[Detail] Bird's eye view of the city of Hannibal
Lesson Overview
Writers are influenced by their environment including their family, community, lifestyle, or location. One such writer was Mark Twain. In this project the learner will become familiar with and analyze life around Hannibal, Missouri, during the latter half of the nineteenth century using various resources to determine what effects this location had on the writings of Mark Twain. The curriculum context will be within a Lesson on Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Segments of this lesson might also be integrated into a study of Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The lessons could be presented with introductory material prior to reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or integrated while reading the novel. Even though these activities center on Mark Twain and his writings, they could easily be adapted to almost any author and his environment.
Objectives
Students will:
- understand primary resources.
- critically evaluate information sources for reliability, accuracy, perspective, relevancy and authoritativeness.
- understand the impact Mark Twain's environment had on his writings.
Standards
Time Required
Two weeks
Recommended Grade Level
Grades 9-10
Topic
- Arts & Culture, Maps & Geography
Era
- Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900
Credits
Jan Wood & Norma Thiese
