Mark Twain WebQuest
"You don't know about me without you
have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but
that ain't no matter...."
And so begins one of the greatest American stories of all time; the one piece of literature that Ernest Hemingway said all American literature thereafter sprung from. In Huckleberry Finn, American literature found its voice. But that voice hasn't always been a voice of praise. Come along on your own adventure into the world of Mark Twain and his friend Huck...
Contents
Directions
You will use MS
Word for this activity. Create a new document and leave it open so that you can
toggle back and forth.
Make sure ALL group members' names are on it.
Label each section as you get to it: (Adventure 1, 2, etc.)
Record your responses as instructed in each section.
Adventure
1: Who was Mark Twain?
Mark Twain in His Times
Mark Twain Sites in
Elmira, New York
The Mark Twain House in Hartford
The Mark Twain Circle of New York
In a Word document, answer the following questions (don't
forget to copy them over before you click the links!)
1. What was Mark Twain's real name?
2. Where was he born?
3. Where did he grow up?
4. What work did he do on the Mississippi River?
5. What does "Mark Twain" mean?
6. When was Huck Finn published?
7. At the time of publication, why was the book attacked by critics?
8. After the 1950's, why was the book once again attacked?
Adventure 2: Mark Twain and Halley's
Comet
Go to GOOGLE
and type in "Mark Twain and Halley’s
comet" (in quotation marks). Follow an appropriate link to discover what
the connection is between the two. Type your explanation in your paper. Include
the web address of the site on which you found your information.
Adventure
3: Mark Twain on Film
Using the Internet Movie Database, look through all the films that have been made based on Mark
Twain's novels and stories.
1. How many films are listed?
Choose TWO of the Huck Finn films listed and type the following information:
2. Film title
3. Year made
4. Director
5. Plot outline
6. User comments (summary)
7. User rating
Adventure
4: Is Huck Finn a racist book?
First, using an online
dictionary, look up the definition of
"satire," because that is the purpose of much of the language in
Mark Twain's novel.
1. Write a definition of "satire" that you understand
on your paper.
2. Summarize why the critics feel the novel is racist.
3. What are the main points the author of this article makes to refute those
charges?
4. What was Mark Twain's view of other races? Defend your answer with an
example.
5. How does Huck Finn use satire to make a point?
Final Adventure
When you are
finished, play Mark Twain's Memory Building
Game until
it's time to go back to class. See how much you’ve learned!
Last
revised: 11/5/2001