To Kill a Mockingbird
By Harper Lee
Published 1961
Pulitzer Prize Winner
Agree or Disagree
After a statement is read, choose whether or not
you agree or disagree.
Record the reason why you take this position on
your paper.
Turn the paper in. Title it “Agree or Disagree”
Include your name and date
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Chapter
1
Setting: Mobile, Alabama, 1940s
Plot: This first chapter documents the Finch family and how it came to Alabama.
Simon Finch was a fur-trapping apothecary from England, Cornwall. He was a
Methodist but felt persecuted, so he left and ended up in Mobile, AL. He made
money in medicine, then bought three slaves and established a homestead on the
Alabama River called “Finch’s Landing” and made a living in cotton. Scout retells her
family history from her home in Maycomb, Alabama. Readers are introduced to the
characters in Scout’s life to begin the story and event that lead up to how Jem broke
his arm.
Characters:
Atticus Finch –Mother – died of heart attack when Scout, the narrator, was two and
Jem was six. John Hale Finch, Atticus’s brother. Alexandra, Atticus’s sister remained at the Landing. Jem – narrator’s brother and four years older. Calpurnia –
house cook, African American, acts as Scout’s mother. Dill – comes to town for the
summer, 6-7 years old, Charles Baker Harris. Scout – 6 years old, tomboy, likes to
fight, narrates the story of how her brother comes to break his arm.
Atticus’s role: link to Scout’s past
Jem’s role: Scout’s role model
Quote: “Jem wanted Dill to know once and for all that he wasn’t scared of
anything….Besides, Jem had his little sister to think of (Lee pg 14).
Chapter 2 – “First Day of School”
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Setting: School.
Plot: At first grade, Scout describes her relationship with her new teacher,
Miss Caroline, who didn’t know her students very well. She is upset that
Scout knows how to read. Walter Cunningham – a boy from a poor family,
whose father had to pay Atticus in trade instead of with money. Scout feels
put out by Walter because she has to defend him against Miss Caroline.
Because Scout speaks up for Walter, Scout gets into trouble, hands are
slapped with a ruler, and she has to stand in the corner. Students laughed
at her.
Characters: Miss Caroline, Walter Cunningham
Atticus’s role: Teacher
Jem’s changes: He will walk Scout to school, but won’t play with her at
school. He is pulling away from her during certain situations.
Quote: “We’ll do like we always do at home,’ he said, ‘but you’ll see –
school’s different” (Lee 16).
Chapter 3 – “Home and School”
Setting: Same day at school, next day and that evening
Plot: Jem has to break up a fight Scout starts with Walter
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Jem asks Walter to dinner and shares his news about touching the Radley
house. Walter thinks Jem’s brave.
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While Walter is eating, he pours molasses over his food. Scout complains and
then is scolded by Calpurnia.
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The next school day, Burris Ewell has head lice and is sent home.
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Scout talks to Atticus about the Ewells and teaching her to read.
Characters: Ewell family
Atticus’s role: Scout asked Atticus about staying home from school. She also tells
him about not being about to read to her. Atticus has two messages:
Jem’s role: Starts to apply world situations to himself. Jem stays up in the tree
house as a protest against Atticus.
Quote: “Sometimes it’s better to bend the law a little in special cases” (Lee
31)
Compromise is reached “…an agreement reached by mutual concessions…..If
you’ll concede the necessity of going to school, we’ll go on reading every
night just as we always have” (Lee 31).
Chapter 4- “The Neighborhood”
Setting: Summer
Plot: a) Scout find tin foil and gum in the tree knot-hole of the two live oaks at the edge of the
Radley lot. (37)
b) The second gift – a tiny shiny package, “small box patchworked with bits of tinfoil collected
from chewing gum wrappers…Inside were two scrubbed and polished pennies….Indian-heads”
(38-39)
c) Jem decides to keep them until school starts. (39) Jem will keep them in his trunk.
d) Kids start playing Boo Radley Games. Scout rolls in a tire into Boo’s yard. Later they are
playing the Boo Radley Game and Attitucs catches them. Scout tells Jem she had heard Boo’s
voice, a laugh coming from the house when she was in his yard.
Characters:. Neighbors
a) Cecil Jacobs – lives at the far end of the street, next door to the post office. (39)
b) Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose – lives two doors up the street from Scout and Jem – said to
be the meanest old woman ever. (39)
c) Dill arrives for the summer - Says his father is the president of the L & N Railroad, lives at
Miss Rachel’s
Atticus’s advice or role: He catches the children trying to make Boo come out. In this chapter, he
is a disciplinarian wanting the kids to stay away from his house.
