B ACKGROUND R ESEARCH
FOR To Kill a Mockingbird
Appreciating
TO
KILL
A
MOCKINGBIRD
by
Harper
Lee
requires
its
reader
to
understand
what
was
happening
in
two
very
different
worlds
(i.e.,
the
trends):
 Alabama
during
the
Civil
Rights
era
(1953‐1965)
and
 Alabama
during
the
Depression.
One
must
understand
the
world
Harper
Lee
was
living
in
while
writing
the
book
to
fully
grasp
the
lives
Atticus
Finch
and
his
children
are
a
part
of
in
fictional
Maycomb,
Alabama.
OBJECTIVE:
As
a
group,
conduct
research
on
one
of
the
topics
listed
below
(using
at
least
3
different
sources)
to
gain
a
better
understanding
of
the
novel
TO
KILL
A
MOCKINGBIRD.
TOPICS TO BE RESEARCHED:
1. Harper Lee
8. The Civil Rights Act of 1964
2. Governor George Wallace
3. Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth
9. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (African
Americans voting trend before the Act)
4. Eugene “Bull” Connor
10. Freedom Riders (especially Aniston, AL)
5. Selma, Alabama & “Bloody Sunday”
6. Lynchings
7. Ku Klux Klan (including origination)
11. Jim Crow laws
12. Effect of Depression/Post Civil War on
the American South
13. The Scottsboro Trial
GRADING RUBRIC
POINTS
POSSIBLE
TASK
RESEARCH
MEDIA
PRESENTATION
WORKS CITED
Students use time wisely in library and independently
Provide relevant research,
Use 2 different resources (i.e. internet & journal) to research topic
Include 2 or 3 elements of depth or complexity
Must contain at least 5 PowerPoint slides, using transitions between slides, and
at least 2 graphics or…
• A blog or webpage (please see me for this option)
-Introduction and conclusion given
-Addresses important information for class-using PowerPoint (or other media) as
an aide only
-Should include careful detail to:
•
•
•
•
•
2 or 3 elements of depth or complexity
Eye contact
Tone
Pacing
Transitions (if necessary)
•
Body language
FOR WEB-BASED PRESENTATIONS SUCH AS A BLOG OR WEBPAGE, PLEASE SEE ME FOR PRESENTATION
DETAILS.
•
•
•
•
•
Must be in correct MLA format, without numbering, in alphabetical order, and w/
at least 3 sources (listed on the last slide of
TOTAL
POINTS
EARNED
10
15
20
5
50
CALIFORNIA LANGUAGE ARTS CONTENT STANDARDS
1.3 Use clear research questions and suitable research methods (e.g., library, electronic media, personal interview) to elicit and present evidence
from primary and secondary sources.
1.7 Use appropriate conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and bibliographies by adhering to those in style manuals (e.g., Modern
Language Association Handbook, The Chicago Manual of Style).
1.8 Design and publish documents by using advanced publishing software and graphic programs.