Ch 4
Why is Scout miserable at school?
What is a hot steam?
Why does Jem push Scout so hard in the tire?
How do the kids entertain themselves this summer?
Ch 5
Who Is Miss Maudie?
What are "Foot Washers"?
What do the boys decide to do in this chapter? How does it go wrong?
Ch 6
What do the boys (and Scout-reluctantly) decide to do?
What is the outcome?
Ch 7
What is Scout doing at the beginning of this chapter?
What is weird about the pants?
What have the kids found in the tree?
Who can you infer is leaving items in the tree?
Why does Nathan Radley seal it up? Was that the REAL reason?
Why does Jem cry at the end of the chapter?
Ch 8
Why don't the kids understand what snow is?
What does Jem mean when he asks, "Atticus, reckon we ought to start moving the furniture out?"
Who covered Scout? Why? Why does Jem tell Atticus everything?
Ch 9
When Scout asks Atticus why he accepted the trial, what is his response to her?
What does Atticus ask Scout to do for him?
Where do we think Frances has heard all this about Atticus?
Why does Atticus say he can't win?
What is happening with the tone of the story?
Ch 10
Why are the kids embarrassed by Atticus?
Why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird?
What does a mockingbird symbolize?
At the end of the chapter how has Jem's attitude changed? Why has he had such a change of heart?
Ch 11
The kids have heard a lot from the people about Atticus defending Tom Robinson. What is it about Mrs. Dubose's comments that causes Jem to lose it?
What was going on with Mrs. Dubose? Why did she need Jem to read to her?
What was Atticus's point for having Jem read to MRs. Dubose?
What theme do you see in this chapter?
Ch 12
What is up with Jem?
Why is Calpurnia going to so much trouble about how the kids look?
Why can't Tom Robinson's wife get work?
Ch 13
What does Aunt Alexandra blame people's shortcomings on?
What does Atticus come into Jem's room to do? Why? Was he successful?
Like most characters in the book, Alexandra is a mixture of good and bad. What is good about her? What is bad about her?
Ch 14
What is Alexandra's problem with Calpernia?
What problem what Scout having with Jem? Why did she consider him her equal when he started fighting back?
What did Scout find under her bed? Why did this happen?
Ch 15
What was the purpose of the group of men who came to see Atticus at his house?
Discuss the description of the jail. How does that description of the setting impact this scene?
Why is it ironic that the men spoke in almost whispers?
We learned about Mr. Walter Cunningham at the beginning of the story. What are your thoughts about him now?
Why does Jem defy Atticus? What does this say about Jem?
Why does the mob leave? How does this advance one of the themes of the book?
Ch 16
Why doesn't Miss Maudie go to the courthouse?
Why is it appropriate, even symbolic, where the children sit at the trial?
Ch 17
What is Bob Ewell's full name? Who is he named after? What have we heard earlier about naming people after Confederate Generals?
Was the imagery used in this chapter to describe the Ewells effective? why or why not?
How did Judge Taylor embarrass Bob Ewell? What can we infer about the judge's feeling toward Bob Ewell?
What is Bob Ewell's account of what he saw?
What question does Atticus keep asking over and over? Why does he keep asking it?
Why is it so important that Bob Ewell was left handed?
Why was Jem so excited at the end of the trial?
Ch 20
What did Scout and Dill learn about Mr. Raymond?
How did Atticus explain this crime in his closing remarks?
Ch 21
Calpurnia has just found the children. What is the irony in the following line? "if Mr. Finch don't wear you out, I will--get in that house, sir!"
Why does everyone in the balcony stand when Atticus walks out of the courtroom?
Ch 22
Why does Atticus say, "It's not time to worry yet"? What is it not time to worry about yet?
What does "snakes in the closet" mean?
Why didn't Jem get a little cake this time?
What did Miss Maudie help Jem learn while he was eating his cake?
Ch 23
What did Jem finally realize in the last paragraph of the chapter?
Ch 24
What is the irony with Mrs. Merriweather in this chapter?
What does Miss Maudie mean when she asks, "His food doesn't stick going down does it?"
Ch 25
What is up with Jem and the roly-poly at the beginning of the chapter?
Why does Jem tell Scout he won't speak to her again if she says anthing to Atticus about what MR. Ewell said?
What is the author building up in this chapter?
ch 26
Why isn't Scout afraid of Boo Radley anymore?
Miss Gates says, "Over here we don't believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced." Why is this ironic? What was she heard saying at the trial? Why is Scout so confused?
Ch 27
How is the tone and mood changing?
Why does the town have organized Halloween activities now?
Aunt Alexandra says, "Someone just walked over my grave." What does this mean?
ch 28
What is the physical setting of the school, the big oak, and the Radley house? Draw a diagram
Explain Aunt Alexandra's behavior with Scout when she gets home. What literary element is this? What theme does this support?
Ch 29
What caused the "shiny clean line" on the wire of Scout's costume?
Finally, How is Jem's arm broken? Did you realize the whole book is about how Jem's arm got broken? (Go back to the first line of the book)
Ch 30
What's going on with Heck Tate and Atticus?
What does Atticus think Heck Tate is trying to do?
What is Heck Tate actually trying to do?
Why did Heck Tate take the switchblade?
What does this quote mean? "Let the dead bury the dead."
Why is this such a moral crisis for Atticus? What is Heck Tate asking him to do?
What does Atticus mean when he asks Scout, "Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Can you possibly understand?" What is he really asking Scout?