Mockingbird Setting; due 11/17

In 1934, in Maycomb, Alabama, things seemed to move quite slowly. As you read the description of Maycomb, think about the similarities and differences between where you live and Maycomb. Consider the setting differences as well as the lifestyle differences. Consider the behavior expectations people have of each other and their neighbors, the games the kids play, the jobs people do and what people do in their free time. Look at Dill and why he comes to town during the summer, and Calpurnia and what her job and relationship to Jem and Scout is. Think about how much emphasis is placed on ancestry, and who the Finches are and how they happened to live in Maycomb. Finally, consider school. How is it all similar or different? How do you think you'd feel about living and growing up in that town at that time?

Intelligence; Due 10/13/09

What is intelligence? Is it innate-- are we born with it? Or can it be developed? Does it have a relationship to hard work? Can it be measured? How? Are grades reflective of hard work, or of ability, or is it a combination? Are there different types of intelligence? Why is it that some people are good at some things but not at others? Explain your beliefs about intelligence-- what it is, how we get it, and how we use it.

S.E. Hinton; due 9/15/09

The author of The Outsiders is a woman-- she was actually in high school when she wrote the book. She used her initials, S. E., to disguise that because when the book was written, it wasn't believed that a woman could create believable male characters. Could you tell? Are her characters believable? Does she gender stereotype? Consider both the male and female characters. Is it possible for a woman to create believable male protagonists?