atticus shoots and kills a rabid dog; chapter 11, in which Atticus talks openly about real courage and the death of Mrs. Dubose; chapter 15, in which Atticus risks his own life to protect Tom Robinson from a lynch mob; and, of course, chapter 20, Atticus’s speech in defense of Tom Robinson. Specific chapters to examine in regard to Boo Radley include: Chapter 1, introduction to Boo and the Radley family; Chapter 4-6, the children discover Boo’s gifts to them; chapter 26, Scout reflects on her early views of Boo Radley; chapters 28-30, Boo Radley saves Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell; Scout likens Boo to a mockingbird.

As the students read each of these chapters, they should ask the questions: how do Scout and Jem initially define and understand courage? How, when and why does their understanding change? Is this change a sudden or gradual process? Does any other character help them with their understanding? Students should write down their responses to these questions for each of the above chapters they read, and they should also highlight or otherwise note specific examples or quotations throughout the novel. Total number of journal entries should be 10.

The journals may be used as starting points for class discussion on these chapters.

Activity 4. Reading the Novel: Enactment

Enactment of Atticus Finch’s famous speech to the jury at Tom Robinson’s trial wherein he begs his fellowmen to take a chance and do the right thing. Chapter 20 of the novel. Students can perform and then examine Atticus’ speech for its rhetorical effectiveness. A useful web site, reviewed by EDSITEment, is Silva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric . Use this site to find the definitions and examples of the various rhetorical appeals—emotional, ethical, logical—Atticus makes in the courtroom. Which appeal does Atticus make the greatest use of? Give specific textual examples. Which appeals seem most persuasive to the students? Give specific textual examples. Why does the jury refuse to be persuaded?

Research Assignment

Research another fictional or historical account of courage in relation to the Civil Rights movement (examples: Emmett Till’s mother’s insistence that his lynched body be displayed to the world; Rosa Parks’ refusal to move to the back of the bus). What actions taken were courageous? What were the circumstances that shaped the courageous act? Students might write a report about the event, or for a creative writing exercise, they might write a fictional account based on the research.

Essay Assignment:

Choose one of the following essay topics [best if used in conjunction with or at completion of Lesson Two].

Topic 1 . Discuss the various types of courage manifested in To Kill A Mockingbird and (if students have completed Lesson Two) in the Scottsboro Trials Or Topic 2 . Based on your readings of an actual court case (The Scottsboro Trials), does Atticus Finch’s courageous defense of Tom Robinson seem realistic or overly idealistic? Explain.

Watch the movie version of To Kill A Mockingbird ! Tell the students that the American Film Institute polled Americans for whom they considered the top 50 heroes in American film, and Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch won!

• Does the To Kill A Mockingbird movie make the theme of moral courage more clear?
• What do the students think of Gregory Peck’s performance as Atticus? Do they concur with the AFI poll?
• Does the film capture the content and mood of the novel? How so?

Selected EDSITEment Websites

History Matters

• Remembering Jim Crow
• " Bitter Times "
• " Danger Violence and Exploitation "
• " Whites Remember Jim Crow "
• " Jim Crow Laws "

Internet Public Library

• dictionary.com

Silva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric

We Shall Overcome: Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement

• The Need for Change

Related Print Resources

• Bloom, Harold, ed. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations . New York: Chelsea House, 1996.
• Childress, Mark. “Looking for Harper Lee.” Southern Living (May 1997): 148-50.
• Erisman, Fred. “The Romantic Regionalism of Harper Lee.” Alabama Review 26 (April 1973): 122-136.
• Going, William T. “Truman Capote: Harper Lee's Fictional Portrait of the Artist as an Alabama Child.” Alabama Review 42.2: 136-149.
• Johnson, Claudia Durst. Understanding To Kill a Mockingbird: A Student Casebook . New York:Greenwood, 1994.
• Johnson, Claudia Durst. To Kill a Mockingbird: Threatening Boundaries . New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994.
• Murphy, Mary McDonagh. Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird . New York: HarperCollins, 2010.
• Shields, Charles J. Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee . New York: Henry Holt, 2006.

Materials & Media

Harper lee's to kill a mockingbird: fictional character traits chart, related on edsitement, to kill a mockingbird and the scottsboro boys trial: profiles in courage, scottsboro boys and to kill a mockingbird : two trials for the classroom, the green book: african american experiences of travel and place in the u.s., backstory: legislation impossible - the civil rights act of 1964.