Lesson+Introduction



**Introduction**: Although not autobiographical, the setting, characters, and events in __To Kill a Mockingbird__ closely parallel the life of author Harper Lee. Raised in Alabama during the Great Depression, Lee witnessed incredible prejudice and poverty. Jim Crow was the rule of law in the South up to the time of the novel's publication in 1960, when the Civil Right's Movement brought incremental progress to the Black Experience in America.

In order to fully appreciate the setting of __To Kill a Mockingbird__ you need to familiarize yourself with a few key events, people, and ideas that influenced Lee's childhood and the writing of the novel: Ku Klux Klan (1865-1960--though the KKK is still in existence today!), Plessy vs. Ferguson (1876), Jim Crow laws (1876-1965), The Great Migration (1910-1930), Black Tuesday (1929), The Scottsboro Boys Trial (1931), The Dust Bowl (1934-1936), Works Progress Administration (1935), and Emmett Till (1955).

During your research, consider the following:

What is your definition of prejudice? Does prejudice still exist today?

How might the events/circumstances have varying effects on different types of people? Consider blacks/whites, adults/children, men/women, rich/poor.

If you think of additional questions or have questions about the web quest, post your questions to the [|Discussion Board]. Please visit this page often so that you can help respond to other classmates' questions. The teacher will also moderate and answer questions whenever possible.