Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Lesson plans and teaching resources

| Biography and Historical Background | | Reading the Novel | | Working with the Film |

Biography and Historical Background

Click here : These resources on historical background have been moved to their own page.

Reading To Kill a Mockingbird

Teacher Guide to To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
How might students use storyboards to demonstrate and to extend their learning? Check the resources here. Includes plot diagram and summary, essential questions, character maps, themes, symbols, and motifs, the archetype of the hero's journey, vocabulary, more. Note: Storyboard That helps sponsor this site.

Anticipation Guide
As part of a longer discussion of anticipation guides in general, this page offers an anticipation guide for To Kill a Mockingbird .

Character Analysis Essay for To Kill a Mockingbird
This page uses a "framed paragraph" approach for a 5-paragraph essay. It includes a model.

Developing a Photo-Lit Collage
Students use Web-based resources to create a collage of photos depicting the way they visualize scenes from the novel.

I Never Knew That!
For this assignment, writers will compose a letter to a parent or loved one, asking for a return letter that will reveal something they do not already know about that person. After reading their individual letters, the students will write a narrative, showing what they thought they knew about their subject and how the new information changes their perception of the parent. This lesson focuses on idea development and organization.

Mapping the Mockingbird
Students create maps of Maycomb based upon close reading.

Mob's Voice vs. Hero's Voice
The writer will analyze and discuss the different perspectives of Atticus Finch and the lynch mob about the trial of Tom Robinson. The writer will then create two characters with opposing viewpoints. The final writing task will be a Poem for Two Voices in which the student shows the opposing views of the two characters they have created. This lesson focuses on voice and word choice.

Mr. Lettiere's To Kill a Mockingbird Page
Quizzes, paper and project ideas, and a wealth of related links.

Movie Speech from To Kill a Mockingbird
Atticus Finch delivers his closing argument at the trial of Tom Robinson. This clip is about 7 minutes long.

My Hero Project
Students contribute stories about people they admire. This would make a great postreading activity!