
Make a list of characters and write a brief
description of each. Add to this list as new
characters are introduced. Cite evidence from
the text that supports you answer.



Who is the narrator of this story? What do we
know about her? Cite evidence from the text.
Describe the setting of the story. Include 3
citations that describe the setting from the
text.
Make a prediction about something that
might happen in the story citing evidence
from the text to support your ideas.
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

Habitually (9)
Contentment (9)
Vapid (10)
Malevolent (10)
Predilection (11)
Flivver (12)
Nebulous (14)
Illicitly (23)
Compelled (23)
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Vexations (27)
Sojourn (29)
Contentious (36)
Diminutive (36)
Fractious (38)
Aloft (42)

Plan and write a five paragraph essay that
addresses one of the following prompts:





How is Miss Caroline different from her students?
Cite an examples from the text.
Scout said that when Miss Caroline “discovered
that I was literate” she “looked at me with more
than faint distaste” (Lee 21). Why do you think
Miss Caroline acted this way?
Why did Walter lie about having his lunch?
How does Atticus get paid by his very poor
clients?
What do we learn about social classes in this
story? Cite an example from the text.
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

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
Why does Scout attack Walter?
What does Jem do when he sees the fight?
Describe Walter using a citation from the text.
Why does Calpurnia get angry with Scout at lunch?
Why does Miss Caroline “freak out” after lunch?
What does Burris mean when he says, “I done my
time for this year” (Lee 35)?
How does Calpurnia treat Scout when she comes
home? Cite evidence.
What does Atticus say about empathy on page 39?
Why does Atticus feel differently about the Ewells
and the Cunninghams? What does this say about
Atticus’ values? Cite evidence.

Why does Scout question the educational method (“The
Dewey Decimal System”) used to teach her?

What did Scout find on the way home from school outside the
Radley Place? And what did she do with it?

How does Scout describe her relationship with Calpurnia now?

What else does Scout find the next time she goes to the tree?

Who comes to visit with the beginning of Summer?

What is a “Hot Steam”?

What is the game the children play all summer?

Why do you think Atticus is unhappy to think that the game is
about Boo Radley?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Who is Miss Maudie?
What does Miss Maudie tell Scout about Boo Radley?
Cite evidence.
How does Scout feel about Miss Maudie in
comparison to Miss Stephanie? Cite evidence.
What does Miss Maudie think/feel about Atticus? Cite
evidence.
What was Boo like as a child?
What are Jem and Dill planning to do? Why?
Is Dill telling the truth about his father? Why do you
think he is or isn’t?
Who shows up when Dill is ringing the bell?
What does Atticus mean when he said the children
were wanting to “put <Boo’s> life’s history on
display for the edification of the neighborhood” (Lee
65)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What are Jem and Dill “up to” now?
What goes wrong?
Who catches them and what does he/she do?
Cite evidence.
Who gets blamed for what happens? Cite
evidence.
What does Jem lose and why is that a problem
for him? Cite evidence.
What does Jem have to do? Is he successful?
In your opinion, what is the most important
thing that has happening in this chapter? Why?
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





Auspicious (43)
Scuppernongs (56)
Edification (65)
Ramshackle (70)
Dismemberment (73)
Malignant (74)
Bewilderment (75)
Perpetual (79)
Cleaved (82)
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
Caricature (90)
Postponement (100)
Analogous (103)
Provocation (105)
Gravitated (107)
Obstreperous (113)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What does Jem tell Scout about “the pants incident”? Why is
this information significant?
What is the first treasure they find in the tree in this chapter?
What do they decide to do about it?
Who do the dolls resemble? Who do you think made them?
Why?
What is the significance of the medal? Why is it a clue to who is
leaving the treasures?
What is the final treasure?
Are the treasures intended for Jem and Scout? Why or why not?
Why don’t they want to tell Atticus about the treasures?
How do they decide to thank the giver? And what happens
when they do?
Who did that to the tree and why? Cite evidence.
Why do you think Jem is crying?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Who was rumored to have killed Mrs. Radley? Cite the
evidence.
Why is Atticus impressed with snowman? Who does it
resemble?
What is a caricature?
What happened in the middle of the night?
What happened with the blanket? Cite the evidence.
How did Miss Maudie feel after the event? Why? Cite the
evidence.
What are you predicting might happen in the story now that
you know more?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
What is the problem Scout has at the beginning of the chapter?
Who is Tom Robinson? What is he like? Cite evidence.
Why doesn’t the town want Atticus to defend Tom? Cite
evidence.
Why does Atticus want to defend Tom? Cite evidence.
What does Atticus mean when he says “Just because we were
licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us
not to try to win” (Lee 101)?
What did Scout do differently the next time Cecil antagonized
her? Cite evidence.
How are Scout and Atticus alike? Cite evidence.
What happens between Francis and Scout?
Why does Scout get in trouble?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
What does Scout mean when she says, “I committed myself to
a policy of cowardice” (Lee 119)?
Why is it a “sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119)? How does
knowing this help you understand the title of the book?
Who is the mockingbird in this book? Why? Explain in detail.
Why do Jem and Scout “have the benefit of <their> father’s
age” (Lee 120)?
What is wrong with Tim Johnson?
What does Atticus do with Tim?
Why is this act significant in the eyes of Scout and Jem? How
does it change their understanding of their father?
Why doesn’t Jem want Scout to talk about it?
What do we learn about Atticus in Chapter 10? Cite evidence.







