Detailed lesson plan in "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

1. Republic of the Philippines
Leon Guinto Memorial College Inc.
Atimonan, Quezon
Higher Education Department
teaching minds... changing
lives... moving forward...
Detailed Lesson Plan for
"To Kill A Mockingbird" in 4 A's Approach
Submitted by:
John Ian M. Ortiz
III-BSEd
Submitted to:
Jasmin R. Saniel
MEM

2. Republic of the Philippines
Leon Guinto Memorial College Inc.
Atimonan, Quezon
Higher Education Department
teaching minds... changing
lives... moving forward...
I. OBJECTIVES
1. Decode the meaning of words using synonyms as context clues.
2. Identity and examine text content, elements, themes and symbols.
3. Determine and analyze various social, moral and economic issues discussedin the text.
4. Demonstrate verbal communication strategies (gestures, body movements, eye contact) when
delivering an argumentative presentation.
5. Recognize the need to avoid bias and prejudice against a particular group of people.
II. Subject Matter
A. Topic: "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
B. Learning Resources/References
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mocking/summary.html
http://www.teachingtokillamockingbird.com
www.slideshare.net
K to 12 Curriculum Guide English
C. Materials
Bond Papers, Marbles
Manila Paper , Markers
Printed Pictures
Certificates for Recognition
III. Procedure
Teacher's Activity Student's Activity
Preliminary Activities
Opening Prayer
Good Morning Class!
How are You?
Checking of Attendance
(Say Present if I Call your name)
Motivation
A. "Deliverme to safety" (Day 1)
1. The class will be divided into two groups and each
member will be given half a sheet of long bond paper.
2. The objective of the game is to transfer a marble
from Point A to Point B (Box) using the paper as pipes
Students will start praying.
Good Morning, Sir!
We're Fine, Thank You.
Present/Absent
(Students will perform the activity)

3. or bridges without dropping the marble.
3. If they dropped the marble, they will start again.
The group that will finish in the shortest time possible
will be declared as the winner.
B. "Recreation through Communication" (Day 2)
1. Each of the two groups will choose who will be the
communicator and who will be the artists.
2. A drawing/design will be shown to the
communicator and his/her role is to instruct the other
members on how to recreate the drawing.
3. The artists will rely on the communicator's
instructions to recreate the given drawing or design.
4. Each member will have the opportunity to draw and
are only given 20 seconds for their part.
5. The group that can recreate with the most similarity
to the original will be the winner.
Unlocking of Difficulties
Find the meaning of the following underlined words in
the sentence.
1. Mrs. Sanchez put a stop to the children's antics.
2. To the consternation of Maycomb's racist
community, Atticus volunteered to defend the black
man.
3. The angry mob tried to lynch Tom Robinson for
allegedly raping a white woman.
4. Jem and Scout sat at the colored balcony during the
trial.
5. Dr. Carlton propositioned a new method of
converting sunlight into electricity.
6. After hearing the truth, Claire falls into a state of
despondency.
7. The judge's verdict favored the accused.
8. After being ashamed, Bob menaces Tom's wife as
revenge.
9. The common prejudice among gay people is that
they are carriers of HIV.
10. Thelma was surely fit for the job of teaching but
she detests it.
Choices:
Dislike
To execute
Dismay
Pranks
Suggested
An area for black citizens
Preconception
To threaten
Judgment
Depression
(Students will perform the activity)
Answers:
1. pranks
2. dismay
3.to execute
4. An area for black citizens
5. suggested
6. depression
7. judgment
8. to threaten
9. preconception
10. dislike

4. A. Activity
"Reading Activity"
I've told you last meeting to read the summary of the
novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Did you read it?
Did you understand it?
For now, we will be having a silent reading activity.
While you're reading, you should take note the
characters of the story, the setting and most
importantly the themes present in the novel. Then, you
will report that in front later.
Five minutes will only be allotted in reading and then I
will hand each group a marker and a manila paper for
presentation. You are then given 10 minutes to prepare
your answers and after that we will move to the
discussion of your work.
Is everybody ready to read?
Alright class, now that you've finished reading I will
give you another 10 minutes to discuss your co-
members what I ask you to do. After that, you will
present your answers in class.
Okay, now that everyone's finished it's time for the
presentation. Each group have 5 minutes to present so
let us call now Group 1 which is to be followed by
Group 2.
(students present their answers)
(After presentation of group 1 & 2, the teacher will
give praise them through a clap)
B. Analysis
Yes/No
Yes/No/A little bit
Yes, Sir!
(Students will read silently)
[refer to attachment no. 1]
Characters:
Scout Finch Atticus Finch
Jem Finch Arthur "Boo" Radley
Charles Baker "Dill" Harris Bob Ewell
Mayella Ewell Tom Robinson
Nathan Radley Calpurnia
Sheriff Jury Mob
For specifics refer to [Refer to Attachment no. 2]
Setting:
Place: Maycomb,Alabama
Time: 19332-1935, Great Depression
Themes:
Racial Injustice/Racism
Biases and Prejudices
Destruction of Innocence
(Answers may vary)
(Students perform "Wow" Clap)

