This is a suggested teaching schedule for a 10 day class study of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Lesson plans and handouts can be downloaded individually by clicking on the name of the file in the schedule below. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these files.
Audio Guide CDs are available only for the communities participating in The Big Read. If your community is participating, contact the lead community organization to receive a free Audio Guide CD. Non-participating communities can listen to the full audio online.
Day One
FOCUS: Biography
Day One Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Listen to The Big Read Audio Guide. Read and discuss Reader's Guide essays. Write about a favorite novel of childhood.
Homework: Read Handout One and
Chapters I–III (pp. 11–30).*
Day Two
FOCUS: Culture and History
Day Two Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Discuss the ways Twain uses humor, sarcasm, and satire. Write about the whitewashing of the fence in Chapter II .
Homework: Read Chapters IV–VI
(pp. 31–57).
Day Three
FOCUS: Narrative and Point of View
Day Three Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Discuss the advantages of an adult third-person omniscient narrative. Write a description of Tom or Huck from the other's point of view.
Homework: Read Chapters VII –XI
(pp. 58–87).
Day Four
FOCUS: Characters
Day Four Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Discuss Sid as a foil to Tom. Write about Tom's most prominent characteristics.
Homework: Read Handout Two and
Chapters XII –XVI (pp. 88–119).
Day Five
FOCUS: Figurative Language
Day Five Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Discuss hyperbole and metaphor. Write a comically exaggerated description of an ordinary event.
Homework: Read Handout Three and
Chapters XVII –XXII (pp. 120–149).
Day Six
FOCUS: Symbols
Day Six Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Discuss the symbolism of the Mississippi River, the island, and the storm. Write a brief essay examining how the message on the bark gives the reader clues about Tom's character, or write a short analysis on how the fence functions as a symbol.
Homework: Read Chapters XXIII –XXVII
(pp. 150–175).
Day Seven
FOCUS: Character Development
Day Seven Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Discuss how the order of the novel's events contributes to the evolution of Tom's character. Write about the believability of Tom's decision to testify.
Homework: Read Chapters XXVIII – XXXI (pp. 176–203).
Day Eight
FOCUS: The Plot Unfolds
Day Eight Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Discuss the pacing of events and the degree of realism in the novel. Write an essay discussing Twain's statement, "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't."
Homework: Read Chapters XXXII–Conclusion (pp. 204–225).
Day Nine
FOCUS: Themes of the Novel
Day Nine Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Explore Twain's treatment of the themes of childhood, maturity, and freedom vs. responsibility.
Homework: Prepare outlines and begin essays.
Day Ten
FOCUS: What Makes a Book Great?
Day Ten Lesson Plan [PDF]
Activities: Evaluate the greatness of the novel. Write back-cover copy for a new edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, explaining why the novel would appeal to a modern audience.
Homework: Finish essays.
Handouts
Handout 1: Mark Twain's Literary Influence [PDF]
Handout 2: Mark Twain's Comic Voice [PDF]
Handout 3: The Mighty Mississippi [PDF]
*Page numbers refer to the Penguin Classics 1986 edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
