Lesson Plan Sequence for To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This is a novel that the students in my Academic 10th placement are currently reading so I
thought it would be useful if I came up with a writing lesson sequence plan for it. I really think it
would be cool if the students are able to do more writing assignments with the novel as a bridge.

Grade level: Academic 10th

Description of setting, students, and curriculum and any other important contextual characteristics:
This lesson is designed for a standard English 10th class of 23. There are 4 ELLs in the class.
Demographics of the class: half white and half African American with some Latino students.

Lesson 1
Topic: Setting and Imagery
Objective: Help students better understand the role of setting in a story. That setting impacts the
story as a whole as well as the characters. Students will learn to use imagery or sensory details to
describe setting.

Content related to TKMB: Use passage about the setting of the story - Maycomb county.

VASOL 10.6 The student will develop a variety of writing to persuade, interpret, analyze, and
evaluate with an emphasis on exposition and analysis.
c) Elaborate ideas clearly through word choice and vivid description.

Step 1. Read and dissect the passage in the book describing Maycomb county with students. (10-15
mins)

- Ask students to identify what they see, hear, or feel from the passage. Ask questions that probe
their thinking like, Are you able to visualize how Maycomb county looks like from reading the
description? Make a point in touching on imagery and do a review on imagery and what it
includes

- Also go on and tell the students that the setting doesnt only have to include the landscape, it
can also include characters too, like the passage in TKMB

- Tell students that the setting can be seen as a gateway or bridge to the whole story, because it
impacts the story as a whole

Step 2. Model how to describe setting by using imagery (10-15 mins)

- Do a think aloud. Choose a picture and then start writing a description of the setting. Make sure
to say everything in the thinking process out loud so the students can follow along.

- Show the students that this requires imagination and requires them to imagine themselves in the
actually setting.

- Branch off to imagining characters in the setting so students see that setting is not limited to just a
place.

Step 3. In-class writing activity (20-25 mins)

- Put three pictures on the smart board.

- Tell students to choose one to write about.
- Remind them to include lots of sensory details and use their imagination.
- Teacher should walk around and monitor student work. Help scaffold them if they need it.

Lesson 2
Topic: Character

Objective: Using Atticus Finch as an example for students to better understand the multiple
dimensions of characters. Bridging from the literary text to have students create/write about their
own characters based on real people in their lives. This lesson will technically begin at the end of
a class and continue the next day because students need to go home and gather information
overnight)

Content related to TKMB: Use the part of the novel where Scout and Jem find out that Atticus, their
father is a really good shooter. They are both amazed because they never knew that before.

VASOL 10.6 The student will develop a variety of writing to persuade, interpret, analyze, and
evaluate with an emphasis on exposition and analysis.
a) Generate, gather, plan, and organize ideas for writing to address a specific
audience and purpose.

Step 1. Use text as a bridge (10-15 mins)

- Go over the scene in the novel and ask students to engage in a discussion about realization.
- Ask them if they, like the protagonists were amazed that Atticus was a good shooter.
- Then ask the class to come up with all the characteristics of Atticus that they know so far in the
novel.

Step 2. Assign mini homework (5 mins - will continue lesson the next day)

- Ask students to go home and ask their parents to tell them one thing about themselves that
theyve never told them before.

Step 3: Model In class writing activity (10-15 mins)

Step 4. In class writing activity (20-25 mins)

- Have students write about what they found out about their family member and try their best to
describe that person so someone who doesnt know them can picture them by reading their
description.

Lesson 3
Topic: Character/Voice/Point of View

Objective: Using Atticus Finchs advice to Scout to teach students the importance of point of view
and how to write from the voice of another character.

Content related to TKMB: Use Atticus advice to Scout as a bridge to POV lesson.
VASOL 10.6 The student will develop a variety of writing to persuade, interpret, analyze, and
evaluate with an emphasis on exposition and analysis.
a) Generate, gather, plan, and organize ideas for writing to address a specific
audience and purpose.

Step 1. Read passage to students (5 mins)

"First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all
kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of
view [] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." (3.85-87)

Step 2. Talk about the importance of point of view (5-10 mins)

- Talk about the lesson that Atticus is teaching Scout. How it is important to try to understand other
people and be considerate about them.

- Talk to class about POV in writing. How usually stories are just written from a certain POV and
that we are supposed to imagine the thoughts of every other character.

Step 3. List out minor characters and characteristics with the students (10-15 mins)

- Ask the class whose point of view the novel is written from (Scout).
- Ask them wouldnt it be interesting if we heard part of the story from another characters POV?
- With the whole class, make out a list of minor characters and discuss about their characteristics.
(on smart board so all students can follow along)

- Ask questions like How would I describe this character What does he/she like to do?

Step 3. Model in-class writing activity on the board for students (think aloud) (10-15 mins)

Step 4. In-class activity (20-25 mins)

- Have students pick one of the minor characters from the list we made, one of the scenes in the
novel, and rewrite the scene from the POV of the character.

- Teacher will circle the room to help students who need help.
- Teacher can help by asking questions that remind students to think about the characteristics of
the different characters and asking them to really use their imagination and try to picture
themselves in the characters skin.

Lesson 4
Topic: Brainstorming Process & Personal Narratives
(Based on Smagorinskys Teaching Personal Experience Narratives)

Objective: Teach students the importance of brainstorming in generating ideas as well as teach the
students what personal narratives are.

