MultiplePathwaystoSuccess
Quarter3LearningModule
AlignedwithMarylandStateStandards
English
English9
PrinceGeorge’sCountyPublicSchools
BoardofEducationofPrinceGeorge’sCounty,Maryland
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Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and
analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges
and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the
cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language
evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5: Analyze how an author's choices concerning how
to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g.,
pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.9: Analyze how an author draws on and transforms
source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from
Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and
convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the
effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
(Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts
to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of
Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of
Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how
language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style,
and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
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PART 1- POETRY
Texts: “Sonnet 130”, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, St. Vincent Millay’s Sonnet 30,
Barrett Browning’s Sonnet 43
1.1: Figurative language
Figurative language is using figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive
and impactful. Figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, allusions go beyond the
literal meanings of the words to give the readers new insights. On the other hand,
alliterations, imageries, or onomatopoeias are figurative devices that appeal to the senses
of the readers.
Poetry is a rich source of figurative language. Though there are examples of
figurative language to be found in all genres of literature, perhaps none more than in
poetry. Good poets pack worlds of meaning into tiny little lines. These lines evoke
emotions, thoughts, and at times social change. One of the ways that poets perform these
linguistic miracles is with the use of figurative language. Examples of figurative language
include simile, metaphor, understatement, personification, and hyperbole.
Poetic Devices and Figurative Language
1. Hyperbole: Hyperbole is a figure of speech, which is an exaggeration. Persons
often use expressions such as "I nearly died laughing," "I was hopping mad," and "I tried
a thousand times." Such statements are not literally true, but people make them to sound
impressive or to emphasize something, such as a feeling, effort, or reaction.
2. Pun: A pun is a play on words. A pun is defined by Webster as "the humorous use of
a word, or of words which are formed or sounded alike but have different meanings, in
such a way as to play on two or more of the possible applications; a play on words."
There are different types of puns.
Some examples of puns are: I work as a baker because I knead dough.
The cosmetic student was sick on the day of the final exam. Now she has to take a
make up exam.
3. Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonant. There should
be at least two repetitions in a row.
For example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. The first letter, p, is a
consonant. It is repeated many times. (If you use a syllable rather than a consonant, it is
assonance.)
4. Onomatopoeia: Onomatopoeia is the imitation of natural sounds in word form.
These words help us form mental pictures about the things, people, or places that are
described. Sometimes the word names a thing or action by copying the sound like Bong!
Hiss! Buzz! For example: A pesky mosquito buzzed around my head.
5. Imagery: Imagery involves one or more of your five senses (hearing, taste, touch,
smell, sight). An author uses a word or phrase to stimulate your memory of those senses.
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These memories can be positive or negative which will contribute to the mood of a poem.
Imagery is the use of vivid description, usually rich in sensory words, to create pictures,
or images, in the reader's mind.
6. Personification: Personification is a figure of speech in which objects are given
human qualities.
For example: The sun played peek-a-boo with the clouds.
7. Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech in which things are compared by
stating that one thing is another.
For example: The clouds are cotton balls in the sky.
8. Simile: A simile is a figure of speech in which things are compared using the
words “like” or “as”.
For example: The surface of the water looked as smooth as glass.
9. Rhyme: Rhyme is the similarity in sound of the ends of words: the last stressed
syllable and the following unstressed syllables (if any). Rhyme is usually a structuring
device in verse. Of course, not all poetry rhymes: classical Greek and Latin poetry never
rhyme, for instance. When rhyming verses are arranged into stanzas, we can identify the
rhyme scheme by assigning letters each rhyme, beginning with a and proceeding through
the alphabet. Couplets, for instance — such as Pope's:
'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill
Appear in writing, or in judging ill;
But of the two, much greater is th' offence
To tire the patience, than mislead the sense
— rhyme "aa bb," -- "a" represents the -ill sound, "b" represents the -ence sound.
10. Meter : The recurrence of a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
11. Stanza a grouping of two or more lines of a poem in terms of length, metrical form,
or rhyme scheme.
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1.1.1: Concept Check:
Read Sonnet 130 below. Identify and underline instances of figurative language in the
original version.