Jem’s changes – In this chapter, Jem begins to feel that he can assert himself.
Quote: “Until it happened I did not realize that Jem was offended by my contradicting him on Hot
Steams, and that he was patiently awaiting an opportunity to reward me (Lee 37).
Chapter 5 - Summer
Setting: Summer time in the neighborhood
Plot: We learn that Dill wants to marry Scout. She tries to stay on Jem’s good side but
slows down the Boo Radley game. A new game started by trying to give a note to
Boo Radley. The kids are trying to ‘make Boo come out.’ During the attempt, the Jem
has to place the note on the sill and Atticus catches them. “Son...stop tormenting that
man.”(54) Jem thinks twice about being a lawyer
Characters:
a) Miss Maudie Atkinson – always spent time outdoors, thrust out her bridgework, sat
on the porch at five o’clock. Made the best cake in the neighborhood. Believes Boo
is alive. Daughter of Dr. Frank Buford and knew Uncle Jack as a child.
Atticus’s lesson: He teaches the kids how to treat Boo Radley
Jem’s changes: Jem turns against Atticus because he doesn’t like what he was told to
do. Up until this point, Scout sees Jem as a smart, older brother. Now she questions
whether or not it is wise to go against Atticus.
Quote to show Atticus’s lesson: “I’m going to tell you seomthing and tell you one
time: stop tormenting that man” (Lee 49).
Oral Presentations – 60 pts.
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You will be assigned one chapter to read, summarize, and present
to the class. (5 pts for being on time)
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Presentation guidelines (8-10 minutes):
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Describe setting (5 pts)
Summarize plot (10 pts)
 Introduce characters (5 pts)
 Provide a prediction – what do you think will happen next? (5 pts)
 Answer the following questions –
What advice does Atticus give to Scout and/or Jem? (10 pts)
 How does Scout see Jem at this point? (10 pts)
READ AN EXAMPLE FROM THE TEXT to show either the lesson or Jem’s
changes– (10 pts)
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Oral Presentation Student Notes
With each student oral presentation, the
audience will record the important
information as well as the specific
examples about Jem and Atticus.
GOAL: Compile resources for a paragraph
about Atticus and an essay about Jem.
Quickwrite #1
Develop an eleven sentence paragraph discussing the
the relationship Scout has with Jem.
 Begin with a topic sentence –
i.e.Scout and Jem’s relationship can be described as…..
Reasons this is true:
1.___________
2.___________
3.___________
Each reason has an example and an explanation.
Sentence eleven draws the paragraph to a closing.
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Vocabulary
Directions: On a separate piece of paper, define the italicized words in each sentence.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
“…Jem’s fears of never being able to play football were assuaged…”
“All we had was Simon, Finch, a fur-trading apothecary from Cornwall whose piety exceeded only by his stinginess.”
“So Simon, having forgotten his teacher’s dictum on the possession of human chattels, bought three slaves…”
Simon would have regarded with impotent fury the disturbance between the North and the South…”
“She married a taciturn man…”
“Atticus’s office in the courthouse contained little more than a hat rack, a spittoon, a checkerboard and an unsullied Code of
Alabama.”
“The Haverfords...were impudent enough to do it in the presence of three witnesses…”
“They ambled across the square…”
“Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom.”
“The Radleys, welcome anywhere in town, kept to themselves, a predilection unforgivable in Maycomb.”
“…not waiting to see if his foray was successful.”
“Jem condescended to take me to school the first day…”
“…Jem cut me from the covey of first-graders in the schoolyard.”
“Entailment was only a part of Mr. Cunningham’s vexations.”
“My sojourn in the corner was a short on.”
“Jem’s free dispensation of my pledge irked me.”
“She was furious, and when she was furious Calpurnia’s grammar became erratic.”
“Atticus’s voice was flinty.”
“He gave a short contemptuous snort.”
“’Ain’t got no mother,’ was the answer, ‘and their paw’s right contentious.”
Bonus:
“He was among the most diminutive of the men
Background to TKM
Background to Harper Lee
Chapters 6-10 – Marking
Inferences
Chapter 11 – Relationships in the
neighborhood
Chapters 12 -14 - Picking a Topic
Chapter 15
Why the mob broke up
Chapters 16 -22
Preparing for the Essay
The Trial
Atticus’s Closing Remarks
Boo and Scout’s Relationship
Final Chapters
The incidents that impact Jem
Essay Brainstorming
Essay Outline
Essay Sample
Essay Rubric