Introduction: You are about to read the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The story is set in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus Finch is asked to defend a black man charged with the rape of a white woman. Through the young eyes of his children, Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930’s. The consciousness of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the quiet heroism of one man’s struggle for justice. To best understand the lessons of this great novel, you must first understand the author, the times, and the place in which the story is set. This is set in the same time as Of Mice and Men, and deals with similar themes of racial inequality, sexism, loneliness, and empathy.
Instructions: For the next two days, you will be working on a To Kill A Mockingbird Webquest (see below). You will need to answer all of the questions in the webquest using complete sentences and thorough answers. Include what websites you get the information from especially if several options are listed. Your task for this Webquest is to visit various websites (provided for you) to learn the needed background information before starting the novel. Fill in the charts below using the articles provided in each link. Each article has its own chart to fill out with questions about the article. These articles provide helpful background information needed in order to understand our novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
WHEN IS THIS DUE? I am giving you two days to complete this, because that is how long it should take. If you are not done by Tuesday, you will need to finish it at home as homework – it will be due on Thursday, 2/4/2021. You may do the assignment directly on this document, just do something to separate your answers from your questions (like a different color or font for your text).
The Process: You will be working in small groups, split into breakout rooms. However, you are not required to work in groups. Also, while you are allowed to work together, you must each submit your own copy of the assignment. There will be one Breakout Room for those who want to work alone and others for those who want to work in groups. You can may select who you would like to work with.
Why Are We Doing This?
After completing this activity, you should have learned the following:
Background information of the author, Harper Lee
Historical background of the times
Insight into some of the events in the novel