ENGLISH: 11TH GRADE SYLLABUS EXAMPLE

English:  11th Grade

Class syllabus

Description
This course is designed to expose students to a broad cross-section of American literature. Students are also expected to increase their composition skills through a variety of writing experiences. Students will be expected to have a number of pieces ready by semester's end that can be included in senior portfolios.

Prerequisites
Credit for English I and II

Topics to be covered

Expect to:

•Read two or three novels by American authors on your own, and complete a full set of assignments related to your reading. At least one novel will be studied as part of a literary circle, where you will meet with 4-5 other students to discuss your novel. In addition, one novel will be studied in-depth by the entire class. Past novels have included Huck Finn, Fahrenheit 451, and The Fellowship of the Ring.

•Complete a research paper and class presentation on an original research idea. This is a major project that is designed as a college preparatory activity. Failure to complete this project can endanger your semester grade. Internet research is usually a major part of the project, so be sure you have internet permission.

•Memorize one famous literary passage of 1-2 minutes in length. This is usually the entire Gettysburg address, or six stanzas from Poe’s “The Raven,” although an appropriate substitute passage can be chosen with instructor approval.

•Complete a least four writing projects/papers that are portfolio-quality. Included among these will be a personal narrative or memoir, a short story and several poems.

• Work on grammar daily. We will begin each day with the Daily Oral Grammar series.

• Have weekly vocabulary tests. Vocabulary worksheets will be given out on Mondays or Tuesdays, and they will be graded two days later. Vocabulary tests will be on Fridays. These words are not easy, and most students find it takes study to pass Friday’s test.

• Read in class. During the latter half of class on Fridays, we will often have SSR—Sustained Silent Reading. You will be expected to have reading material with you.

• Spend quite a bit of time exploring U.S. history as we examine the literature selections.

• Read 15 or more short stories, sermons and non-fiction passages from the text.

• Have homework several times each week, especially early in the semester.

• Have spelling tests on a weekly basis--usually Thursdays.

• Watch films of books by American authors.

• Read a drama play out aloud in class – either “The Crucible” or “The Glass Menagerie.”

• Travel to see a play performed, if funds are available. I try to take each junior class on a field trip to view a live stage production of a play or short story collection. Eligibility for this trip can depend on class behavior.

Order of material to be covered
• Short story unit.
• Non-fiction unit
• Drama Unit
• Poetry Unit
• Drama Unit
• Research Paper Unit

Major papers and writing projects are interspersed throughout the semester.
Resources to be used
• Textbooks
• Videos that correlate with reading selections
• Media Center
• Internet
• Guest speakers
• Field trip to view play production

ENGLISH 11: PROJECT TWO

(TO GET TO SYLLABUS AND COURSE CLICK HERE)
English 11 Independent Study Project/Semester 2 Exam

TAKEN FROM


About the Project/Exam
The semester exam is a presentation of an independent study project. Each student will select a major American author, read and study one of his or her major works, and create a PowerPoint presentation or a Web Site that includes specific requirements that follow. This project will be presented during exams (may also have to begin sooner). Students may begin this project as early as they wish. Save your project on your H:/ drive and on a jump drive or CD for a backup. We will draw numbers for presentation order. If you are exempting the exam, you will still need to complete the semester project which includes the following (in this order):
cover page.

biography
book review
photocopy of excerpt and your introduction and analysis (typed)
annotated list of author's other works
works cited


The project consists of the following: name="The project consists of the following:">
a biography of your author; do not copy and paste from your sources. Read several other sources and write your own. Summarize (bullet) the key points/ideas in your presentation. Be sure to be "an expert" on your author.
a book review of the work you read (about 750-800 words); this part is typed and handed in.

