Lesson Planning Template • Heather Wohlgemuth- Manchester High School
Unit: Mark Twain and Reconstruction
Day One:
Daily EQ: What happened to the South and African Americans after the Civil War?
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to…
1. Debate and discuss the political, economic, and social problems facing America in the aftermath of the Civil War.
2. Compare and contrast their own Reconstruction plan to US policies between 1865 and 1896.
Materials: handouts- Make Your Own Reconstruction Plan (and timeline), lecture notes, Taking Sides article
Lesson Activities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Group Activity: Make your own Reconstruction Plan (20 minutes)
Discussion (20-25 minutes)
Lecture on Reconstruction- What ACTUALLY happened to the South? (35-40 minutes)
Closure: Exit Pass- Compare and contrast your Reconstruction plan to what actually happened. (2 minutes)
Homework: Read “Did Racial Segregation Improve the Status of African Americans?” from Taking Sides. Read over notes and
Reconstruction timeline.
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Day Two:
Daily EQ: “Did Racial Segregation Improve the Status of African Americans?”
Lesson objectives: Students will be able to…
1. Create a narrative about Reconstruction using vocabulary from the previous day’s lesson
2. Debate the question “Did Racial Segregation Improve the Status of African Americans?” through a Structured Academic
Controversy (SAC) model
Materials: Semantic map vocabulary, envelopes, film American Experience 1900 Part III segment 3, copies of The Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn, Satire or Evasion “Twain’s Nigger Jim- The Tragic Face Behind the Mask” (pp 124-139)
Lesson Activities:
1. Reconstruction timeline Semantic maps in groups. Groups present to teacher. Informal assessment (20 minutes)
2. Student groups elect to report out their story (10 minutes)
3. Context and show clip from American Experience 1900 Part III segment 3 to visually show Jim Crow South and
cultural depictions of African Americans (10 minutes)
4. Introduce instructions for SAC (Structured Academic Controversy). Students will work in groups of 4 to deliberate
and debate the question “Did Racial Segregation Improve the Status of African Americans?”
5. Full class discussion of Daily EQ.
Homework: Assign chapters 1-7 of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Encourage students to use Spark Notes online to
help them understand the text. Assign article from Satire or Evasion “Twain’s Nigger Jim- The Tragic Face Behind the Mask”
(pp 124-139)
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Day Three:
Daily EQ: “Was Mark Twain a racist, empathetic/benevolent paternalist, or champion of African American rights?”
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to…
1. SOAPSTone Twain’s letters to trace the evolution of his sentiments towards slavery and the status of African Americans.
2. Critically evaluate an article from Satire or Evasion and connect
3. Take a position on the essential question in the form of persuasive writing.
Materials: Picture of Twain online, projector, Twain quotes, K-W-L chart drawn on board, Lecture notes on Twain’s life, Ken
Burns Twain film, SOAPSTone worksheets, Twain letters from the Mark Twain house materials, Time Magazine article
“The Dangerous Mind of Mark Twain.”
Lesson Activities:
1. Hook: Project a picture of Mark Twain and a few humorous Twain quotes
2. K-W-L on Mark Twain as a whole class
3. Mini Lecture: Explain the essential question to students. Provide biographical Information on Mark Twain. Provide
students with a timeline of Mark Twain’s life.
4. Show clips from Ken Burns’ film on Mark Twain for visual.
5. Letter Activity: Have students work in groups of four. Give each group the set of letters and trace Twain’s attitudes
about African Americans. Students will SOAPSTone each letter for understanding.
6. Dissect the EQ for students by drawing their attention to the Satire or Evasion article.
7. Closure: Students answer the EQ in writing and turn in as an exit pass
Homework: Huck Finn chapters 8-15. Read Time Magazine article “The Dangerous Mind of Mark Twain.”
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Day Four:
EQ: How does Twain’s House reveal to us the values of Victorian Hartford? Was Twain a man of his time? How did his lifestyle
contribute to or his literary works?
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to…
1. Formulate a thesis statement in response to the essential question “How does Twain’s House reveal to us the values of
Victorian Hartford? Was Twain a man of his time? How did his lifestyle contribute to or his literary works?” using their field
trip observations and Time Magazine article.
Materials: Mark Twain House handouts, school bus transportation, field trip forms
Field Trip to the Mark Twain House
Lesson Activities:
1. Students will take a tour of the Mark Twain house and kitchen and record their observations.
2. Students will use a room chart to determine whether Twain was a man of his time. Students will explore each room,
record their observations, and notice if the rooms relate to the major themes in Twain’s literary works.
3. Using the timeline and articles from Time Magazine (2008), students will be able to answer the essential question.
Homework: Read Huck Finn chapters 15-22
NOTE: Absent students can take the virtual tour online http://www.marktwainhouse.org/
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Day Five:
EQ: Should books be banned? Should books be censored or sanitized for political correctness? Can literature be damaging?
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to…
1. debate whether Huckleberry Finn should be banned from Manchester High school.
Lesson Activities:
1. Hook: Quotes about Huck Finn all around the room on large post its. Students walk around the room and respond
to the quotes in writing.
2. Mini- Lecture: Introduction to Huckleberry Finn and historical background. Provide students with a map of Huck
and Jim’s adventures to give geographic context.
3. Structured Academic Controversy: Should Huck Finn be banned from Manchester High School? Provide students with a
variety of sources from the 2007 controversy.
