Ms. Frick's Teaching Portfolio

I created the introductory Slideshow for "To Kill a Mockingbird" in order to share the unit's purpose, essential question, academic goals, topics to anticipate, and background on Harper Lee. It also reiterated some contextual information from the WebQuest the day before.  I made sure not to spend too long going through it so that the students didn't lose focus, but I wanted to ensure that I framed the unit properly. I incorporated a straightforward "purpose" slide because all too often teachers hear "what's the point of this" or "why do we have to read THIS book"? I wanted to be straightforward about the educational and personal value that the novel holds for many people. The essential question, "How do our environments and experiences shape our views", was posed for the first time during this presentation. Students were also given a very broad overview of the setting and the main characters' names, as well as "hot topics" explored in the novel. This presentation, although brief, served as a reference point and springboard for discussion as we embarked upon the novel together.