Introduction:
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is a classic novel and a staple in many high school English classrooms. To ensure that students are engaged and understand the context and themes of the story, it’s essential to use pre-reading activities. Below are 20 pre-reading activities that teachers can use to introduce “To Kill a Mockingbird” to their students.
1. Set the stage
Start by giving an overview of the setting (1930s Alabama) and historical background (the Great Depression, Jim Crow laws, etc.) relevant to the novel.
2. Watch a movie clip
Show a movie clip from the film adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird” to get students interested in the story.
3. Author introduction
Introduce Harper Lee as the author and discuss her background, life experiences, and how these influenced her writing.
4. Read a related news article
Select an article about modern-day racism or another issue discussed in the book and ask students to read it before starting the novel.
5. Vocabulary worksheet
Give students a worksheet with key vocabulary words found in “To Kill a Mockingbird” to familiarize them with context-specific language.
6. Make predictions
Ask students to make predictions about what they think will happen in “To Kill a Mockingbird” based on its title, cover images, or brief summaries.
7. Photo analysis
Show students pictures from the Great Depression or American South during Jim Crow and discuss how these visuals relate to the book’s themes.
8. Comparing texts
Read passages from other novels that explore similar themes or settings, such as “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” or “Cry, the Beloved Country.”
9. Create character maps
Provide students with brief character descriptions and ask them to create maps connecting the different characters, which they will fill in as they read the story.
10. Kahoot game
Create a Kahoot game with questions related to the novel’s themes, background, and author.
11. Analyze a poem
Introduce students to a poem that shares themes with “To Kill a Mockingbird,” such as “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou.
12. Listen to an interview
Play an audio or video clip of Harper Lee discussing “To Kill a Mockingbird” and ask students to take notes on her comments.
13. Contextual journaling
Ask students to write journal entries from the perspective of someone living during the era of Jim Crow laws or the Great Depression.
14. Moral dilemmas
Present students with moral dilemmas similar to those faced by characters in the novel and discuss their potential choices and consequences.
15. Scout perspective
Encourage students to see through Scout’s eyes by discussing what it would be like to grow up in her time and place.
16. Book trailer project
Assign groups of students to create book trailers for “To Kill a Mockingbird,” emphasizing essential themes, setting, or characters.
17. Civil rights timeline
As a class, create a timeline of major civil rights milestones and discuss how these events relate to the themes in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
18. Mock trial activity
Conduct a mock trial based on an event from the novel or another related text, allowing students to take on different courtroom roles.
19. Social media profiles
Have students create social media profiles for key characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird” as a way of exploring their personalities and motivations.
20. Author’s purpose discussion
Prompt a class discussion about why Harper Lee may have written “To Kill a Mockingbird” and what she hoped.
