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= **Post your questions, comments, and quotes for discussion on the read aloud book for 8th grade GOAL for the 2011/2012 school year: __To Kill a Mockingbird__. Possible topics: ** =
 * Characters
 * Plot
 * Connections (text to self, text to text, text to world)
 * Vocabulary
 * Confusing sections
 * Author choices

Make sure to back your opinions up with examples from the text. For example, "I love this book," is not specific or helpful for discussion. Instead, be specific about what you like. For example, "I love how the author describes Scout. I can just picture her in her dirty overalls, running all over Maycomb County with Jem and Dill. I wonder if the author based her on someone she really knew." Also, you can ask questions so your classmates can help you understand parts that confuse you.

If you're stuck, use some of the following ideas to get you started... 1. Discuss Atticus’s parenting style. What is his relationship to his children like? How does he seek to instill conscience in them? 2. Analyze the childhood world of Jem, Scout, and Dill and their relationship with Boo Radley in Part One. 3. Discuss the author’s descriptions of Maycomb. What is the town’s role in the novel? 4. Discuss the role of family in To Kill a Mockingbird, paying close attention to Aunt Alexandra. 5. How do Jem and Scout change during the course of the novel? How do they remain the same?

For every three week reporting period, I'd like you to make at least 1 post and at least 3 replies to the posts of others. This would be for a low B. Go above and beyond for an A.