Put a summary on your PP or Web. A suggested structure follows:


Paragraph 1: Introduce your work (title) and author, tell what genre it is (fiction, drama, etc.), and mention the work's main theme (coming of age, story of racism, etc.). You could give a little background information about the book also (especially if there is something particularly interesting or significant).
Paragraph 2: Summarize the content: What is the main story (plot) if fiction or drama? (but don't give away the ending); if you've read nonfiction, what is the main thesis and what are some of the key points?
Paragraphs 3-5 (or more): Explore your reactions (choose three of the following):
Describe the book: say how it is interesting, memorable, or entertaining. Did you learn something from it? What?
Respond the the author's opinions: (in fiction, the author's opinions are often expressed through the protagonist). What do you agree with? And why? What do you disagree with? And why?
Explore issues the book raises: What possibilities does the book suggest? Explain. What ideas or matters does the book not discuss? Explain. What are your views on these matters? Support with facts (see below).
Relate your argument to other books or authors: Support your argument for or against the author's opinions by making reference to other authors you agree with.
Relate the book to larger issues: How did the book affect you (your thinking, your feelings, your knowledge). How have your opinions changed? How is the book related to your own life's course or your personal agenda (what you plan to do, study, explore in the future)?



Important note about the section above:

The excerpt you are to read from your work may fit in well with a point you're trying to make in your book review. Tying them together seems to be an effective strategy. So in other words, you could insert your excerpt midway in your summary of your book review if you like.
Paragraph 6: Write a conclusion that:
restates why this book is important or interesting.
says who else should read this book and why; choose a specific person and give at least three reasons that are connected to the content of the book. a reading of an excerpt (one page or no less than 300 words) from the book/play you read, including an introduction that gives your audience the title and background/context for the piece you are reading. If you have read a play, engage the talents of your peers to do a dramatic reading.
You also need a follow up to the reading (put these points in your slides): an analysis of the excerpt Why you chose it what was important or significant about the passage you chose an annotated list of 3-5 of this author's other significant works Give the title, year of publication and publisher for each one. You need to tell a little about each one (annotation); in other words, give a little summary, tell what it's about. (Three is minimal effort).
images of your author as appropriate extras: images, quotations, facsimiles, artifacts, or anything that helps us understand your author and his/her work. You have to explain anything you use in your presentation. Top presentations will have some extras.

What else is important?
Sources not allowed: encyclopedias, including Wikipedia, or student-made web sites. Also avoid .com sites. Sites with a lot of advertising or pop ups are generally not good sites to use.
Each student must research his or her own author.
PowerPoint / Web Site Specifications (what actually goes on your slides/pages)
main points from your biography
a photograph of the author (or portrait) and other images as appropriate
main points from your book review
reading an excerpt: (you don't actually put the text on the slide, but you could make a transition slide to show as you read).
introduction of excerpt
a follow up to the reading: an analysis of the excerpt; why did you choose it; what was important or significant about the passage you choose; use bulleted list for your main points
an annotated list of the author's other major or significant works
a conclusion
extras (woven in as appropriate)
How Long?
Your presentation should be between 5-8 minutes long. Practice so that you do NOT go over or under this range (points will be deducted).
What gets handed in:
Cover page (see FSSH for how to do this)
Book review
a works cited page (three sources are required); this document is handed in with your book review.

Choosing an Author
Research the authors who seem like good possibilities first. Read about the books they have written and decide if one of those sounds like a book you would be interested in reading. Once you choose, you must be committed to your choice, so choose wisely. The list below includes a wide variety of authors, men and women from across the American Literature historical spectrum. Once you choose, let me know. It's first come, first serve here.


A great site to start with is: Outline of American Literature

There is a list of other sites below.

After that, do a general Internet search for your author. I'd use Google since it has proven itself to be a better search engine for the literary field. Remember to use credible sites. Do not use .com sites. Do not use projects created by students. Look for .edu or .org or .gov in the address.


Authors to choose from and suggested major works:
The suggested works below represent several genres: fiction (from Gothic to Realistic to Science Fiction), non fiction, and drama. Be sure you know what you are reading as you work on your independent project.
The works shown for each author are simply suggestions. There are many more to choose from. Research BEFORE you select.
The links provided below are just to get you started. If you use a source provided, remember, you must also find two other sources for your project.
This list was updated January 29, 2006
James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851)
The Last of the Mohicans
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)
The Scarlet Letter
The House of Seven Gables
Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)
Choose any 10 short stories
Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
Walden
Herman Melville (1819-1891)
Moby Dick
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)
Little Women
John Muir (1838-1914)
Environmentalist

