This lesson will provide the opportunity for students to share with the entire class the primary sources they have located in their small groups. Students will be expected to use the skills learned from lessons one and two to analyze the sources for their reliability, accuracy, perspective, relevancy and authoritativeness. Following individual and group work, the instructor and students will infuse each student-chosen primary source into the reading of the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as correlations to Mark Twain and what was happening along or near the Mississippi River between 1850 and 1900 arise during the reading.

Objectives

• be able to evaluate a primary source for its reliability, accuracy, perspective, relevancy and authoritativeness.
• recognize that conclusions drawn may be both accurate or inaccurate.
• understand the connection between Mark Twain and the impact his environment had on his writings.

Time Required

Recommended Grade Level

Curriculum Fit

Resources

Procedures

1. Following their searches in the American Memory Collection for sources that directly relate to what was happening along or near the Mississippi River between 1850 and 1900, students will do the following activities.
 
• Students will share the primary source discovered with the class either by printing the source out or viewing it directly online.
• Using the analysis worksheets (see Lesson One), students will share observations of what is actually seen in the the source.
• Using the analysis worksheets (see Lesson One), students will share observations from using outside knowledge.
• Using the analysis worksheets (see Lesson One), students will share conclusions drawn.
• Class members will question the presenters about the observations and conclusions.
• Students will ask for additional commentary and analysis from the class.
• Students will prove or disprove the observations and conclusions drawn using any primary or secondary source. Findings will be reported orally to the class, citing the evidence they found.
• Each student will summarize what he or she has learned about what was happening along or near the Mississippi River between 1850 and 1900 in a 500-750 word paper.


2. After all presentations are completed, the class as a whole will compare the observations and conclusions drawn.

3. Following individual and group work, the instructor and students will infuse each student-chosen primary source into the reading of the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as correlations to Mark Twain and what was happening along or near the Mississippi River between 1850 and 1900 arise during the reading.
 
 

Extensions

• Set up a teleconference with the curator of the Mark Twain Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, to provide additional information about Hannibal, the Mississippi River and Mark Twain.
• Invite a university historian to share knowledge about what was happening along or near the Mississippi River between 1850 and 1900.

 

Evaluation

Each student will summarize what he or she has learned about what was directly happening along or near the Mississippi River between 1850 and 1900 in a 500-750 word paper.

jwoody@netins.net
nthiese@aea1.k12.ia.us

May 19, 2000