Content related to TKMB: To Kill a Mockingbird is a personal narrative from Scouts POV

VASOL 10.6 The student will develop a variety of writing to persuade, interpret, analyze, and
evaluate with an emphasis on exposition and analysis.
a) Generate, gather, plan, and organize ideas for writing to address a specific
audience and purpose.

Step 1. Introduce Personal Narratives (and connect TKMB to the lesson) - (15 mins)

- Ask the students what they think a personal narrative is and engage the whole class in a
discussion to familiarize them with the subject

- Make sure to get the point across that personal narratives are personal and true
- Talk about how TKMB is a personal narrative

Step 2. Show student a sample prompt for personal narratives: (7-10 mins)
Write about an event (a personal experience) and its consequences that had an impact on you or
someone you know. Be as specific as you can in describing the event and its consequences or
impact. Try to write so that a reader will see what you saw and feel what you felt.

- Start a class discussion about what the prompt is asking them to write and how it is similar to our
earlier discussion about personal narratives

- Points to make: Personal narratives are personal, true, impactful, and includes lots of sensory
details

Step 3. Brainstorming (25-30 mins)

- Tell students that were going to be doing something called brainstorming today. Briefly explain
what it is.

- Tell students to turn to their personal narrative brainstorming handout. (There will be one column
with different narrative prompts and one column for students to write their own ideas.)

- Start out with a hook video or the first personal narrative topic Think about the most important
person in your life. What happened that made you realize how important this person is to you?

- Hook Video: Kevin Durant Thanking Mom Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=NmRJgKbibB8

- After video, tell students to think about the important people in their lives and write them down
under my ideas

- Go through the whole handout with the students. The teacher will read the prompt aloud and also
share at least one personal idea for each prompt to inspire/get the students to start thinking

Step 4. Sharing Topics (16-18 mins)

- Have students pick their top three topics and share them with the groups
- Ask students to use a checklist to help their peers determine whether or not the topics are good
ones. The criteria listed on the checklist are in question form:

- Is it exciting? Can I add a lot of sensory details? Is it appropriate for school?

- Teacher will model how to use the checklist before the students start.

- Teacher will also circle the classroom during the group work time to see if any of the groups
need extra help.

Step 5. Debrief about Brainstorming (7 mins)

- Ask students about their overall thoughts about the process and why they think it is important
- Points to touch: Brainstorming allows them to generate lots of good and insightful ideas
because it forces them to think. It also requires them to activate their background knowledge
which helps them learn better.

Step 6. Exit slips (5 mins)

- Students will have to turn in their exit slips before they leave the classroom.
Prompt: From todays brainstorming, what are you going to write about for your personal narrative?
In 2-3 sentences, tell me what about the topic you are going to write, and also why you think it is a
good topic. Also explain to me in 2-3 sentences what you do in brainstorming and why
brainstorming is important.

Lesson 5
Topic: Revision Process for Personal Narratives

Objectives: Introduce students to the process of revising and teaching them an effective revising
strategy to use with their drafts. Help students revise their drafts with conferences.

Content related to TKMB: Personal Narratives

VASOL 10.6 The student will develop a variety of writing to persuade, interpret, analyze, and
evaluate with an emphasis on exposition and analysis.
f) Revise writing for clarity of content, accuracy, and depth of information.

Step 1. Introduce students to the revision process (5-7 mins)

- Explain to them what revision focuses on.

- Points to make: revision deals with craft, editing deals with grammar. Revision deals with
ideas and presentation. Questions to ask in revisions: Are my ideas good enough? Are there
other details I would like to add? Is there a better way to present my story?

Step 2: Introduce students to revision strategy called I like (15-17 mins)

- Tell students we will be working on revision with a strategy called I like

- Do a modeling of the I like with the whole class on the board with a sample draft. With the
class go through and underline as well as comment on things that we like.

- Points to make include: the I like strategy doesnt only have to be I like this sentence or I
like this description it can also be things like I would like to learn more about this or I would
like to see more details here - tell students that the I like provides lots of room for change,
which is the heart of revisions (show with modeling and also have students try

Step 3. Have students do the I like in groups/partners + individual student conferences (25-30
mins)

- While the students do the workshop, there will be individual student conferences about their
narratives with regards to where they are. Students will have for homework, come up with at
least one question or point of concern to talk to teacher about in their conference.

- Students can ask the teacher any questions they come across in their workshops.

Personal Narrative Prompts

Possible Prompt Questions

Think about the most important person in your life.
What happened that made you realize how
important this person is to you?
Remember a time when you felt really happy about
something or someone. What happened that made
you feel so happy?
Remember a time when you felt really sad about
something or someone. What happened that made
you feel so sad?
Remember a time when you experienced an
important ritual or event that was a critical moment
in your life. Why was it so important?
Remember a time when you worked hard to
accomplish something and you were able to do it.
What happened? How did you accomplish your
goal?
Think of a time when you were faced with a difficult
decision. What happened? Did you make the right
decision? Why or why not?
Remember a time when you were really frightened
or scared. What happened? Were you able to
overcome your fear? If so, how? If not, why not?

My Ideas

Is This a Good Topic?

Is it interesting?

Can I add a lot of

sensory details?

Is it appropriate for
school?

My friends agree that I

should write about this

Exit Slip:
From todays brainstorming, what are you going to write about for your personal narrative? In 2-3
sentences, tell me what about the topic you are going to write, and also why you think it is a good
topic. Also explain to me in 2-3 sentences what you do in brainstorming and why brainstorming is
important.