The Case - Finished

Today we will read chapter 21.  After we finish the chapter I want you to write an overview summary of the entire court case.  This should be 2-3 paragraphs in length and include all the witnesses and testimonies. 

The Court Case

Today we are going to spend a few minutes recording or summarizing the testimony of Miss Mayella Ewell.  What did she in her testimony about the rape?  Be specific.  How did Atticus question what she stated?  Write a brief profile of Mayella.  What do you know about her.

Spend about 5 minutes recording your thoughts.

We will read chapter 19 and 20 today.  I want you to record Tom Robinson's testimony, and your reaction to it, on your blogs for homework.  How is Tom Robinson like a mockingbird? 

To Kill A Mockingbird

Today we are going to take a quiz on chapters 16-17 and then read chapter 18.

Here are some study questions for chapter 18

• Is Mayella like her father or different from him? In what ways?
• What might be the reason for Mayella's crying in the court?
• How does Mayella react to Atticus's politeness? Is she used to people being polite?
• How well does Mr. Gilmer prove Tom's guilt in the eyes of the reader (you) and in the eyes of the jury? Can you suggest why these might be different?

Chapter 14 and 15

Today we will be reading chapters 14 and 15.  You be required to answer the following questions:

Chapter 14 and 15

• Comment on Atticus's explanation of rape. How suitable is this as an answer to Scout.
• Why does Alexandra think Atticus should dismiss Calpurnia? How does Atticus respond to the suggestion?
• Why is Scout pleased when Jem fights her back? Why is she less pleased when he tells Atticus about Dill?
• What do we learn from Dill's account of his running away?

• What is the “nightmare” that now descends upon the children?
• What was (and is) the Ku Klux Klan? What do you think of Atticus's comments about it?
• How does Jem react when Atticus tells him to go home, and why?
• What persuades the lynching-party to give up their attempt on Tom's life?
• Comment on the way Scout affects events without realizing it at the time.

To Kill A Mockingbird GROUP WORK

In groups you will look at chapter 12 and do the following:

1) List and explain a theme that fits this chapter
2) List all the characters who appear in the chapter
3) Find one symbol
4) briefly summarize what happens in the chapter
5) Act out a scene from the chapter

 You will present these to the class at the end of the period

Questions for chapter 12

• Comment on Jem's and Scout's visit to First Purchase church.
• What new things does Scout learn here about how the black people live?
• What does Scout learn from Calpurnia's account of Zeebo's education?
• Explain why Calpurnia speaks differently in the Finch household, and among her neighbours at church.

HW: Chapter 13

Chapter 11

Today we will read chapter 11 of To Kill A Mockingbird.  I want you to apply the following theme to it: Appearance vs. Reality and Prejudice.

Discussion questions:

• How does Atticus advise Jem to react to Mrs. Dubose's taunts?
• What does Mrs. Dubose say about the children's mother? How does Jem feel about this?
• What request does Mrs. Dubose make of Jem? Is this a fair punishment for his “crime”?
• Explain in your own words what Atticus thinks of insults like “nigger-lover”. How far do you agree with him?
• Why, in Atticus's view, was Mrs. Dubose “a great lady”?
• Atticus says that Mrs. Dubose is a model of real courage rather than “a man with a gun in his hand”. What does he mean? Do you think he is right?
• Chapters ten and eleven are the last two chapters in the first part of the book. Explain why Harper Lee chooses to end the first part here.

HOMEWORK: Read chapter 12. 

Expository Essays DUE!

Turn in your expository essays today. 

We will also be taking a short quiz on Chapter 9 of  To Kill A Mockingbird and reading chapter 10.

Here are some discussion questions for chapter 10.

• Scout says that “Atticus was feeble”. Do you think that this is her view as she tells the story or her view when she was younger? Does she still think this after the events recorded in this chapter?
• In this chapter Atticus tells his children that “it's a sin to kill a mockingbird”. What reason does he give for saying this?
• Why does Heck Tate not want to shoot Tim Johnson?
• Near the end of this chapter Atticus cuts off Heck Tate as he is speaking to Jem. What might Heck have been about to say, and why would Atticus want to stop him from saying it?
• Jem and Scout have different views about telling people at school how well Atticus can shoot. Explain this difference. Which view is closer to your own?

Homework for MONDAY

Read chapter 9 of To Kill A Mockingbird.  Come to class with what you think is the inciting event of the book.

YOUTUBE citiations

For those of you using YouTube as a source - you might check HERE for a link for proper steps to cite the source.  NOTE - Purdue OWL offers the following help on citing YOUTUBE videos:

The MLA does not specifically address how to cite a YouTube video. This has, it appears, led to some confusion as to the best method of for citing YouTube videos in MLA. 
Based on MLA standards for other media formats, we feel that the following format is the most acceptable for citing YouTube videos:
Author’s Name or Poster’s Username. “Title of Image or Video.” Media Type
Text. Name of Website. Name of Website’s Publisher, date of posting. Medium. date retrieved.

