Summer Homework: To Kill a Mockingbird – Active Reading & Annotation Assignment
Objective: This assignment is designed to help you get familiar with one of the core texts
we'll be studying for your IGCSE Literature exam next semester: To Kill a Mockingbird.
Through the activities in this assignment, you'll review the story's plot, develop the habit of
recording insightful thoughts as you read, and practice asking questions that will spark
valuable discussions when we return to class. These skills are essential for success in your
IGCSE Literature course.
Materials:
● PDF/Word version of To Kill a Mockingbird (provided via MB under the task titled
"Summer Homework.")
Instructions:
As you read To Kill a Mockingbird, you are required to actively engage with the text by
making annotations directly on the provided PDF file. This practice mirrors the close reading
skills vital for IGCSE Literature. For each chapter you read, you must complete the following
minimum requirements:
1. One Highlighted Annotation: Select a significant word, phrase, sentence, or
passage, highlight it, and add a concise comment or note. Your annotation can
include (but please feel free to go beyond these if you have other ideas):
a. Define new words: If you come across a word you don't know, look it up and
jot down its meaning. This helps with comprehension.
b. Code recurring words and themes: Notice any words, phrases, or ideas that
keep popping up? Highlight them and make a note about why they might be
important. This helps you identify key themes.
c. Make personal connections to the text: Does something in the story remind
you of your own life, experiences, or beliefs? Write it down.
d. Cite contextual information: Connect what's happening in the book to
historical events, social norms of the time, or the author's background.
e. Summarize paragraphs: After reading a longer paragraph or section, briefly
jot down the main idea in your own words.
f. Chunking: This means breaking down a big block of text or a complex idea
into smaller, more manageable "chunks." You might highlight a few
paragraphs that discuss the same topic and give that "chunk" a quick label or
summary.
g. Draw pictures: Sometimes a quick sketch or symbol can help you understand
a character, a setting, or an abstract idea better than words alone.
2. One Posed Question: For each chapter, you'll also ask one question that relates to
its content. These questions are important for helping you dig deeper into the text.
They can be about:
a. Words or phrases you don't fully understand: Sometimes a specific word or
sentence might have a hidden meaning or be used in a way that's new to you.
b. Implicit meanings: What isn't explicitly said but is implied? You might ask
about a character's unspoken feelings, the author's subtle message, or a
symbolic element.
c. Discussion points: What do you think would be interesting to talk about with
the class when we get back? This could be a tricky moral dilemma, a
character's surprising choice, or a controversial idea presented in the chapter.
Submission:
● Please save your annotated PDF file regularly as you work to avoid losing any of
your insights.
● Your completed and annotated PDF is due by August 15th.
● You'll need to submit your file via 'MB' under the task titled "Summer Homework."
