Classroom Resource

Setting in To Kill a Mockingbird

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

11

Overview

In this interactive lesson, students explore the importance of setting in literature and apply their learning to the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Students are introduced to the three main components of the setting: time, place, and the social conditions in the story. Using these three components as a framework, students gain a deeper understanding of the setting in To Kill a Mockingbird by learning about the 1930s. This resource also includes embedded vocabulary practice. A final writing assignment asks the students to write an essay synthesizing their knowledge of the time period and the book. This lesson works for students who are already engaged in studying the novel and have read at least the first two chapters.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R7

Use context clues to determine meanings of unfamiliar spoken or written words.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.R7

Vocabulary

  • Context clues
  • Determine
  • Unfamiliar spoken words
  • Unfamiliar written words

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Context clues in speech or text can provide the meaning of unfamiliar words.
  • There are different types of context clues, including: inference/general clues, definition/explanation clues, restatement/synonym clues, and contrast/antonym clues.
  • Context clues in text are often indicated by punctuation marks.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words in speech.
  • Use context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words in text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • An author or a speaker use context clues to explain the meaning of unusual words or academic, domain-specific vocabulary.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.1

Read, analyze, and evaluate complex literary and informational texts written from various points of view and cultural perspectives, with an emphasis on works of American literature.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.1

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Evaluate
  • Complex literary text
  • Complex informational texts
  • Points of view
  • Cultural perspectives
  • American literature

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read, analyze, and evaluate complex literary and informational texts.
  • Strategies to identify and describe various points of view and cultural perspectives.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read complex texts.
  • Analyze elements within complex texts.
  • Evaluate text based on specific criteria provided by teacher.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Texts written from various cultural perspectives and viewpoints can provide them with valuable information about the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of others.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.3

Analyze how an author explicitly exhibits his/her cultural perspective in developing style and meaning.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.3

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Cultural perspective
  • Style
  • Meaning

Knowledge

Students know:
  • An author's cultural perspective influences the style and meaning of their work.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify the style and meaning of text.
  • Analyze how an author explicitly exhibits his/her cultural perspective in a text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • An author's cultural perspective affects word choice, style, theme, and the overall meaning of a text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.11

Compose and edit both short and extended products in which the development and organization are relevant and suitable to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.11

Vocabulary

  • Compose
  • Edit
  • Short products
  • Extended products
  • Writing development
  • Writing organization
  • Task
  • Purpose
  • Audience
  • Command of language

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Writing products can be short, such as a paragraph, or extended, such as constructed responses and essays.
  • The skills required by the writing process.
  • The development and organization of writing will change depending on the writing task, the purpose of the writing, and the intended audience.
  • Formal academic writing should demonstrate an appropriate command of language.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Compose short and extended writing products.
  • Identify the writing task, the purpose of writing, and the intended audience in order to appropriately adapt the development and organization of the writing.
  • Demonstrate command of the written language.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There are different genres of writing that serve various purposes.
  • The writing task, purpose, and audience should be considered in the development and organization of the writing.
  • Formal academic writing should display their command of the English language.
Link to Resource
https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ilwnet17-ela-lit-tkam/setting-in-to-…

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

PBS
Accessibility
License

License Type

CUSTOM

Custom License Type (URL)

https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/help/terms-of-use/#restrictions

Comments or Notes

The lesson includes Teaching Tips.

Approved Date

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