Myranda Michaud March 5, 2014 English Grade 9

Unit: To Kill a Mockingbird

Essential Questions How does personal experience contribute to prejudice? What techniques are used by an author to create a character? Why is it important to support ideas with textual evidence? What are the roles of parents and society in the moral education of children? How does language add power and meaning to writing?

Student Outcomes / Objectives / Common Core Students will learn to identify and analyze literary devices within the novel. make personal connections to the themes, experiences, and opinions in the novel. use textual evidence to support claims. practice reading aloud and silently to improve their skills in each area. analyze how characters develop over the course of the text.

Common Core CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. 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. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. Preparation A. Materials a. Students: writing utensils, paper b. Teacher: copies of To Kill a Mockingbird, handouts

B. Need to do ahead of time: print copies of handouts. Make sure there are enough copies of the book for each student. BEFORE READING 1. Explain to students that they will soon begin reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, but before we begin we need to build our background knowledge so that they have a better understanding of the time period. 2. KWL Chart Pass out KWL The Great Depression handout to students. Have them complete the first two columns: 1) What they know about the Great Depression, and 2) what they want to know about the Great Depression. 3. After a few minutes, discuss as a class what students already know and then what they would like to know. 4. Watch a Great Depression documentary. Discuss. After discussing/watching, students should complete the L section of their KWL chart. 5. Finish by discussing the last section of the KWL chart. Students may discuss with partners before engaging in a whole class discussion. DURING READING For the next several weeks, students will be reading To Kill a Mockingbird in class and also as homework. While reading, students will fill out a guided notes graphic organizer. This will allow students to engage with the text while reading, and it will also serve as a way to make sure students are completing their reading assignments. At the beginning of each class, students will complete bell-work that will consist of a reading journal or silent reading. The purpose of the journal assignments is for the students to reflect on important themes from the novel and to connect the text to experiences within the world and/or their own lives (text-to-self, text-toworld). If there is time, students may share their responses. After this work is completed, the class will participate in a class and/or group discussion(s) using the guided notes graphic organizers. Next, students will engage in a lesson. Finally, students will begin reading the next assign section of the novel. (This is a tentative plan that may need to be adjusted depending on the length of the daily lesson.) I. II. III. IV. Bell-work (journal or reading) Discussion (use journal prompts/graphic organizers to guide discussions about important themes, literary devices, character development, etc.) Lesson (Some lessons may be longer than others; therefore, time may need to be adjusted and/or taken from other areas.) Begin reading next assigned section

Lessons: Figurative Language/Literary devices: How to identify, analyze, and write metaphors, similes, personification, symbolism, hyperbole, etc. (This will be a continuous lesson throughout the unit.) After Chapter 6 In groups discuss the theme of growing up. (see handout) After Chapter 21 The Scottsboro Trials (see handout) After/During Chapter 21 Court In-class simulation (see handout) "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view (Lee 30.) Character POV writing assignments. Writing prompts: o Chapter 1 Write a character sketch of Boo Radley. Describe his appearance and mannerisms, how he talks, and what he does. o Chapters 2 and 3 What are some of Scouts innocent mistakes? How are ideas of good and bad, right versus wrong, manners, and politeness expressed so far in the story? o Chapter 11 How are Scout and Jem changing their attitudes about Atticus? What are some reasons for this outlook? o Chapters 13 and 14 What are the differences between the towns acceptance of Aunt Alexandra and those of Jem and Scout? What are some evidences of Jems growing maturity? How does this change his friendship with Dill? How does it affect the relationship between Scout and Dill? o Chapter 16 In what ways are Aunt Alexandras views even narrower than those of the children? o Chapters 18 and 19 Atticus once told Scout that she could never really understand a person unless she wears his shoes. How is Scouts understanding of this statement becoming more apparent throughout the novel? o Chapters 22 and 23 Jem gives serious thought to the trial and its outcome. What are various aspects of the trial that he questions? What people help Jem draw his conclusion? What were the various reactions of different people when Bob Ewell spit in Atticuss face? How does this reflect their characters? Show how Scouts thought process changes, especially about prejudice, after the trial. Compare her with other characters in how they changed or failed to change. In what ways has Scout learned to question what others say rather than simply accept it? Whom does she question now and in what ways? Create dialogue or cite actual passages in the book. o Chapters 29 and 30 In what ways are both Boo and Tom Robinson like mockingbirds? How is the way they are treated like killing a mockingbird? AFTER READING Literary Press Conference