SONNET 130 PARAPHRASE
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red; Coral is far more red than her lips;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are If snow is white, then her breasts are a
dun; brownish gray;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her If hairs are like wires, hers are black and
head. not golden.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white, I have seen damask roses, red and white
[streaked],
But no such roses see I in her cheeks; But I do not see such colors in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight And some perfumes give more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress Than the horrid breath of my mistress.
reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know I love to hear her speak, but I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound; That music has a more pleasing sound.
I grant I never saw a goddess go; I've never seen a goddess walk;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the But I know that my mistress walks only on
ground: the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare And yet I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare. As any woman who has been
misrepresented by ridiculous comparisons.
1.1.2: Reader’s Response:
Identify at least two types figurative language from the original poem. (2 points)
1. ___________________________________________ Line #_______
2. ___________________________________________ Line #_______
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3. Now write an analysis on how Sonnet 130 uses figurative language to depict love or lack
thereof for the intended mistress mentioned. Use details and examples from the poem to
support your response. (4 points)
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1.2: Poetry Analysis
1.2.1: TP-CASTT:
Analyzing poetry can sometimes seem like a difficult thing to do. Using the TP-CASTT
strategy will help you accomplish this with some ease. TP-CASTT is an acronym for
Title, Paraphrase, Connotation, Attitude/tone, Shift, Title (again), and Theme.
Title
Consider the title and make a prediction about what the poem is about. Ponder the title
before reading. Make up questions about the title. There are two kinds of titles:
interactive titles and naming titles. Interactive titles are have some sort of interplay
with piece itself and can affect its meaning. Naming titles may give less crucial
information. If a piece lacks a title, you can do this step with the first line of the poem
or skip it if allowed to do so.
What do you think of when you first read the title?
Paraphrase
Translate the poem line by line into your own words on a literal level. Look for
complete thoughts (sentences may be inverted) and look up unfamiliar words.
Connotation
Examine the poem for meaning beyond the literal. Look for figurative language,
imagery, and sound elements. (Examples: simile, metaphor, personification,
hyperbole et cetera).
What sensory details, images, or figures of speech can you find and interpret in the
writing?
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Attitude/tone
Notice the speaker’s tone and attitude. Humor? Sarcasm? Awe?
Shift
Note any shifts or changes in speaker or attitude. Look for key words, time change,
and punctuation. Note transitions in the poem (e.g. but, however, then, since, so, etc.).
Examine punctuation (dashes, periods, exclamation points, etc.). Look at the white
spaces. Note paragraph and stanza divisions or changes in sentence length. Locate any
sharp changes in diction (word choice). All of these items may point to shifts in
subject, attitude, tone, mood, or motif. Where does the tone and/or mood change?
How does it change?
Title
Examine the title again, this time on an interpretive level. Answer questions you may
have from the first evaluation of the title. Figure out how the title illuminates the
piece. Remember a "naming title" may not mean much. Remember you can do this
with the first line of a poem if it lacks a title or you can skip this step altogether if
allowed. Does the title have any special meaning? Does it have more than a surfacelevel meaning?
Theme
Briefly state in your own words what the poem is about (subject), then what the poet
is saying about the subject (theme). What universal experience or truth does the
selection convey?
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1.2.2: Concept Check
Read the following 3 poems, mark them up, and complete the attached TPCASTT chart
for each one. (7points each analysis x3=21 points)
Sonnet 18 “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” by William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st;
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Title
Paraphrase
Connotation
Attitude/tone
Shift
Title
Theme
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Sonnet 30 “Love is Not All” by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;
Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink
And rise and sink and rise and sink again;
Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath,
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making friends with death
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
Pinned down by pain and moaning for release,
Or nagged by want past resolution's power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
It well may be. I do not think I would
Title
Paraphrase
Connotation
Attitude/tone
Shift
Title
Theme
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Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Browning
“How do I Love Thee”
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Title
Paraphrase
Connotation
Attitude/tone
Shift
Title
Theme
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1.3: Writing task
Use what you have learned from reading Sonnet 18, Sonnet 30, and Sonnet 43 to write an
essay that provides an analysis of how each poet writes about love. As a starting point,
you may want to consider how each poet uses the sonnet form to convey ideas and
meaning, what theme is expressed in each poem, and how specific language choices
support each poet’s thoughts. Develop your essay by providing textual evidence from the
poems. Be sure to follow the conventions of Standard
1.3.1: Writing breakdown
Begin planning your essay with this outline.
