Warm-Up

Historical Anecdote What is it?

…from dictionary.com - a short account of a particular personal or biographical incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature.

Write a historical anecdote about a major or minor tragic event (or dramatic) that you have experienced when you were younger. (i.e. broke a bone, lost a pet, etc) What do you recall? What do you think caused this event to occur? Who was there? Give details!

Think about someone else who was involved during this event. How would someone else say this even occurred?

Make a Prediction Directions: Predict how you think the following words relate to the excerpt we are about to read (from To Kill a Mockingbird Ch.1). Underline the words in your prediction. Andrew JacksonDillThirteenBroken AlabamaFootballSummerBoo Fist-fightCreekArmFather

On Your Own 1.Read excerpt from TKAM Ch.1 2.On your excerpt, underline the words and explain how they tie into the actual story.

Answer these questions: 1.Do we know who the narrator is? 2.Whose arm was broken? 3.Who does the narrator say started the events that led to the broken arm? 4.What does Jem say led to the event? 5.Who is Atticus? When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem’s fears of never being able to play football were assuaged, he was seldom self- conscious about his injury. His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or walked, the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his thumb parallel to his thigh. He couldn’t have cared less, so long as he could pass and punt. When enough years had gone by to enable us to look back on them, we sometimes discussed the events leading to his accident. I maintain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem, who was four years my senior, said it started long before that. He said it began the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out. I said if he wanted to take a broad view of the thing, it really began with Andrew Jackson. If General Jackson hadn’t run the Creeks up the creek, Simon Finch would never have paddled up the Alabama, and where would we be if he hadn’t? We were far too old to settle an argument with a fist-fight, so we consulted Atticus. Our father said we were both right.

Annotate 1.What is author’s purpose? Analyze why author chose to structure this chapter this way. 2.Find evidence of historical anecdote. When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem’s fears of never being able to play football were assuaged, he was seldom self- conscious about his injury. His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or walked, the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his thumb parallel to his thigh. He couldn’t have cared less, so long as he could pass and punt. When enough years had gone by to enable us to look back on them, we sometimes discussed the events leading to his accident. I maintain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem, who was four years my senior, said it started long before that. He said it began the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out. I said if he wanted to take a broad view of the thing, it really began with Andrew Jackson. If General Jackson hadn’t run the Creeks up the creek, Simon Finch would never have paddled up the Alabama, and where would we be if he hadn’t? We were far too old to settle an argument with a fist-fight, so we consulted Atticus. Our father said we were both right.

Read Ch.1 Complete the “Analyze Author’s Choices” worksheet

Writing Prompt * In composition book* How is this excerpt from Chapter 1 similar to the author’s style in The Odyssey and in Romeo and Juliet? Draw evidence from each text to support your analysis.

Final Reflection * On back of “Analyze Author’s Choices Worksheet* How do you think this author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it, and manipulate time create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise?