Walk around the room reading each quote and lesson Write down each lesson, then when you return to your seat star your favorite one

Atticus Role: Father, Lawyer, Mentor Lesson One: Common people must obey the law, but there are exceptions to the law for people considered anything other than “common” “You, Miss Scout Finch, are the common folk. You must obey the law…the Ewells (are) members of an exclusive society made up of Ewells. In certain circumstances the common folk judiciously allowed them certain privileges” (34). Lesson Two: Don’t do anything privately that you would not do publicly “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets” (51). Lesson Three: Try to see a situation from someone else’s point of view before making a judgement about that person. “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” (33).

Miss Caroline Role: Teacher, Newcomer Lesson: When someone is ignorant to the ways of others, they can be defensive and unkind out of fear and embarrassment. “She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham, for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it was an honest mistake on her part. We could not expect her to learn all of Maycomb’s ways in one day, and we could not hold her responsible when she knew no better” (33).

Calpurnia Role: Cook, Caretaker Lesson: Someone with true class treats her guests with grace and kindness, regardless of their habits. “Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracing’ them” (27).

Miss Maudie Role: Neighbor, Mentor A person’s good reputation is more than their deeds—it’s the intention behind those deeds. “True enough, she had an acid tongue in her head, and she did not go about the neighborhood doing good, as did Stephanie Crawford. But while no one with a grain of sense trusted Miss Stephanie, Jem and I had considerable faith in Miss Maudie” (49). What makes a person moral or immoral are not the tools he uses, but how he choses to use them. “Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whiskey bottle in the hand of—oh, of your father” (50).

The Legend of Boo Radley Tell the story around your table group. Each person should deliver one sentence before passing the flashlight along to the next person. Don’t stop until you’ve told the full story. The Legend of Boo Radley

The Legend of Boo Radley Boo and his friends imprisoned the town peacekeeper (like a neighborhood watch officer) in the county jail Mr. Radley, Boo’s father, promised the judge he’d punish Boo himself Boo was never seen again Mrs. Radley ran out of the house screaming Boo was going to kill them all— apparently he stabbed Mr. Radley in the leg with a pair of scissors Mr. Radley dies some time later from natural causes, but Boo is still never seen—all of the neighbors tell stories about Boo as though he is a monster or a madman

How do Dill, Scout, and Jem upset Atticus? They play pretend using the Radley legend as a basis and act it out in broad daylight in front of the neighbors They try to sneak a note in to Boo Radley asking him to come out They sneak around at night trying to get a glimpse of Boo Radley (though Dill says they were playing strip poker instead)

Language in To Kill a Mockingbird

Hearing from an expert: Neal A. Lester Honors and Recognitions Parents Association Professor of Year Dean’s Distinguished Professor of English Distinguished Public Scholar, Arizona Humanities Council David Bottoms Distinguished Alumni Award, Department of English, The University of West Georgia Alumni Achievement Award, College of Arts and Humanities, The University of West Georgia Past Chair, Board of Directors, Arizona Humanities Council Education Ph.D. in English, Vanderbilt University M.A. in English, Vanderbilt University B.A. in English, University of West Georgia (Valedictorian)

Please read the article “Straight Talk about the N-Word” Then answer the questions: Why did this professor decide to create a class entirely about the n-word? And is what is he asking people in this class to do?