Summary
In this lesson, students examine how the author uses symbolism to develop characterization and theme in Part One of To Kill a Mockingbird. Students specifically examine human nature through readings, a Four Corners activity, and a Flipgrid reflection.
Essential Question(s)
How does the author use symbolism to develop characterization and theme? Are humans inherently good or evil? How does inherent human nature impact prejudice?
Snapshot
Engage
Students vote for the best and worst characters in To Kill a Mockingbird and participate in a Four Corners activity about human nature.
Explore
Students read an article and use the Why-Lighting strategy to annotate article.
Explain
Students and their partners discuss the Four Corners quotes from different points of view that have been clarified and informed by the reading.
Extend
Students read excerpts from the text and complete a chart on human nature.
Evaluate
Students record a Sentence, Phrase, Word on Flipgrid that summarizes their points of view on human nature.
Materials
Engage
Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Display slide 2. Remind students we are continuing the To Kill a Mockingbird Unit. Review the essential questions for the unit on slide 3: How does the author use symbolism to develop characterization and theme? How does inherent human nature impact prejudice?
Display slide 4. Review the learning objective for today's lesson: Students will evaluate character descriptions to answer the question: Are humans inherently good or evil?
Have students brainstorm a list of morals or characteristics that would make a person "good," and have them make a second list of morals or characteristics that would make a person "bad." Have students vote on which character in To Kill a Mockingbird is the best character and which is the worst character.
Move to slide 5. Instruct students in the Four Corners strategy.
Have students walk around the room and read each of the mini-posters displayed in each corner of the classroom. Ask each student to think about which quotation most closely expresses their opinion.
Instruct students to consider their own reasoning carefully and to evaluate their thoughts before standing near the poster that best matches their opinions.
You can also display the quotes using the appropriate slides 6-12.
Human nature is not of itself vicious. - Thomas Paine (slide 6)
Everyone is a moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody. - Mark Twain (slide 7)
Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity. - Xun Zi (slide 8)
Man's nature is not essentially evil. - Mahatma Gandhi (slide 9)
Human nature is potentially aggressive and destructive and potentially orderly and constructive. - Margaret Mead (slide 10)
All human beings are commingled out of good and evil. - Robert Louis Stevenson (slide 11)
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. - Psalm 51:5 (slide 12)
Explore
Distribute the article Behind a Halloween Mask . . . to each student.
Display slide 14. Share the instructional strategy Why-Lighting with students. Instruct them to read and simultaneously highlight quotes that prove or disprove the quote they most identified with in the Four Corners activity. Have them use one color highlighter for information that supports their choice and a different color for information that disproves or disagrees with their choice.
Explain
Regroup students so that they sit with other students supporting different quotes from those they initially chose in the Four Corners activity.
Display slide 15. Instruct students to follow the prompts on the slide to drive their discussion. When they have completed their preliminary discussion, show slide 16. Ask them if they wish to change their original quotation selection. Ask individuals to share their decisions and reasons behind either changing or keeping their original quotation.