To Kill a Mockingbird: A Photographic Exploration
Abby Curry
Lincoln Community High School
Summer 2012
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division,
FSA/OWI Collection, LC-USF34-051383-D
To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel written by Harper Lee. The novel is widely taught in
classrooms throughout the country and focuses heavily on racial injustices and loss of children’s’
innocence. Set in fictitious Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression, the novel contains
many people, places, events, and ideas that can easily be compared to historical occurrences and
figures. The book, though fictional, contains many allusions to historical people, speeches, and
events. The use of primary sources in conjunction with To Kill a Mockingbird can help students
to better understand the Great Depression, life in the Southern United States during the 1930s,
and racial tension and injustices that individuals experienced during the era.
Through this lesson, students will analyze a set primary source set and draw parallels to people,
places, and events in To Kill a Mockingbird. Students will be given a set of five photographs
connected in some way to To Kill a Mockingbird or its historical premise. Students will analyze
the photographs using the analysis tools available through the Library of Congress. Further,
students will be selecting one photograph to analyze in a more in-depth manner, making specific
connections between the photograph and the novel.
Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview
Objectives
Recommended time frame
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Students will:
 Utilize primary source documents to increase
knowledge of historical settings
 Analyze primary source photographs from To Kill a
Mockingbird era America
 Make connections between primary sources and
literary characters and settings
 Write an in-depth description of a primary source
photograph, integrating knowledge of To Kill a
Mockingbird characters, events, and settings
One 50 minute class period + possible out-of-class time
for written assignment
This lesson would fit into one class period if students
already had background knowledge on the historical
aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird. The lesson should be
utilized after students have gained an understanding of
the characters in the novel and their way of life. The
lesson fits well into Part One of the novel, somewhere
after chapter five or six.
Grade level
Curriculum fit
Materials
If students are unfamiliar with things such as the Great
Depression, Jim Crowe Laws, Alabama, and life in the
South during the 1930s, this lesson could easily be
extended to integrate further information on those
topics. The lesson could easily be adapted to two or
three class periods, depending on the amount of
information covered and the complexities of the in-class
discussions.
9th-11th
Common Core Standards address lesson as it would be
included in a literature unit in a Freshman English
course. To Kill a Mockingbird is also frequently
included in a Junior level American Literature course.
English/Language Arts
This lesson could also fit into a Social Studies course.
Rather than drawing comparisons to characters and
events from Mockingbird, activities could be replaced
with connections to historical themes, people, and
events.
 Teacher access to loc.gov
 Copies of five primary source photographs (see
resource table) for each student. Photographs
should be numbered.
 Photograph Primary Source Analysis Worksheet
(Adopted from
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/re
sources/Analyzing_Photographs_and_Prints.pdf )
 Photograph/Novel Integration Writing Worksheet
 Copies of To Kill a Mockingbird
Common Core Standards
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Reading: Literature:
CC.9-10.RL.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a
text and analyze in detail its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is
shaped and refined by specific details; provide an
objective summary of the text.
CC.9-10.RL.3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g.,
those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop
over the course of a text, interact with other characters,
and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Reading: Informational Text:
CC.9-10.RI.9. Analyze seminal U.S. documents of
historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington’s
Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s
Four Freedoms speech, King’s “Letter from
Birmingham Jail”), including how they address related
themes and concepts.
Writing:
CC.9-10.W.3. Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured
event sequences.
CC.9-10.W.10. Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for
a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Procedures
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Background information:
 Begin class by reviewing the following topics with
students: setting of the novel (Maycomb, based on
Harper Lee’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama),
the Great Depression, Jim Crowe Laws, life in the
South during the 1930s, Finch/Ewell economic state,
landmarks and buildings from the novel.
 Call on students and ask questions such as:
 Where does the novel take place?
 What does life seem to be like in Maycomb?
 What was going on in the world during the Great
Depression?
 What were Jim Crowe Laws?
 How did racism affect people in the South
during this time?
 How was Harper Lee’s life like Scout’s life?
Use direct questioning techniques to informally
assess students and to assist with review. Questions
can be adapted to fit the need for review. (5
minutes)
Introduction:
 Explain to students that they are going to be looking
at some photographs from the South during the time
in which To Kill a Mockingbird takes place.
 Explain to students that these are primary sources.
All of these photographs were taken at the time we
are studying; they are not depictions of historical
events, people, and places created after the fact.
Explain to students that these photographs were
gathered from the Library of Congress website, and
explain to them that the LOC has a plethora of
primary source documents that relate to topics they
are studying in all courses, not just English. (5
minutes)
 Distribute copies of the primary source set of
photographs relating to To Kill a Mockingbird to
each student.
 Ask them to look over the photographs and make
general observations.
 Tell them that the photographs are not actually from
the story, but they depict realistic versions of the
contents of the book. Students may write on their
handouts as much as they wish.
 Give students two to three minutes to look over and
make observations. Each of the photographs is
numbered for ease of discussion and later
assignments. (5 minutes)
 Initiate a discussion with students about the
photographs. Ask students what is happening in the
pictures?
 What are the people doing?
 What are the settings?
 What is in the background of each picture?
 How do the people and places in the pictures
relate to the novel?
 Allow students to volunteer responses, or call on
students to facilitate discussion. Allow them to
make careful observations, while keeping students
on task. (10 minutes)
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

