To Kill A Mockingbird role-play: A Maycomb pig pickin'

Somewhere near the middle of reading the novel, students start to become confused about characters. This fun role-play activity works especially well just after Chapter 21 and allows students to get to know characters beyond Jem and Scout. It also can be a springboard into further discussions of point of view, theme, and stereotypes.

A lesson plan for grade 9 English Language Arts

By David Ansbacher

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Learning outcomes

• oral communication
• empathizing with characters
• understanding differences

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

90 minutes

Materials/resources

• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• small Post-It Notes (ten per student)
• 3×5 note cards and tape (one card per student)

Pre-activities

• Students should have read through Chapter 21. The lesson could work at other times, but after the trial is ideal.
• Students might generally discuss the verdict and the trial before entering into this activity.
• Using the list of characters on page 2 of the handout, cut up names to draw and allow students to select randomly a character. Some can be used more than once depending on class size.

Activities

All student directions are included on the handout.

1. Distribute a few Post-it notes to each student. They should use these Post-its to “Search through your book and place at least seven post-its on pages that highlight different aspects of your character. On that Post-it, write a sentence explaining what this passage teaches you about this character” (from the handout). While they are working, you can distribute a notecard and tape to each student to make nametags.
2. Once the students have researched the characters, they should “Write two diary entries from this character (200 words each). One should come from any part of the novel before the trial and one should be written immediately after the trial verdict” (from the handout).
3. Finally, students should “Prepare a series of questions you would like to ask other characters in the novel. If you had a chance to talk one on one with these people, what would you want to know? You should come up with at least ten questions” (from the handout).
4. Next, brainstorm together on the board topics of conversation beyond the trial that might come up at this event — what is Maycomb talking about these days?
5. Go over the ground rules for the pig pickin’ (from the handout):
   • You should only have one-on-one conversations.
   • When I say “mingle” you should shift to speak to another person at the pig pickin’.
   • You must ALWAYS stay in character.
   • Keep in mind basic Southern rules of politeness; even mortal enemies wouldn’t make a big scene at a pig-pickin’.
   • Have fun — it’s a pig pickin’!
6. Let them go at it! I think 2–3 minutes for each “mingle” is fine, and you can let it go as long as you’d like. I found with a class of 28 students that 15–20 minutes was enough.
7. Debrief the experience with the kids. You can ask questions like these:
   • Whose characters were most difficult to play?
   • Were there tense moments between certain characters?
   • Were there any surprises today?
   • Who played their character with the most accuracy?

   It is important not to skip this part. If you run out of time, come back to it the next day.

Assessment

This rubric is also included on the handout:

___/15 points. Did your Post-its and comments focus on key developments in character?

___/15 points. Were your diary entries realistic representations of what that character was thinking?

___/10 points. Did you accurately represent your character?

___/10 points. Did you stay in character throughout the pig pickin’?

___/50 points TOTAL

I found it useful to enlist a couple of students as evaluators. These students did not have a role but simply were “ghosts” listening in and reporting back to me their observations.

Supplemental information

Comments

It is most important that students stay in character. I’d suggest visibly taking the first student who doesn’t follow through out of the role-play. Others will choose to have fun with the roles instead.

If you really want to go all out with this, you could make it a Southern food day and incorporate a mess into the whole thing!

We also had an Academy Award vote at the end for best actor and actress.