How can you study a classic novel which has sold more than forty million copies and been translated into forty languages without exploring cultural and historical contexts in which it was set? To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, was set in the mid-1930s where, culturally, the swing era, movies, and radio drama were the talk of the nation. To explore the historical and cultural period of the 1930s, our eighth graders conducted research, drawing on both primary and secondary sources, and created posters that provided in-depth information on what was happening in artistic communities, such as music and jazz, visual arts, theater, photography, and dance! Throughout the project, teamwork reached its pinnacle, intellectual curiosity was fed, and time management and research skills were strengthened. As we continue to read this masterpiece, we know that our enriched understanding of the era through studying its intricate details of time and place will assist us in grasping not only the central theme of the book but also the motivations of its characters.