• Introduction (paragraph1)
– Hook
– Background
– Thesis statement
• Body Paragraphs
– Discuss Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 (paragraph2)
– Discuss St. Vincent Millay’s Sonnet 30 (paragraph3)
– Discuss Barrett Browning’s Sonnet 43 (paragraph4)
• Conclusion (paragraph5)
1.3.2: Essay Helper
Complete this chart with information from the poems to help you plan your body
paragraphs. (9 points)
Poem
Quote (cite line)
Paraphrase
How does this
quote support the
author’s view on
love?
Sonnet 18
Sonnet 30
Sonnet 43
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1.3.3: Essay
Use what you have learned from reading Sonnet 18, Sonnet 30, and Sonnet 43 to write an
essay that provides an analysis of how each poet writes about love. As a starting point,
you may want to consider how each poet uses the sonnet form to convey ideas and
meaning, what theme is expressed in each poem, and how specific language choices
support each poet’s thoughts. Develop your essay by providing textual evidence from the
poems. Be sure to follow the conventions of Standard English. (4 points)
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PART 2- NOVEL STUDY
TEXT: “TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD” BY HARPER LEE
Novel summary
In the town of Maycomb, Alabama, in the middle of the Great Depression, six-year-old
Scout Finch lives with her older brother Jem, and her widowed father, Atticus. Atticus is a
lawyer, and makes enough to keep the family comfortably out of poverty, but he works long days.
He relies on the family's black cook, Calpurnia, to help raise the kids.
Scout and Jem spend much of their time creating and acting out fantasies. One year a boy
named Dill comes to spend the summer with his aunt, who is the Finches' neighbor. The three
children become friends, and, pushed by Dill's wild imagination, soon become obsessed with a
nearby house. A man named Nathan Radley owns the house, but it is his reclusive brother, Arthur
(Boo) Radley, who interests and terrifies the children. On a dare, Jem actually runs up and
touches the Radley house, and Scout is sure she sees someone watching them from inside behind
a curtain.
The summer ends, and Dill returns to his hometown. Scout starts school, and hates it. On
the first day, her teacher actually criticizes her for already knowing how to read. The highlights of
the school year come when Scout and Jem occasionally find presents stuffed into a knothole of a
tree next to the Radley's fence. Summer arrives, and Dill returns. The children grow more daring
and sneak onto the Radley property. But Nathan Radley sees them and thinks they're thieves.
They run, and Jem's pants get caught in the Radley fence. He leaves them behind. When he goes
back to get them later that night, the pants are mended and folded. Meanwhile, Scout and Jem
continue to find gifts in the knothole until Nathan Radley cements it shut. A few months later, in
the dead of winter, the Finch's neighbor Miss Maudie Atkinson's house catches fire, and as Scout
and Finch watch it burn someone Scout doesn't see puts a blanket around her shoulders. Jem
realizes that Boo Radley must have done it.
That year, Atticus is appointed by the court to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who
is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, the daughter of a poor, notoriously vicious white man named
Bob Ewell. Racial tensions in Maycomb flare. Scout and Jem become targets of abuse from
schoolmates, neighbors, townspeople, and even some family members. In contrast, when
Calpurnia takes the children to attend her black church, they are for the most part warmly
received.
Before the trial starts, Atticus' sister Alexandra comes to live with the Finch's. Dill also
arrives, after sneaking away from his mother and her new husband. Alexandra's social views are
more conservative than Atticus's. She treats Calpurnia more like a servant than a family member
and tries to make Scout act more like a girl. The day before the trial, a mob surrounds the jail
where Tom Robinson is being held. Scout, Jem, and Dill, who have snuck out of their house, join
Atticus, who anticipated the mob attack. Scout doesn't realize what's going on, but recognizes a
man in the crowd and asks him about his son, who is Scout's classmate. The man, shamed,
disperses the mob.
