The Adventures of Tom Sawyer LitPlan Novel Study Unit, Activities, Questions

This LitPlan Novel Study for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain  is a comprehensive foundation of ready-to-use materials that will ensure your students get the most out of their The Adventures of Tom Sawyer novel study.

Practical, flexible, and standards-based with step-by-step plans for the whole novel unit, my LitPlan Novel Study is especially helpful to new teachers or veteran teachers teaching The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for the first time.

21 Step-by-Step Daily Lessons guide you and your students through this novel study. Assignments and Activities are planned for each day of the novel unit.

Vocabulary Worksheets that focus on meaning in context and dictionary definitions go with each reading assignment.

Comprehension Questions and Quizzes follow the reading assignments, so you know if your students are keeping up with their reading and if they are understanding what they are reading.

Writing Assignments are sprinkled throughout this novel study for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, too! Detailed writing assignment sheets guide students' writing.

• The first is to express personal opinions: students are given a choice between living in our world today or living in the Midwest in the 1840s and are asked to write a composition in which they explain which they would choose and why. 
• The second is to persuade: students pretend to be any character in the book except Huck Finn. The assignment is to write a letter to Huck convincing him to live with the Widow Douglas and become civilized. They may use any arguments except the one Tom used in the book. 
• The third is to inform: students write a composition in which they tell about the nonfiction article they have read relating to Tom Sawyer. This assignment is in preparation for the oral presentation they will have to make on the same topic.

Two lessons are also devoted to Leveled Critical Thinking Questions:

• Interpretive Questions require students to simply interpret facts that are given.
• Critical Questions require students to think deeply to develop answers that go beyond what is in the text.
• Personal Response Questions have no right or wrong answer; students formulate and give their own opinions.

A Nonfiction Reading Assignment is incorporated into this novel study unit for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Students are required to read at least one nonfiction article and view at least one nonfiction video related to the story and complete a short report form analyzing their sources.

A Variety of Additional Activities are woven into this The Adventures of Tom Sawyer novel study:

• Class Project - Old-fashioned Country Picnic
• Reading Project - Play the Part
• Oral Reading Evaluation
• Writing Conferences
• Oral Reports

A class period is devoted to Vocabulary Review. Review puzzles, games, and worksheets are provided.

One class period is devoted to Whole-Unit Review in preparation for the unit test. Review puzzles, games, and worksheets are provided.

Five Different Unit Tests are provided on different levels and to use for make-up tests or tests for different classes if you're teaching the book to more than one class at a time. Two are multiple-choice, two are short-answer, and one is advanced short-answer. You can mix-and-match test sections as well.

Evaluation Rubrics are included for some activities.

A page of Bulletin Board Ideas is included.

A page of ideas for Extension Activities is included.

Answer Keys are provided for the short-answer comprehension questions, multiple choice quizzes, vocabulary worksheets, tests, and review materials.

FLEXIBILITY is a key property of this novel study unit for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

• It is formatted so that you can skip an activity I have planned and plug-in one of your own favorites if you want to.
• You can use all or just parts of this LitPlan.
• Written for whole-class use, but easily adaptable for:
  • independent study
  • small groups or lit circles
  • Homeschooling
  • tutoring

A teacher-favorite for years, hundreds of thousands of LitPlans (and Puzzle Packs!) have been used by tens of thousands of teachers in the USA, Canada, and overseas schools, providing reliable, high-quality, standards-based resources for teaching literature. If you want a solid foundation for teaching a work of literature, LitPlans have proved themselves worthy over years of use worldwide.

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A Note From Mary:

I am always available if you have questions or need help. Just send me a note via Q&A or to my email address (mcollins@tpet.com--no spam, please). I've been a "teacherpreneur" since 1989, long before TpT even existed. (Yes, I know; I'm old now! LoL) I loved being in the classroom, and I love doing Teacher's Pet Publications--helping teachers and their students.

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--Mary