Reading: To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
General Aims:
- Ss will be able to relate certain events to their own personal experience
- expansion of the vocabulary
- Ss get active
- improve speaking skills (discussions, presentations, role plays)
- improve writing skills (writing role plays, scripts, essay)
Level: Advanced
Main Topic:
- moral education
Session / Tasks (reading, speaking, listening, writing) / Aims/Focus
1 / Introducing To Kill a Mockingbird:
- Using the title and cover design (to speculate about the book, its story and mood), p. 17
- Biographical montage, p. 23
- Creating a sketch of the author, p. 23
- Guessing at missing information, p. 26
- Point of order (jigsaw ordering activity), p. 29
- creating atmosphere, arouse interest in Ss (book and author)
2 / Part One, Chapter 1:
- Ordering sentences in the order they happen in the first chapter (Jumbled events, p. 46).
- Analysing quotes: Who is speaking? What are they talking about?
- Presenting the Finch family, Finch household and neighbourhood. Ss work in groups and have to present people who appear in chapter one.
- introduction of the main characters
3 / Chapters 2-3:
- Introduction: T shows picture of first day at school.
- Ss write about their first day at school and compare it to Scout’s first day at school. Ss read their stories to their classmates.
- Reading the beginning of chapter four and Ss have to predict what happens next (one Radley tree catches Scout’s attention).
- Ss relate events in the book with their own experience (personalising)
4 / Chapters 4-6
- Ss sit in a circle and talk about the topic of “test of courage” (Mutprobe). Ss talk about their experiences.
- Whole class has to come up with 5 key points for chapters 4,5,6.
- Ss work in three groups and write a summary of chapters 4,5,6 and have to use Connectors (p. 57) as well as the 5 key points. Ss have to present their results.
- Whole class feedback on summaries.
- Ss personalise events in the book
5 / Chapters 7-8:
- T shows pictures of things that appear in chapter 7. Ss have to guess what they are and have to decide why they are important in the story.
- Ss have to write an article for the local newspaper about the fire.
- Ss use language actively (writing their own reports)
6 / Chapters 9-11:
- Whole class watches film (chapter 9-11)
- Whole class discusses quote:
- Ss read chapter 11 for themselves
- Ss have to decide which sentences are true or false, p. 43.
- Ss compare and contrast the book with the film
- Ss get to a central topic of the book
7 / Part Two, Chapters 12-13:
- Whole class reads chapter 12.
- Ss have to do “Choose the statement”, p. 70.
- Ss have to read chapter 13 and while reading they should think about the relationship between aunt Alexandra, Scout and Atticus.
- Discussion based on questionnaires: looking at the relationship.
- Ss analyse characters and their relationships
8 / Chapters 14-15:
- Ss have to design a missing poster (p. 65) about Dill.
- Whole class feedback on poster.
- Whole class reads up to page 167 and Ss work in groups and decide what is going to happen next.
- Ss present their group results.
- Whole class finishes reading chapter 15.
- Ss get active and use their imagination
9 / Chapters 16-17:
- Ss work in two groups and write a script (for a film) for chapter 16 and 17.
- Ss present their results.
- Whole class watches film and compares what is different in the film to their own script.
- Ss practise their writing skills
10 / Chapters 18-19:
- Ss have to play jury and talk about the cross-examination and the evidence given by the witnesses
- Ss have to come to a first verdict about the case and work as a jury.
- Ss practise their oral skills
- Ss can form their own opinions
11 / Chapters 20-22:
- Whole class reads chapter 22
- Ss have to write about people’s reaction to the case in groups and present their results
- Ss have to predict what is going to happen next.
- improving writing skills
12 / Chapters 23-25:
- Ss have to write summaries in three groups and present their result
- T shows picture of a roly-poly, Ss have to guess what kind of animal it is and see next activity.
- Whole class discussion on the roly-poly and the significance to the whole book
- improving writing and speaking skills
13 / Chapters 26-27:
- Question worksheets leading to pair-work in class, p. 39.
- Ss work in pairs and ask each other their questions.
- Whole class listens to recording of chapter 28 (most exciting chapter in the book) and have to think about what happened and what is going to happen next.
- Ss practise their listening abilities
14 / Chapters 28-31:
- T has an envelope with his / her personal highlights (at least 3)
- Ss have to come up with their own highlights and justify
- Whole class opens T’s highlights and whole class discussion, p.85
- Alternative: point of no return, p. 82
- Ss personalise events
15 / Rounding it off:
- What if…
- Talking about major themes. Ss write on cards what the major themes were. Ss play teacher and lead the whole class discussion and come to a decision of what the major themes in the novel are.
- Or Ss choose their favourite scenes, what they didn’t like about the book (personalising).
- Watching the end of the film
- Doing a quiz about the novel (sparknotes) either alone or as a game thing (2 groups – test your knowledge about the novel.
- the book is rounded up
- Ss can test their progress
16 / Examination:
Writing an essay about To Kill a Mockingbird.
Topics:
- The local newspaper has decided to write an article about Atticus and the trial. Write an article in which you examine Atticus’s relationship to the rest of Maycomb and his role in the community.
- Scout is a grown up woman now and writes to Dill and tells him what she is doing now and how her family is. Write the letter.
- Look at the following quote:
Discuss the quote in relation with the novel. /
- task-based learning
Christina Gugger, Martina Gersbach, FDE FS09 1