The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn continues to be one of the most frequently banned books. The satire and social commentary present challenges when using the book as a core text. Direct readers' attention to how Twain uses plot, characterization, and humor to satirize religion, human nature, and racism. Despite Twain's warning against finding any sort of moral in his tale, careful readers come to understand that, like a huckleberry, a strong moral conscience can grow in rocky soil.

Concepts

racism, close reading, first-person point of view, author's purpose, satire, the adventures of huckleberry finn

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Use the resource at the beginning of study of the novel, after a discussion of satire, to prepare readers for the social commentary they will find in the story

Classroom Considerations

• Establish a protocol for a sensitive and respectful discussion of the language and the concepts in the novel

• This resource is only available on an unencrypted HTTP website.It should be fine for general use, but don’t use it to share any personally identifiable information

Pros

• The 14-page resource includes the plan, packets for the groups, graphic organizers, and a rubric for the assignment is included

Cons

• The worksheets and reading passages contain typos

Common Core

RL.11-12.1 RL.11-12.2 RL.11-12.3 RL.11-12.4 RL.11-12.5 RL.11-12.6 RL.11-12.7 RL.11-12.9 RL.11-12.10a RI.11-12.1