Edith Wharton (1862-1937)
Ethan Frome
The Age of Innocence
W. E. B. duBois (1868 -1963)
The Souls of Black Folks
Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945)
Sister Carrie
Stephen Crane (1871-1900)
Red Badge of Courage
Willa Cather (1873-1947)
My Antonia
O Pioneers
Song of the Lark
Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953)
Strange Interlude
Iceman Cometh
Long Day's Journey into Night
Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961)
Detective fiction
The Maltese Falcon
The Dain Curse
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)
The Great Gatsby
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (1896-1953)
The Yearling
Thornton Wilder (1897-1975)
Our Town
Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
The Sun Also Rises
The Old Man and the Sea
A Farewell to Arms
John Gunther (1901-)
Death Be Not Proud (memoir)
John Steinbeck (1902-1968)
The Grapes of Wrath
Cannery Row
Zora Neale Hurston (1903-1960)
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Jessamyn West (1903-1984)
The Friendly Persuasion
Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-91)
In My Father's Court
Ayn Rand(1905-1982)
The Fountainhead
Lillian Hellman (1905-1984)
The Children's Hour
Little Foxes
Rachel Carson (1907-64)
Silent Spring
Robert Heinlein (1907-1988)
The Puppet Masters
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
James Michener (1907-97)
Hawaii
Richard Wright (1908-1960)
Black Boy
Native Son
William Saroyen (1908-1981)
The Human Comedy
James Agee (1909-55)
A Death in the Family
Wallace Stegner (1909-93)
Angle of Repose
Tennessee Williams (1911-1983)
The Glass Menagerie
A Streetcar Named Desire
Bernard Malamud (1914-1986)
The Natural
Arthur Miller (1915-)
Death of a Salesman
Herman Wouk (1915-)
The Caine Mutiny
The Winds of War
Carson McCullers (1917-1967)
The Member of The Wedding
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
J.D. Salinger (1919-)
Catcher in the Rye
Franny and Zoey
Ray Bradbury (1920-)
Science fiction
The Martian Chronicles
The Illustrated Man
Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)
Science fiction
Foundation
Foundations and Empire
Second Foundation
These three books are a trilogy.
Jack Kerouac (1922-1969)
On The Road
Kurt Vonnegut (1922-)
Slaughterhouse Five
James Baldwin (1924-1987)
Go Tell it on the Mountain
If Beale Street Could Talk
Tony Hillerman (1925-)
The Skinwalkers
Gore Vidal (1925-)
Historical and political fiction
Lincoln
Empire
1876
Robert Cormier (1925-2000)
The Chocolate War
Maya Angelou (1928- )
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Chaim Potok (1929- )
The Chosen
My Name is Asher Lev
The Promise
Ursula LeGuin (1929-)
Toni Morrison (1931-)
The Bluest Eye
Tom Wolfe (1931-)
The Right Stuff
John Jakes (1932-)
North and South
Ernest J. Gaines (1933- )
A Lesson Before Dying
Cormac McCarthy (1933- )
All the Pretty Horses
John Gardner (1933-1982)
Grendel
Jerzy Kosinski (1933-91)
Painted Bird
Being There
N. Scott Momaday (1934-)

Joan Didion (1934-)

Richard Brautigan (1935-84)

Maxine Hong Kinston (1940-)
The Woman Warrior
Anne Rice (1941-)

John Irving (1942-)
A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Cider House Rules
Alice Walker (1944- )
The Color Purple
August Wilson (1945-
Fences
The Piano Lesson
Annie Dillard (1945-)
Tim O'Brien (1946-)
The Things They Carried
Larry Watson (1947-)
Montana 1948
Stephen King (1947-)
Misery
Tom Clancy (1947-)
Leslie Marmon Silko (1948-)
Amy Tan (1952-)
The Joy Luck Club
Poisonwood Bible
The Prodigal Summer
The Bean Trees
Sherman Alexie (1966-)
Ten Little Indians
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Can't find something that interests you? Try a prize winner. Get your selection approved by your teacher first.