Choose 5 of your own
words up through the
end of Chapter 14
Apoplectic (133)
Antagonized (145)
Beholden (149)
Habiliments (156)
Denoted (157)
Denunciation (162)
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


Affirmative (171)
Summoned (176)
Obscure (180)
Infallible (187)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Describe Mrs. Dubose.
How do Jem and Scout feel about her? Cite evidence.
How does Mrs. Dubose upset Jem? What does he do about it?
Cite evidence.
What did Calpurnia do after she heard about what Jem did?
Why do you think she did that?
What is the punishment?
What happens to Mrs. Dubose when Jem and Scout show up
for the punishment? Cite evidence.
What happens to Mrs. Dubose? Cite evidence.
What do they learn about what is wrong with Mrs. Dubose in
the end? Cite evidence.
What does Atticus think of her? Why? Cite evidence.
How does Atticus explain “real courage” (Lee 149)? And why
will courage matter to them all soon?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Where does Calpurnia take the children? Why? Cite evidence.
Why is the place named the way it is?
What happens while they are there?
Why do they collect money?
Why Isn’t it easy for this group to donate? What makes this
collection especially poignant?
What does Scout learn about Tom Robinson’s accuser?
What is the crime of which Tom has been accused? Cite
evidence.
What is the name of the laws that Tom was breaking?
How does Calpurnia speak differently at home and at work?
Why does she say she does? What does Scout think about it?
Cite evidence.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
According to Alexandra, why has she come to “visit”? Does Scout
believe her? Why or why not?
Why might Maycomb be so ready to “welcome” (Lee 171) Aunt
Alexandra? (What might the townspeople think she can do for them?)
What are five words you could use to describe Aunt Alexandra? Cite
evidence that supports your ideas.
Why do you think Scout spends so much time talking about the
history of the town and its ancestry?
Why does Aunt Alexandra object to Scout going back to Cal’s church?
What does Alexandra want Atticus to do about Cal? How does Atticus
respond? Cite evidence.
Why do Jem and Scout fight? Cite evidence.
What does Scout find under the bed? Why? What does Atticus do?
Why does their visitor say he left home? Cite evidence.
Is the story true? Why or why not?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Why does Sheriff Heck Tate show up at the Finch’s
house one night? Who was with him? Why?
Why is Jem scared? Cite evidence.
What does Atticus think is going to happen? What
does he do to prevent it from happening? Cite
evidence.
What do Jem and Scout do after Atticus leaves?
What happens when they find him? Cite evidence.
Why do Atticus’ actions demonstrate his strength?
What happens between Scout and Mr. Cunningham?
How does it all end?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What point is Atticus trying to make when he says, “Anything fit to
say at the table's fit to say in from of Calpurnia” (Lee 209)?
What does Atticus mean when he says, “Maybe we need a police for of
children…you children last night made Walter Cunningham stand in
my shoes for minute” (Lee 210)?
Who refused to go to court? Why? Cite evidence.
Out of the people waiting, who gets to enter the court room first?
Why? Cite evidence.
Where do Jem and Scout sit in the courtroom? Why? Cite evidence.
What is a theme that is starting to emerge in the story? Cite 3 sources
of evidence to support that theme.