At the trial, Atticus presents a powerful defense of Tom and makes it clear that Ewell is
lying. The children sneak into the trial and watch the proceedings from the balcony, where the
black people are forced to sit. Jem is sure Atticus will win the case, but the all-white jury still
convicts Tom. Jem is particularly hard hit by the verdict, and his faith in justice is even further
shaken when Tom tries to escape from prison and is shot and killed.
Even though Robinson was convicted, Ewell is furious that Atticus made him look like a
fool. One night, as Jem and Scout walk home alone from a Halloween pageant, Ewell attacks
them. Jem's arm is broken, but someone rushes in to help. In the scuffle, Ewell is killed. The man
who saved Jem and Scout carries Jem home, and Scout realizes that the man is Boo Radley. Heck
Tate decides to keep Radley's involvement in Ewell's death quiet, and Scout walks Radley home.
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As Scout stands on the Radley porch, she sees the world as Boo must see it. When she gets home,
Scout falls asleep as Atticus reads to her at Jem's bedside.
PART 2.1: SETTING
The setting is where the story takes place. It might include historical background, time,
local color. Local color is characteristics that sets the place apart and makes it different
from other places. Often the author doesn’t say the story takes place in a certain location,
at a certain time, instead the author provides details describing the location and the time.
It allows the readers to paint a picture in their mind.
Activities:
2.1.1: Close Reading:
Read this excerpt of Chapter 1 of “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and underline
the portions of text which describe the setting.
Chapter 1
When my brother Jem was almost 13 he broke his arm, badly. Even though it
healed, we always talked about what really caused the accident. I said the Ewells, but he
said Dill and Boo Radley started it. But then he said if our ancestors, the Finches had
never moved to Alabama, then none of this would have happened, and the rest is history.
We’re southerners. We think it’s a big deal who your family is, where you’ve
come from, and what you’re known for. Our ancestor, Simon Finch, was a stingy and
religious man. He saved up all his money to buy up Finch’s Landing, and for generations
that’s where our family has lived. My Aunt Alexandra still lives here now with her quiet
husband. My father Atticus Finch, went to Montgomery, Alabama to study law, and his
brother Jack went to Boston to study to be a doctor. My father moved back to Maycomb
once he finished law school.
Maycomb was a tired, old town back in those days. People moved slowly,
ambling across the town square. Days seemed long, especially on hot summer days.
People didn’t hurry, because there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy, no money to buy it
with, and nothing to see.
We lived on the main street, Atticus, Jem, and I. Our father played with us, read
to us, and treated us fine. We had a cook too, Calpurnia. She was strict with me. She
always asked me why I didn’t behave as well as Jem. But he was older anyhow. She
always won our battles; my father always took her side. Our mother died of a heart
attack when I was two so I didn’t remember her. Jem seemed to miss her though.
One day during the summer when I was six and Jem was nine, we were playing in
our neighborhood as usual. We heard something in Miss Rachel’s garden. We found a
boy sitting looking at us.
He said, “I’m Charles Baker Harris. I can read.”
“So what?” I said.
Jem wanted to get a better look at him so he said, “Why don’t you come over,
Charles Baker Harris.”
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“Folks call me Dill, “ he said, struggling to fit under the fence. Dill told us he
was from Mississippi, but was spending the summer with his aunt Rachel. He had seen a
bunch of movies, so he described them to us, and we spent the next days acting them out.
He was very creative, and always had good ideas. We eventually got tired of recreating
Dracula and other stories. That’s when Dill’s fascination with the Radley house began.
The Radley house had sagging shingles, and a drooping porch. The grass was too
high and the paint had turned gray and dingy. Even in the long, hot summer, the doors
were shut up tight. There was a rumor that it was haunted. People said “Boo” Radley
went out at night and peeped in people’s windows. That he breathed on flowers and they
froze instantly. They said he committed little crimes in the night but not one ever saw
him.
The history of the story is that Arthur, “Boo”, got into a bad crowd in high school.
