Exploring the Moral Arc of the Universe in the Classroom

As I completed my reading of To Kill a Mockingbird I fully understood why this novel has withstood the test of time in the ELA class over the years. The book takes the timeless concept of justice and encapsulates in a very well-structured and readable story which is one of the major themes of the novel. As Scout begins her moral education through her loss of innocence by confronting injustice and moral hypocrisy via the trial of Tom Robinson, so too does the reader. In reality, this is an essential life lesson which can be abstract at times and may present itself in the direst of circumstances, yet the book presents in a first person perspective that has some historic truth. In the course of my reading on content area literacy I learned that students can become mentally engaged and their critical thinking skills aroused through discussion on topics that require making evaluative moral judgments. This can be especially beneficial for teenagers who are at a stage when passions and idealism can sometimes cloud reason and cynicism has yet to take root. By tying a discussion on the universal theme of justice touched on in To Kill a Mockingbird to contemporary social and cultural issues we can ignite a class discussion where transformative thinking is likely to occur.