4. Whole class wrap up discussion
Homework: Read Huck Finn chapters 22-32. Read Toni Morrison article on Mark Twain.
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Day Six:
EQ: How does Twain use the theme knowledge v. ignorance to convey his attitudes about Reconstruction in “A True Story”?
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to…
1. critically and closely read Twain’s “A True Story As I Heard It Word for Word” and be able to view it through the lens of
knowledge v ignorance.
2. define the key elements of a tall tale and framed narrative as well as other literary devices used in Twain’s literary works.
Lesson Activities:
1. Introduce the Close Reading Source Journal Assignment.
2. Model: A Close Reading of “A True Story As I Heard It Word for Word” to reveal theme of ignorance v. knowledge.
Context the tall tale by discussing it historically and as a framed narrative.
3. Close reading preparation: Assign groups. Give students the remainder of class to prepare their close reading
presentations. Provide students with a rubric.
Homework: Read Huck Finn chapters 32-40. Encourage students to glance over Spark Notes online.
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Day Seven:
EQ: How does Twain use the themes Knowledge v Ignorance and Race, Class, and Privilege to convey his attitudes about
Reconstruction in Huck Finn?
Lesson Objectives:
1. critically and closely read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and be able to view it through the lens of knowledge v
ignorance and race, class, and privilege.
Lesson Activities:
1. Begin class with the knowledge v ignorance continuum on board. Make a list of characters and have students place
characters on the continuum and discuss their placements. (10 minutes)
2. Student led close reading of beginning through chapter 4. (20 minutes)
3. Transition to another small activity: race, class, and privilege. Venn diagrams comparing Aunt Rachel to Misto C and
Jim and Huck with a partner. Discuss full class (15 min)
4. Student led close reading of theme of race, class and privilege chapters 5-7. (20 min)
5. Student assessment of close reading/critical literacy groups (5 min)
Homework: Complete source journals for chapters 1-7. Complete 3rd space sheet as well to make connections to current issues
as well as disconnections.
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Day Eight:
EQ: How does Twain use the themes Society and Freedom and Personal Conscience v Cultural Conformity to convey his attitudes
about Reconstruction in Huck Finn?
Lesson Objectives:
1. critically and closely read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and be able to view it through the lens of society v
freedom and personal conscience v cultural conformity.
Lesson Activities:
1. Begin class with a RAFT assignment pertaining to society and freedom. (10 min)
2. Student led close reading on theme of society and freedom chapters 8-13 (20 min)
3. Transition to another small activity: Personal conscience v. cultural conformity- Read “Corn Pone Opinions” as a
whole class. Connect to their personal lives. (15 min)
4. Student led close reading on theme of personal conscience v cultural conformity. (20 min)
Closure: Free write--Discuss how Huck wrestles with his conscience throughout the novel. Give at least 3 examples. (15
min)
Homework: Complete source journals for chapters 8-16. Complete 3rd space sheet as well to make connections to current
issues as well as disconnections.
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Day Nine:
EQ: How does Twain use the themes Morality v Social Status and Maturity v Immaturity to convey his attitudes about Reconstruction
in Huck Finn?
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to…
1. critically and closely read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and be able to view it through the lens of morality v
social status and maturity v immaturity to convey his attitudes about Reconstruction.
Lesson Activities:
1. Begin class with drawing two triangles on the board. Under one write “Social Status” and the other write “Morality.”
As a whole class, have students place the characters in the novel with the highest social status at the top of the
triangle and those with lower status on the bottom. Then do the same for morality. (10 min)
2. Student led close reading discussion on the theme of social status and morality chapters 17-32. The teacher will
connect theme to Mark Twain’s own fears of losing social status yet simultaneous need to use his writings to
promote moral causes. (20 min)
3. Transition to another small activity. Students will work with a partner to make a chart tracing Huck’s maturity
throughout the book using a bar chart or line graph. Along the X axis will be major plot points and the Y axis will
represent maturity. (15 min)
4. Student led close reading of the theme of maturity and immaturity chapters 33-40. (20 min)
Homework: Complete source journals for chapters 16-40. Complete 3rd space sheet as well to make connections to current
issues as well as disconnections.
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Day Ten:
EQ: How are Mark Twain’s attitudes about Reconstruction revealed through his characters and themes in The Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn?
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to….
1. Develop a clear, original thesis statement which links Twain to his literary works and perspectives on the
Reconstruction Era in US History.
2. Successfully prove his/her thesis statement using evidence from literature and history in the form of a persuasive
essay.
Lesson Activities:
Pressure essay: Provide students with an essay menu. Students will select one question below and write a paper in the
computer lab for 50
minutes.
1. Compare and contrast Twain’s characterization of Jim and Aunt Rachel from “A True Story.” How is Twain
providing social commentary on his times thorough the themes and characters of these two pieces?
2. Select one theme to explore in answering the EQ “How are Mark Twain’s attitudes about Reconstruction revealed
through his characters and themes in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?”
3. Should Huckleberry Finn be banned from Manchester public schools? Should it be sanitized? Using evidence from
the novel, explore the historical controversy. Be sure to take a position on the issue being sure to include your
personal perspective on Twain’s intentions.
After 50 minutes, students will print what they have and workshop with a partner.
Homework: Students will polish their rough draft and complete their essays over the weekend.
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