Assignment: Researching the Scottsboro Boys Trial

As we read To Kill A Mockingbird, we will also look at an actual case that occurred in Alabama in the 1930’s.  We will begin by going to computer lab and researching the case.  Later, you will be asked to use the information you gathered to write a critical essay comparing the case to the novel.

Questions:

1.   Describe the events that led up to the case.

2.   What is the charge?  Describe the women who brought the charges.  (Provide background, not just a name.)

3.   Describe the defendants.

4.   When and where did the trial take place.  How long did it go on?

5.   Describe the facts in the case, i.e., the evidence presented at the trial.

6.   Describe the mood in the South at that time and popular reaction to the case.

7.   Describe the judge who presided over the trial.

8.   Describe the defense attorney.

9.   Explain what happened to each of the defendants.

Web Resources:

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/scottsb.htm

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/

http://www.courttv.com/archive/greatesttrials/scottsboro/index.html

http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itdhr/0701/ijde/pitts.htm

Comparison - Scottsboro Boys Trial and the Tom Robinson Trial

Now it’s time to use the research you completed earlier to compare the Scottsboro Boys trial with the fictional Tom Robinson trial in To Kill A Mockingbird.

Please complete the chart labeled “Comparison - Scottsboro Boys Trial and the Tom Robinson Trial,” using the information you researched in computer lab and information about the Tom Robinson case provided in chapters 16 - 21. Be as complete as you can in filling in the chart, as this information will help you as you write your critical essay.

 Scottsboro Boys Comparison Chart.doc

When your chart is complete, you may begin your essay.  Please write a response to the following:

In her novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates the theme of prejudice by showing injustice throughout the course of Tom Robinson’s trial. Critics say the trial is based on the Scottsboro Boys, a group of young black men who were accused of a similar crime. Based on your research and using your chart comparing the two trials, write a 3-paragraph analysis that discusses how effectively Harper Lee illustrates prejudice in the novel.

In the first paragraph, using the facts of the Scottsboro Boys case, point out what you think are examples of the unfair treatment the boys received.

In the second paragraph, point out what you think are examples of the unfair treatment Tom Robinson received. 

In the third and final paragraph, explain how Harper Lee portrays prejudice as a theme in chapters 16 - 21.

Your essay should follow MCAS format:

Ÿ         Use objective language - no I, me, you

Ÿ         Each paragraph should contain a strong thesis statement introducing what the paragraph is about.