Curriculum / ELA / 8th Grade / Unit 8: Seeking Justice: To Kill a Mockingbird (2020) / Lesson 35

Seeking Justice: To Kill a Mockingbird (2020)

Lesson 35

ELA

Unit 8

8th Grade

Lesson 35 of 35

Readings and Materials

Assessment Text: “The Man in the Well” by Ira Sher — paragraphs 1-19

These assessments accompany this unit to help gauge student understanding of key unit content and skills.

Content Assessment

The Content Assessment tests students' ability to read a "cold" or unfamiliar passage and answer multiple choice and short answer questions. Additionally, a longer writing prompt pushes students to synthesize unit content knowledge or unit essential questions in writing. The Content Assessment should be used as the primary assessment because it shows mastery of unit content knowledge and standards. This assessment should take approximately one class period.

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Lesson 34

Lesson Map

Define Jim Crow, explain its impact on the lives of white and black Americans, and describe how it was maintained within the social order.

“Understanding Jim Crow”

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.

TKAM — chapter 1
1933 Inaugural...

Standards

RL.8.4

Explain how specific events and lines of text reveal aspects of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird.

TKAM — chapters 2 and 3

Standards

RL.8.3

Explain Ta-Nehisi Coates’s point of view on the use of the N-word and his response to conflicting viewpoints.

“In Defense of a Loaded Word”

Standards

RI.8.6

Explain how specific events and lines of text reveal aspects of characters and develop the plot in To Kill a Mockingbird.

TKAM — chapters 4 and 5

Standards

RL.8.3

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.

TKAM — chapter 6
TKAM Movie — 00:24:20–00:33:13

Standards

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.

TKAM — chapters 7 and 8

Standards

RL.8.3

Draw conclusions about Atticus based on specific lines of dialogue by paying close attention to the connotations of words and phrases he uses.

TKAM — chapter 9

Standards

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.

TKAM — chapters 10 and 11

Standards

RL.8.3

Literary Analysis Writing

Gather evidence appropriate to the prompt and draft a strong thesis statement.

TKAM — chapters 1-10

Standards

RL.8.9W.8.1W.8.1.a

Literary Analysis Writing

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.

TKAM — chapters 1-10

Standards

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.

TKAM — chapters 12 and 13

Standards

RL.8.4

Explain how specific incidents and lines of dialogue reveal aspects of characters and propel the action of To Kill a Mockingbird.

TKAM — chapters 14 and 15

Standards

RL.8.3

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.

TKAM — chapter 15
TKAM Movie — 1:00:00–1:07:55

Standards

RL.8.7

Summarize the events described in Heck Tate’s and Bob Ewell’s testimony.

TKAM — chapters 16 and 17

Standards

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.

TKAM — chapter 18

Standards

RL.8.3RL.8.4

Explain how Harper Lee uses specific lines of text to reveal aspects of characters, as well as racial dynamics within Maycomb.

TKAM — chapter 19

Standards

RL.8.3

Explain the impact of Atticus’s word choice and references to historic texts in the development of meaning in his closing argument.

TKAM — chapters 20 and 21

Standards

RL.8.4RL.8.9

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.

TKAM — chapter 20
TKAM Movie — 01:32:25–01:42:48

Standards

RL.8.7

Informative Writing

Gather evidence relevant to the topic.

NAACP Fact Sheet
“Racism and...”
The Persistent ...
“... By the Numbers”
“Washington State...”
Race and...
History of...

Standards

W.8.2W.8.2.b

Informative Writing

Draft body paragraphs and appropriately cite sources.

NAACP Fact Sheet
“Racism and...”
The Persistent ...
“... By the Numbers”
“Washington State...”
Race and...
History of...

Standards

W.8.2W.8.2.aW.8.2.bW.8.8

Informative Writing

Write introductory and concluding statements that frame the article.

NAACP Fact Sheet
“Racism and...”
The Persistent ...
“... By the Numbers”
“Washington State...”
Race and...
History of...

Standards

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.

TKAM — chapters 22 and 23

Standards

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.

TKAM — chapters 24 and 25

Standards

RL.8.3

Explain how Harper Lee uses specific lines of text to reveal aspects of characters, as well as racial dynamics within Maycomb.

TKAM — chapters 26 and 27

Standards

RL.8.3

Explain how Harper Lee uses word choice and literary devices to develop tone and establish a suspenseful mood.

TKAM — chapter 28

Standards

RL.8.4

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.

TKAM — chapter 28
TKAM Movie — 1:53:00–1:57:50

Standards

RL.8.7

Explain how Harper Lee uses specific incidents and lines of text to reveal aspects of characters.

TKAM — chapters 29–31

Standards

RL.8.3

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

TKAM — whole text

Standards

RL.8.2

Socratic Seminar

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

TKAM
Socratic Seminar Guide

Standards

SL.8.1SL.8.1.a

Literary Analysis Writing

Explain the expectations of the writing task and begin to delineate arguments and gather evidence from both sides of the debate.

“Duluth...”
“Despite 'Discomfort'...”
“Why Schools...”
“No, To Kill a...”
“Forget...”

Standards

W.8.1W.8.1.b

Literary Analysis Writing

Develop strong claim statements, including a counterclaim, and continue to draft body paragraphs.

“Duluth...”
“Despite 'Discomfort'...”
“Why Schools...”
“No, To Kill a...”
“Forget...”

Standards

W.8.1W.8.1.a

Literary Analysis Writing

Complete a full draft of a letter, including a logical introduction and concluding paragraph.

“Duluth...”
“Despite 'Discomfort'...”
“Why Schools...”
“No, To Kill a...”
“Forget...”

Standards

W.8.1W.8.1.aW.8.1.e

Literary Analysis Writing

Provide meaningful feedback to peers and incorporate peer feedback into own writing.

“Duluth...”
“Despite 'Discomfort'...”
“Why Schools...”
“No, To Kill a...”
“Forget...”

Standards

W.8.1W.8.5

2 days

Content Assessment

“The Man in the Well” — paragraphs 1-19

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