When students are reading, chances are they'll encounter vocabulary they aren't familiar with. A great way to engage students with new vocabulary is to have them create visual vocabulary boards that use vocabulary from To Kill a Mockingbird. In the vocabulary board students can choose between coming up with their use of the vocabulary board, finding the specific example from the text, or depicting it without words.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Demonstrate your understanding of the vocabulary words in To Kill a Mockingbird by creating visualizations.
Introduce students to the concept of visual vocabulary and how they can use this activity to learn new things. Teachers can encourage the use of this activity by ensuring students that they can be creative while learning.
Assign group assignments where students collaborate to produce illustrations of literary characters or scenes. This promotes collaboration and the exchange of original ideas.
Encourage the students to write a story entirely in pictures, much like a comic strip or graphic novel. They learn to think sequentially and tell stories in novel ways as a result of this practice. This can also sharpen their critical thinking skills.
Encourage students to draw illustrations of a scene or figure from the perspectives of various characters to emphasize the idea that interpretation differs. Students can further continue this activity by giving different interpretations of paintings made by famous painters.
In guided imaging exercises, teachers can have students close their eyes, listen to a descriptive text, and then draw a picture based on their mental images.
Establish regular forums where students can share and discuss their artistic endeavors and reflect on the importance of different perspectives for creativity, promoting a positive and productive creative community.
A graphic representation that captures the core of the topics in "To Kill a Mockingbird" can be used to illustrate those themes. For instance, the issue of racial injustice could be portrayed graphically by putting together photographs of segregated places of business or by displaying the scenario from Atticus and Tom Robinson's trial. Additionally, the subject of empathy and moral development can be communicated visually. For instance, multiple visual renderings of Scout's contacts with Boo Radley can demonstrate how her perspective has changed.
Yes, it is possible to explore the meanings and relationships between symbols like the mockingbird, the oak tree, and even the Radley home through pictorial representations. This sort of visual analysis can form a deeper understanding of the concept and help readers connect with the story.
Certainly, students can visualize the journeys of characters by making timelines or character portraits that change throughout the course of the novel.