Mark Twain
Lesson plans for
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
An Adventure with Tom Sawyer
This unit plan is designed for 5th grade. It includes handouts and requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Downloadable text of the novel in multiple formats, including EPUB, Kindle, and plain text.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Audio file of the novel in multiple formats, including MP3, iTunes, and Ogg Vorbis.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
A variety of reading strategies, including an anticipation guide and vocabulary activity.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Seven discussion questions.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
A variety of activities to support the novel.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Teaching Guide
Biography, background, prereading, questions for active reading and responding. The last few pages include activities for related reading. Requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.
Close Reading Practice: "The Glorious Whitewasher"
By reading and rereading a passage closely, and focusing their reading through a series of questions and discussion about the text, students will explore the problem Tom Sawyer faced and how he "solved" his conundrum. When combined with writing about the passage, students will learn to appreciate how Twains humor contains a deeper message and derive satisfaction from the struggle to master complex text. Includes close reading passage. Designed for grade 7. 12 pages; word processor required.
Mark Twain's
Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Study Guide
Suggestions for class activities and writing topics.
Tom Sawyer Homepage
E-text, ads, illustrations, reviews.
Tom Sawyer: Mythic Adventurer
This lesson, the fourth in a four-part unit on Mark Twain, focuses on the content and style of development in Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and explores the nature of Tom Sawyer as a youthful "American Adam."
- Chapters 1-5 , 25 words
- Chapters 16-12 , 27 words
- Chapters 13-31 , 30 words
- Chapters 22-30 , 34 words
- Chapters 31-36 , 25 words
Tom Sawyer Whitewashing the Fence
Excerpt from the novel.
Writings on a River: Creating Composite Characters, Like Those of Mark Twain
In this lesson, students read the first chapter in
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
. They then identify adjectives that help to define a character's personality, such as those of the title character in that book. Finally, students write an original story or scene for a play, based on a composite character of their own creation, after selecting three or more specific character traits.