The TaskWe are about to begin a novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, that has two historical layers: it was published in 1960, and the events that take place in the novel occurred in 1936. Both of these historical periods, the 1960s and the 1930s, heavily influence what happens in the novel. In order to fully understand everything that happens in the novel, we need to make sure we're familiar with these historical periods. Ready for some research??
Each group is going to research one of the topics below, using the links listed. Each group will be provided with some questions to help guide your research. After you complete your research, each group will summarize their findings and teach the rest of the class about their topic. Your classmates are depending on your research, so make it good! Here are the steps you'll follow: 1. Decide how your group will tackle your topic. Will you split up the questions? Have two researchers and two scribes? Decide! 2. Do your research (using the links below) and answer your guiding questions. 3. Write a summary of your research (at least one paragraph). 4. Create a poster that includes your summary and images that will help your audience understand your topic. 5. Present (yes, present!) your findings! |
Why are we doing this?
1. To better understand the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. 2. To practice our writing benchmark, "I can write an expository essay." This will be our first practice before we start developing longer essays. 3. To strengthen your research skills, use of collaborative technology (Google Docs), and teamwork. These are ESSENTIAL to college and career success! 4. To improve your knowledge of contemporary American history (your history grade can thank us later). |
To start: What do you know about the time period before the Civil Rights Movement? How was that time period different from today? In what ways is today still similar to that past time? Consider racial issues (treatment of minorities), social issues (how women were viewed), economic issues (rates of poverty and employment), typical family life (gender roles, family structures), etc. Make a "T chart" to compare these two time periods in your groups.
RESEARCH TOPICS
Harper Lee1. When and where was Harper Lee born? What was her family like? What was she like as a child? Biography
2. Who was her childhood best friend? How was this relationship important? News story 3. What did she study in college? Did she participate in any extracurricular activities? Why might this be important to consider while reading To Kill A Mockingbird? Biography 4. How did Harper Lee almost destroy her chances of ever publishing her novel? Why do you think she struggled so much with the writing of her novel and why did she never publish another book again? Blog post 5. Based off of what you read about Harper Lee, what do you think you can expect from To Kill a Mockingbird? Civil Rights Movement1. How did the Civil Right Movement come about? What is the event that usually marks its beginning? History Channel website 2. What philosophy did many Civil Rights protestors follow? Why did they think this would be successful? Mississippi Historical Society 3. Two major leaders of the Civil Rights Movement were Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. How were they similar and how were they different? Which approach seemed to have been more successful? Digital History 4. A major achievement in the Civil Rights Movement was the Voting Rights Act of 1965. What was it? Why was it such a huge victory for equality? Our Documents website 5. To Kill a Mockingbird was written right at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, but it was about a time period that was still deeply desegregated and unequal. Why do you think the author chose to write about the past--and an ugly one at that--during a time of great change and upheaval? |
Scottsboro Boys1. Who were the Scottsboro Boys? Of what were they accused? African-American history reference page
2. List at least three ways in which the trial was unfair. How did these injustices affect the outcome of the trial? Law school project (This is a tough source! Hint: Skim the article until you come across the defense lawyers) 3. What ended up being the fate of the Scottsboro Boys (what happened to them in the end)? What was society's reaction to this fate? State blog post 4. Read the testimonies of Victoria Price and Ruby Bates. How do these testimonies add to the unfairness of the trial? Do the testimonies seem consistent (match each other)? What character assumptions can we make about the two women based on their testimonies? Ruby Bates testimony and Victoria Price testimony 5. The Scottsboro Boys' trial took place during the childhood of To Kill A Mockingbird's author, Harper Lee. Make a prediction about how this trial might be an important influence for the book. Since a court trial also takes place in the novel, what connections might be made between the two? Emmett Till1. Who was Emmet Till? How did he die? Biography
2. How did his murder fit into the Civil Rights Movement? In what ways did it strengthen the movement? PBS website 3. Two men stood trial for murdering Emmett Till. What was the verdict (result) in that trial? What is surprising about that verdict? PBS website 4. What assumptions about white women were held during this time period? How was the horrific practice of lynching important to the Southern idea of the white woman? PBS Q&A 5. The murder of Emmett Till took place only 5 years before the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird. In the novel, a black man stands trial for the alleged rape of a white woman. Why do you think the author chose this crime to write about? |
Jim Crow Laws1. From where did the term "Jim Crow" come? How is the origin of this term offensive? University museum
2. What were some of the Jim Crow laws? Give at least three examples. University museum 3. How did the Plessy v. Ferguson case uphold Jim Crow laws? What effect did this have on the lives (transportation, education, social implications, etc.) of southern black people? PBS 4. How did some African-Americans "fight back" against Jim Crow laws and other discrimination? National Archives 5. What role might the Jim Crow laws play in To Kill a Mockingbird? Knowing that the father in the story is a lawyer, how might this come into play as well? Brown v. Board of Education1. What was Brown v. Board of Education? Why did it go all the way to the Supreme Court? PBS website
2. How was society segregated in Topeka, Kansas? How were schools for white children different from schools for black children? Law school project 3. How did Southern authorities react to the decision? What idea did they adopt? Were they successful? Wikipedia article 4. Has Brown v. Board of Education been successful in its goal? How or how not? Washington Post article 5. What does the history of Brown v. Board of Education tell us about the society shown in To Kill a Mockingbird? What was the purpose of government in a small Southern town at this time? Did that government serve everybody? |
The Great Depression1. What is "Black Tuesday" and why does it mark the beginning of the Great Depression? Encyclopedia entry
2. Why did many people blame President Hoover for the Great Depression? History Channel website 3. According to "Survivors of the Great Depression", what were some ways in which Americans tried to deal or cope with the Depression? What do these survivors think about today's recession? Hooverville History 4. How do the pictures in "Migrant Farm Families" help depict what life was like during the Great Depression? Dorothea Lange gallery 5. Given what you have learned about the Great Depression, make a prediction about what you think the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird will look like? What will the town and its citizens look like? How will the characters act towards one another? How will Scout's classmates act towards her knowing that her father is a lawyer? |