ENGLISH 11: PROJECT ONE

English 11 Independent Study Project/Semester 1 Exam
CLICK HERE TO GET BACK TO THE COURSE OUTLINE


TAKEN FROM

About the Project/Exam
The semester exam is a presentation of an independent study project. Each student will select a topic of interest in the American Experience. The project will be due one week before the end of the semester. The exam portion is due on your presentation day.
This project will be presented during exams (may also have to begin sooner). Students may begin this project as early as they wish. Save your project on your H:/ drive and on a jump drive or CD for a backup. We will draw numbers for presentation order. Even if you present earlier than exam day, you are required to be present on exam day.
Students who choose to exempt the exam, must still complete the project; they simply won't present it to the class. See the calendar for exact due date.
*Hogue's Classes: 2006: If you are exempting the exam, you will still need to complete the semester project which will include the following:
overview
major players
timeline
3-5 literary works
personal reflection
works cited
cover page

The project consists of the following:
an overview of your topic (750-1,000 words); this part is typed and handed in. Put a summary on your PP or Web. Use the skills you learned in English 10 with your research paper. Cite borrowed material in the textof your overview. See your Skills and Style Handbook for more on how to do this. This paper is to be written in 3rd person only.
Follow the guidelines below for how to develop the overview:
Introduction (1 paragraph)
Then one of the following:
Define the idea/event (who, what, when, where, why and how) (2-3 paragraphs)
Some important facts, things everyone should know (2-3 paragraphs)
What was the effect of the idea/event on society--how did it impact people's lives? What changes in behavior or attitudes resulted. Think about the effect on ordinary people. (1-2 paragraphs)
Address one to three of the following as is most appropriate for your topic (2-4 paragraphs):
impact on technology/medicine/science
impact politically, both US and world politics (look at changes in law, at important Supreme Court cases, etc.)
impact on entertainment/the arts (look for shifts, trendsetters, etc.)
impact on economy
impact on education (look for significant change, shifts in ideology, structure, etc.
Conclusion (1 paragraph)
a timeline of major events (that you create, not taken from elsewhere); 10-12 events needed
a list of major players. Who was important and why; you should have 3-5 and you need to explain who each one is and why he/she is important.
an annotated bibliography (list) of 3-5 literary works on this topic (any genre); Hint: do an Internet search for novels (fictional books), memoirs, or movies on your topic. The list must be in alphabetical order. Use MLA style for each citation. You need to annotate or give a little summary of each work (about 30 words); tell what it's about. Use the adults in your life as resources for finding these titles if you're having trouble.
images as appropriate are required (images related to theme, of major players, etc. are good choices)
extras: images, cartoons, maps, quotations, facsimiles, other artifacts, or anything that helps us understand your topic. You have to explain anything you use in your presentation. Top presentations will have some extras.
a personal reflection (200-300 words) about what you learned and what was most interesting/important about your research experience. Can you relate what you learned to your own experience in any way? How does what you researched affect your life? This document is to be typed and handed in with your overview. Use first person point of view for this part only.
a works cited page (three sources are required); this document is handed in with your overview.
Sources not allowed: encyclopedia, U.S. History textbooks, student-made web sites.
Each student must research his or her own topic; no topics may be repeated.
Arrange items to be handed in this way:
Title page

Overview (does not need your name, etc.), but it should say Overview at the top
Personal Reflection (does not need your name, etc.), but it should say Personal Reflection at the top
Works Cited (does not need your name, etc.), but it should say Works Cited at the top.
Staple all together and hand in on date due.
PowerPoint / Web Site Specifications (What goes on your PP or Web from the list above)
a title page
a bulleted summary of your overview
your timeline
major players (include pictures if you can)
your literary works (explain each)
a summary of your personal reflection
your works cited
images as appropriate
Also:
the design of the visual presentation must be appropriate in tone for the topic
keep it "readable"
run it from H:/ drive and/or jump drive
Making your presentation the best it can be:
Your presentation should be timed and should not go over eight minutes. It should be no shorter than five minutes.
The items above can be organized and arranged in any order you think is effective.
Present yourself confidently. (Practice is recommended).
DO NOT simply read from your slides.
DO use note cards if you like.
Pause and use transitions to move from one topic to another.
Note about plagiarism: any section of your project that is plagiarized earns no credit and significant use of another's' work could result in no points at all for your project.
Choosing a topic
Choose something you are interested in. You could do a general Internet search/encyclopedia search to find some basic information to see if it looks like something you will enjoy researching.


