To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel written by Harper Lee. It is currently published by Grand Central Publishing. Books like To Kill A Mockingbird are an integral part of language arts curriculum. This story is about the Finch Family, and is told through the eyes of an 8-year-old girl named Scout.

The story begins during the Great Depression in a town called Maycomb, Alabama. Scout, her brother Jem, and friend Dill spend their days investigating a neighbor named “Boo” Radley. They find Boo both frightening and intriguing.

To Kill a Mockingbird’s summary continues when an African American man, Tom Robinson, is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a Caucasian lady. Scout’s father is given the job of defending Mr. Robinson. Trouble follows for the Finch family, and at one point it is Boo Radley that comes to the children’s rescue.

This book is important for children to read because it shows both the gender roles of the southern states, as well as the racial prejudices that existed during the time of the Great Depression.

This To Kill a Mockingbird passage shows how the book got its name. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

Another To Kill a Mockingbird passage captures the gender roles of the time period. “She seemed glad to see me when I appeared in the kitchen, and by watching her I began to think there was some skill involved in being a girl.”

Since To Kill a Mockingbird is a story for students currently in high school, teachers can implement a few games to remind the students about the important issues in the book. First, teachers can ask each student to come up with a question from the book. Students are divided into two groups. The group that answers the most questions created by the other group wins. Additionally, teachers can put together a spelling list, or use this ready made high school To Kill A Mockingbird spelling list, and students can use this list to practice not only their spelling, but also their knowledge of the book. Finally, students can draw a scene from the book. Then students can vote on which scene is the most compelling, most comical, or most true to the book.