Name ______Period _____ Date ______

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD READING RESPONSE ASSIGNMENT

You never really understand a person until you consider

things from his point of view…until you climb into his

skin and walk around in it.”

Atticus in TKAMB

Harper Lee paints a compelling picture of life in a small Southern town. She explores race relations, relationships and what it means to be true to yourself. In order to help you personalize the text to a certain degree, you will be keeping a reading log. There will be three parts to the reading log: vocabulary, reading response and quotes.

  1. The chapters will determine what your journal will cover. Sometimes you will complete an entry after just one chapter and sometimes it will be for several chapters.
  2. Label your entry clearly with the chapter number or numbers.
  3. Choose two vocabulary words from the vocabulary list. Be sure they are from the correct chapters and that they are words you do not know. Look up the definitions. Write down the page number where the vocabulary can be found. Be prepared to be quizzed on some of the vocabulary words.

4.  Choose one or two quotes from the text that could be considered a life lesson. Be sure to include the page number(s) where you found the quote(s).

  1. Vary your reading response selections (see options below) so that over the course of the story you use all of the options at least once. It makes it more interesting to write (and for me to read) if there is variety.
  2. Write in your voice and be honest in your responses.
  3. Below are options for your reading responses:
  1. Summarize the action of the chapter(s).
  2. Ask five (or more) interesting questions about the chapter(s). Answer two of them.
  3. “Talk” to one or more of the characters in the chapter. Question them. Brow-beat them if you wish. Challenge them. Yell at them. Comfort them. Or support their actions or choices.
  4. Quote two (or more lines) from the chapter and discuss why the quotes seemed important, or why the quotes stood out for you.
  5. Discuss the relationship between two characters. The comments can be directed toward family relationships, romantic relationships, community relationships, and friendships.
  6. Pretend that you are an actor preparing to act out the chapter or a section in the chapter. What would your motivations be? What would you focus on? What would your delivery emphasize?
  7. Comment on a character’s choices. Do they seem to be leading to an inevitable end? Do they make sense? Why do you think they are making those choices?
  8. Create a poem that expresses the feelings or mood conveyed within the chapter(s).
  9. Write letters between two or three characters discussing what is going on within the chapter(s).
  10. Write a diary entry from the point of view of one of the characters.
  11. Create a news piece or feature discussing the events that happened in the chapter (s).
  12. Draw a picture that expresses the emotions expressed in the chapter(s).
  13. Free choice: Is there something else you thought about while reading this chapter(s)? Write about it.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The entire reading response journal will be worth 100 points. Each entry will be graded for completeness and the richness of your responses. Below is the rubric that will be used to evaluate the reading response sections. Vocabulary and quotes will be worth two points each.

RUBRIC FOR ENTRIES

4 – Entry is expansive and reflective; shows insight into the scene, character’s personalities, character’s motivations, theme, language, etc; indicates a deeper understanding of the text; responds personally to the text; incorporates at least three options; superior effort; information is cited and labeled correctly (chapter number and title); neat and easy to read.