Yearlong Themes
Atticus defends Tom Robinson despite town pressure; this theme describes his moral actions.
What is goodness?
Appeal that uses the speaker’s credibility or authority.
What is ethos?
The town and state where the novel takes place.
What is Maycomb, Alabama?
The sentence type that explains how evidence supports the thesis (one word).
What is analysis?
Phrase beginning with a preposition is called?
What is a prepositional phrase?
A character who sits alone at rehearsal while classmates whisper, this theme fits his experience.
What is alienation?
Appeal that targets audience emotions (name).
What is pathos?
Who says, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view,” and to whom?
Who is Atticus Finch, speaking to Scout?
A strong thesis must be specific, ____, and previewing (fill the blank).
What is arguable?
Choose the correct sentence:
A) Running through the gym, the coach blew the whistle.
B) When opened, the lockers smelled of old shoes.
C) While walking to class, the rain soaked my backpack.
D) After finishing the test, the desk was pushed back under the chair.
What is C?
Mrs. Dubose’s determination to quit morphine shows this theme (one word).
What is belief?
Read this brief statement and identify which persuasive technique is being used. Explain your choice in one sentence: “According to a 2023 study by the National Oceanic Research Institute, coastal plastic pollution has increased 40% in ten years.”
What is logos?
The symbol represented by the mockingbird and one character who represents it (two‑part answer).
Rewrite this weak thesis into one clear, arguable sentence: “Atticus is a good father because he’s nice and teaches Scout stuff.”
Atticus models moral courage and empathy for Scout through his courtroom defense of Tom Robinson and his patient parenting, shaping her ethical growth.
OR
*Any answer that is equivalent*
Identify the subject and verb in: “Along the river, the tall reeds sway and murmur softly.”
What is subject = the tall reeds; verb = sway and murmur?
Explain in one sentence how Boo Radley’s final action suggests this theme.
What is redemption?
Identify the dominant appeal: “As your teacher, I’ve spent ten years researching this topic; trust me.”
What is ethos?
State the main conflict in the Tom Robinson trial and name its conflict type (man vs. ?).
What is Tom Robinson versus racial injustice (man vs. society)?
Provide a one‑sentence thesis about how Scout’s perspective matures over the novel.
What is “Scout’s perspective matures from childish confusion to moral understanding as she witnesses Atticus’s integrity and the town’s prejudice, causing her to view people more empathetically”?
OR *Anything equivalent*
Correct the punctuation: “My sister who studies biology won a scholarship.”
What is “My sister, who studies biology, won a scholarship.”
After the trial, Atticus continues to defend his belief in justice even though many townspeople disagree and he faces social criticism. He quietly raises his children to act on conscience rather than follow popular opinion. Which theme is best illustrated by Atticus’s behavior, and which quotation from the novel best supports that theme?
A. Alienation — “They had expected him to do something violent, some public… outrage.”
B. Belief — “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”
C. Redemption — “When it's a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins.”
D. Goodness — “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.”
What is B?
Given: “If we don’t act today, dozens of families will lose their homes — imagine your neighbors facing that.” Identify the appeal and explain briefly.
What is pathos? (Explanation: it appeals to emotion by asking listeners to imagine personal loss and evokes empathy/fear.)
Explain the meaning and significance of: “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”
The line argues that conscience is independent of popular opinion; Atticus follows his conscience in defending Tom despite community pressure, teaching Scout moral integrity.
Prompt: Explain how Scout’s experience at the trial changes her understanding of fairness and empathy.
Which thesis best answers the prompt?
A. Scout learns about fairness at the trial because she sees people behaving badly.
B. The trial affects Scout by making her sad and confused, but she grows up later.
C. Scout’s experience at the trial deepens her sense of fairness and empathy by exposing her to racial injustice and by showing her Atticus’s steadfast moral example, which together force her to question community norms.
D. Scout watches the trial and learns that adults are complicated; readers learn too.
What is C?
Rewrite this run‑on into one grammatically correct sentence with appropriate punctuation and conjunctions: “The students rehearsed every day they wanted the play to be perfect they invited friends to opening night.”
What is "The students rehearsed every day because they wanted the play to be perfect, and they invited friends to opening night."