Lesson Plan #: AELP-LIT0206

Huck Finn -- Controversy Through the Years

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan

Submitted by: Martine Guignard
Email: Martine@dschneider.net
School/University/Affiliation: Head Royce School, Oakland, CA

Date: October 25, 2001

Grade Level: 10

Subject(s):

Duration: Four 45-minute sessions

Description: Few books in American literature have been both as influential and as thoroughly debated as Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . This project is designed to help students understand the way a book can be seen differently over the years, depending on the political and historical context... and that the controversy is not over.

Goals:

  1. Students will have an understanding of how literature can be acclaimed or renounced, depending on the political and social climate of the time period.
  2. Students will be able to work cooperatively in groups.
Objectives:
  1. Students will use Internet and print resources to research Mark Twain and to explore reviews of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn .
  2. In groups, students will be able to design a poster highlighting the issues/controversy of their assigned time period.
  3. Students will be able to create a timeline which depicts the issues/controversies for each time period (total of four time periods).
Materials: Procedure:
During the first week, students will work in groups of 3-4 to conduct research on the way The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was acclaimed or criticized throughout history (and today). Each group of students will study a different period covering the history of the controversy. Students will have three days to conduct their research. Students will also prepare a poster to present the results of their teamwork to the rest of the class (a 5-minute presentation).

[ Author's Note: I have created a web site which has a selection of resources related to Mark Twain and Huck Finn. Students may want to browse through this site during the first class session. I strongly recommend the very comprehensive directory made by Jim Zwick, which can be a very useful starting point for students' research.]

Students will access web sites containing book reviews related to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . Students may print any relevant materials to be shared with the rest of their group. During the second class session, students will select and highlight what is relevant for their time period and write a short summary. For each review, students should say when it was written, who wrote the review (what social or political group, which writers, etc.) and what the reviewer's opinion was on Huck Finn. Students should also find some insightful quotes (which help in understanding the point of view of the writer) and explain what impact the review had at that time. (Don’t forget to tell about the historical context too.) For the third class session, students put all of their information together and think about the layout of their poster. Students may complement the poster with pictures or drawings. Each poster needs to have a large, clear title. On the fourth class session, students will present their finding to their classmates. Each student will take notes of the other groups’ presentations. Afterwards, each student will write a condensed timeline of the history of the controversy.

Students will research the following periods of history related to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :

Early Reviews 1884-85:
Students will find plenty of extracts from early reviews found here: http://www.boondocksnet.com/twainwww/hf_debate.html

Consecration 1886-1945:
During this period the book and the author became “masterpiece” and “genius” acclaimed by several biographers (Bigelow Paine and Howell) and Nobel Prize authors (Hemingway and T.S. Eliot). Along with the above web site, the following resources can also be helpful: Civil Rights Movement Criticism 1957-1990:
During this third period the controversy started anew (after the desegregation in the Southern Public School). Many black students and their parents are angry at the way Mark Twain describes black people in the 19th century. Some news extracts can be found at: http://www.boondocksnet.com/twainwww/hf_debate.html . See also John Wallace, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Adapted , 1984.

Contemporary Controversy:
 For the current status of the controversy, rely on the Born to Trouble video which explains the Tempe, AZ case and the comments by Dr. Chadwick-Joshua. Look for the discussion by Professor Fisher-Fishkin and explore: http://www.boondocksnet.com/twainwww/hf_debate.html

[ Author's Note: For samples of students' posters, please click on the following: Reviled , Turning Point , Change of Perspective , and Today ]

Assessment: Teachers can use the following criteria to assess students' projects (20 points total):

Useful Internet Resources:
* Huckleberry Finn Debated 1884-2001
http://www.boondocksnet.com/twainwww/hf_debate.html

* Mark Twain Biography
http://www.boondocksnet.com/twainwww/biography.html

* Mark Twain Criticism
http://www.boondocksnet.com/twainwww/criticism.html

* Tribute to Mark Twain
http://www.boondocksnet.com/twaintexts/trib_carnegie.html

* Martine Guignard's Online Lesson Plan
http://membres.lycos.fr/atelierinternet/usessays/html/controversy_overview.html