This project will refresh some of your researching and presentation skills, give you and your classmates important information to help all of us understand the novel in a way we might otherwise miss, and will give you an appreciation for ways in which the culture and location in which a text is produced affect that text and our interpretation of it.
Each student is responsible for conducting research on a group of research questions. You will need to go online to evaluate and consult secondary sources to help you answer the questions on a contextual issue. You will then summarize your findings and prepare to give a 3-5 minute presentation. The presentation will be in front of the class, and must incorporate at least 3 visuals using Google Slides.
TKAM Research Presentation Rubric. If you don’t cite your sources, you will get a 0 for the project.
You will also complete a group work evaluation for all members of your group.
Form a group of 3 or 4 (1 group of 4, 6 groups of 3).
Confirm your topic. Note: The order in which your group gets to pick a topic is the order for when you will present.
Decide how you will use your time and how you will divide up the work.
Begin research. Good starting places:
Online encyclopedias
Another TKAM site (I would suggest using the original sources that these guys used/cited to create this site)
Online Reference Centre: Login: LA158; PW: 1204. Specifically, try:
World History in Context
Global Issues in Context
Academic OneFile
For 3 of your sources, complete a source evaluation.
Create a SLIDE PRESENTATION WITH SPEAKER NOTES that will guide your presentation and that you can submit to Ms. Friesen electronically on Classroom.
Include at least 3 visuals with appropriate captions.
Include a works cited slide with all sources used in MLA style, properly cited in alphabetical order.
Include a mini-quiz of 3-5 questions for the class on your content.
Prepare to do a live presentation to the class of 3-5 minutes, with the mini-quiz at the end.
Complete your group work evaluation.
"Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself". Summarize Roosevelt's inaugural address.
What else was happening in the United States in the 1930s that was causing its citizens to fear? What happened in 1929?
What was the Dust Bowl? How did farmers respond to the conditions of the Dust Bowl? How did the government respond to farmers?
What was the New Deal and the WPA?
What were the social norms or conventions of the white community of the “Deep South” during the 1930s? Consider such things as dress, manners, cuisine, music, values, beliefs, and traditions.
What was life like for white women at this time? What were typical expectations of them?
What was family life like in the 1930s? How did this differ based on financial situation? Consider rates for marriage, divorce, number of children, children within or out of wedlock, parent-child relationships, etc.
What was the culture of the black community of the “Deep South” like during the 1930s? Consider such things as dress, manners, cuisine, music, values, beliefs, and traditions.
What and when was the Harlem Renaissance? Who were key individuals involved? How was this important for black identity?
What was the Civil Rights Movement? When did it begin? What were some key events and who were some key individuals involved with it?
What was the legal system like from 1930-1960 in terms of serving both women and men, blacks and whites? Was it common for (white) lawyers to do their best for black clients? Was it common for women to get fair trials, especially if they were victims of sexual harassment?
Who made up the jury? Which kinds of people cannot be on a jury at this time?
Explain how a typical trial would transpire using the terms alibi, acquittal, appeal, contempt, convict (verb), cross-examine, defendant, evidence, jury, judge, litigant, prosecute, solicitor, subpoena, testify, credible witness, testimony, and verdict.
How did churches develop post-emancipation? How did African Americans typically become Christians and form churches in the South? Did it affect how denominations developed? How would African American churches have been different from white churches?
How did the missionary movement evolve during the 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States? What characteristics or focuses did these missions take? How did this differ for the white churches in comparison to black churches?
What was Christian culture like in America in the 1930s? Were most people Christians? What other religions were practiced?
What were Jim Crow laws? What kinds of unwritten conventions were black men and white women supposed to abide by?
What is lynching? Where and when did lynching occur?
What was the Ku Klux Klan and when and where were they active?
What was the nature of the Scottsboro Boys trial and the Emmett Till murder? When did they take place and is that significant considering that the book was published in 1960?
Harper Lee’s own background and childhood experiences are similar to Scout’s. Tell us about her background and childhood and autobiographical similarities to aspects of the novel. Why do you think she chose to write a novel rather than a memoir or autobiography? In other words, what does that creative license allow her to explore in the novel that she couldn’t with her own life?
What is the history of the words “Negro” and "n****r"? How were they used in the 1930s (when the novel takes place) to the 1960s (when the novel was written)? How are they used today? Does it matter who is using them? Why or why not? Why would Lee choose to use these terms in her writing? Is it an ethical choice? Provide advice to the class about how or whether we should use these terms, either in writing or in speaking.