A Project of Objects and Places in the Novel
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Choose one.
1.
Instructions for Poster Project
The student will create a collage on an 18” x 22” poster board depicting objects and places in the
novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Use of magazines, clip art, fabric, construction paper, toys,
etc. may be glued to the poster board to give the illusion of a 3-D effect. The title of the novel and
the author’s name must appear in the collage in some way. The student’s identification, period, and
date should appear in the lower right hand corner of the front of the poster.
2.
Instructions for Tee-Shirt Project
The student will paint, mark, color, sew onto, etc. a tee-shirt to represent the objects and places in
the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The title of the novel and the author’s name must appear
on the tee-shirt in some way. Names of other characters may be included. The student’s
identification, period, and date should appear in the lower right hand corner of the front of the teeshirt.
3.
Instructions for Designing a 3-D Topographical Map of the Mississippi River
Using maps on the computer and from books, design the Mississippi River in its entirety. Include all
ten states with labels. Label the cities that appear in our novel. Label the city of each state that is
the capital. (Get inspired from the old volcano projects from elementary school.) The title of the
novel and the author’s name must appear in the map in some way. The student’s identification,
period, and date should appear in the lower right hand corner of the front of the map.
4.
A Shoe Box Diorama
Select a pivotal scene in the novel and build/design the scene inside a shoe box. Use a 3 x 5 index
card to describe the scene and its significance. The title of the novel and the author’s name must
appear in the map in some way. The student’s identification, period, and date should appear in the
lower right hand corner of the front of the map.
5.
A Board Game
(A la Monopoly or similar board games) create a game which has characters, locations, and objects
from the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Include a paper that tells the rules of
what the goals are and how to win. The title of the book and the author’s name should appear on
the board somewhere. The student’s identification, period, and date should appear in the lower
right hand corner of the front of the map.
Rubric
Judged on neatness, thoughtfulness, and completeness (A, B, C)
A projects that looks as though it was thrown together at the last minute, will receive a
last minute score of D or F.
On the second page, please find some suggestions for places and objects to put into your project.
Fence: Aunt Polly forces Tom to whitewash this large fence, a chore that should take him several hours,
although he finds an easy way to do it. Tom often climbs over this fence when coming in and out of his
house.
Tickets: Prizes for memorizing Bible passages at church. Ten blues are worth a red; the reds, a yellow;
ten yellows gets a Bible. Tom finds a way to get a Bible without memorizing all 2000 verses as required.
Percussion-cap box: A box that holds a small explosive charge. Tom uses it to carry bugs around, and
releases a pinch-bug from it during church, leading to a big disruption.
Dead cats: These are very magical, according to the local superstition. Huck tries to cure warts with one;
they are also used in rituals to discover information about Dr. Robinson's murder.
Brass knob: Tom's favorite possession, a knob from a fireplace. He tries to give it to Becky as an offer of
love, but she rejects the gift. When Tom runs away to be a pirate, she regrets giving the knob up.
Secret spots: Tom and the other boys have several of these, where they hide their toys and other
possessions. Tom hides his bow and other things in the woods by the Widow Douglas' house, where he
and Joe play Robin Hood.
Potter's knife: Muff Potter's knife, which Injun Joe uses to murder Dr. Robinson. When it is found by the
body, the townsfolk assume Potter did it.
Patent Medicines: Fake medicines sold in magazines. Aunt Polly believes in them strongly and tries them
on Tom to cure his depression. Tom feeds one to Aunt Polly's cat.
Jackson's Island: An island downriver from St. Petersburg, where Tom, Huck and Joe stay when they
run away to be pirates.
Spelling book: Tom's book, which Alfred Temple destroys with ink out of revenge.
The Schoolmaster's book: An anatomy book that the schoolmaster studies often in hopes that it will
help him become a doctor. Becky accidentally rips a page in it, but Tom takes the blame for the damage.
Treasure: The money Tom and Huck search for and discover in the possession of Injun Joe.
Number Two: The location of Injun Joe's treasure, which Tom and Huck believe is a room in a local
tavern, but is actually in McDougal's Cave.
McDougal's cave: A huge maze-like cave near St. Petersburg, where Tom and Becky get lost and which
Tom later declares to be his robber's den.
Kite string: What Tom uses to guide himself through unknown parts of the cave, by tying it to a rock and
walking until he runs out of string. He can then follow the string back to his original spot.