Suggested topics:
Early colonial life
Theocracy in America
Salem Witch Trials
Revolutionary War
The Continental Congress
Indian Wars
Newspapers in Democracy
Slavery
Women in Slavery
The Transcendentalist movement
The Civil War
Reconstruction
The Underground Railroad
Westward Expansion
The Oregon Trail
The Gold Rush
Indian Removal
Pioneer Life
Women's Suffrage
The Gilded Age
The Industrial Revolution
Immigrants and poverty (Industrialization and Urbanization, 1860-1920, approx.)
Immigrant Woman
Labor unions
Migrant Farm Workers
World War I
The Roaring Twenties
Segregation/Jim Crow
Prohibition and Organized Crime
The Great Depression
World War II
The Atomic Bomb
The New Deal
The Civil Rights Movement
The Cold War
The Space Race
Vietnam War
Affirmative Action
Women's Rights Movement(this would be post 19th Amendment)
Suggest your own topic

Helpful Sites: (as you research, if you find others, please give me the url and I will include them here.
History Matters
PBS: American Experience
Digital History (superb site!)

ENGLISH 11: AMERICAN LITERATURE

NOTE TO SELF: You can use Twain's, Huckleberry Finn to
develop an English 11 essay style question and answer
survey class or pick the syllabus below it.


The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn, Clemens (Twain)

**FOR AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT HUCKLEBERRY FINN,
THE HISTORY BEHIND IT AND THE CURRENT
CONTROVERSY ABOUT IT, USE THESE QUESTIONS AND
PROJECTS TO TEACH ENGLISH 11 THROUGH THIS
BOOK ALONE. THERE IS ENOUGH THERE TO
REALLY GET INTO THE GRIT AND FURTHER THE STUDY
THROUGH THE NATURAL COURSE OF CURIOSITY AND
"SPIN OFF" ESSAYS AND DIALOGUE.


OR DO THE FOLLOWING...

SOURCE

CLICK HERE FOR PROJECT ONE

CLICK HERE FOR PROJECT TWO

Grade level (s) offered: 11 1.0 credit (two semester course)

Brief Course Description:

This course is a survey of American Literature that stresses literary themes. This course includes a variety of genres. A chronological approach is used. There is a strong emphasis on writing technique and on improving personal style and quality.

Course Outcomes:
Students will have a good overview of the chronological history of American Literature.
Students will further their skills as critical thinkers.
Students will continue to develop their skills in writing, discussion, and technology skills.


Methods of Instruction:
Discussion is the primary way in which students come to understand a particular work of fiction or poetry. Discussion is both large group and small group. Discussions are sometimes student led. Cooperative learning groups are also used extensively in this class. There are projects and assignments done individually as well. Students can expect to read and complete other work outside of class.

Resources:

Links in this syllabus to literature online are provided.

The Crucible,

Arthur Miller

Of Mice and Men,

Steinbeck

A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry


Various Web Resources
American Authors on the Web

Outline of American Literature

An Outline of American Literature by Kathryn VanSpanckeren

C-SPAN American Writers: A Journey Through History

Authors Calendar (great source for biographies)

American Classics: Lit Online

An excellent list of links from Carmel High School

Course Outline:

Page numbers refer to Elements of Literature text.
Semester 1

Overview of English 11/Semester 1
Course Web
Periods & Genres
Lit terms review
The Write Move


