To Kill A Mockingbird – Introduction
Grade Level: 11
Subject: ELA 20
Teacher: Ms. Herback
Date: 24 March 2014
Overview & Purpose:
BALS & CCC’s:
(What will be learned, Why, Connections)
- Students possess a positive sense of identity
This lesson is going to give an insight into the
and understand how it is shaped through
beginning of the novel, TKAM. We are going to interactions within natural and constructed
look into our individual heritage and how it
environments.
affects us. The purpose of this is to start students - Students are curious, observant, and
thinking about it, so when they read the novel,
reflective as they imagine, explore, and
they will be connecting the novel to their own
construct knowledge.
lives. By viewing the novel, “The Sneetches”
- Students demonstrate confidence, courage,
this will open students eyes up to the
and commitment in shaping positive change
discrimination that will take place throughout the for the benefit of all.
novel. By reflecting on the novel, they can
- Analyze how one’s thinking choices, and
figure out how they are feeling about the video
behaviours affect living and non-living
and start connecting this as well to their own
things, now and in the future.
lives. Then we will dive into the historical
- Demonstrate open-mindedness towards,
context of what was going on at the time that the and respect for, all.
novel was written.
- Learn about various peoples and cultures.
Outcomes & Indicators:
Assessment:
CR 20.1 View, listen to, read, comprehend, and
- Students will be informally assessed
respond to a variety of grade-appropriate First
through their exit slips.
Nations, Metis, Saskatchewan, Canadian, and
- They will also be informally assessed
international texts that address:
through their paragraphs that they
• Identity (e.g., Relationships with Family
write.
and Others);
- I also hope that students will engage
• Social Responsibility (e.g., Evolving
in the educating of the class through
Roles and Responsibilities); and
their sharing of their research.
• Social Action (agency) (e.g., The Past
and the Present).
c. Connect ideas, observations, opinions, and
emotions to understand texts.
e. Make connections between personal
experiences and prior knowledge of traditions,
genres, and a variety of texts.
g. Identify ways that society and culture shape
the content, forms, and language of texts,
including digital texts.
h. Explain ways that languages and texts reveal
and shape understanding of human diversity.
Materials Needed: Group Handouts, Computer
Resources:
Prerequisite Learning: Students may not have any background information on what we are
looking into/learning.
Classroom
Adaptations
To
open:
Ask
students:
Procedure
“What is your heritage? In other words, where is
your family from and how does this influence who
you are? Explain your heritage and how it affects
you in a paragraph of no less then 5 sentences” (10
minutes).
- Before starting to read To Kill A Mockingbird,
students will watch “The Sneetches” by Dr. Suess
(12:09).
- (“The Sneetches” is a tale of how the Star-Belly
Sneetches discriminate against the Plain-Belly
Sneetches, excluding them from games and weenie
roasts, and how Sylvester McMonkey McBean bilks
the town out of all of its money by putting on and/or
removing stars on the persons of Sneetches to the
point that no one can any longer tell who’s who.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdLPe7XjdKc
- Following the viewing of the video, students will be
asked to quickwrite in reaction to the story. They
may be reminded of the Holocaust, guide them to
write about prejudice in general, or have them focus
on who the star bellies are at their school. (15 min)
- Students will be broken up into their row groups, and
each group will have an information sheet about a
historical piece from TKAM. They will read their
sheets and discuss as a group how they can share
these facts with the group.
- The Civil Rights Movement, Brown vs. Board of
Education, Rosa Parks, Montgomery Bus Boycott,
Emmet Till, and The Scottsboro Trials.
- We will discuss the contexts of what was going on as
a group.
- Exit Slip: What is something that you learned or
Closure
liked about today’s lesson?
- If we have time, students will be handed out their
novels.
Classroom Management:
- Students will be seated in their desks, in rows
- Bathroom breaks are preferred to happen at break, however, may be allowed in some
circumstances
- Students will be called upon to answer the questions, if they have questions, they will be
asked to sit quietly and raise their hand until they are called upon
- Cell phones should be put away for the class
Other Information:
Professional Target
Name: Ms. Herback
Date: 24 March 2014
Topic: Promoting Thinking
Specific Target
Students are being actively
involved
Encourages appropriate
attitudes; respects for others
Selects materials for
activities which provide
opportunity for thinking,
which may not have single
correct answers
Teacher provides acceptance
and support, encourages to
think, uses probes, redirects,
uses open-ended questions,
provides time and
opportunity to think
Feedback:
Observer:
Observations
Comments