Title: What’s On Your Mind?

: Exploring Characterization and Motivation

Novel: To Kill A Mockingbird Content Areas: English Grade Level: 9-12

Overview

A creative alternative to traditional multiple-choice tests, the “What’s On Your Mind?” poster may be used as
an alternative assessment for students to show their understanding of plot, character development, theme,
conflict, and character motivation in any novel. The assignment allows students to explore the creative
process and “develop as creative thinkers” (Resnick). Using paper or digital technology, students will
explore alternative methods to convey important concepts discussed before, during, and after reading a
novel. Additionally, students will have opportunities to collaborate, share, and gain feedback from peers
while completing the character assignment.

Students will analyze character motivation and characterization techniques by creating illustrated posters
for To Kill A Mockingbird. The poster will primarily focus on illustrating important elements of plot, but it will
include textual analysis as well. Using the “What’s On Your Mind?” handout, each student will choose one
character from the novel and follow the detailed instructions provided. The assignment asks students to
consider the following questions:
 Why does the character act a certain way? What motivates the character to make specific decisions
in the story? What does the character think about throughout the story? Based on textual evidence,
how would you describe the character?
Note: The assignment may be used with any novel.

Prior Knowledge: Students have completed To Kill A Mockingbird and finished all dialectical response
journals for the novel. Students understand characterization techniques and the role of motivation in stories.

Virginia 2017 Standards of Learning (SOL)

11.1 Select and effectively use multimodal tools to design and develop presentation content.
11.4 Read, comprehend, and analyze a text to critique how authors use key literary elements to contribute to meaning
including character development, theme, conflict, and archetypes within and across texts.
11.6 Apply components of a recursive writing process for multiple purposes to create a focused, organized, and
coherent piece of writing to address a specific audience and purpose; adapt evidence, vocabulary, voice, and tone to
audience, purpose, and situation; and revise writing for clarity of content, accuracy and depth of information.
11.7 Self- and peer-edit writing for capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, paragraphing, and Standard
English.

Lesson Objectives

 Students will be able to use strategies before, during, and after reading to aid in the construction and
enhancement of meaning
 Students will be able to identify and explain the significance of the essential literary elements of
novels (i.e. character, setting, conflict, plot, climax, resolution, theme, tone, and point of view)
 Students will be able to engage in informal writing assignments (i.e. reader response, freewriting,
focused freewriting, prediction, response journals, dialectical notebook entries, and other pieces of
reflective writing).
 Students will be able to evaluate their own writing according to established criteria and rubrics.
 Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of character, conflict, and theme by responding
in writing or discussion with support

1
Materials and Resources

To Kill A Mockingbird, daybooks, dialectical journals/other reading notes, and print/digital versions
of “What’s On Your Mind?” poster
 Print Version: Handout provided, markers, rulers, and other craft supplies
 Digital Version: Google Slides link provided and laptops

Resources:
Gibbons, Lauren A. (n.d.) Creating Psychological Profiles of Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Retrieved from ReadWriteThink website: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-
resources/lesson-plans/creating-psychological-profiles-characters-1184.html?tab=1#tabs
Resnick, M. (2013). Lifelong Kindergarten. Cultures of Creativity. LEGO Foundation.

Procedure:

Day 1 (90 minutes)

1. Hook (5 min) Respond to the following prompt: If you were a character in the story, what would you
do differently?
2. Think-Pair-Share (5 min) Discuss response with a partner before whole-class discussion begins.
3. Guided Instruction (15 min) Allow students an opportunity to add additional notes to prompt
response before reviewing characterization and motivation (terms discussed prior to reading the novel).
Introduce the “What’s On Your Mind?” poster assignment and outline the purpose of the assessment.
Students will analyze a character in the novel and design a creative poster that addresses the
questions listed in Overview. Answer questions and provide examples of the final product to help
students understand the assignment and assessment process.
4. Guided Practice (60 min) Students will begin brainstorming ideas for the poster, either individually
or in small groups (see Accommodations/Differentiation for alternative ideas). Students may consult
their daybooks and dialectical journals notes to gather ideas for each element required for the poster.
The instructor will monitor student progress and provide assistance as needed.
5. Closure (5 min) Address any questions or concerns. Students will continue working on the poster at
home.

Day 2 (90 minutes)

1. Hook (5 min) Students will discuss progress with a partner and provide constructive feedback to help
one another with the poster.
2. Individual Practice (80 min) Students will continue working on the poster assignment. The instructor
will monitor student process and provide each student with direct feedback within the first 20 minutes of
class.
3. Closure (5 min) Address and questions or concerns. Students will continue working on the poster at
home.

Day 3 (90 minutes)

1. Individual Practice (as needed) Students will complete the poster.
2. Reflective Letter (20 minutes) Allow students time to compose a reflective letter addressing how they
met the learning outcomes for the assignment. Once the reflective letter is complete, students may
begin sharing posters with the class (see Accommodations / Differentiation for alternative presentation
activity).
3. Closure: What motivates you? Provide students with an opportunity to write about or discuss the things
that motivate their decision-making processes. Consider why motivation is important in life, and think
about the positive and negative outcomes of specific motivators (peers, parents, future career, etc.)
 Discussion points may be used for future assignments (scholarship essay, personal narrative,
etc.)

2
Assessment Method

Students will compose a reflective letter discussing rhetorical choices made during the creation of the
poster. Content of the reflective letter should address the learning outcomes outlined on the scoring rubric.
Rubric for poster and reflective letter attached.

Accommodations / Differentiation

Assignment may be completed with a partner assigned by the teacher. Using a think-pair-share model,
allow students to choose a character and join a small group discussion to brainstorm ideas for individual
posters. Special education teacher or instructional aide will monitor and assist students with disabilities as
needed. Sharing of posters may be completed using a Gallery Walk assignment on Day 3. Students would
use this opportunity to provide focused feedback for their peers (write comments on sticky notes and post
next to each poster). Alternatively, the assignment may be distributed to students during the reading of the
novel allowing extended time for the completion of the poster and increased opportunity for collaboration.