They swore, fought, and got into real trouble when they locked a court officer in the
outhouse (bathroom). Boo’s father was so strict that the judge let him take Boo home,
and no one had seen him since. Years later, the story goes, Boo was making a scrapbook
out of articles from the Maycomb Tribune when he stabbed his father with a pair of
scissors, and kept right on cutting.
Mr. Radley was not a nice man. He went to town each day but never spoke to us
even if we said “Good Morning, Sir.”
When he died, Calpurnia said, “There goes the meanest man God ever blew
breath into.” The neighborhood thought maybe Boo would come out, but his older
brother Nathan moved in and he was just as mean. Atticus didn’t like us to talk about the
Radleys much, but the more we told Dill about the Radleys, the more he wanted to know.
He would stand there hugging the light pole.
“Wonder what he does in there,” he would murmur. “Wonder what he looks
like?”
Jem said Boo was six and a half feet tall, ate squirrels and cats, his teeth were
yellow, and he drooled most of the time.
“Let’s try to make him come out,” said Dill. Dill bet Jem to go up and knock on
the door. Jem thought about it for three days.
“You’re scared,” Dill said.
“Ain’t scared, just trying to be respectful,” Jem said.
Three days later, after Dill had taunted him and called him scared repeatedly, Jem
finally gave in. He walked slowly to the Radley yard, threw open the gate, sped to the
house, slapped it with his hand, and sprinted back to us. When we were safe on our
porch, we looked back at the old, droopy house. We thought we saw a slight movement
inside.
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2.1.2: Reader’s Response:
Now reread the excerpt and answer the following questions. Make sure to cite textual
evidence to support your answers.
1. PLOT: What is happening here? (5 points)
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2. SETTING:
How does the author describe the setting? What mood does the author’s description of the
setting create? Cite explicit textual evidence to support your response. (5 points)
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PART 2.2: CHARACTERIZATION
Characterization is a literary device that is used step by step in literature to highlight and
explain the details about a character in a story.
1. Direct or explicit characterization
This kind of characterization takes a direct approach towards building the character. It
uses another character, narrator or the protagonist himself to tell the readers or audience
about the subject.
2. Indirect or implicit characterization
This is a more subtle way of introducing the character to the audience. The audience has
to deduce for themselves the characteristics of the character by observing his/her thought
process, behavior, speech, way of talking, appearance, and way of communication with
other characters and also by discerning the response of other characters.
Activities:
2.2.1: Close Reading:
Reread the excerpt of Chapter 1 of “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and underline
the names of each of the characters mentioned.
2.2.2: Reader’s Response:
Now reread the excerpt and answer the following questions. Make sure to cite textual
evidence to support your answers.
1: Character Traits:
Who are the characters? List 5 characters that you underlined, and identify the character
traits shown in this portion of text. Provide textual evidence for your response. (5 points)
Character
Character Trait (physical /personal)
Evidence
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2: Constructed Response:
What do we know about these characters so far? How do we know? Use your notes from
the chart in 2.2 and evidence from the text to support your response in a well-constructed
paragraph. (5 points)
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PART 2.3- SYMBOLISM
Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic
meanings that are different from their literal sense.
Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another to
give it an entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant.
Sometimes, however, an action, an event or a word spoken by someone may have a
symbolic value. For instance, “smile” is a symbol of friendship. Similarly, the action of
someone smiling at you may stand as a symbol of the feeling of affection which that
person has for you.
Symbols do shift their meanings depending on the context they are used in. “A chain”,
for example, may stand for “union” as well as “imprisonment”. Thus, symbolic meaning
of an object or an action is understood by when, where and how it is used. It also depends
on who reads them.
In our daily life, we can easily identify objects, which can be taken as examples of
symbol such as the following:
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The dove is a symbol of peace.
A red rose or red color stands for love or romance.
Black is a symbol that represents evil or death.
A ladder may stand as a symbol for a connection between the heaven and the
earth.
A broken mirror may symbolize separation
Activities:
2.3.1: Close Reading:
Read the excerpt of Chapter 10 of “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and underline
the predominant symbol.
Chapter 10
Atticus was old and feeble: he was nearly fifty. Jem and I were disappointed that
he wasn’t more like the younger fathers in Maycomb. Atticus was always too tired to
play football with Jem like the other dads. He wore glasses because he was nearly blind
in his left eye.