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


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Distribute copies of the Photograph Analysis Sheet
to each student. On one side of this sheet, students
will find the Photography Analysis worksheet, and
on the other side, students will find a writing prompt
relating to the photograph they select for analysis.
Students will refer to the writing prompt later.
As Analysis sheets are being distributed to students,
tell them that this worksheet will help them to take a
careful look at one of the photographs. They will be
able to select which picture they want to analyze.
Have each student select one of the photographs that
they wish to further analyze. Have them write the
number of the photograph next to their name at the
top of the worksheet.
Introduce the Primary Source Analysis Worksheet to
Students. Go over instructions. Do a few of the first
questions together. Call on a student. Ask him or
her which photograph they have selected. Ask them
to consider the first item “Describe what you see.”
Ask the class if anyone else selected that photo and
what they would describe.
After the class has gone over the first few together,
give students time to complete their analysis. As
students work, circulate the room to address any
questions. Remind students that there are no right or
wrong answers. Nobody knows exactly who these
people are or what they were doing when the
photographs were taken. (15 minutes)
After the majority of students have finished their
analysis, ask all to stop. If they are not finished they
will be able to finish for homework. Spend 2-3
minutes answering any questions and having
students share their observations.
The final activity for this lesson is a writing
assignment. Ask students to flip over their analysis
worksheets. On the back is a writing assignment
based on the photograph they just analyzed.
Go over the instructions and the example with the
students (See handout for additional details). Ask if
students have any questions. Students may spend
the remainder of the class period working on this
assignment. Remind students that written work is
due the next day. (7 minutes)
Evaluation
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This learning experience will be evaluated both formally
and informally.
 The students will be informally assessed as we
review and discuss the photographs. They will be
assessed on their knowledge of historical topics
relating to the novel, their comprehension of the
novel, and their ability to analyze and think critically
about primary sources.