Independent Study Project Introduction

Unit One: Puritan/Colonial & Revolutionary Literature (8 weeks)
Introduction
Bradford: from Of Plymouth Plantation, 13 (Links to these early online texts are often to full text versions and do not necessarily match the selections in our text. These links are provided for your interest in further study).
Bradford: from The First Thanksgiving, 22 (online at site above)
Rowlandson: from A Narrative of Her Captivity, 24 & Bradstreet: selected poems
Native American Myths and Culture
Middle Passage
Slave Narratives: web site ► University of Virginia
The Crucible, Miller
Franklin: from Autobiography, 74
Jefferson: from The Autobiography: The Declaration of Independence, 101
McCullough: from his biography of John Adams
Unit Test (Essay #1)
Unit Two: Romanticism & Transcendentalism (3 weeks)
Introduction
Irving: Rip Van Winkle, 125
Hawthorne: Rappaccini's Daughter, 275
Thoreau: from Walden, 207
Influential American Poet: Whitman, 326
Unit Test (Essay #2)
Unit Three: Realism (5 weeks)
Introduction
How do you speak, eh?: a page about dialect and the richness of American English
Twain: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Douglass: from The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, 386
Voices of the Civil War, 439
Garland: Under the Lion's Paw (this story is online); Lion's Paw assignment
Unit Test (Essay #3)
Semester Project (1 week)
Work on project and prepare presentation for exam
Semester 2
Overview of English 11/Semester 2
Course Web
Independent Study Project Introduction
Unit Four: American Women: 1850-1950 (3 weeks)
A Century of Women
The Yellow Wallpaper, Gilman
The Revolt of Mother, Freeman
O' Pioneers (movie)
Independent story
Unit Test (Essay #4)
Unit Five: Modernism (7 weeks)
Introduction
Steinbeck: Of Mice and Men
Sea Biscuit (movie)
Faulkner: A Rose for Emily, 592
O'Connor: The Life You Save May Be Your Own, 603
The Harlem Renaissance
Hansberry: A Raisin in the Sun
Unit Test (Essay #5)
Unit Six: 1945-The Present (4 weeks)
Introduction
American Language
Introduction, p. 1078
"Little Red Riding Hood Revisited," Russell Baker, p. 999
Analyzing nonfiction
"School vs. Education," Russell Baker, p.1002
Two views on war:
"Speaking of Courage," Tim O'Brien, p. 934
from "Dispatches," Michael Herr, p. 1058
Apocalyptic literature
"A Noiseless Flash," Hersey, p. 1048
Diverse voices
"Canyon de Chelly," by Simon Ortiz
Sense of place: copy-change activity
"What it Means to Say Phoenix, AZ" and Smoke Signals by Sherman Alexie
350-400 reflection, typed
Unit Test
Semester Project (3 weeks)
Work on project and prepare presentation for exam

HUCKLEBERRY FINN DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

source

Discussion Questions


Why is the teaching and reading of Huck Finn so controversial?

How have the criticisms about the book changed over the years?

How do these various criticisms reflect a changing America?

How does knowing about the history of the controversy make you feel about reading the book?

Under what circumstances, if any, do you think a book should be taken off a school's reading list and/or out of its library?


What are stereotypes? Why and how are they formed? Have students form a working definition of the word "stereotype" as they did with "racism" in Section I.

How were stereotypes used to justify slavery? To reassure slave owners?

Why might slaves themselves have reinforced stereotypes?

How have slave stereotypes influenced portrayals of African Americans today?

What do the Hughes and Dunbar poems express?

What are some "masks" that oppressed groups use? What is the function of such a mask? How can masks be used as a form of resistance?



What is your first reaction to Jim? How do you feel about him by the end of the novel? Why?

To what extent is Jim a stereotype? When and how does he break free of stereotypical roles?

Compare Pap's treatment of Huck with Jim's treatment of Huck and of his own daughter.

What is your reaction to Huck at first? How do you feel about him by the end of the novel? Why?

What determines who we are -- nature (inborn traits) or nurture (environment)? How do you think Jim and Huck were shaped by these factors?

Have students reread the passage in Chapter 31 of Huck Finn in which Huck talks about the conflict between what his heart tells him to do about Jim as his friend and what his conscience tells him to do about Jim as a slave. Reflecting back on the Jefferson essay (see Section II), how does a slaveholding society influence its members to see slaves as inhuman?

Twain wrote in a journal that "Huck Finn is a book of mine where a sound heart and a deformed conscience come into collision and conscience suffers defeat." What do you think he meant by "a sound heart and a deformed conscience?" How is "conscience" a theme in the novel in general?

