F.+To+Kill+a+Mockingbird

=To Kill a Mockingbird: Midterm Analysis Essay=

A major component of your midterm will be an analytical essay on To Kill a Mockingbird. We'll be outlining and drafting your essay this week. You should come to the exam period with a completed essay; you'll have time on that day for final peer conferences and last revisions, and then you will turn it in. Hopefully you'll have plenty of time and support to do your best work!

This will be a five paragraph essay built around a thesis statement, like the one you wrote for //The House on Mango Street//. To succeed, you should begin by downloading the outline template below; then, choose one of the essay questions to work with.




 * Choose a lesser character to evaluate. What does this character help us to understand about the meaning of the book as a whole? “Lesser” characters include Boo Radley, Miss Maudie, Mrs. Merriweather, Aunt Alexandra, Mayella Ewell, Tom Robinson, and Calpurnia. Your thesis statement might say something like "In the novel //To Kill a Mockingbird//, (NAME OF CHARACTER) helps the reader to understand Harper Lee's message that..."


 * How do you think Harper Lee would define the idea of a "hero?" Your thesis statement might say something like "In her book //To Kill a Mockingbird//, Harper Lee shows us that a hero is a person who....."


 * What is the significance of the novel's title? What does it help us to understand about the meaning of the work as a whole? Your thesis statement might say something like "The title of the novel //To Kill a Mockingbird// reflects the idea that ...; this helps the reader to understand Harper Lee's message that..."


 * More than once in the novel we hear about the importance of "standing in someone else's shoes," or seeing the world from the point of view of another person. This seems to be an important lesson for Scout and Jem. What does Harper Lee do in the novel to teach her readers this lesson, as well? Your thesis statement might say something like, "In her novel //To Kill a Mockingbird//, Harper Lee uses (name a specific character, group of characters, or an event) to teach her readers the importance of standing in someone else's shoes.


 * Other? A great essay about a book usually focuses on something that helps us understand an aspect of the book's meaning. If there is a symbol, theme, character, or idea that you'd like to explore in more detail, let me know, and we can talk about how to turn that into an essay topic.

__DEADLINES__:

**Tuesday, January 15:** Topics selected and thesis statements drafted **Wednesday/Thursday, January 16/17:** Quotes found and entered on outline form with citations; topic sentences drafted **Friday, January 18:** Outlines completed **Beginning of exam period**: full rough drafts due **END OF EXAM PERIOD: polished drafts submitted**

//To Kill a Mockingbird//: Online Discussion
= = __**Directions:**__ = =

= = During class today each student needs to make three meaningful, well developed posts on the discussion tab above. A "post" can be an answer to an already posted question, or it can be a question that you offer up. If you post a question, you also need to post your own answer. = =

= = To make a posting, click on the "Discussion" tab on THIS page. Enter a relevant subject title so your classmates will know whether or not they want to post on your discussion, and then write your post in the box below. = = //Note: A subject title like "Boo Radley: creeper, or friend?" will get your discussion more action than a title like "TKAM discussion thingy."// = = = = = = = =

= = __Each successful collection of postings:__ = = = =
 * Should contain at least THREE posts, each of which should be about 1 __**well developed**__ paragraph. You might also have other, shorter responses to classmate's opinions.
 * //Questions// might begin with a quotation from the book that struck you as particularly interesting, enlightening, or confusing... OR begin with a question that gets at theme, character development, or connections to the larger world.
 * //Responses// to other people's postings should BOTH address your classmate's ideas AND ALSO offer up your own opinion on the issues raised. Good responses will address examples from the text.
 * Your postings on the whole should demonstrate your own thinking about the issues raised. "A" level postings are particularly well developed and insightful.
 * Should demonstrate good digital citizenship.

= Keynote Jigsaw: = = What You Need to Know Before You Read To Kill a Mockingbird =

We are about to embark on our reading of a classic piece of American literature. //To Kill a Mockingbird// will share qualities of the Great Depression, qualities of a specific setting in rural Alabama, and qualities of a certain type of writing. The introduction of this unit requires you to do some research to create a base of knowledge that will grow as we read.

__**Assignment:**__ Your group will be assigned one of the following to research during this class. You'll be sharing what you learn with the rest of the class on FRIDAY. The requirements of the assignment are:

Use Keynote to prepare a brief presentation on your topic that includes at least 6 slides:


 * Plenty of **informative**, **easy to read**, “did you know” bullets to introduce the basics about your topic
 * No cutting and pasting please – **use your own words!**
 * Plenty of interesting, enlightening photos related to your topic to help your audience learn
 * 1 bibliography slide that cites your sources. Sources should be reliable for academic research! (use the reliability rubric.)
 * Presentations should be about five minutes in length, and will take place on the block day. Everyone should be involved in creating and presenting the project; you will each receive a class participation grade.

__**Topics**__:
 * 1) Great Depression
 * 2) Jim Crow Laws
 * 3) Scottsboro Boys Trial
 * 4) Emmet Till
 * 5) Harper Lee
 * 6) Truman Capote – include connection to Harper Lee
 * 7) Monroeville, Alabama
 * 8) Racial Profiling (Search also “racial profiling statistics”)

During presentations, you'll need to take notes on others' work. Please download: