Seeking Justice: To Kill a Mockingbird (2020)

Lesson 29
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ELA

Unit 7

8th Grade

Lesson 29 of 35

Objective


Determine themes from To Kill a Mockingbird and explain how Harper Lee uses specific characters to develop them over the course of the text.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee  — whole text

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

What theme does Harper Lee develop about good and evil/human nature? What characters in the text help to develop this theme? Provide at least two examples from the text and explain how they develop this theme.

Key Questions


  • Make a list of at least four thematic topics addressed in this text.
  • What theme does Harper Lee develop about the relationship between parents and children?
  • How does Atticus’s behavior toward his children help to develop this theme? Provide at least two examples from the text that demonstrate this theme.
  • Discussion: What is the most valuable lesson that you have taken from To Kill a Mockingbird? What has it taught you about the way the world works?

Lesson Guidance


Standard and Literary Concepts

  • When talking about how an idea is developed over the course of a text, students must be able to identify multiple places in the text where this idea is explored.
  • Thematic Topic: One- or two-word phrase that describes the overarching topic of a text or section of text. One way of thinking about thematic topic is thinking about what the central character learns an important lesson about. They are big concepts/ideas like Love, Relationships, Family, Growing Up, and Loss. (Not to be confused with theme!)
    • Some thematic topics in To Kill a Mockingbird: Good and evil, social inequality, racism, justice/injustice, community, family, parent/child relationships, morality
  • Theme: Theme is the author’s message in the text about the way the world works or what it means to be human. A text can have many themes, although usually authors put their energy into communicating a few big themes.
    • Themes are messages that can be applied to real life, not just a text.
    • Themes are expressed as complete sentences.
    • Themes do not include characters’ names.
    • Themes generally do not include “you” or “should.” (This structure is commonly used in a story with a moral, which a theme is not.)
    • Themes must be supported by multiple pieces of evidence from the text.
    • Themes are generally developed through character words, actions, and beliefs, and/or significant plot events.

Notes

  • Developing strong theme statements can be tricky. One way to ensure that students understand what differentiates strong thesis statements from weaker ones is to use show-call and have students assess the work of an almost-there example for key question and target task.

Homework

  • Prepare for tomorrow’s Socratic Seminar.

Common Core Standards


  • RL.8.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

Next

Take a clear position on questions and support those positions with appropriate textual evidence and thoughtful analysis.

Lesson 30
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