The Trial

Harper Lee creates a significant amount of tension at the trial, and because Scout does not understand everything that is happening, much of the suspense is exaggerated by other people's reactions to the situation. There are several occasions in which Scout comments on Jem reactions to the trial, for example when Atticus confirms with Mr Tate that a doctor was not called "Jem's hand, which was resting on the balcony rail, tightened around it. He drew in his breath suddenly". this helps to build up the tension without directly saying it, as it shows the reader that something is not right without Scout directly stating it.
However, even before the trial has started, tension begins to build up. The reader knows that the trial is important, when we find out that people from all over Maycomb are coming to see the trial, however it seems unusual that Miss Maudie chooses not to go, she says that "just because it's public, i don't have to go, do i?" This makes it seem as if she already knows the outcome of the trial and that she does not what to see it, which could mean that she thinks it could end badly or it could mean that she knows that Atticus knows what he is doing well enough that he can win the case.
The tension is also built up by the way the court room is split up, "the coloured balcony ran along three walls of the courtroom" as if they are taking sides, white versus black. this makes the courtroom seem like a silent war, both sides believe they are right but neither knows for sure, and they are there to find the answer.

I also found a site with a quiz about to kill a mockingbird below:
http://www.gradesaver.com/to-kill-a-mockingbird//study-guide/quiz1

Unusual Skills

Atticus has a skill that he chooses to keep hidden. We did some free writing about skills we have and this is what i wrote:

I am a chameleon, invisible to all. Of course, being invisible is the easy part, I do that by accident, it's getting noticed that I can't do. This can be a great advantage in school life as I can talk in class virtually unnoticed (evidently, I get the work done as well). I am rarely picked on to do things and people don't pay any attention if I do something really embarrassing or absurd which can be infinitely useful. This skill also makes me the champion of hide and seek, although it may help that I am small and can squeeze into some unusual places.

However there can be many disadvantages to this clever talent of mine. Often I walk past people I know and they won’t even notice me; I seem to be very easy to forget. No one remembers my name, or who I am. It's not as if I have an uncommon name, in fact my name is so common that it must make me less significant in comparison to the rest of the population. I have been forgotten on several occasions and most of the people I know (of) have no idea that I even exist.

Chapter 8

After reading chapter 8 I drew a group of sketches of what happens in the chapter along with quotes for each sketch.
I picked these quotes because I thought there was something interesting about each of them. For example, I chose 'frozen charred azaleas' because of the contrast of the hot and cold and how both managed to cause damage at the same time despite the difference and conflict between them. Also i chose 'fire silently devoured Miss Maudie's house' because it personifies the fire as an animal which is quite interesting because Miss Maudie was very close to nature and loved to be outside and it's almost as if nature is trying to get back at her, or possibly help her get away from her house.

You may not be abe to read the other quotes, they are:
'just as the birds know where to go when it rains, I knew when there was trouble in our street' -one of my favourites
'i'd've had sense enough to turn around too'
''Jem Finch' she called 'You devil, bring me back my hat, sir!''

The Beginning

The opening chapters of the book are mainly introductory. The book starts with a brief history of the Finch family and then moves on to describe the neighbourhood and the kind of people who live there.

The writing style is similar to that used in many other books of the time, however it is written from the point of view of a six year old girl. Although, to contrast with this, the language used is very sophisticated and would not be used by a young child, this is good as the topic of the book is also very serious and sophisticated, so even though it is from the view of a six year old it still fits the book.
On the other hand, i don't feel the story is developing very much, there have only been subtle hints towards things that could be happening, mainly focused around 'Boo Radley' and the Radley houshold, however nothing major has happened.
I find the development of Jem the most interesting, as he starts off simply as Scout's older brother, however throughout the first chapters he seems to become more mature and quite protective of his younger sister, he also seems more serious and less interested in having fun and more focused on what is happening. His relationship with Atticus is quite unusual as well, it is more formal than expected, Atticus is never thought of as 'dad' by either Scout or Jem. Additionally he doesn't seem to properly fulfill the role of a father, he seems to only have one personality, and that is as a lawyer.
Overall, Maycomb seems like a very close community as everyone knows each other, even if there is no contact between them. For example everyone knows that the Cunninghams have no money, and that Burris Ewell only ever goes to school for the first day of the year. Additionally, the idea that the Radleys not going to church is alien to Maycomb suggests that there are traditions of the area, and that everyone should know that.