The Town's Dressed Up For Trial

The whole family seems to be influenced by the look of the Southern belle!

We learn a lot about the culture of the town when chapter 16 unfolds into a parade of town folk on their way to the trial. Ladies are dressed in their hats and gloves, and as the wagonloads pass by the neighborhood, Jem and Dill explain who they all are. It seems like most of the town is there, although Miss Maudie explains to the kids that she thinks that watching the trial is morbid, and it reminds her of a Roman carnival. Though they think Atticus might not approve, and certainly not Aunt Alexandra, the kids sneak in anyway.

Speaking of sneaking in, how about the events of the night before? What would have happened if Jem, Dill, and Scout hadn't slipped out of the house and gone to the jail? How on earth did Scout stop the mob? Did she even know what she was doing? Of course, Aunt Alexandra is appalled by the whole event, but what is her problem with the way Atticus talks in front of Cal and the kids?

First Draft Conferencing: A Look At "The Bones"

Today is an official first draft conferencing day, a look at "the bones," or the basic content and ideas of your paper. We'll talk about constructive criticism, undue harsh criticism, and empty praise. Obviously, we don't want to be guilty of either of the last two because I'm sure we all agree that they are not at all helpful.





As we share first drafts with our writing teams, we should be getting feedback about our writing...questions that pop up in the reader's mind, connections the reader makes with the content of your writing, and any emotional responses the reader feels as he or she hears each piece. Yes, I said hears. Authors will quietly read their writing to their small writing teams as they, in turn, listen and take notes in response. We'll practice on me first, and then I'll set you loose.





Last night's reading revealed so much about culture and language. Did you notice the confusion Scout felt when Cal seemed to be able to slip into proper, standard English and then to her cultural dialect? Do people still judge others by the dialect they use? This reminded me of the movie Crash when several characters were discriminated against based on their voices alone. How about Lula? Why was she so hateful to Scout and Jem when Cal brought them to church?





Just as Katie blogged about several days ago, you are now reading about a true Southern belle when you read about Aunt Alexandra. She seems overly occupied with heredity and "gentle breeding," and as Scout says, she has "river-boat, boarding-school manners." Her appearance in the household sure sounds like an intrusion to Scout. Do you wonder why she has come?





Lastly, poor Dill has run away and come to hide under Scout's bed. The talk they have at the end of the chapter is endearing, and I think it reveals so much about the innocence of children. Dill's imaginary world is sweet, and it's nice that he shares it with Scout.

First Drafting: Filling in Ideas and Content

Today our writing mini lesson will focus on using a photograph for inspiration. We'll look for memories which spring from photos, details, events, feelings, and so forth. I'll share mine, too. Mine takes me back to the days of early motherhood and the innocence of my own children. I've free written on the topic of my daughter's first best friend, but now I'm deciding what genre I want to use, either children's story or a poem, or both.

We'll set the class period aside today to use as a writing workshop. By now you'll have settled on an idea for a writing to expand on, and you can use class time today to "flesh out" ideas.

We'll take a some time at the beginning of class to review our literature blog and to discuss questions that have arisen. Don't forget to look back at your own posts to see if you need to comment to remarks left on your post. There is some very good conversation going on out there. Don't leave your classmates hanging!

Good luck! Keep reading and writing!

Stay On Track For Blogging!

One of the greatest pleasures of sharing a book with the whole class is being able to discuss it with all of you. That's why it's so important to stay on track with the reading guide for Mockingbird so that you're up with the rest of the group, but then again, it's also important to not give away details and plot if you've read ahead. I'm not saying that you can't read ahead, especially when the story "picks up," which is beginning to happen. If you'll just skim over the preceding night's reading before blogging or discussing (which is what I do) then you'll remember where we are and not give anything away.


Today we'll be having a class discussion over issues, questions, and topics you've brought up on our weblog. We'll also revisit the character lists to update your notes. This will be a great time to clarify anything you may be wrestling with!

Don't forget that we are also tracking vocabulary as we read. You'll be handing in your list on Friday. Happy reading!

It's Hard To Be A Southern Belle

A few thoughts from Katie…

As I am rereading the first few chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird, I am reminded how wonderful long summer days are with neighborhood friends. Scout, Jem, and Dill play imaginary games acting out books they’ve read and movies Dill has seen, that is until they make up the Boo Radley game. I think I’d be too scared, both of Boo Radley and of Atticus finding out. I feel sorry for Scout, too, because the boys are beginning to leave her out. Good thing she has Miss Maudie across the street. Scout may not know it now, but it won’t be too long before she’ll be expected to act and dress like a young lady.

This brings me to the subject of Southern women of this time period. A Southern lady from a fine family would be expected to act and dress like a “lady” at all times. She would wear a dress or skirt, and she would be very soft spoken. Not expected to work outside the home, she would also be skilled in fine manners, and would grow up to be a lovely hostess, entertaining her friends with elegant parties and afternoon teas. How do you think this will work for Scout?

I hope you’ve had a restful weekend. I’m feeling like I have to make up for the hour of lost sleep!

See you Monday!