Huckleberry Finn

 
Book Talk

Classroom connections

List of related books

Web activity 

Links
NEW YORKLONDON

Mark Twain released "Huckleberry Finn" in London through Chatto & Windus in December 1884, just before Charles Webster released the U.S. edition in February 1885

(cited from:http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/twain/twacovers.html)

Images from Special Collections © Copyright 1995 by The University of Virginia Library. All rights reserved.

 

Book talk
By: Dawn Bozman

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is an adventure novel that tells the story of a young boy who travels down the Mississippi on a raft with his friend, a runaway slave named Jim.  Throughout the story Huck Finn faces issues that many young adults could relate to including coming of age, dealing with an abusive father, and learning to develop his own values.  He suffers from the abuse of his father and most importantly, he faces the evils of slavery.  Rather than accepting the popular opinion of the time period,  Huck struggles with himself to come to his own view of slavery.  Ultimately, he makes a stand by helping his friend Jim to freedom.  The adventures Jim and Huck have on their journey down the Mississippi are both exciting and funny.

From the time the novel was published it has been very controversial.  When it was first published, many people opposed its progressive view of slavery and the depiction of a young boy helping a slave escape from slavery.  Although views of slavery have dramatically changed since this novel was first written, it continues to be considered controversial and it is banned from some public schools.  Now, many people oppose the novel because of the use of the word "nigger" and the degrading portraits of African Americans in slavery.  Although the novel is controversial, it is widely considered an American classic.

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Classroom Connections
By: Anisah
Edited By: Monica Yeager

These ideas are general and would have to be refined to suit the grade level and the particular students:

Language Arts/English -- The students can break into two groups.  One group will argue that the novel should be banned, the other group argues that it should not be put onto the band booked list.  Students will then participate in a debate using specific quotes from the novel to support their claims.

    *Students can watch the movie and then discuss differences between the movie and the book

.     *Students can chose a partner and pick a chapter from the novel.  Then have each set of partners present their chapter.
  Each group can include how the chapter is significant, not just summarize that chapter.
 

  Art --plan and design a map that shows the river route taken by Huck and Jim.  Include on the map the towns visited by Huck and Jim.

*Students will research each town on the Internet and include in their project, three to four nonfictional facts about each.  In addition, students will include characters met at each town and their role in the story.  They will also include four to five sentences about Huck's attitude towards Jim and any new developments in his character as a result of his changing attitude. (They will support their findings with quotation from the book)  Students will include on their maps any incidents that occurred while on the river as well.  The river map will begin at Huck's shack and will end at Aunt Sally's.

Writing

*In what ways does Huck's attitude change towards Jim?  In what ways does it remain the same? Do you believe that Huck is a racist?  Support your reasoning with quotations from the book.  Length: 2-3 typed pages ( This activity can akso take the form of Creative Debate)

*Create a biography of Mark Twain and include how events of his own life may or may not have influenced his writing.  Make references to the novel Huckleberry Finn.

*Describe Huck’s feelings toward the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson.  How does he feel about living with them, and their attempts to “civilize” him.

*In the beginning of the novel, Huck rebels away from being civilized.  In the end of the novel, can it be said that Huck is more civilized.  Why or Why not? (This idea was found on a lesson plan website. http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-6117.html

*This novel has been on a number of banned book lists.  Do you agree with banning Mark Twains novel.  Why or
 why not.

Creative Dynamics

*Have students choose a dialogue between Huck and Jim. Length will be dependent upon class size, ability and time.*Students will act out the dialogues and will consider the following:
        -posture (Where are they in relationship to each other)
        -body language
        -facial expression
        - Students may be asked to justify reasoning behind dramatic choices, stance etc.

Social Studies

*Develop a graphic organizer that depicts the characters and superstitions displayed by them.  Use the Internet and other     sources to research slavery and superstition preferably in the Mississippi area.  What prompted the rise of superstition?  How was it addressed by slaves?

*Break the class into small groups of 4 or 5 students.  Then have each group construct a map of the Mississippi River.  Instruct them to then put major towns or cities along the river on the map, including when possible the towns that Huck and Jim visited.  Then have the groups research the culture of the towns, both past and present, that they included on their map.  This might include any historic information as well as information about the people of the area, the resources etc.  Since this project will take some time, allow the students as much time as possible so that the projects can be more thorough.  Also, since the project will take a while to complete, time outside of class will probably be necessary.  The entire class as a whole can also complete this project.  The teacher can assign a certain town or place to individuals and then the class can collaborate and put together the map.

*Have the students construct a timeline of events leading up to the Emancipation Proclamation.  Then have students write papers on the events leading up to the Emancipation proclamation itself, and the reaction of people during the time period.

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List of related books
Edited by:Joanna Fitzhugh

Though there are many books published about the Civil War, the battles of such and the underground railroad that could be used with young adults, I tried to find books of fiction similar to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in the age of their main characters as well as the traveling adventures of these characters.    The books I found were as follows:
 

 Audio Text

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

*The text is unabridged and narrated by Patrick Fraley.  It has a running time of 11 hours and 20 minutes.
 

Which Way Freedom? by Joyce Hansen

A story of a young black man and his struggle to find freedom from slavery for himself and his 'family'.  He travels from slavery to ultimately joining the Union army.
 

Pink and Sayby  Patricia Polacco

Although a picture book, the story of Pink and Say, two young union soldiers shows the complex relationship between races during the civil war.   Pinkus Aylee with skin the color of "polished mahogany", finds Sheldon Curtis wounded and left for dead on a battlefield in Georgia.   Pinkus brings Sheldon to his mother's home where she nurses him back to health.   At Moe Moe BAy's house Sheldon begins to reflect on what the war is really about and how like he is to Pinkus and his mother.
 