5. [Teacher will present the analysis of the characters of
the novel.]
(refer to Attachment no. 2)
The place the story took place was at the sleepy town
of Maycomb,Alabama. The particular time period was
during the 1930s when America was suffering from
the Great Depression.
Let us now go to the theme. A theme is the central
idea of a text. These are the universal and fundamental
ideas explored in a literary work.
What you've given earlier are both correct yet in order
for us to examine thoroughly a novel's theme we
should put it in a statement. We will just use a simple
formula: topic+insight = theme
First, make a list of topics found in To Kill a
Mockingbird.
Ex. Growing up/Maturity
Racism
Prejudice
Courage etc.
Then, to make these topics into a theme you have to
add insight.
To add insight, you have to answer this question. What
does To Kill a Mockingbird says about each of the
topics?
Your answer should follow this structure: Harper Lee's
To Kill a Mockingbird shows that...
Is that thing clear to you?
So, next time you have to write a theme statement just
follow the structure I gave you.
Asids from the theme, the novel is also rich in
symbolism. Now, let us recall. What are symbols?
What do you think is the main symbol found in the
novel?
(Rephrased question: What is the significance of the
title in relation to symbolism?)
That's right! Let us give him/her "Wow" Clap!
The title To Kill a Mockingbird has very little literal
connection to the plot but it carries a great deal of
symbolic weight in the book. In the novel, the
"mockingbird" represents the idea of innocence. Thus,
to kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Certain
Yes Sir!
Possible answer:
Symbols are objects, characters, figures and colors
used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
The main symbol used in the novel is the
Mockingbird.
(Students will give "Wow"Clap)

6. passages from the novel support this claim.
First, when Atticus gave air rifles to his children he
reminded them: "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if
you can hit 'em, but remember it is a sin to kill a
mockingbird."
Another when Ms. Maudie, a neighbor to the Finch
family, spoke to Scout, "Mockingbirds don't do one
thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a
sin to kill a mockingbird."
Throughout the book, a number of characters (Scout,
Jem, Dill, Tom Robinson, Boo Radley) can be
identified as mockingbirds - innocents who have been
injured or destroyed through contact with evil. That
was proven when Tom Robinson was killed and his
death was compared to the "senseless slaughters of
songbirds". The other was when Scout thinks that
persecuting Boo Radley for the crime of killing Bob
Ewell " would be like shootin' a mockingbird."
C. Abstraction
Alright Class, we have already identified and
examined the novel's elements like the characters,
themes and symbolism. Now, I would like you to
determine the various social, moral and economic
issues discussed in the text.
So think about it for 2 minutes and then I will call you
later to give your answers.
(Teacher give time for students to think)
Before we go on to your answers, let us first have a
short background information about the author of the
novel.
Harper Lee
Born in 1926, Harper Lee grew up in
depression-era Monroeville, Alabama.
The youngest of four children, Lee
followed her attorney father into law.
Lee attended the University of Alabama law school
and spent the 1950's working for Eastern Airlines and
writing short stories. On the suggestion of her editor,
Lee developed one of her short stories into her only
novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, published in 1960.
The novel won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and spent 80
weeks on the bestseller list. It has been translated into
40 languages and there are over 30 million copies in
print.
Mockingbird's success also inspired the box office
smash, To Kill a Mockingbird, starring Gregory Peck.
Lee published several essays in the early 1960s but, as
a true literary recluse, has published nothing since then
(Students will think of answers)

