To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee
Harper Lee Born in 1926 in Alabama. Was the youngest of four. Her father was a newspaper editor- turned lawyer. She became interested in writing. One of her close friends gave her money so that she could take an entire year to write. Her book, To Kill A Mockingbird, was published in 1960
Harper Lee—To Kill A Mockingbird To Kill A Mockingbird received the Pulitzer Prize. It remains her only published book. The book is a coming of age story that follows the Finch children through normal growing pains made worse by their involvement in the turbulence of a racially charged courtroom drama. 1930s town of Maycomb, Alabama
A coming of age story… Scout Finch, and her brother Jem, in 1930’s Alabama. Through their neighborhood meanderings and the example of their father, they grow to understand that the world isn’t always fair and that prejudice is a very real aspect of their world no matter how subtle it seems.
What is prejudice? Prejudice: 1) An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand without knowledge of the facts. 2) Irrational suspicion or hatred of a particular group, race, or religion. Can you think of any prejudices today? How might they differ from prejudices of the past? 5 minutes individually (Think Pair Share)
How about a little history? Although the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in 1863, and the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in 1865, it wasn’t until 1868 that citizenship was granted to ALL persons born in the United States. It was 1870 before male freed slaves could vote. In 1896, a Supreme Court decision created a legal sanction for the separate-but-equal approach.
Separate but equal Separate but equal is a set phrase that describes systems of segregation giving different "colored only" facilities or services with the declaration that the quality of each group's public facilities remain equal. "Separate but Equal" was about how people had equal rights but were separated because of race.
Social Inequality and Racial Inequality in the 1930s Separate but equal was still in effect at this time and it was prevalent in schools, buses, restaurants, etc. Racism affected the ability of blacks to receive a fair trial. Marriages between people of differing races was not allowed in the 1930s. Keep this social climate in mind as you read “To Kill A Mockingbird.”
To Kill A Mockingbird: Plot The summer when Scout was six and Jem was ten, they met Dill, a little boy who spent the summer with his aunt who lived next door to the Finches. The children become obsessed with the idea of making Boo Radley, the neighborhood recluse, come out of his home.
Plot continued… Scout and Jem's father, Atticus, is a respected and upstanding lawyer in small Maycomb County. He takes on a case that pits an innocent black man against two dishonest white people. The case is the biggest thing to hit Maycomb County in years and it turns the whole town against Atticus, or so it seems.
To Kill A Mockingbird In what ways do you think social inequality and racial inequality will play a role in this story? What can you predict might happen because of these events? What do you think about the title?
Annotations We will use annotations as we read the novel. This is part of your grade.
Annotations What is an annotation? Notes about the text you are reading Why use annotations? To help me relate to what I am reading To answer questions I may have To create a visual To help me understand what I am reading
Annotation Journal You will need a 3 ring binder. The Annotation Journal will include: Vocabulary worksheets Annotation Sheets Guided Questions (The annotation sheets and questions will be provided to you)
Chapter Points At the end of each chapter you will have: Timed writing to discuss the themes Every 2-3 chapters you will have vocabulary, guided questions and a quiz. You are responsible for keeping your annotation journal up to date. You will need to use a hole punch and place your documents into the journal.
Annotation Journal Graded upon completion of the novel. Estimate roughly 200 points