Curriculum / ELA / 8th Grade / Unit 7: Seeking Justice: To Kill a Mockingbird (2020) / Lesson 31
ELA
Unit 7
8th Grade
Lesson 31 of 35
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Explain the expectations of the writing task and begin to delineate arguments and gather evidence from both sides of the debate.
Article: “Duluth Teachers, District Grapple with How to Move on from 'Mockingbird'” by Dan Kraker
Article: “Despite 'Discomfort,' Many Teachers Still Teach To Kill a Mockingbird. Here's Why” by Madeline Will
Article: “Why Schools Shouldn’t Stop Teaching 'To Kill a Mockingbird' because of the N-Word” by Megan G. Oprea
Article: “No, To Kill a Mockingbird Should Not be Taught in 2018” by Andray Domise
Article: “Forget Atticus: Why We Should Stop Teaching 'To Kill a Mockingbird'” by Will Menarndt
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Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved.
To Kill a Mockingbird is often considered one of the most significant novels in the history of American literature. And yet there is significant debate around whether it should be taught in schools.
Imagine that your school is considering whether or not to continue teaching this text next year. Write a letter to your school principal explaining your position on this issue and urging him or her to either remove the book from the curriculum or continue teaching it.
In your letter you should:
Note: This task is not asking you whether or not you liked the book; your job is to argue whether or not the book is a valuable part of the school curriculum.
W.8.1 — Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.8.1.b — Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
Next
Develop strong claim statements, including a counterclaim, and continue to draft body paragraphs.
Define Jim Crow, explain its impact on the lives of white and black Americans, and describe how it was maintained within the social order.
Standards
RI.8.1
Explain how author Harper Lee uses figurative language to establish mood and setting in the first chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird.
RL.8.4
Explain how specific events and lines of text reveal aspects of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird.
RL.8.3
Explain Ta-Nehisi Coates’s point of view on the use of the N-word and his response to conflicting viewpoints.
RI.8.6
Explain how specific events and lines of text reveal aspects of characters and develop the plot in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Identify changes made by the director of the film To Kill a Mockingbird by comparing a scene from the text with the film version, and explain how the director uses specific film techniques to develop mood.
RL.8.4RL.8.7
Identify specific incidents and lines of text that reveal aspects of characters and develop the plot in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Draw conclusions about Atticus based on specific lines of dialogue by paying close attention to the connotations of words and phrases he uses.
RL.8.3RL.8.4
Explain how specific events and lines of dialogue in To Kill a Mockingbird reveal aspects of characters and cause a change in perspective.
Gather evidence appropriate to the prompt and draft a strong thesis statement.
RL.8.9W.8.1W.8.1.a
Write two body paragraphs, providing at least two pieces of strong evidence to demonstrate Atticus’s character and clearly explaining how this evidence aligns to the Golden Rule.
W.8.1W.8.1.b
Explain how Harper Lee uses specific words and phrases in To Kill a Mockingbird to develop tone and create meaning.
Explain how specific incidents and lines of dialogue reveal aspects of characters and propel the action of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Analyze the extent to which the filmmakers have stayed faithful to or departed from the original text of To Kill a Mockingbird by comparing and contrasting text and film.
RL.8.7
Summarize the events described in Heck Tate’s and Bob Ewell’s testimony.
RL.8.1RL.8.2
Explain how Harper Lee uses specific words, phrases, and lines of text to reveal aspects of Mayella Ewell’s character.
Explain how Harper Lee uses specific lines of text to reveal aspects of characters, as well as racial dynamics within Maycomb.
Explain the impact of Atticus’s word choice and references to historic texts in the development of meaning in his closing argument.
RL.8.4RL.8.9
Gather evidence relevant to the topic.
W.8.2W.8.2.b
Draft body paragraphs and appropriately cite sources.
W.8.2W.8.2.aW.8.2.bW.8.8
Write introductory and concluding statements that frame the article.
W.8.2W.8.2.aW.8.2.f
Interpret figurative language and explain how Lee uses it to create meaning in To Kill a Mockingbird.
L.8.5RL.8.4
Explain how specific incidents and lines of text reveal aspects of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird or cause them to change.
Explain how Harper Lee uses word choice and literary devices to develop tone and establish a suspenseful mood.
Explain how Harper Lee uses specific incidents and lines of text to reveal aspects of characters.
Determine themes from To Kill a Mockingbird and explain how Harper Lee uses specific characters to develop them over the course of the text.
RL.8.2
Take a clear position on questions and support those positions with appropriate textual evidence and thoughtful analysis.
SL.8.1SL.8.1.a
W.8.1W.8.1.a
Complete a full draft of a letter, including a logical introduction and concluding paragraph.
W.8.1W.8.1.aW.8.1.e
Provide meaningful feedback to peers and incorporate peer feedback into own writing.
W.8.1W.8.5
2 days
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