Choose 15 words from TKAM that you do not
know.
Get my approval for those words.
Complete a vocabulary worksheet on those
words.
Suggestion: Write down the citations as you
find the words
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Who is Mr. Gilmer? Where is he from? Why is he from elsewhere?
What are the details of the crime according to Mr. Tate? Is he biased?
Why or why not? Cite evidence.
What is the focus of Atticus’ cross examination? (What does he seem
to be curious about?) Cite evidence.
Why does Scout feel sorry for Mr. Gilmer on page 229?
What is the judge’s admonition to Ewell? Cite evidence. (Look up
admonition if you need to.)
What biases are present in Ewell’s testimony? How might these biases
affect justice? Cite evidence.
What does the judge do when he gets a request to clear the
courtroom of women and children? Why? Cite evidence.
Is Ewell credible? Why or why not? Cite evidence.
Why might Ewell not have gone for a doctor?
Why does Atticus care about Ewell’s handedness?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
What is Mayella’s problem with Atticus? Cite evidence.
What does Jem think Mayella is trying to do with the judge?
Cite evidence.
How are Ewell and Mayella different? Cite evidence.
What biases are affecting Mayella’s testimony? Why might
those biases affect justice? Cite evidence.
When Atticus asks why no one came to her aid what does
Mayella do/say? Cite evidence.
What is the problem with Tom? Cite evidence.
How does that problem affect his culpability? (Look up
culpability if you need to.) Cite evidence.
Is Tom guilty? Why or why not? Cite evidence.
Should Tom be convicted? Why or why not?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
How did Tom injure his arm? What happened to Tom after that
incident? How might this information bias the court/jury?
How does Tom know Mayella?
Why is Mayella rejected by people of all races, according to
Scout? Cite evidence.
How did Tom treat her differently? Cite evidence.
How does Mayella feel about Tom?
What does Tom say happened on the day of the alleged crime?
Why does Tom look guilty? In your opinion, is Tom guilty? Why
or why not?
Who is Link Deas? What does he say about Tom? How does the
judge react to Deas? Cite evidence.
Summarize what happens at the end of the chapter.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Read all three chapters.
What is the most significant evidence that sides with the
prosecution? What bias is present? How might this bias affect
the verdict? Cite 3 pieces of supportive evidence.
What is the most significant evidence that sides with the
defense? What bias is present? How might this bias affect the
verdict? Cite 3 pieces of supportive evidence.
Is the verdict right or wrong? Why? Cite 3 pieces of evidence
that supports your point of view.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What concerns does Jem have about the justice system?
Do you agree or disagree with him? Cite evidence.
Was the jury unanimous in their verdict? Cite evidence.
Why does Alexandra tell Scout that Walter Cunningham
cannot come to dinner?
About what are the women of the missionary circle
complaining? Cite evidence.
What does Atticus come home to tell everyone? Cite
evidence.
Why did it happen?
Was justice served? Why or why not?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What did Atticus have to do after hearing the news
about Tom?
How does the town blame Tom for his own death? Is the
town right or wrong? Why or why not? Cite evidence.
What does Mr. Underwood do? Cite evidence.
What did Ewell mean when he said “one down and about
two more to go” (Lee 323)? What does this imply about
Ewell and his role in what happened to Tom Robinson?
How does Scout relate Hitler’s persecution of the Jews
to what happens in Maycomb? Cite evidence.




Choose 15 words from TKAM that you do not
know.
Get my approval for those words.
Complete a vocabulary worksheet on those
words.
Suggestion: Write down the citations as you
find the words
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What happens to Ewell after the trial? Cite evidence.
What happens to Judge Taylor after the trial? Why? Cite evidence.
What happened to Helen Robinson after Tom’s death? Cite
evidence.
What does Ewell say/do to Helen? Who helps her?
What does Maycomb decide to do for Halloween this year? What
was Scout’s costume?
What is the purpose of Chapter 27?
What happens to Jem and Scout on their way home? Be specific.
This will take a short paragraph to answer. Cite evidence.
Who helps the kids and brings Jem home? Cite evidence.
What is wrong with Jem? How is he hurt?
Who is dead? Why?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What is the most important thing we learn in chapter 29? Cite
evidence.
Who does Atticus this killed Ewell? Cite evidence.
What does Atticus believe should happen to him/her? Cite
evidence.
What does happen?
How does the story end?
Choose a theme in TKAM and write three paragraphs that
discuss how the theme is demonstrated at the beginning,
middle, and end of the story. Use citations in each chapter.