Expository Essay.

If on track for a 9 week completion of LA 9, Due October 6

th
.

Students will write a research/expository paper investigating a topic concerning the
book To Kill a Mockingbird. You may write about events taking place in the 30s, the
time in which the book was set, or the 60s, the year the book was published. Topics such
as the Scottsboro trial, Jim Crow laws, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King or the Civil
Rights movement, March on Washington, FDRs New Deal, Bonnie and Clyde, the dust
bowl, the Great Depression, share croppers, Woolworths lunch counter sit-in, and the
Freedom Riders are all examples of suitable topics. Students will gather and evaluate
information and expound on their topic in a clear and concise manner using MLA format.

The purpose of this essay is to understand events that informed the eras in which To Kill
a Mockingbird was set and written, and that play a major role in the novel. While reading
the novel, students will research the 30s or 60s and decide upon a topic of interest to
them. Please submit/discuss your topic with Ms. Pippa or Miss Erin prior to beginning
research to ensure that it is weighty enough to warrant attention.

Students MUST have two peer reviews of their paper to correct minor grammatical errors
and formatting issues, ensure fluency of thought, and coherence of ideas. The peer review
rubrics and a copy of Ms. Pippas grading rubric must be stapled to the paper when it is
turned in. The papers will be graded for competency and those not receiving an 85% or
higher may be revised as many times as the student wishes. Your essay should be a
minimum of 5 paragraphs. You need a minimum of 3 sources. Wikipedia is NOT a
reliable source. Be sure to cite your sources.


Writing labs will be held each week for students who would like extra time/help with the
writing process. Labs times are MONDAYS from 10-10:30 and 1-1:30. We will cover
topics, the basic format of the essay as well as MLA writing techniques.