National Endowment for the Humanities
American Literary Humor: Mark Twain, George Harris, and Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne as a humorist? Really? The three lessons in this series focus on the the storytelling style, conventions, and literary techniques employed by Hawthorne, George Washington Harris, and Mark Twain.
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Mark Twain: Straddling the Civil War
Mark Twain's life, politics, writing, and role as a mirror of pre- and post-Civil War American culture are the focus 11th and 12th graders in this section from an expansive author study. A critical writing assignment comparing Twain to...
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Mark Twain Lesson Plans
Celebrate the birthday of Mark Twain and learn about American life and literature along the great Mississippi River.
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Unit Plan for Mark Twain and American Humor
Students create brochures about the humor of Mark Twain. In this literature-analysis lesson plan, students read "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and other short stories by Twain. Students write analytical paragraphs and...
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Critical Ways of Seeing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in Context
Students complete a unit of lessons examining the cultural context of the novel, 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' They write a critique of the novel, compare/contrast two published critiques, and explore various websites.
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The Prince and the Pauper
Mark Twain, the famous American author, is often studied in the school system. Use "The Prince and the Pauper" to analyze the differences between the text and its video version. This lesson includes several culminating project ideas for...
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Twain: Icon and Iconoclast
Students examine work by Mark Twain in the context of pre- and post-Civil War America. In this cross curricular lesson, students gather biographical information about Twain, use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast him with Lincoln and...
K20 LEARN
Whose Manifest Destiny? Westward Expansion
Your land is my land! Young historians investigate the concept of Manifest Destiny used by the United States government to justify western expansion. Jigsaw groups read primary source documents to gain an understanding of the movement...
Curated OER
Twain: An American Humorist
Students examine American humor and character through analysis of works by Mark Twain. For this cross curricular lesson, students develop a definition of American humor and determine how and why some consider Twain the 'first truly...
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Literature: "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelson
Students participate in various activities regarding the book, Touching Spirit Bear. They examine the Native American Tlingit tribe, and discuss anger, forgiveness and Spirit Bears.
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Mark Twain- Teaching About American Authors
Mark Twain lesson plans can shed light on his famous works, like "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."
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Twain's Hannibal
Young scholars use primary resources to examine the context the writings of Mark Twain. They criticize the resources for reliability, accuracy, perspective, relevancy, and authoritativeness.
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Portraits Visual and Written: Louisa May Alcott and Samuel Clemens
Students discover the life and work of an American author, either Samuel Clemens or Louisa May Alcott. In this study of visual and written portraits lesson, students take a look at the authors through four different sources: a portrait,...
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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Questions
In this reading comprehension learning exercise, students respond to 5 short answer questions about the content of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
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Coming of Age Readings: Experiences in Korea and by Asians in America
Bring multi-cultural experiences and literature into your language arts class with this lesson. Here, young readers explore the points of view of first and second-generation Asian immigrants with a list of various fiction and nonfiction...
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Questions
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 5 short answer questions about themes from Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Kate Chopin's "The Awakening": No Choice But Under?
The first in a series of three resources designed to accompany a reading of Kate Chopin's The Awakening provides readers with background information about Chopin, Creole culture, literary realism, and women's suffrage.
National Endowment for the Humanities
"Old Southwest" Humorists and George Washington Harris
Young scholars discover the work of George Washington Harris and his influence on American humor. For this George Washington Harris lesson, discuss cultural differences in the United States and read Sut Lovongwood stories by George...
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America's Mighty Rivers
Young scholars examine the cultural importance of America's rivers. Using the Mississippi and Hudson Rivers, they examine a story that takes place on each river. They are introduced to the concepts of preservation and stewardship.
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A Visual History: Industry, Society, and Social Mobility in Hartford
Eleventh graders examine the industrialization of Hartford. In this American History lesson, 11th graders analyze pictures in Hartford. Students participate in a gallery walk of artifacts.
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Lake Tahoe Then and Now
Students investigate the differences in Lake Tahoe from the past to the present. In this geography lesson plan, students read the book Washoe Seasons of Life and identify the descriptions of the land and lake. Students create a Venn...
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Influential Individuals of the 19th Century
By learning about some of the people who shaped the 19th Century, students can find out about this important time period.