To Kill a Mockingbird Final Project

To Kill a Mockingbird Final Project Honors English 10 Mrs. Samson

Our study of To Kill a Mockingbird has included many lively and thought-provoking discussions and numerous opportunities to write about reading assignments. Now it's time to step back from the novel and examine some of the reasons that have made it one of the most popular and well-respected novels of the twentieth century.

During this week you and two or three partners will work on and complete one of the projects below. Our class will have access to laptops for at least three days during which you will be able to locate and gather information for the successful completion of your project. Using these class periods efficiently will greatly reduce the amount of homework time you'll need to invest in this project.

Whether you choose to make an oral presentation, create a video, or design a PowerPoint or graphic presentation, you will be expected to incorporate some material you've gathered from the Internet. This material can be artwork, photographs, or print information. As you read through the project possibilities, you'll see some suggested Internet addresses for useful information.

A great benefit of doing this presentation as a group project is that you can divide the labor required. For instance, one person can be in charge of gathering and labeling all the photos or artwork or PowerPoint. Another can do the web searches, collecting facts and dates. Someone should be in charge of organizing the material. Decide what tasks need to be done and carefully assign them so that the project is completed successfully. I need to be able to see that everyone in the group is teaching a specific part of the presentation. When you make your presentation, everyone is responsible for discussing a significant aspect of the topic. Your group is responsible for teaching this topic to the class and you will be individually graded on your presentation. Presentations should be between 15-20 minutes.

PROJECT TOPICS

1. Why did Harper Lee choose a mockingbird as a central image in the novel and even use a mockingbird in the title? What are the habits and characteristics of a mockingbird? Which characters in the novel could be considered mockingbirds and why? (Include direct quotations and page numbers in your presentation.) http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/tokil/bird1.htm http://www.holoweb.com/cannon/northergn.htm http://www.erols.com/hardeman/lonestar/mocksong.wav http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/gcse/mockingbird.htm 2. The setting of the novel is Alabama in 1932-3, during the Great Depression. What was the Great Depression and what evidence of it do you see in the novel? Please make sure to give a brief summary of the Great Depression and spend more time discussing its implications for the characters and novel.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsowhome.html http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/1929-1945 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/depression/depression.htm

2. Is it true that in 1933 in Alabama, an all-white jury composed entirely of men would try an African-American citizen and that prominent citizens could excuse themselves or be struck. Have the rules changed? What is the process of jury selection today? Who can be chosen and who can be excused and why? Discuss the benefits of today’s justice system for all men and women as opposed to the system that convicted Tom Robinson.

http://library.thinkquest.org/12111/SG/SG5.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/to-kill-a-mockingbird-novel-5

http://www.americanjuror.org/selected.htm

3. Compare and contrast the movie of To Kill A Mockingbird with the novel. What situations or characters were enhanced by the film? Which ones were miscast or misinterpreted? Investigate reviews of the film written at the time the film first opened in theaters and reviews of the novel when it was first published. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Kill_a_Mockingbird_(film) http://www.filmsite.org/toki.html http://www.dvdreview.com/html/to_kill_a_mockingbird.html http://www.frankwbaker.com/symbolism.htm

4. Consider the role of women during the 1930's. What expectations existed for female behavior? Consider the role of Aunt Alexandra in the novel. What was Harper Lee's purpose in having her come to live with Scout, Jem, and Atticus? Also, please discuss and analyze times in the novel when Scout came up against stereotypical views of Southern womanhood. http://library.thinkquest.org/12111/mculley.html http://library.thinkquest.org/12111/girl.html http://www.enotes.com/1930-lifestyles-social-trends-american-decades/working-women http://www.loyno.edu/history/journal/1988-9/moran.htm

5. To what extent is the novel autobiographical? Investigate the relationship between the author Harper Lee and the character Scout. http://library.thinkquest.org/12111/SG/SG5.html#author http://www.tokillamockingbird.com http://education.yahoo.com/homework_help/cliffsnotes/to_kill_a_mockingbird/1.html http://www.enotes.com/mockingbird/author-biography

6.) How is To Kill a Mockingbird a guidebook for making moral and ethical decisions? How does Atticus go about instilling good values and conscience in his children? Refer to Kohlberg’s six stages of moral reasoning. Also, research the psychological impact that parents have on their children in terms of instilling moral values. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mocking/themes.html http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/gcse/mockingbird.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlberg's_stages_of_moral_development http://tigger.uic.edu/~lnucci/MoralEd/overview.html 7.) Analyze the relationships between the novels most important minor characters and their influences on Scout and Jem. How do the minor characters help socialize Scout and Jem to the ways of Maycomb and the ways of the world? Who (besides Atticus) helped shape Jem and Scout’s beliefs? http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/gcse/mockingbird.htm http://www.authspot.com/Short-Stories/To-Kill-a-Mockingbird-Minor-Characters-Who-Had-a- Major-Effect.70966

PRESENTATION GUIDELINES:

 Your presentation will address one of the seven topics listed above.  All members of the group will participate in the presentation.  The presentation will include clear and useful visuals to help the audience understand your information including posters, Powerpoints, or videos, LCD projector.  Whenever you refer to incidents or events in the novel in your presentation materials, you will provide direct quotations and page numbers to support your point of view.  You will receive a group grade on collaboration and team work and an individual grade on performance in presentation. Both grades will count as a final test grade, 40%. Rubrics attached.