FROM THE DESK OF MS.

JEAN LOUISE FINCH

1234 Main Street
Maycomb, AL 36461

September 17, 2018

Ms. Ansley’s Pre-AP Students

c/o Georgetown High School
2211 N. Austin Avenue
Georgetown, TX 78626

Dear Students,

Awakening from the dream of childhood can be quite a jarring experience. Looking
around, you find that the places and people you’ve always known don’t seem quite so familiar.
The sun still shines, but there is a growing awareness of the shadows that it casts.
So it was for Jem and I. So, I imagine, it will be with you.
Early on, when Miss Caroline objected to my reading, my father privately supported me
in my endeavors against her newfangled learning techniques. You see, he knew that reading –
from fanciful tales to newspaper articles to court documents – is one of the best ways to “climb
into someone’s skin and walk around in it”.
Atticus rarely lectured us on right and wrong. He didn’t need to. Instead, he led by
example, bravely battling for justice. And while he couldn’t save Tom Robinson, the ripple
effects of his courage extended beyond the tiny community of Maycomb and rocked boats
around the world.
You followed my brother and me on our journey from innocence to maturity. Now I
invite you to find your own audience as you explore the world’s social, political, and
environmental issues, reflect on your passions and beliefs, and seek out the Atticus’s in your
community (small and large). Finally, I encourage you to become an Atticus to someone else in
the world. What mockingbirds will you defend? What causes will you champion? What
changes will you inspire?
Atticus found his voice in the courtroom. Since you live in a technological era, the online
community may offer a more effective platform for broadcasting your discoveries. This process
won’t be easy. There are things that you don’t even know that you don’t know. Only by
exploring a variety of issues and ideas and looking through the lens of another’s eyes will you
develop skills that will allow you to express your beliefs and advocate effectively for your cause.
I can already feel the sway of the river beneath me.
Sincerely,

Jean Louise “Scout” Finch

 FROM THE DESK OF MS. JEAN LOUISE FINCH
1234 Main Street
Maycomb, AL 36461

GEORGETOWN COMMUNITY OUTREACH NEWSPAPER/LIBRARY

a) Diction
b) Tone
c) Rhetorical/literary devices
d) determining theme
b) examining ethos, pathos, and logos as rhetorical appeals
c) observing the characteristics of murltiple genres, including the similarities and differences
across genres,
d) writing original texts using models, and, most importantly,
d) considering the importance of written text and other media in informing the public, defining
personal beliefs, identifying social problems and injustices, and inspiring change