To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an important novel that every American should read. I like to use this novel to teach several different themes and historical issues, but the character of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird offers a great way to teach students about social responsibility and a person’s willingness to fight for the rights and freedoms of others. After chapter 15, in which the mob approaches Atticus at the jailhouse, I would use this Toni Morrison conversation to discuss the responsibility we have to serve others and the ways in which Atticus uses his freedom to attempt to free Tom Robinson.
Level: Secondary English/Language Arts
Subject Area: American Literature
Author: Tiffany Heitman
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