To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The State of Michigan has identified this novel as an "Anchor Text" for 9th grade
(see ELA 9 Michigan Merit Curriculum Course, pg 27).

Week 1: Prejudice

Monday-Tues: (Days 1 & 2) Write an essay on this theme: People should base their opinions and attitudes on a wide experience and knowledge. 

Wed-Thurs: (Days 3 & 4)News Genres: Article, Editorial, Letter
"Jocks and Prejudice," Nicholas D. Kristof, N.Y. Times, 6-11-06
"At Duke, A Scandal in Search of Meaning". Anne Applebaum, The Washington Post, 4-26-06 Editorial A. 
"Tough Questions in Durham". Eugene Robinson, Washington Post, 4-25-08. 
"Keeping the Duke Scandal in Context".  Letters to the editor 5-2-06
"Duke Men's Lacrosse Team is Reinstated and Warned". Viv Bernstein and Juliet Macur, New York Times, 6-6-06

Fri: Find a newspaper and read an article, an editorial, and a letter. 

Focus for 2nd Quarter
From ELA 9 Michigan Merit Curriculum Course Requirements, Page 27

Big Ideas
XX integrityXX relationships
XX truthX        equality
XX courage

Themes
Finding the truth through knowledge and experience

"Most people are [nice], Scout, when you finally see them."  (Atticus) 281

Education is key to overcoming prejudice.

Week 2: Respect & Honor

Mon: (Day 34) Print off the character-note chart.  You will need this while reading the novel and I will periodically check it. 
Read chapter 1 - Respect, Honor, and Three Families (pg 3, 12 & 1/2 pgs)
Prepare for the paper: After reading the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, each student will be writing a paper.  You will need to take notes while reading.  Now, before you begin reading, preview the paper requirements for this novel (This is a Microsoft Word document). 
Answer Focus Question 1:

Tues: Read ch 2&3 - Respect for Outsiders, Poverty and Honor. Answer focus question.   

Wed: Read Ch 4 - Secrets Seen and Kept by Children; Tree Gifts and a Play (32)

Thurs: Read Ch 5 - Secrets Behind Closed Doors: Miss Maudie and the Letter to Boo (41)
scuppernongs

Fri: Read Ch 6 - Revealing Secrets: A Pair of Trousers (50)

"The Hidden Songs of a Secret Soul" by Bob Greene

Week 3: Courage

Mon: Read Ch 7  - Sharing Secrets: The Knot in the Oak  (57)

Tues: Read 1^st section ch 9  - Courage, Fighting, and Maycomb's Usual Disease (74)
Read Ch 10 - Courage and Guns: The Mockingbird and the Mad Dog (89)

Wed-Fri: Happy Thanksgiving

Essential Questions
Who am I and how do I find my place in the world? 
What influences gender roles in our society? 
What stereotypes exist in our world? 
What is equality?  How can we work to achieve it? 
Why is it so difficult for people to stand up and do what is right? 
Do I have the courage to do what is right? 
Is it possible for one person to make a difference?
What inequalities are encountered and what comes of them?
How do these characters show or learn about responsibility?
How do these characters demonstrate courage?
Why is integrity important to these characters?
What truths are discovered and what was the cost?

ELA 9 Michigan Merit Curriculum Course Requirements, Page 27

Week 4: The Trial Begins

Mon: Read Ch 12 - Calpurnia's Two Groups: First Purchase (115)

Tues: Read Ch 15 - The Old Sarum Caste (144)

Wed: Read Ch 16 - The Mixed Caste; Before the Trial (155)

Thurs: Read Ch 17 - Sheriff Tate and Bob Ewell on the Stand (166)

Fri: Read Ch 18 - Ella Ewell on the Stand (178)

Week 5: The Conclusion of the Trial        Remember that you are supposed to be taking notes for your paper!

Mon: Read Ch 19 - Tom Robinson on the Stand (190)

Tues: Read Ch 20 - Dolphus Raymond (199)

Wed: Read Ch 21 - The Verdict

Thurs:
Read Ch 22 - The Next Morning
Read Ch 23 - The Cunningham's Kind of Folk

Fri: Read Ch 25 - A Death
Read Ch 27 - Three Little Things that Happened in Town

Week 6: Conclusion 7 / "I Have a Dream"

Quotations from To Kill a Mockingbird
"Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (Atticus) 90

"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." (Atticus) 30

Real courage "is when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what." (Atticus) 112

Mon-Tues: Finish the Book
28 The Big Thing that Happened
29 Introductions
30-31 Conclusion

Wed-Fri: "I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King Jr.  - A Close-Reading Assignment

Directions:
1 Finds a transcript of the speech.  Copy and paste it onto a MS Word document.
2 Read it and divide it into 5-7 chunks as seems appropriate.  Give each chunk a subtitle.
3 Highlight in yellow words you think are challenging vocabulary .
4 Highlight in green where Dr. King uses the poetic device of refrain (See English Terms.)   
5 Find allusions (See English Terms.)   Place your cursor at  the end of the allusion, click "insert" and then "comment."  Write in the comment-box the source of the allusion.

When you are done and it is handed in, you may watch the "I Have a Dream" speech in video. 
(Here are some audio clips for those with dial-up: CLIP 1   CLIP 2   CLIP 3 .)

Week 7: Movie Week / Writing The Paper

Mon-Wed : Watch the movie. 

Thurs-Fri: Write the analysis paper for this novel (doc). 

"The Death of Emmett Till" by Bob Dylan
"Civil Rights Timeline" Chris Crowe

Genre Study
Xxx Characteristics of the novel
Xxx Characteristics of the screenplay
Xxx Characteristics of poetry
Xxx Characteristics of lyrics

Literary Elements
Xxx  plot pgs 32-33 of our textbook. 
Xxx setting pg 164-165 of our textbook
Xxx conflict pg 130-131 of our textbook
Xxx internal and external theme
Xxx Xxx pg 264-265 of our textbook
Xxx character development pg 130-131
Xxx mood, tone, style PG 586-587
Xxx author's purpose

Literary Devices
Xxx narration/point of view
Xxx figurative language:
Xxx Xxx imagery
Xxx Xxx symbolism
Xxx allusions
Xxx foreshadowing
Xxx implied meanings

Historical/Cultural
Xxx roles of women
Xxx racial/gender equality
Xxx stereotyping
Xxx Deep South culture of the 1930s
Xxx urban legends (Boo Radley)
Xxx racism through dialogue

Critical Perspectives
Xxx time period
Xxx geographical (North vs. South)
Xxx Your own perspectives on:
Xxx Xxx issues of inequality
Xxx Xxx issues of racism
Xxx Xxx issues of prejudgment

Genre Study
characteristics of the following:
Xxx The editorial
Xxx The news article
Xxx Letters to the editor
Xxx The speech
Xxx A primary source document
Xxx The memoir
Xxx The timeline

Expository Elements
Xxx thesis
Xxx supporting ideas
Xxx statistical evidence
Xxx chronology

Organizational Patterns
Xxx fact/opinion
Xxx cause/effect
Xxx theory/evidence

Features
Xxx editorial format:
Xxx Xxx date, byline, attribution
Xxx letter-to-editor format:
Xxx Xxx salutation, body, signature
Xxx document format with signatures
Xxx media conventions and special effects
Xxx headings and subheadings
Xxx photographs and drawings
Xxx boldface, italics, parenthesis

Critical Perspectives
Xxx facts and opinions
Xxx editorial perspective
Xxx writer's tone, bias
Xxx logic
Xxx authenticity