To Kill A Mockingbird Notice and Note Lessons

To Kill A Mockingbird Notice and Note Lessons: Lesson of the Elder Memory Lane

Lesson of the Elder • When a character learns something through a conversation that causes them to change and/or grow • Not always “elder” in age, but “elder” in wisdom Question to ask: • How do the character’s perspective and/or actions change after this revelation?

Lesson of the Elder What can does Scout learn from the following “Lessons of the Elder” • Jem explains Miss Caroline and the Dewey Decimal System (p. 18) • Scout explains the Cunninghams to Miss Caroline (p. 19) • Atticus explains the Cunninghams’ ways to Scout (p. 21)

Lesson of the Elder Homework: Read chapter 3 and identify a “Lesson of the Elder. ” Write a paragraph defending your choice of the elder, the lesson, and the learner.

Memory Lane When a character has a memory (flashback), it 1. Is always triggered by some current event and/or 2. Always sheds some light on what is happening or what is about to come

Memory Lane Our brains are always trying to make connections between events. Memory lane is the author’s way of saying “These two things (what is happening now, and what happened in the past) are connected. Ask yourself. . . 1. What happened right before that triggered this memory? 2. What hints may the author be giving to us? 3. What can we predict is about to come?

Memory Lane 1. What will happen the next time this boy sees a needle? 2. As a result, how will he respond?

Memory Lane What can we learn from this memory? “When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. . . When enough years had gone by to enable us to look back on them. . . I maintain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem, who was four years my senior. . . said it began the year Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out. ” (p. 3)

Memory Lane What can we learn from this memory? “. . . it occurred to me that I would be starting to school in a week. I never looked forward more to anything in my life. Hours of wintertime had found me in the treehouse, looking over at the schoolyard, spying on multitudes of children. . . I longed to join them. ” (p. 15)

Memory Lane What can we learn from this memory? The Cunningham Tribe: pgs 20 -21

Contrasts and Contradictions • Moments where a character reacts differently than the patterns of behavior they have exhibited previously. • Ask yourself: “Why has his/her behavior changed? ” “What new insight does this give me into the ‘secrets’ or ‘inner life’ of this character? ”

Contrasts and Contradictions • Miss Caroline is tough in front of her students, but crumbles when she’s alone (p. 22) • Calpurnia surprises Scout with her favorite food and a kiss (p. 29) • Atticus “believes” the children’s lie about playing strip poker, and convinces Miss Rachel to let them off easy (p. 55)