'To Kill a Mockingbird' comes to life for Grade 8 in San Francisco

Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School eighth-graders ventured to San Francisco to see the touring Broadway production of To Kill a Mockingbird.

The students read the Harper Lee classic as part of the English curriculum’s yearly theme of developing one’s moral compass. Seeing the story adapted to the stage allowed students to experience the text in a new way.

In class discussions afterward, the students compared the book to the play, which interpreted events and characters in different ways—including Atticus Finch, the story’s moral center—and added scenes not present in the book. Students also discussed the signature style of Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the adaptation. “We enjoyed the hallmarks of his writing, including nuggets of humor scattered throughout what is otherwise a pretty intense play,” reported English teacher Jessica Foley.