Huck Finn Pre-Reading Research Project
Instructions
1. Research information about your assigned topic and the
starter questions.
2. Your presentation should include at least 10
interesting and relevant facts about your topic! Turn
in a typed sheet with the facts before your presentation.
3. Keep track of your sources.
Maintain a list of the sources you use to gather your research. This list must be turned in when you present
to the class.
4. Plan how you are going to teach the class this information. (The class will be taking notes on your
presentation.) The presentation should be
approximately 10 minutes. Possible ideas: PowerPoint
presentation, skit, puppet show, talk show, TV show parody, video, rap, or any
other creative way to present the information to the class without just stating
the facts.
5. Your presentation must include a visual aid. Choose one of the following: detailed poster,
PowerPoint presentation, or overhead.
The visual aid should highlight the most significant facts that you discover.
6. Each person is responsible for creating three quiz questions for the class about your topic along with a note-taking sheet for
the class and turning them in at the time of your presentation. The class will be taking notes on each
presentation and taking a quiz over all topics at the end of the activity. Questions can be multiple choice or short
answer and should focus on significant facts or ideas.
Topics
|
Mark Twain Choose what you think is the most important and interesting information
about your topic to present to the class. In
addition, your presentation must include the following: 1. Provide biographical information about the author. 2. How old was Mark Twain when he began writing professionally? What kind of writing did he do over the course of his
life? 3. What did his fans and his critics say about him and
his books? 4. What were his political
views? |
Controversy surrounding Huck Finn and censorship Choose what you think is the most important and interesting information
about your topic to present to the class. In
addition, your presentation must include the following: 1. Why is Huck Finn a banned book in many schools? 2. What are arguments for and against the teaching of the novel? 3. How are students affected by
the use of “the ‘N’ word”? Does the use of the word
in a classic piece of literature affect student usage of the word outside of
the classroom? |
|
Geography and Life on the River Choose what you think is the most important and interesting information
about your topic to present to the class. In
addition, your presentation must include the following: 1. What is the geographical picture of the journey Huck and Jim take on
the Mississippi River from 2. What was life like for people living on the river in the 1800s? 3. Provide a map of the region. |
Slavery and Abolitionists Choose what you think is the most important and interesting information
about your topic to present to the class. In addition,
your presentation must include the following: 1. What was daily life like for a slave? 2. Who were slave holders? What was life like
for them? 3. What is an abolitionist? |
|
Time Line Choose what you think is the most important and interesting information
about your topic to present to the class. In
addition, your presentation must include the following: 1. Research the time period of the novel (approximately 1835-1850s). What was happening in this region at this time? 2. What events were happening in the 3. What events were happening globally? |
Slave Laws Choose what you think is the most important and interesting information
about your topic to present to the class.
In addition, your presentation must include the following: 1. What were the specific laws regarding slavery from the 1600s to the
end of the Civil War? 2. What were the consequences for being a slave fugitive? 3. What were the consequences for aiding slave fugitives? |
|
Smallpox Choose what you think is the most important and interesting information
about your topic to present to the class.
In addition, your presentation must include the following: 1. What is smallpox? 2. How did smallpox affect the lives of people in the 19th century? 3. What vaccinations were available? What is a
“pest house”? |
The word “Nigger” Choose what you think is the most important and interesting information
about your topic to present to the class.
In addition, your presentation must include the following: 1 Where did this word originate? 2 How was this word viewed by earlier civil
rights activists? 3 How is this word used / accepted / not
accepted today? What are the rules
concerning its use? |
rubric
Visual Aid and
Presentation: ________/45pts.
_____The
student speaks clearly and uses effective presentation techniques (eye contact,
appropriate volume, correct pronunciation, etc.)
_____Packet
material has been covered thoroughly.
_____Visual
Aid is detailed, creative, neat, and effective.
Quiz
Questions and Note-Taking Worksheet ________/15
_____Students
provide teacher with three multiple choice or short answer quiz questions about
their topic that have been discussed during their presentation.
_____The
student note-taking worksheet covers the material in the packet and is easy to
follow during the presentation.
_____The
student note-taking worksheet is neat and leaves spaces for students to fill in
key information easily from the presentation.
Individual
Total ________/60 pts.