Welcome to the To Kill A Mockingbird webquest! The main purpose of this webquest is to help students understand more about the author and setting of this book before starting to read in order to achieve greater understanding. The information in this webquest provides students with essential information about the social climate in the South during the 1930s, American history leading up to the social climate in the South, and Harper Lee's background and motivation for writing To Kill A Mockingbird.
Prior knowledge is an absolutely essential component of a reader's comprehension. Although the 1930s weren't all that long ago, many students may not know or understand a whole lot about that time period. By providing students with background knowledge, they will be able to better understand character motivation and action, author point of view, and To Kill A Mockingbird's important message.