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TKAM Unit Plan

Grade Focus
Grade 9
Age Level
14
Subject
Literature
Technology Integration Activity
Discovering the Internet
Estimated Time of Completion
4-6 weeks
Author: Jenna Free Last modified: 05/01/2010

Introduction

This 6ES plan will take place over the course of the To Kill A Mockingbird unit.

Lesson Plan Details

Engage

The essential question is “What was it like to be a person of color in the American South in the 1930s?” It will be introduced by reading an example of a poem for two voices (http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/99/fear/poem2.html) Students will log on to a Wiggio discussion to post their responses to the questions: “Discuss how the perspectives of the student and teacher differ.” and  “How do you think your perspective of education would differ from that of your teachers?”

Explore

Students will complete One-Minute Research Reports. The assignments tasks students with researching a topic related to the novel and then later, presenting it to their classmates. (The “one-minute” idea is that it takes one minute for someone to understand this information they present. It must be clear and concise!) Each student chooses (or is randomly assigned) a topic that relates to the novel. Topics include: The Mason-Dixon Line, Important Events in American & World History:1920’s, Important Events in American & World History:1930’s, The Great Depression, The Scottsboro Trial, The Civil Rights Movement, The State of Alabama.

 

The finished report must be one-page presentation of the information. The page (students can use any Microsoft Office or OpenOffice file they feel comfortable with) must contain at least two paragraphs of information and at least one picture. They must cite their sources. Students are given very little direction on how to find the information, and therefore allows them to use computers, books, knowledgeable adults, whatever they can find, however they feel is the best mode for them.

Explain

Students share their one-minute research reports with the class. Two-three students in the class have been given the same topic, and they meet together to discuss their topic and how they will present their information to the class. During presentations, students will take notes on the other topics so every students has a knowledge of all topics. Students will also post their reports to the Wiggio forum to be referenced online.

Elaborate

Students begin reading TKAM. They will complete a study guide to ensure basic understanding, while quizzes/journals/discussions focus on higher level questions that include a introduction of the Black characters in the story, the racial tensions, the perspective of white characters, and the progression of Tom Robinson’s pretrial activities in the novel. An online discussion forum will be available for students who are interested discussing the novel's elements beyond the classroom.

Evaluate

After finishing the novel, students write a letter to Harper Lee (the author), explaining their understanding of racism in 1930s Alabama, discussing their reaction to the novel, and reflecting on their learning process.

Extend

(Ideally, this could happen shortly after the students read the verdict of Tom’s trial, not necessarily at the end of the novel.) Students will participate in “The Re-Trial of Tom Robinson.” Each student will play the part of a major character in the trial, or a member of the jury. They must gather the information each character gave in the book, then share it in a similar manner to the novel. The jury will then vote, at the end of the retrial, on Tom’s innocence or guilt. Following the new verdict, students will journal and discuss the difference in their current-day perspective and the perspective of the jury in the 1930s. The trial verdict, in a way, serves as a new engaging question and a catalyst for discussion. After class, if time does not permit discussion, students will post their responses on the Wiggio forum.