Monday, March 9, 2009

Focus #1 - Meeting Maycomb

ENGAGE
In the beginning chapters of the novel, Scout introduces us to the codes of the South, and the "tired old town" of Maycomb as well as to its families - the Radleys, the Ewells, the Cunninghams and the Finches.


EXPLORE
Activities
  1. Read Chapters 1-3 of To Kill a Mockingbird.
  2. With your group, discuss and record your thoughts, questions, predictions and connections to your reading. The following questions may be used to guide your response:
  • Discuss your impressions of Maycomb. What connections can you make?
  • Discuss the social issues you become aware of in the first three chapters.
  • Make some predictions about how Boo Radley will become involved in the story.
  • From what you have learned so far, how might you describe Boo?
  • Discuss the concept of being an outsider. What does it mean to be an outsider? Why are some people outsiders?

EXTEND
As a group, determine what you think are the most important sentences from each chapter. Defend your choice. Post your work to the blog. Read the choices of other groups and comment.

22 comments:

  1. Maycomb is sounding just like the town i live in. It's really laid back and there is absolutly nothing entertaining. The people who live there have been there for years which means absolutly no kids.

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  2. This book shows how the society back then was very "strict" in a way. You can see how social classes are and how people are prejudice or maybe even racial. A lot of people seem to look down on the African American descent, they're often called "negros" or even "niggers" in this book. The white were looked upon higher.

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  3. Maycomb sounds like it could be compared to Wysteria Lane on Desperate Housewives with everyone knowing everything about their neighboors and all the drama that goes down. To be an outsider is to not really belong to any group, sort of like a loner. Some people are outsiders just because that's what their personality is, they like being alone and doing their own thing. Or, they could be new to an area and not have the guts to step up and meet new people.

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  4. I have already read this book in 8th grade and enjoyed it very much. My impressions of Maycomb are it’s a friendly town and everyone talks all the time. It’s sort of like a big gossip town. The social issues are that the Radley’s never come out or talk. Now that Dill wants to see Boo Radley I think they will see him and go into his house. I would describe Boo as a nice, kind person who is shy. An outsider is someone who keeps to themselves and don’t talk to anyone. They are to shy to talk to others and have a social life.

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  5. Boo radley Is thought to be dead or a ghost haunting the radley house

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  6. I think that Maycomb is just like any other town in the south. To where if one thing happens eveyone will know about it. As far as Boo goes I personaly think that he isn't as bad as people may think. With what the story is going it sounds like boo is crazy. But I think he will come out into the story and do something signifficant.

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  7. my town is like maycomb. there isnt much aqround but it still is cool. people arent as close as they are in maycomb but closer then many other towns. boo is supposed to be a bad guy and there house is looked at almost as haunted. outsiders are new people who dont get immediate respect from others who are established there. there are poor people and not so poor people as well.

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  8. I think that Maycomb sounds like any little town. Once somebody does something everyone knows within a day. Maycomb seems like a really formal town where everybody knows eachother really well and everyone talks. I also think that Boo Radley is not a bad person at all and that everything said about him is made up. I think Boo is a good person and what everyone says is just a old wise tale. I also think its not fair for Scout to get in trouble because of her intelligence.

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  9. Maycomb is a little town full of the latest gossip of its citizens. The social issues are that when something happens, no matter how little or big, it gets around fast; and you are expected to know whats going on at all times. When the Radley's stopped going out in public, people started talking, wheather or not it is true. I believe Boo Radley will come out and take a stand to what is being said about him and his family. I also believe that he will do something big and significant, and turn the plot of the book into the opposite way (the way it is going now). I might describe Boo as a mysterious guy that doesn't care what is going on in his town right now, and that he keeps to himself. An outsider is a person that is always by themselves and doesn't care about the things going on around them. Some people are outsiders because they don't want to please others; and all they really want to do is be themselves.

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  10. I think Maycomb is a little town were all the people are alike. They don't really like poeple who are different. The Radley's are like a family in a town that never get involved and everyone thinks that something really bad happened to them. I think that Boo is going to end up being perfectly normal. He will probably become friends with all the people in the town. Right now Boo sounds like a shy guy who just sits in is home and doesn't feel the need to go out and get involved with his town. Boo probably knows how all the people in the town think about him so he might be scared to face them too. Boo and Miss Caroline are both outsiders. Boo doesn't get involved, and Miss Caroline is new to town and doesn't know about anyone. Outsiders do their own thing and don't really care what people say about them.

