To Kill a Mockingbird Theme Wheel

The Theme Wheel, shown in full on the next page and as a smaller version here, is a visualization that shows where
the themes of To Kill a Mockingbird occur in the text.

There are three main ways to use the Theme Wheel in the classroom.

• As a discussion topic: The Theme Wheel can be

projected, printed, and shared with students, or blown
up to poster-size. In each format, it can serve as an
engaging and exciting topic of discussion, both about To
Kill a Mockingbird and its themes, and also about the
ways students can think about and analyze literature.
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• As inspiration: The Theme Wheel can be used as 23

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inspiration for students to think about and design their 21

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own “book visualizations” that show the important 19

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aspects of a book visually. For additional inspiration on

this topic, search the web for “book visualizations.”

• As a project: In addition to our completed Theme

Wheel, we also provide you with a blank Theme Wheel.
The blank version includes the inner red ring that
represents the chapters of the text, but leaves all of the
other parts of the Theme Wheel empty. Students can
work alone, in groups, or as a class to track the themes
of the book (perhaps by using our Close Reading
Organizers) and then create their own Theme Wheel to 29
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represent those themes. We provide two blank versions 27

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of the Theme Wheel, one that lists the LitCharts themes 26 6

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in the Themes Key, and one that allows your students to 24 8

create their own set of themes. 23

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