When he gave us our air-rifles Atticus wouldn’t teach us to shoot. Uncle Jack
taught us and explained that Atticus wasn’t interested in guns. Atticus said to Jem one
day, “I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds.
Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a
mockingbird.”
Later I asked Miss Maudie why Atticus said that. She said, “Your father’s right.
Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up
people’s gardens; they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s
a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
I complained to Miss Maudie that Atticus was too old to do anything. She said
that he was a great lawyer and the best checker-player in town and that I should be proud
of him.
2.3.2: Reader’s Response:
Now reread the excerpt and answer the following questions. Make sure to cite textual
evidence to support your answers. (6 points)
What symbol is mentioned in this excerpt? Identify the symbol and then explain its
significance. Make sure to support your explanation with textual evidence.
Symbol
Explanation
Evidence
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PART 2.4- CONFLICT
Definition of Conflict
In literature, conflict is the result of competing desires or the presence of obstacles that
need to be overcome. Conflict is necessary to propel a narrative forward; the absence of
conflict amounts to the absence of a story. There are three main types of conflict
identified in literature: man versus man, man versus nature, and man versus self. Note
that these standard classifications use “man” as a universal term, including women as
well. Let’s take a closer look at these three definitions of conflict.
Man versus man: A situation in which two characters have opposing desires or
interests. The typical scenario is a conflict between the protagonist and antagonist. This
is an external conflict. Most thrillers and mysteries have this type of conflict.
Man versus nature: In this type of conflict, a character is tormented by natural forces
such as storms or animals. This is also an external conflict.
Man versus self: This conflict develops from a protagonist’s inner struggles, and may
depend on a character trying to decide between good and evil or overcome self-doubts.
This conflict has both internal and external aspects, as obstacles outside the protagonist
force the protagonist to deal with inner issues.
Man versus society: In this type of conflict, a character must take on society itself, and
not a single person. The character stands at odds with societal norms and realizes the
necessity to work against these norms. This is an external conflict.
Man versus fate: This situation results from a protagonist working against what has
been foretold for that person. While this conflict was more prevalent in stories where
gods could control fate, such as in ancient Greek dramas, there are still examples of this
type of conflict in more contemporary literature.
Practice Activity:
2.4.1: Close Reading:
Read this excerpt of Chapter 20 of “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and underline
the portions of text which describe conflict.
Chapter 20
Mr. Dolphus Raymond, the man who lives with a black woman and has mixed
children, offered Dill a sip of his drink to settle his stomach. I said, “Dill, you watch out,
now,” because I knew Mr. Raymond drank alcohol out of that bottle in the brown paper
bag.
Dill let go of the straw and said, “Scout, it’s nothing but Coca-Cola!”
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Mr. Raymond leaned up against the tree-trunk. “You little folks won’t tell on me
now, will you? It’d ruin my reputation if you did.”
“You mean all you drink in that sack’s Co-Cola? Just plain Co-Cola?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Mr. Raymond nodded. I liked his smell: it was of leather, horses,
and cottonseed. He wore the only English riding boots I had ever seen. “That’s all I
drink, most of the time.”
“Then you just pretend to be drunk? Why?”
“Well,” Mr. Raymond said, “Some folks don’t like that I lie with a black woman
since I’m white. So even though I don’t care what they think, I try to give ‘em a reason.
It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason. When I come to town, which is seldom, if I
weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond is drunk on
whiskey – and that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself, that’s why
he lives the way he does.”
I told Mr. Raymond, “That ain’t honest, making yourself out badder than you
already –“
“It ain’t honest but it’s mighty helpful to folks. Secretly, Scout, I’m not much of
a drinker, but you see they could never, ever understand that I live like I do because that’s
the way I want to live.”
Mr. Raymond also said, “Dill was crying and feeling sick about the racism he saw
in that courtroom. But when he gets older he won’t cry anymore.”
Jem, Dill and I went back into the courtroom in time to hear Atticus’s closing
statement. He was telling the jury… “Gentlemen, I remind you that this is a simple case.