Here is an example of what that looks like:

Shimabukuro, Jake. "Ukulele Weeps by Jake Shimabukuro." Online video clip.
YouTube . YouTube, 22 Apr. 2006. Web. 9 Sept. 2010.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Today we will look at the study questions from yesterday and begin chapter 8.  At the end of chapter 8 you need to do the following:

1) Outline the plot so far
2) List one theme and write 2-3 scenes from the book that fit that theme
3) Make a list of people Scout fits
4) Make a list of lessons Scout has learned so far

and answer the following:

• Why does Scout quiz Atticus about his visit to the Radley house? How much does Atticus tell her?
• What is the “near libel” which Jem puts in the front yard? How do Miss Maudie and Atticus react to it?
• Why does Atticus save Miss Maudie's oak rocking chair?
• When Atticus asks Scout about the blanket around her shoulders, what does Jem realize?
• Explain what Atticus means by telling Jem not to let his discovery “inspire ” him to “further glory”? Is there any reason why Jem might now do as his father says?

Monday 4/14/2014

The final draft of your expository essay will be done next Monday!  Trevor you and Denver should turn yours in NOW!

Today will will be looking at chapters 6-7 of To Kill A Mockingbird

Trevor and Denver you need to read through chapter 22 and keep a reading journal listing and explaining one interesting thing per chapter that you found = what it was and what it means in the larger picture: example - the stuff that Jem and Scout find in the knothole could be a symbol for someone (such as Boo) wanting to communicate with them. 

Chapter 6

• Why does Scout disapprove of Jem's and Dill's plan of looking in at one of the Radleys' windows?
• What does Mr. Nathan Radley know about the intruders in his garden? Why does Miss Stephanie refer to a “negro” over whose head Mr. Nathan has fired?
• Why does Dill's explanation of Jem's state of dress almost land him in trouble?

Chapter 7

• When Jem tells Scout about getting his trousers back, he tells her of something strange. What is this?
• Can you find any evidence that Jem is beginning to understand more than Scout about Boo Radley? What do you think this is?
• Does Jem still fear the gifts in the tree? Give reasons for your answer.
• When the children plan to send a letter to the person who leaves the gifts, they are prevented. How does this happen? Who does it, and why might he do so?

TO KILL A MOCKINBIRD chapter 4

Today - you need to turn in your 2nd draft of your essay.  We will talk about what you've found and where you need to go.  Then we will look at chapter 4 of To Kill A Mockingbird

Questions:  What is the point of view?  What type of conflicts do you see?  Do you see any ironies?  What is the meaning of the following names:

Boo Radley
Scout
Dill
Atticus
Calpurnia

• What does Scout think of current fashions in education?
• What superstitions do the children have in connection with the Radley house?
• Why do the children make Boo's story into a game?
• What do they do in this game? Do you think the game is an accurate version of what happens in the Radleys' home?
• What might be the cause of the laughter from inside the house? 

THINGS TO KNOW FOR TEST:  TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

1)  Give three examples of the following themes and discuss how your example backs up the theme:

--The Meaning of Duty

--Prejudice and its effects on people

--Appearance vs. Reality

--Moral Education

2)     List and explain three lessons that Scout learns

3)    .Discuss the following symbols and what they represent:

Mockingbirds

The knot-hole in the oak tree

The mad dog

4)    Make a list of all the people Scout fights and why?

5)    Outline the plot (give at least three scenes in the exposition, rising action and falling action

6)    Be able to discuss the mystery of the following characters:

Mr. Raymond

Mrs. Dubose

Calpurnia

Boo Radley

7)    How is Atticus wrong at the end of the book?  Why is this important for both his character and the reader’s perception of the law?

8)    Why doesn’t Heck Tate want Bob Ewell’s death to go to court?

9)    Be able to list at least 3 pairs of dramatic foils and why they are dramatic foils.

10) Be able to discuss what is important about the following characters (what is their role in the book):    

Miss Maudie,

Jack Finch

Tom Robinson

Dill

To Kill A Mockingbird vocabulary

 

1)    Subpoena

2)    Fey

3)    Venerable

4)    Uncouth

5)    Sundry

6)    Begrudge

7)    Elucidate

8)    Acquiescence

9)    Succinct

10) Façade

Conclusions

Objective: Students will be able to write an effective conclusion.

You should be working on your conclusion.  Today, we will be talking about conclusions and looking at a few sources to help you. 

For one view on conclusions go HERE

You can also look at the UNC Writing Center's advice on conclusions by going HERE

Remember, your 2nd draft of your essay is due on FRIDAY.   We will put this on the SmartBoard, and we will look closely at intoductory and concluding paragraphs.

If we finish talking about conclusions in class we will move on to chapter 4 of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.