What is the best grouping of chapters in To Kill a Mockingbird for a novel unit no longer than that 2 1/2 weeks?I am attempting to organize a...

In Harper Lee's To Kill a
Mockingbird, the grouping of chapters would probably look like
this:

Chapters 1-7 deal with family, school and Dill: this
includes Boo Radley escapades.

Chapters 8-12 take the
reader into Part II of the novel. This section includes Miss Maudie's fire, the first
snow Scout sees, Christmas with Francis and Uncle Jack, and Tim Johnson. Also included
is Jem's time with Mrs. Dubose and the kids going to Calpurnia's church. There is a
great deal in this section: it is almost like a string of short
stories.

Chapter 13 starts with the arrival of Aunt
Alexandra who will stay at the Finch home for an extended period of time. There is
family strife over this; Dill runs away to Maycomb, a mob shows up at the jail where Tom
Robinson is staying and Atticus is keeping watch; and the court case begins. The reader
gets clear insight into the Ewell family, especially Bob and Mayella. The court case
comes to a close at the end of Chap. 21.

The last section
starts with Chap. 22 and goes on until the novel is over. This includes Jem trying to
deal with the court's decision, with the fate of Tom Robinson, Aunt Alexandra and Scout
becoming united in purpose, and the fall pageant taking place. It is during the closing
section of the book that Scout and Jem fight for their lives, and Boo Radley finally
comes out of the house.

If you are looking to compress
portions, I would do so with the family history at the start, but perhaps make sure to
talk about Maycomb—still reeling from the effects of the Civil War and now the
Depression. I would highlight only the major points of the court case. The children
attending Calpernia's church could be summarized, as well a good deal of Aunt
Alexandra's ideas on how the Finch family works, and the children's knowledge of their
heritage.

The rest of the story is extremely rich; the
novel's setting may turn some students off—it's as if they are watching a black and
white movie. When I sell it, though, I try to stress that it is a story with excitement,
mystery, attempted murder, and an unlikely hero.

Hope this
helps.