If you convict Tom Robinson, you must be sure beyond all reasonable doubt that he is
guilty. This case should never have even come to trial. This case is as simple as black
and white.” I noticed Atticus was sweating.
“The state has not produced any evidence that Mayella was ever raped. Their two
witnesses, Mayella and Bob Ewell, didn’t have their stories straight. The defendant is not
guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is. I have pity for Mayella, but she has accused
an innocent man to get rid of her own guilt. She feels guilt because she liked a black man
and tried to kiss him. Our society does not allow this. Now she seeks to destroy him so
that she doesn’t have to face her own guilt. She must destroy the evidence of her offense.
Tom did not rape Mayella. All he did was try to get away when she kissed him. Don’t
let your prejudices get the better of you and make you think he’s guilty just because he’s
black.”
As Atticus finished his speech we saw Calpurnia making her way up the middle
aisle of the courtroom, walking straight toward Atticus.
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2.4.2: Reader’s Response:
Consider each type of conflict, and explain how that conflict can be seen in “To Kill a
Mockingbird”. Cite evidence form the excerpt above to support your explanations. (10
points)
Type of Conflict
Explanation
Evidence from the text
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Self
Man vs. Society
Man vs. Fate
PART 2.5 - ESSAY
In Chapter 30, Heck Tate and Atticus Finch have a disagreement over how to handle Bob
Ewell’s death. Atticus wants to follow the letter of the law, no matter how difficult it may
be. Heck Tate, on the other hand, argues that what is right and what the law requires are
not always the same thing.
This activity helps you evaluate morality and legality and arrive at your own conclusions
about which character is right or wrong.
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2.5.1. Reading
Read these excerpts of Chapters 29 and 30.
Chapter 29
Aunt Alexandra stood right up and gasped.
“Are you sure?” Atticus said weakly.
“He won’t hurt these children again,” Mr. Tate said.
He turned to me. “Scout, can you tell us what happened out there? Did you see
him following you?”
“We started home. It was dark. Jem said, ‘Hush a minute.’ We thought it was
Cecil Jacobs; he scared us once tonight. I could hear the footsteps too, then. They
walked when we walked and stopped when we stopped. When we got under the tree, all
of a sudden something’ grabbed me an’ mashed my costume. I heard them tusslin’. Jem
grabbed me and pulled me toward the road. Some – Mr. Ewell yanked him down. There
there was a noise – Jem hollered. Mr. Ewell was trying to squeeze me to death, I
reckon… then somebody yanked Mr. Ewell down. Jem must have got up. Somebody
was staggerin’ around and coughin’. I thought it was Jem but it was him.” I half pointed
to the man in the corner.
His arms were folded across his chest. He had sickly white hands that had never
seen the sun. He face was white too; his cheeks were thin. His gray eyes were so
colorless I thought he was blind. I gazed at him in wonder and his lips parted into a timid
smile. Our neighbor’s image blurred with my sudden tears.
“Hey, Boo,” I said.
Chapter 30
“Mr. Arthur, honey,” Atticus corrected me. He then suggested that we go out on
the porch. I led Boo to a chair.
Atticus rubbed his head and said, “Well Heck, it was a clear cut self-defense, Jem
is almost thirteen but it will go to trial in county court.”
“Mr. Finch – Jem didn’t stab Bob Ewell,” said Heck Tate. “Bob Ewell fell on his
knife. He killed himself.” Atticus looked like he didn’t believe Mr. Tate. Mr. Tate kept
glancing at Boo. They went back and forth a few times, and they seemed to disagree. Mr.
Tate told Atticus that if he told the town exactly what happened tonight the whole town
would talk about it, and all the women would want to bring Boo cakes for helping Jem
and me. “To take the one man who’s done you and this town a service and draggin’ him
with his shy ways into the limelight is a sin.”
Mr. Tate stomped off the porch, and Atticus slowly turned to me.
“Scout, Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Can you possibly understand?”
I hugged him and said, “Yes,sir. Mr. Tate was right, it’d be sort of like
shootin’ a mockingbird.”
Atticus rubbed my head and then walked across the porch to Boo. “Thank you for
my children, Arthur.”
