Using Textual Evidence to Draw Conclusions In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

#WordWednesday (or Thursday) UNCOUTH (adj.) atch?v=S-SrQ-Oz1k4

Uncouth (adj.) Definition: (a person’s appearance or behavior) lacking good manners, refinement, or grace. Synonyms: uncivilized, unsophisticated, gross TKAM Sentence: Atticus's mouth, even, was half-open, an attitude he had once described as uncouth.

Objective: Analyze textual evidence to draw conclusions from the text by individually reading chapters twelve through fourteen of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and writing about the significance of specific quotes in your notes.

The Steps of Drawing Conclusions from Textual Evidence 1. Topic Sentence 2. Statement of context 3. Set-up/delivery of the quote 4. Analysis

Topic Sentence Attempt to connect the passage you are going to illustrate, quote, or explain with your overall conclusion or main point.

Statement of Context Write ONE sentence that helps the reader of your response to understand WHERE in the novel the quote/event is taking place. Be as specific as possible here. Don’t loosely allude to “Tom Robinson” if the passage you are dealing with has nothing to do with him.

Set-up/Delivery of Quote Explain the specific example in your own words or with a direct quote. DIRECT QUOTES FROM THE TEXT should not begin or end a paragraph EVER. EACH QUOTE NEEDS A FRAME. THERE SHOULD BE NO NAKED QUOTES! (Code L) Jem states, “This is my quote” (Lee 45). Atticus reveals, The author describes _(Here I am paraphrasing)__ (Lee 53).

Analysis Provide a thorough analysis of the passage itself. Use the questions from our close reading lenses to help you with the analysis. Break down the words in the quotation and fully explore how the passage relates to your overall conclusion. If you use long quotes, I expect to you to ADDRESS and EXPLAIN the entire quote.

Example: Page 112: Topic Sentence: Atticus sees a quality in Mrs. Dubose that he wants Jem to emulate. Statement of context: When Mrs. Dubose dies at the end of chapter 11, Atticus explains his rationale for Jem reading to her - that he is teaching Jem a lesson of “real courage.” Set-up/delivery of the quote: Atticus tells his son that, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand” (Lee 112). Analysis: How do the words that Atticus uses help us understand Atticus’ hope for Jem as he grows and matures?