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  11. Maycomb does not seem to be a very large town. It seems like the neighbors all know eachother and generally like eachother. Like all towns there seems to be a family no one likes in this case the Radley's. Actually, in my neighborhood most people know eachother and there is a family that most of us do not like that much. Some social issues are the Radley's are not very friendly. Come time for Dill to go to Meridian Scout knows she will miss him. Some students at school are not very pleasant for example Burris Ewell. I think that Boo Radley might be one of the grouchy looking types but turns out to be really friendly to everyone. Boo seems to be very mean. Boo rarely leaves the house or comes out of it. To me Being an outsider is a person or family that is not like most others like: the Radley's, the Cunningham's, and the Ewell's. Some people are outsiders because the way they were raised. Others may be outsiders because they way people have treated them. Some even because the way there family stands financially.

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  12. I think that Maycomb is a city that represents the south. I think that Boo will end up being the one who is nice to Dill and everyone else because he has changed from what he was like in his early years. I think the teacher was intimedated by scout becasue she knows a lot already and the teacher doesn't have enough to teach her what she already doesn't know.

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  13. I think that Maycomb is a town where every one knowes every ones secrets. I think that Boo is the "crazy" one of the town like he did something horible. The people who are concidered outsiders are there either because their poor of their "crazy".

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  14. Just a couple of thoughts for each of you. First, I think you've done a great job so far introducing each other and responding to each other. I hope you continue on with the same energy and enthusiasm!

    Second, be sure when you post that you are posting to your group's page and not the Focus page. You won't see what each other has said otherwise.

    Finally, I enjoy reading your submissions as I post them. I noticed a number of people explaining what an outsider is said things about the individual's independence, that things don't bother that person, that they prefer to be left alone. I wonder if some of you might continue to pursue this discussion. Do you think "outsiders" prefer to be alone? Are there any reasons you can think of for this appearing to be the case but not really? Do you think outsiders really don't care what people say? I would encourage you to think more about these topics and deepen your discussion. Mrs. Woodward

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  15. Boo Radley supposedly killed his parents

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  16. Maycomb sounds pretty close to where I live. It's not the greatest place in the world but the people still like it. One of the biggest social issues is Boo Radley. I think that the whole situation is just a rumor that got out of hand. Boo is probably a really nice person that doesn't ever come out because he knows what people think about him. I think that being an outsider is someone that isn't really involved with anyone or anything. Boo is an outsider because he never leaves his home and people don't really know much about him.

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  17. Maycomb is a small town like my hometown nothing really goes on, everyone knows everyone and knows a lot about the town and the people in it. there are some differnt social standards, for instance the Radley family, they are a different group in the town. Boo Radley is a kid who has supposively killed his parents and haunts the house he lived in, so all the locals are scared of that house. Boo is a child who is unique in a way and is looking for ways to be recognized. An outsider is a person you consider different and personalities are different than your used to or like.

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  18. Maycomb sounds like a place with a lot of different problem, were a lot of the people are alike. Kinda like my neighborhood, we are a mix of people that are a lot in common with eachother but we dont really like.

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  19. When I first read about Maycomb I immediatly thought small town that makes a big impact. It is a town with not many people, but describes and depicts the entire South at the time. Racism and poverty are very present, yet there are a few people that rise above the rest and show that there are other ways.

    Charlie

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  20. Final Post Focus#1
    It seems like in this book Boo Radley is basically the contradicting character that is always hidden somewhere. He seems like he will be one of the benifiting characters that will make this book great. Dill, Jem, and Scout seem so interested in Boo most likely because he is a little different. They seem to quick to judge him just because of his anti-social ways.

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  21. Chapter 1- They said maycomb was a small old town. I can picture it in my mind as a small town with not many people. Everyone knoes stuff about everyone.
    chapter 2 talks about walter and being poor. scout gets defensive and doesnt understand why the teacher didnt know that walter was poor. this is because scout is young and the teacher is new.
    chapter 4 atticus tells scout to walk in a persons skin. he means that before you criticize and be mean to someone you need to understand why they are the way they are.

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  22. Chapter 1: “Maycomb is an old town, but it is a tired old town, when she first knew it.”
    Maycomb is a small run down town, not so much going on here, and is quiet.

    Chapter 2: “The Cunninghams never took anything they couldn’t pay back... They never took anything off of anybody, and they use what they can."

    The Cunningham's are a respectful people... you could entrust them with anything if they took it, because they will give it back, or pay it back in full.

    Chapter 3: “You never really understand the person... until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

    don't say what a person does by what you see, play their role as a person in their shoes before you say anything about their lifestyle.

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