Angela Brady

High School Lesson Plan for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Angela Brady

Journey Through Time

This lesson plan can be used after reading the book or as an ongoing process throughout the novel.

This one week lesson plan addresses the following IllinoisState Standards:

1.B.4a Preview reading materials, clarify meaning, analyze overall themes and coherence, and relate reading with information from other sources.

1.B.4b Analyze, interpret and compare a variety of texts for purpose, structure, content, detail and effect.

1.C.4d Summarize and make generalizations from content and relate them to the purpose of the material.

2.B.4b Analyze form, content, purpose and major themes of American literature and literature of other countries in their historical perspectives.

4.A.4a Apply listening skills as individuals and members of a group in a variety of settings (e.g., lectures, discussions, conversations, team projects, presentations, interviews).

4.B.4b Use group discussion skills to assume leadership and participant roles within an assigned project or to reach a group goal.

5.C.4b Produce oral presentations and written documents using supportive research and incorporating contemporary technology.

Objectives: Students will be able to:

  • Draw a map of the Mississippi River and plot where Huck and Jim have traveled
  • Discuss the elements that make up a journey
  • Research a historical account of the conditions and lives of slaves during the 1830s and 1840s
  • Research and find a slave narrative
  • Research and find a song connecting to the time period
  • Connect the idea of going on a“journey” to their own lives

Materials: Access to the internet, paper, markers, poster boards

Procedures:

In this 5 day lesson plan, as an end of the novel project (or an ongoing lesson while reading), students will use their book to track Jim and Huck’s travels, determine what it means to be on a journey (physical and personal), discuss and research slavery, and connect the ideas to their own lives.

  • Class One:

After reading the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, students will use textual references to identify the areas on a map of the Mississippi River that Huck and Jim had traveled to.

Students will use the internet and their texts for their research.

After plotting the physical journey of Huck and Jim, students will work in groups of four to come up with a working definition of “journey” and discuss what journeys Jim and Huck experienced.

Students will present their definitions to the class as a way to begin a class dialogue.

  • Class Two:

After defining journey, and being guided by the teacher to recognize that a journey may be personal as well as physical, students will discuss the journeys of a slave

As a class, students will use their knowledge of slavery and textual references from the novel to collaboratively brainstorm potential journeys (personal and physical) experienced by slaves.

After brainstorming, students (in pairs) will research the life of a slave and find (and read) one slave narrative and one song written and sung by a slave.

  • Class Three:

Students will create a visual aid (poster board) illustrating their findings and showing the types of journeys that slaves had to endure during this time period.

Students will present their findings to the class using their visual aid, and discussing their idea of journey in relation to slavery and the novel.

  • Classes Four and Five:

Students will individually connect their newly constructed definition of journey to their own lives.

Students will create a map of their lives, identifying significant events, times, lessons, people…that have contributed to their being the person they are today.

Their map must include at least 10 plotted situations and relevant explanations of each scenario.

Students must identify a song that relates to their own personal journey and write a one paragraph explanation of their song choice.

Students will informally present their journey to class, play their song and explain why experiencing their journey has made them the person they are today.

Evaluation: Students will be evaluated according to the following:

Class One:

Accurate identification of locations visited by Huck and Jim, using text as a resource

Active participation in class and small group discussions

Informal presentation and discussion of “journey”

Class Two:

Active participation in discussions

Staying actively on-task while researching

Finding of relevant slave narrative and song

Class Three:

Accurate portrayal of the journeys of slave during the 1830s and 1840s

Presentation includes pictures, references to text and research and valid interpretation of the lives of slaves during the designated time period

Class Four and Five:

A completed journey of life map, including at least 10 events, lessons, times, people… in their lives

Song choice and explanation paragraph relates to life map

Presentation discusses the journey map and connects song to journey

Students must listen effectively while watching presentations