Nettie's Trip South by Ann Turner
 

Story of a young white girl who writes to her friend about the horror of how slaves are treated in the South.   Based on the diary of the author's great-grandmother.
 

Shades of Glory  by Carolyn Reeder

Story of a twelve-year-old boy whose entire family has been killed during the Civil War.  After which he is sent to live with his uncle who refused to fight.  During his struggle to understand this side of his uncle, the boy learns about different kinds of freedom.
 

Mr. Lincoln's Drummer  by  Clifton Wisler
 

Based on the true story of an eleven year old Union drummer boy and his courage and bravery on the battlefield. The boy was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by Abraham Lincoln.
 

Red Cap by Clifton Wisler

*Story of a thirteen year old boy who runs away and joins the Union army as a drummer boy.

Trouble Don’t Last by Shelley Pearsall

*An 11-year-old boy named Samuel narrates the story.  One night the 70-year-old Harrison, who has decided to flee from their Kentucky master, awakens Samuel.  Samuel and Harrison’s journey thrusts them into uncertainty and peril.
 

Uncle Tom’s Cabin  by Harriet Beecher Stowe


 *The story begins on a Kentucky plantation, where the owner, Mr. Shelby, has to sell his two more valuable slaves, Uncle Tom and Harry.  Harry is five years old, and his mother decides to save him by running away.  While Uncle Tom decides to stay and work off the debt of his master.  From there, the paths of the two heroes diverge into two emotional stories.

Other books relating to Slavery:

The Secret to Freedom   by Marcia K. Vaughan

*A young girl listens to her Great-Aunt Lucy tell stories of life during slavery.  Lucy’s brother, Albert had been a conductor on the Underground Railroad.  After his owner get suspicious Albert has to run away and leave Lucy behind.  After the Civil War Lucy gets a message from her Albert who is now in Canada.  The message contains a quilted square; these squares had patterns, which served as a map for the Underground Railroad.

Nightjohn  by Gary Paulsen

*The 12-year-old Sarny narrates the story.   She is a slave on a plantation somewhere in the south.  A new slave named Nightjohn, has escaped once from slavery, but came back to teach his fellow slaves how to read.  The punishment for teaching reading and writing to slaves is torture, yet Nightjohn is willing to take that risk.  Sarny is one of his pupils.

Many Thousand Gone: African Americans from Slavery to Freedom  by Virginia Hamilton

*Hamilton samples documented African-American lives from 1619 through the Civil War.  Grouping 34 accounts under three headings—“Slavery in America,” “Running-Aways,” and “Exodus to Freedom”—she offers telling vignettes in roughly chronological order.

*Select annotations are cited from editorials from Amazon.com

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Web activity
By: Earl

Edited by:Terri Startt

My portion of this group project was to construct a web quest in coordination with the classroom activity that was constructed for Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  The classroom activity that was provided involves having the students plot a map of the Mississippi River and pointing out the different towns on their map that Huck and Jim visited during their trip.  To supplement this activity, the students are to find three facts about each of the towns that Huck and Jim visited during their adventures on their raft.  The webquest I have designed takes students through three web sites that will no doubt be very helpful in helping the students to complete their assignment.  More importantly, the webquest is designed to help students to become more Internet and computer friendly.

Two of the three web sites that I looked at to include with this webquest were map making and route planning websites.  Both of these websites are very comprehensive in the direction of the students' needs for the assignment.  The first of the map making websites, www.mapquest.com, provides great, colorful maps that are easy to construct.  All the students have to do is to select two destination points and the website will bring up the map that shows the route that the students planned.  Another benefit to using this site is that it is free, and there is no registration required, so the students would be able to jump right in to their assignment and get rolling with it.

The second of the two mapping websites, www.mapsonus.com, is very similar to www.mapquest.com in that is provides students with easily plotted maps that are colorful and easily read.  It also works the same way as www.mapquest.com in that all the students have to do is to plot two points and the map is constructed for them via the website.  Also, like www.mapquest.com, www.mapsonus.com is free for the students to use.  However, www.mapsonus.com requires the students to register.  That really may seem like no big deal, but the registration could waste the students’ time.  On the other hand, taking the time to go through the registration process would be worth it, as www.mapsonus.com is definitely worth it for the students to use.

 The webquest that I have designed fits in rather nicely with the classroom assignment that was provided for Mark Twain’s The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn.  It is important, as our society becomes more technologically oriented, that students become familiar with the technological resources that are available to them that have massive potential to aid them in their classes.  Plotting the maps on www.mapquest.com and www.mapsonus.com and searching for historical facts on some of the internet sites listed would also be of great benefit to the students because those sites not only can help them with their assignment, they can also be used for many other purposes.  Overall, this webquest not only helps with the assignment at hand, it helps with students’ understanding of the many wonderful benefits of the Internet and what it beholds.

Another possible Internet project could be to participate in a discussion board.Students can log on and discuss/argue their own take on Huckleberry Finn or other related subjects.The website is http://killdevilhill.com/marktwainchat/wwwboard.html.

After pursuing the original information about the Internet portion of this website, I realized that there was not a proper study guide that would be useful to students.The http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/2588/huckfinn.html offers character analysis, summaries and forums to participate it.This website is a great starting point when writing papers, or trying to understand a character’s point of view.

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Online Text


Related Websites

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