Title: Analyzing Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird Part 1

Subject: English
Grade Level: 9

Time Allotted: 90 minutes

Materials Required: large sheet of paper and writing utensils for each sheet; list of terms related to topic for students to
brainstorm (for teacher use only to see if students are on right track)
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Michigan Curriculum Framework:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3
Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the
course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Objective(s):
1. The learner will break down the development of characters through compare/contrast with List Group
Label (LGL) strategy.
2. The learner will synthesize the analysis of characters through carousel brainstorming.
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Instructional Procedure: What information do students need to accomplish the objective(s)?
Time
Allotted
5-10 minutes

Essential Element

1-2 minutes

1. Anticipatory Set:
Have pictures from two movies and ask students to identify what the scene and what movie
it is.
Ask students to identify any similarities and differences between the movies.
Ask students why and how do you know for students to give specific examples for the
similarities and differences between the movies.
2. State Purpose and Objective(s) of Lesson:
Thank you for doing a great job comparing and contrasting the two movies. I hope you had
a lot of fun! The compare/contrast activity we just did goes right into what well be doing for
the day. Today we will be discussing about characters and character development. Our
objectives for the day are to break down the development of characters through
compare/contrast with List Group Label, and to synthesize the analysis of characters through
carousel brainstorming.
o Have objectives on the board/PowerPoint:
The learner will break down the development of characters through

70 minutes
(30 minutes of
LGL and 40
minutes of
carousel
brainstorming)
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compare/contrast with List Group Label (LGL) strategy.

The learner will synthesize the analysis of characters through carousel
brainstorming.

3. Plan for Instruction:

Put up the phrase Characters of To Kill a Mockingbird on the board.
Explain to students:
o Brainstorm about anything related to the characters of To Kill a Mockingbird (e.g.
Scout, Jem, Atticus, characteristics).

As they brainstorm, they will write down all their thoughts related to the phrase on
the board.
o The students can write down phrases or words related to the topic.
Once students are done writing, have the class share and put up about 25 words/phrases
students have come up with.
o Ensure each student has spoken up (use equity sticks or call on students randomly).
o Put down all words on the board unless the student cannot give a good reason for the
association (e.g. fartjust because: the word is not a good association and the
justification is not strong enough).
Read all the words/phrases out loud.
Once done reading all the words on the board out loud, ask students to categorize the words
through their similarities and differences.
o Write on board the way students are categorizing (e.g. if a student is saying put
Atticus and Jem in one category, do so, or let student come up and write on board).
o Let students voice their justifications as they categorize.
Once students are done categorizing, have students name/label the categories and ask them
to justify the names/labels.
If there is time left in the 30 minutes allotted to LGL, have students re-categorize, but set
limits on the categories (e.g. in one category there may only be 5 words/phrases and the
other 10 words/phrases), and have students rename/label the categories.
*This is the application of the LGL strategy (Strategy #1).
Once students are done with LGL, reinforce what was just done: Okay class, we did an
awesome job of identifying similarities and differences, categorizing, and labeling. We just
achieved our first objective for the day!
Take 3 minute break by stretching.
After break, remind students there is one more objective to achieve: Okay class, we can do
this. We just achieved our first objective, and we have one more left. What did we do for our
first objective again? Right, LGL. Now were going to synthesize the analysis of characters
through carousel brainstorming.
Have students get into groups of 4.
Explain the process:
o Each student will have role, which is leader (someone to keep group on task), writer
(someone who writes down the ideas), and speaker (someone who speaks up for the
group when it is time to share after the activity).
The students can decide, or if they are having a hard time deciding, assign
roles for students in a group.
o Everyone in the group must brainstorm ideas in relation to topic, and the writer will
write the ideas.
o Every group will be given 5 minutes to brainstorm on the topic, and once the 5
minutes are up, the groups will move clockwise to the next stations and see what is
on their sheet, add new ideas, elaborate on ideas, or represent the ideas on the sheet
through drawings.
Hand out the large sheet of paper and colorful pen for the writers.
Have students choose where they want to start writing (e.g. corner of room, cluster of tables,
reading corner, etc.).
Assign different topics for different groups: Scout, Jem, Atticus, Tom Robinson (Ewells and
Boo Radley as extra).
o Explain to students to pull from the LGL strategy and characterize the characters
personality and development in the novel.
Give students 5 minutes to brainstorm and have online timer up on projector (or use an alarm
clock on phone if online timer is unavailable).
Once 5 minutes are up, have students rotate clockwise and go through procedure of
discussing what to add/elaborate/draw for 2-3 minutes and have the timer up for the
o

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rotations.
Once groups are back at base (the sheet group started off with), explain:
o Group must read everything on the sheet.
o As a group, choose 2-3 things which seem most significant or interesting to share
with class about the character, and ask a question or two that may arise from the new
additions.
Have student with speaker role present to class the points and questions.
o If the group has questions, allow class to answer.
Once speaker students are done, ask the students to reflect on the process and discuss what
the most important traits of different characters seem to be.
Break up student groups and have students reflect on the two activities (LGL and carousel
brainstorming) and write out what worked and didnt, and a paragraph about a character
from the novel and the characters development.
*This is the application of carousel brainstorming strategy (Strategy #2).

4. Differentiation Considerations (accommodations):

For students who are struggling to come up with words/phrases for LGL brainstorming, give
more time to think (e.g. say well come back to you in a minute).
Group strong+strong+average students together, or strong+weak+weak students together, or
strong+average+average together.
As groups are brainstorming and carouseling, make sure to go around each group and listen
to their discussion, provide feedback, and/or help them develop their thoughts by asking
questions, supplying a word, etc.
5. Assessment:
Formal formative assessment
o Student reflections at the end of the lesson: to see which strategies worked for which
students, and also to check and give feedback on paragraph about character
development.
Informal formative assessment
o Take note of which students are struggling to come up with a word/phrase for LGL
strategy.
o Take note of how many students gave a thumbs up/down for confidence level in
analyzing a character.
5 minutes

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6. Closure:
Ask students what their one takeaway is from this lesson.
Ask students if they have any questions.
Ask students to give thumbs up/thumbs down to see how confident they are about analyzing
a character.
Look over student reflections and provide feedback.