1. Topic-
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| To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee |
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2. Content-
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| Students will be challenged to consider and define racism, discrimination,
prejudice, and stereotyping in the 20th century. The lesson is based
upon Harper Lee's novel To Kill A Mockingbird from which the students
will read about social situations and become more exposed to these
social constructs. Students will also be asked to consider how our
contemporary society deals with these constructs and what application
they have upon their own lives. |
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3. Goals: Aims/Outcomes-
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1.MO CLE English III Reading 1F: Apply pre-reading strategies to
aid comprehension
a. access prior knowledge
b. preview
c. predict with text support or rationale
d. set a purpose and rate for reading
2.MO CLE English III Reading 3C: Use details from argumentative text(s)
to
a. analyze and evaluate the organizational patterns
b. identify and analyze faulty reasoning and unfounded inferences
c. evaluate proposed solutions
d. evaluate for accuracy and adequacy of evidence
3.MO CLE English III Writing 3A: Compose a variety of texts, a. using
narrative, descriptive, expository, and/or persuasive features
d. including literary analysis
e. including reflective writing |
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4. Objectives-
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1.Understand the culture of southern society during the Great Depression
(1930's).
2.Draw parallels between southern society of the 1930's and our contemporary
society.
3.Understand and use new words central to the context of the novel. |
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5. Materials and Aids-
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| To Kill a Mockingbird Novel, essay "Historical Context: The
Jim Crow South"� (pp. 8"�9, NEA's Jazz in the Schools Web site at
www.neajazzintheschools.org for audio of Billie Holiday's 1939 "Strange
Fruit"� along with selections from Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. |
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6. Procedures/Methods-
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A. Introduction-
1. The Great Depression
2. Southern culture
3. Jazz music/swing era |
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B. Development-
Cultural and historical contexts give birth to the dilemmas and
themes at
the center of the novel. Studying these contexts and appreciating
intricate
details of the time and place help readers understand the motivations
of
the characters.
To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the mid-1930s during the Great Depression.
Throughout the decade jobs were scarce, bread lines were long, and
movies
cost only a nickel"�a time that left an indelible impression on the
young
Harper Lee. Culturally, the swing era, movies, and radio drama were
the
talk of the nation. Writers such as F. Scott Fitzgerald chronicled
the lives
of the rich and famous, while writers such as John Steinbeck recounted
the
tale of America's downtrodden. Women could vote, and the prohibition
of alcohol was finally repealed. Government programs such as the Works
Progress Administration and Social Security were established. But
some
things endured even the chaos of economic depression. Jim Crow laws
continued to prevent African Americans from enjoying equal rights
with
other citizens, even if the Old South seemed to be slowly changing. |
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C. Practice-
1. Why does former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor say that Atticus
"represents the best
of the legal profession"�? According to O'Connor, how might "the
idea of justice
pervade everything"�? Have you seen any indicators of this in your
first reading
assignment?
2. Go to NEA's Jazz in the Schools Web site at www.neajazzintheschools.org.
Click on "Listen"� and scroll down to Billie Holiday's 1939 "Strange
Fruit,"� a description of the practice of lynching. Play the music
of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.
3. Jazz crossed racial boundaries, drawing audiences from all walks
of life. How is music today (Hip-hop, pop, country) similar to the
music of the 1930's Jazz/Swing era?
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D. Independent Practice-
1.Read the Reader's Guide essay "Historical Context: The Jim
Crow South"� (pp. 8"�9). Have students write a one-page, in-class
essay on how the book reflects historical realities.
2.Homework: Read Chapters 4"�7 (pp. 32"�63). What role does reading
play in Maycomb? Why
is Boo Radley such a mystery to Scout, Jem, and Dill? What is the
significance of
the hole in the tree?
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E. Accommodations (Differentiated Instruction)-
1. Challenged - Finding and understanding three crucial points and
three concepts.
2. Challenged - Group paper of one page.
3. ELL - Spanish translation spoken aloud.
4. Challenged - Read the reader's guide essay aloud. |
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F. Checking for understanding-
1. Grading essay's for content to ensure understanding
2. Asking informative assessment questions during group activity.
3.Short answer formative quiz over key points and concepts. |
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G. Closure-
1. Relevance to modern day society.
2. Brief discussion on popular bands/music artists from today.
3. Recession vs. Great Depression - Which is worse? |
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