To Kill a Mockingbird Research

Research Assignment: Historical and Social Context of To Kill a Mockingbird

Standards

writing standard 2.3: write expository compositions, including research reports

writing standard 2.4: write persuasive compositions

reading standard 3.12: analyze the way in which a work of literature is related to the themes and issues of its historical period

To Kill a Mockingbird has become one of the most important novels in American literature and is a beloved favorite for millions of readers. Why? Because it forces them to examine their beliefs about justice, prejudice, and courage by examining the actions of some of the most memorable characters in literature. As you read, you will encounter a huge variety of social issues that will require you to understand a difficult time in American history and recognize how this time period has impacted our modern practices and beliefs.

This assignment has two parts. Part I will require you to research an historical event or important social issue that is key to the novel, and write an informational report about what you have discovered. This will help you to better understand the context of the book. Part II will ask you to take what you have learned and form an opinion about it in a persuasive essay. This will help you to get to the deepest level of learning: making personal connections with the novel by applying it to your own life. (*Only 3 students per class will be allowed to sign up for each topic.)

Topics:

1. Research and analyze the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.

2. Research the American Civil Rights Movement

3. Research and analyze the lyrics of 5 African-American songs (hip-hop or rap music)

4. Research the History of the Ku Klux Klan

5. Research the Rodney King court case

6. Research the death penalty in the United States

7. Research the role of white men and women in the American South

8. Research and describe the impact of single parenting

9. Research and describe laws on interracial marriage

10. Research and describe the effects of addiction on American families

11. Research and describe the Brown v. Board of Education legal case

12. Research and describe the Scottsboro Boys court case

13. Research current welfare policies and laws

14. Research African Americans in media and popular culture

15. Research the portrayal of fathers in the media through time