7. and refuses all requests for interviews.
Harper Lee unfortunately passed away on February 19,
2016, at the age of 89.
______________________
Now that we're familiar with the author Harper Lee,
let's go back to the task I've given you earlier.
What is/are the predominant social issues discussed
in the novel?
In the Southern United States, before the 1960's,
blacks were segregated from whites. This meant that
not only did they live in different areas, but by law
they were not permitted to go to the same schools, sit
in the same part of the courthouse, eat in the same
restaurants, use the same public rest rooms or drink at
the same water fountains. These laws were
unconstitutional and have now been changed.
Black people occupy the lowest class level of
Maycomb society as Maycomb's white population of
every class waste no time reinforcing their rigid class
rules. The fact that Atticus realises that he has no
chance to win his case defending Tom because Tom is
black offers the most explicit indicator of deep-rooted
racism. His closing argument in Chapter Twenty
clearly outlines Atticus's views on racism. However,
Lee also shows us prejudice as it pertains to gender
and social class.
How about the moral issues?
Fairness, Justice and Equality
The novel deals with moral values, such as fairness,
justice and equality. Atticus courageously defends
Tom Robinson, accused of raping a white woman,
because he knows Robinson is innocent. Robinson
deserves a fair trial and Atticus provides unbiased
representation, without allowing his community's
prejudices and racial stereotypes to affect his defense.
Atticus represents the good side of human nature -- the
ability to see people for who they are, regardless of
their skin color or socioeconomic status.
Honesty: Avoiding False Judgment
A majority of residents in the Finches' fictional town
of Maycomb, Alabama, judge people falsely. Lee
wants readers to see the importance of truth and
honesty. For example, the jury finds Robinson guilty -
- not because there's enough evidence to support the
accusations -- but because they falsely assume
Robinson is lying. They side with the white victim,
even though she's dishonest. Residents ostracize and
humiliate Radley, and gossip about his past. Moral
characters, such as Atticus and Miss Atkinson, and
Possible Answers:
Social Issues
Racism, Racial Segregation
Prejudice
Moral Issues:
Fairness, Justice and Equality
Honesty: Avoiding False Judgment

8. eventually Scout and Jem, stand up for truth and
honesty even when citizens of Maycomb treat them
poorly for doing so.
What is the predominant economic issue portrayed
in the novel?
Great Depression (1930s)
Maycomb County, as the author describes it, is in a
state of economic decline. Communication with
outlying houses depend on dirt roads, and all the
county inhabitants, whether professional people or
farmers, are poor.
In late 1929 the economic prosperity of the 1920s
came to an end with the Wall Street Crash followed by
the Great Depression. The economic boom of the
1920s rested on a fragile foundation; there was such an
unequal distribution of income between the rich and
the poor that things started to falter, there were not
enough people to buy goods and services to keep the
economy in a healthy state.
Rural, southern towns in the United States were hit
hard because they were largely reliant on agriculture.
Problems with the economy had a flow-on effect to all
parts of society. People lost jobs, marriages broke
down, banks failed, people became homeless,
businesses folded, birth rates fell, people got depressed
and many people went hungry.
D. Application
Remember how Atticus defended and stood up for
what is right despite knowing that he would certainly
lose?
Now, together with your co-members we will conduct
an argumentative presentation or a debate regarding a
timely topic. Since people nowadays are addicted to
the so called "K-Drama", I have chosen this topic to be
discussed.
"Does watching and being a fanatic of foreign
entertainment especially Korean Drama affect our
patriotism and nationalism to the country?"
To be fair, you will choose one representative to draw
a particular side. The two sides would be "Yes" and
the other would be "No".
You will come up with evidences to support your
claim and you will be rated according to a set of
criteria. Of course, the correctness and logic of your
arguments would be the main criteria that we will rate.
Another is how you deliver your arguments by using
verbal and non-verbal communication strategies such
pitch, intonation, diction, facial expressions, eye
contact, proper stance and of course the use of
gestures.
Economic issues:
Great Depression (1930s)
Yes Sir!

9. IV. EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT
I. True or False.
__________1. Atticus volunteers to defend Tom Robinson.
__________2. Charles Baker Harris is aka Judge Harris.
__________3. Arthur Radley is a recluse and is seen by children as frightening.
__________4. The novel was set in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama.
__________5. Bob Ewell tried to kill Scout and Jem but he was instead killed by Nathan Radley.
__________6. Caledornia is the black cook of the Finch Family.
__________7. The jury's verdict favored those of the Ewell's because they don't want i acquit a black man accused of
rape.
__________8. The children sat on the colored balcony during the trial together with the black citizens.
__________9. The novel To kill a Mockingbird was published in 1955.
__________10. The novel's prevailing theme is racism and injustice.
II. Essay
1. Why is it considered a sin "to kill a mockingbird"? (5pts)
2. In relation to the novel's prevailing theme, what are the biases and prejudices happening in our country today? Is there a
need to avoid it? Why? (5pts)
V. ASSIGNMENT
Research current issues of prejudice and injustice here in the Philippines. Be able to present it in
front of the class.
LessonTime Frame:
Day 1
Preliminaries
Motivation 15 minutes
Unlocking of Difficulties
Activity - 25 minutes
Analysis - 20 minutes
Day 2
Motivation - 10 minutes
Abstraction- 20 minutes
Application - 20 minutes
Evaluation - 10 minutes