Maycomb town depicted in watercolor, used for To Kill a Mockingbird pre-reading activities on identity and community rules
H. Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird Teaching suggestions

A Pre-Reading Roadmap for To Kill a Mockingbird

How can we help students truly understand Maycomb before reading To Kill a Mockingbird? This article explores a pre-reading approach centered on identity, stereotypes, and community rules—key concepts that reveal how Maycomb is not just the setting of the novel, but a system that shapes characters, conflict, and meaning.