Students will be formally assessed through a
worksheet and a written activity. Students will
complete a Photograph Analysis worksheet and will
be given a grade for completing the activity. The
participation points awarded for completion of this
task could vary greatly depending on the grading
system in place in the classroom. I would suggest
10 points for fully and thoroughly completing the
worksheet. 9 points for completing each question
with some requiring more information. 8 points
could be awarded for a student who completed all
questions but lacked depth and thoroughness on
several. The number of points awarded would go
down based on the number of skipped questions.
Students will also be formally assessed on their
ability to analyze primary sources documents and
their ability to make connections between the
photographs and the novel. Students are given a
series of questions that serve as prompts for a
written assignment. The written work will be
assessed using a rubric. The rubric for this
assignment is very simplistic, as the writing
assignment is not intended to be a formal piece
evoking all steps of the writing process. The written
portion of this assignment is worth 25 points.
Students will be given credit for making
observations, following instructions, and making
connections. Students will also be assessed on their
grammar/mechanics.
Extension
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A great extension to this activity would be a
continuation into day two.
 On day two, students could be grouped according to
the photographs they selected. 3-4 students per
group, and more than one group could be formed
based on the same photo.
 In small groups, students could first edit each others’
writing, and then students could compare responses.
It is very interesting the number of different
responses, connections, and observations that
students will generate based on the same
photograph.
 Students would spend 10-15 minutes in their small
groups and then would orally share findings.
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
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Image
Description
Negro drinking at
"Colored" water
cooler in streetcar
terminal,
Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma
Son of
sharecropper to be
resettled on
Skyline Farms,
Alabama.
Street scene,
Greensboro,
Alabama
First grade
children and
teacher. Goodman
School, Coffee
County, Alabama
Citation
Library of
Congress,
Prints &
Photographs
Division, FSAOWI
Collection,
LC-DIG-fsa8a26761 DLC
Library of
Congress,
Prints &
Photographs
Division, FSAOWI
Collection,
LC-USF33002082-M4
DLC
Library of
Congress,
Prints &
Photographs
Division,
FSA/OWI
Collection,
LC-USF3301031298-M2
Library of
Congress,
Prints &
Photographs
Division,
FSA/OWI
Collection,
LC-USF34051383-D
URL
http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/fsaall:@fi
eld(NUMBER+@band(fsa+8a
26761))
http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/fsaall:@fi
eld(NUMBER+@band(fsa+8a
07257))
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/ite
m/fsa1998016833/PP/
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/ite
m/fsa2000031770/PP/
.
Resettled farmer
who, under
supervision, is
making furniture,
Jackson County,
Alabama
Library of
Congress,
Prints &
Photographs
Division,
FSA/OWI
Collection,
LC-USF33T01-002069M3
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/ite
m/fsa1997007170/PP/
Rubric
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To Kill a Mockingbird: Photograph/Novel Written Connections
Observations, Details, Exploration/Analysis of Questions
5
4
3
2
1
Examples from To Kill a Mockingbird
5
4
3
2
1
Productive Use of Time/Preparation
5
4 3 2
1
Grammar/Writing Conventions
5
4
3
2
1
Connections
5
4
3
2
1
Total ______ / 25
Handouts
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Photograph Analysis Worksheet
Name________________________
Photograph Number ____________
Analyzing Photographs & Prints
Use the following questions as a guide to help you analyze primary source photographs. There are
no right or wrong answers, and your observations might differ from your classmates.
1. OBSERVE—Identify and note details.

Describe what you see.

What do you notice first?

What people and objects are shown?

How are they arranged?

What is the physical setting?

What other details can you see?
2. REFLECT—Generate and test hypotheses about the image.
 Why do you think this image was made?

What’s happening in the image?

When do you think it was made?

What can you learn from examining this image?

What’s missing from this image?
3. QUESTION—Ask questions to lead to more observations and reflections.
What do you wonder about...
 Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?
Name_________________
Photograph Number______
To Kill a Mockingbird: A Photographic Exploration
Directions: Consider how the photograph you just analyzed fits into the world of To Kill a Mockingbird., primarily
answering the question: How are the people in the photograph connected to the characters, settings, and events
in To Kill a Mockingbird?
You may include observations from the analysis worksheet you just complete, and you should consider the
following questions: What is happening in the picture? Who do the people in the photograph remind you of? What
might they be doing in Maycomb? What would Scout and Jem think about them? Are they friends with any of the
characters? What part of town are they from?
You may use the bottom of this page to write about the photograph. Many of you will require additional space, and
you should continue on a sheet of notebook paper. Any additional pages should be stapled prior to turning in your
assignment.
Example:
The people in this photograph remind me a lot of the Cunninghams. They
look like they are poor, and they probably can’t afford a nice house or new
clothes. The child in the picture isn’t wearing any shoes. The depression is
probably hitting them harder than the Finches. The people in the picture
might be waiting for their dad to come home. In Maycomb, these people
might be farmers or some sort. Or, they could be living off the government
like the Ewells. Scout and Jem would probably not judge these people.
They get along well with little Walter Cunningham, so I think they would
get along okay with this child. These people probably live on the outskirts
of town or out in the country. They probably don’t live in the same
neighborhood as Scout and Jim and Miss Maudie.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection,
LC-USF33-T01-002390-M3 DLC
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To Kill a Mockingbird: A Photographic Exploration
Photographs for Analysis
1.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, LC-USF33-T01002069-M3
2.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, LC-USF34-051383D
3.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, LC-USF3301031298-M2
4.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, LC-USF33002082-M4 DLC
5.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, LC-DIG-fsa8a26761 DLC