Online Resources for To Kill a Mockingbird

The Learning Page: To Kill a Mockingbird
Presented by the Library of Congress, this website is designed as a lesson plan for teachers interested in presenting To Kill a Mockingbird in the classroom. However, the site also includes links to resources sure to be of interest to anyone wanting to learn more about the book, the author, or life in the South. This is a good place to begin an exploration of the themes and realities found in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Documenting the American South
The University of North Carolina, Chapel-Hill, has put together an unparalleled online collection of resources related to the culture and history of the American South. Collections include oral histories from the modern-day South, the first-person diaries and letters from slaves and aristocrats alike, and an examination of religion in the black community. This is a great reference service full of primary sources, and is made freely available to the public.

The "Scottsboro Boys" Trials, 1931-1937
The University of Missouri at Kansas City hosts this excellent website exploring the tragic "Scottsboro Boys" trial. In 1931, nine black teenagers were tried for the sexual assault of two white girls. In the end, the trial would last for more than two decades, open the jury box to blacks, and even destroy several lives. A fascinating and troubling real-life parallel to To Kill a Mockingbird, and an important inspiration for Harper Lee when writing the novel.

Teaching Tolerance
Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, is dedicated to uncovering ways for educators to introduce the important topic of tolerance into the lives of young people. the website includes a section for children and another for teens with ideas for combating prejudice in their schools and lives, and as a way to submit their own experiences and stories about tolerance. In addition, the website includes a searchable archive for the semi-annual Teach Tolerance magazine. With articles as diverse as a re-examination of the "I Have a Dream" speech and a look at "sundown" towns in America, this is an important resource for parents, educators, and students alike.

America from the Great Depression to World War II
The 1935-1945 documenting of America by photographers working for the Farm Security Administration is a great resource for people interested in a first hand visual examination of America during the Great Depression. Many of the greatest American photographers of the time were part of the project, and together, they produced works that remain recognizable to almost every American today. A number of the photographs on this website come from the collection, and many tens of thousands more images are offered for free online through the Library of Congress. The collection is searchable by subject, photographer, or geography.

Race: The Power of an Illusion
This website is a companion to the PBS documentary of the same name. It explores the history of race from scientific, historical and social perspectives, explaining everything from how ideas about race began in the 17th century, to how DNA has debunked these notions of biological race, to the consequences of racism in the modern world. Packed with fascinating research and activities, the site will help you understand the root causes of the racism that seals Tom Robinson's fate.

Jim Crow South
Another online companion to a PBS documentary, this site is an in-depth look at the Jim Crow era in America. It includes a wealth of oral history interviews about the time period, information about major political, social, and historical events related to segregation, and profiles of important figures in the Jim Crow era. The site also includes a teacher's guide for using oral histories in the classroom.