What is a hero? Have students brainstorm a class definition. How is Jim a hero? How is Huck a hero?

What do you think is the climax of the novel? Why?



Why do you think the author chose Huck -- an illiterate young boy -- as the voice through which to tell this story?

Why have the Phelps Farm section and the ending of the novel been considered problematic by critics over the years? How does the current controversy echo and extend those complaints?

Is Mark Twain speaking through Huck, or do you think Huck's point of view is different from Twain's? Explain.

Is Twain speaking through Jim, or is Jim's point of view different from Twain's? Explain.

Who uses the word "nigger"? Based on who is speaking, what might have been the effect on a nineteenth-century reader? What do you think Twain is saying in how he uses the word?

Huck begins and ends the novel by revealing his discomfort with being "sivilized." Why do you think he feels this way? What do you think Twain's message is?

Does Huck Finn contain a realistic portrayal of slave life? Why or why not?

In what ways did slaves resist?

How did Jim maintain his pride, dignity, and integrity, despite being enslaved? How did he resist slavery?

What did freedom mean to Jim?

What did freedom mean to Huck?

How does reading Douglass's autobiography affect your understanding of and feelings about Huck Finn?

Douglass writes, "You have seen how a man was made a slave; now you shall see how a slave was made a man." What does he mean? How can you apply this quote to the story of Jim in Huck Finn?

Look again at the class definition of a hero. Does Frederick Douglass fit the description? How does he compare to Jim and Huck?


LAST PROJECT

PICK ONE AND DO IT...

Choose one or more of these culminating activities to wrap up the unit.
Some people feel that race relations in America today are still influenced by the legacy of slavery. What is that legacy? How does it relate to reading Huck Finn? Throughout the unit, have students individually or in small groups collect newspaper and magazine articles, music lyrics, poems, excerpts from books, artwork, and so forth, that they believe in some way expresses how America is still affected by slavery today. At the end of the unit students can either do a short oral or multimedia presentation on their findings, or they can create a "book" in which these findings are collected and annotated.

Is or isn't Huck Finn racist? Does reading Huck Finn help or harm race relations? Have students stage a mock trial with the book or Mark Twain as the defendant. (You may want to visit this site which contains a detailed lesson plan on staging a trial, developed by teacher Diane Walker.) Have students present the evidence they have been gathering. Students could also explore this question in a talk show format featuring Huck, Jim, Twain, and anyone else -- real or imagined, living or dead -- they believe might add to the conversation. Before doing this activity, it may be helpful to have students first revisit the class definition of racism.

Writer David Bradley notes that many have criticized the ending of Huck Finn but "none of them has been able to suggest -- much less write -- a better ending. . . . They failed for the same reason that Twain wrote the ending as he did: America has never been able to write a better ending. America has never been able to write any ending at all." What do you think he means? Ask students to imagine they were Mark Twain's editor and to write Twain a letter explaining why and how he should change the ending. (To extend this activity, have students actually rewrite the ending, and compare their versions to the original.)

Gerry Brenner, in his essay More Than a Reader's Response: A Letter to 'De Ole True Huck' (in A Case Study in Critical Controversy: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, edited by Gerald Graff and James Phelan, Boston: Bedford Books, 1995) pretends Jim has read Huck Finn and written a response in which he sets the record straight. Ask students to do the same, or pretend to be Jim writing a short review of the book. How would Jim's version differ from Huck's? Have students compare and contrast their ideas with Brenner's article.

Have students write a scene or a "treatment" for a new movie or novel, set in contemporary times, in which Huck and Jim meet and become friends. Who would they be today? What would their issues be? Where would their journey take place?

Ask students to write Huck's diary entry if he were to visit their high school in the present day. What would he think of what he sees?

Have students review the case of Kathy Monteiro and her complaint to the Tempe, Arizona, school board, as shown in the Born to Trouble: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn film. Do they agree or disagree with her? Let groups or individual students prepare a presentation to a Board of Education in which they argue either for or against teaching the novel in the school curriculum. Remind students to anticipate the objections that might come from different members of the community, including parents, teachers, religious leaders, students, and administrators.