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2.5.2. Essay:
Review Heck’s and Atticus’ discussion. In the space below, agree or disagree with Heck
Tate’s position. In a well-constructed essay, explain your choice to agree or disagree.
Make sure to include reasons and cite textual evidence to support your answer. (4 points)
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PART 6: ESSAY SCORING RUBRIC
Criteria
Evaluated
Addressesthe
prompt
Understandingof
purposeand
audience
Consistentpointof
view,focus,and
organizational
structureincluding
effectiveuseof
transitions
Clearlypresented
centralideawith
relevantfacts,
details,
explanations
Sentence
structure
Englishlanguage
conventions
Narrative
Writing
Plotline
Strategies
Clearlymeetsstandard
4Points
3Points
2Points
1Point
Attemptstomeetstandard
&isfairlysuccessful
Doesnotachievethis
standard
Clearlyaddressesall
partsofthewritingtask
Addressesallpartsofthe
writingtask.
Makesefforttomeet
standardbutwithlittle
success
Addressesonlyparts
ofthewritingtask.
Doesnotachieve
standard
Demonstratesaclear
understandingof
purposeandaudience
Demonstratesageneral
understandingof
purposeandaudience
Demonstrateslittle
understandingof
purposeandaudience
Maintainsaconsistent
pointofview,focus,and
organizationalstructure,
includingeffectiveuseof
transitions
Maintainsamostly
consistentpointofview,
focus,andorganizational
structure,including
effectiveuseofsome
transitions
Includesaclearly
presentedcentralidea
withrelevantfacts,
details,and/or
explanations
Presentsacentralidea
withmostlyrelevant
facts,details,and/or
explanations
Maintainsan
inconsistentpointof
view,focus,and
organizational
structure,whichmay
includeineffectiveor
awkwarduseofsome
transitions
Suggestsacentral
ideawithlimited
facts,details,andor
explanations.
Demonstratesno
understandingof
purposeand
audience
Lacksapointofview,
focus,organizational,
andtransitionsthat
unifyimportant
ideas.
Includesavarietyof
sentencetypes
Includesavarietyof
sentencetypes
Includeslittlevariety
insentencetypes.
Includesnosentence
variety
Containsfew,ifany,
errorsintheconventions
oftheEnglishlanguage
(grammar,punctuation,
capitalization,spelling._
Theseerrorsdonot
interferewiththe
reader’sunderstanding
ofthewriting
Providesathoroughly
developedplotline,
includingmajorand
minorcharactersanda
definitesetting
Includesappropriate
strategies:dialogue,
suspense,andnarrative
action.
Containssomeerrorsin
theconventionsofthe
Englishlanguage,but
theydonotinterfere
withthereader’s
understandingofthe
writing.
Containsseveral
errorsinthe
conventionsofthe
Englishlanguagethat
mayinterferewith
thereader’s
understandingofthe
writing.
Containsserious
errorsinthe
conventionsofthe
Englishlanguagethat
dointerferewiththe
reader’s
understandingofthe
writing.
Providesanadequately
developedplotline,
includingmajorand
minorcharactersanda
definitesetting.
Providesaminimally
developedplotline,
includingcharacters
andasetting.
Lacksadeveloped
plotline.
Includesappropriate
strategies:dialogue,
suspense,andnarrative
action.
Attemptstouse
strategiesbutwith
minimaleffectiveness
Failstouse
strategies.
Lacksacentralidea
butmaycontain
marginallyrelated
facts,detailsor
explanations.
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PART 7: LEARNING MODULE GRADING SHEET
MODULE SECTION
POINTS EARNED
1.1.2: Reader’s Response
_____/6
1.2.2: Analysis – TP-CASTT
_____/21
1.3.2: Essay Helper
_____/9
1.3.3: Essay
_____/4
2.1.2: Reader’s Response:
2.2.2: Reader’s Response:
1. Plot:
_____/5
2. Setting:
_____/5
1. Character traits: _____/5
2. Constructed Response: _____/5
2.3.2: Reader’s Response:
_____/6
2.4.2: Reader’s Response
_____/10
2.5.2. Essay
_____/4
Total points
_____/80
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