Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction Calvin College Education Program

Teacher
Date

Aaron Potter
11/7/14

Subject/ Topic/ Theme

Huck Finn Chapters 1-6

Grade __11th Grade____________

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
Now that we have gotten some background on Twain and his writing style and have talked about the n-word controversy in this book this lesson is our first
examination of the text of Huck Finn, specifically the first six chapters.
cognitiveR U Ap An E C*

Learners will be able to:

Define the words satire, dialect, vernacular, and foil and give examples of each.
-This will be shown by asking students to define the words during class from time to time and in the end of unit test.
Use quizlet and its various tools to study their vocabulary.
Understand that the book Huck Finn is a satire on society, particularly race and religion, and on overly romantic
literature, and will be able to give specific examples.
- This will be shown through class discussion and in the end of unit test.
Recognize the major foils in these chapters (Tom and Huck, the Widow and Miss Watson, Pap and the Professor) and
be able to describe their similarities and differences.
- This will be shown through class discussion and in the end of unit test.

physical
development

socioemotional

RU
U Ap
U An

U An

Common Core standards (or GLCEs if not available in Common Core) addressed:

Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm,
irony, or understatement).

Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the
power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.

Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on
one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide
a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more
texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.
(From the Common Core English Language Arts Standards for Reading: Literature and Reading: Informational Texts for Grade 11-12)
(Note: Write as many as needed. Indicate taxonomy levels and connections to applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to particular learners
write the name(s) of the learner(s) to whom it applies.)
*remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create

II. Before you start

Identify prerequisite
knowledge and skills.

A high school reading and discussion level and having read the first six chapters of Huck Finn as
assigned.
Pre-assessment (for learning): Ask if they already know the vocabulary words satire, dialect, vernacular, and

foil.
Outline assessment
activities
(applicable to this lesson)

Formative (for learning): Reading quiz (and drawings).

Formative (as learning): Quizlet words made available so they can assess themselves and prepare for the test,
foil and satire Google Doc activities.
Summative (of learning):

What barriers might this

lesson present?
What will it take
neurodevelopmentally,
experientially,
emotionally, etc., for your

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Provide Multiple Means of

Representation
Provide options for perceptionmaking information perceptible
Vocab words will be on quizlet,
show them how to use the flash
cards, games, tests, and read-aloud
options.

Provide Multiple Means of

Action and Expression
Provide options for physical actionincrease options for interaction

Provide Multiple Means of

Engagement
Provide options for recruiting
interest- choice, relevance, value,
authenticity, minimize threats
Vocab words will be on quizlet,
show them how to use the flash
cards, games, tests, and read-aloud
options.

students to do this lesson?

Provide options for language,

mathematical expressions, and
symbols- clarify & connect
language

Provide options for expression and

communication- increase medium
of expression

Provide options for sustaining

effort and persistence- optimize
challenge, collaboration, masteryoriented feedback

After the quiz I will have them

draw a scene that they found
interesting on the back of the paper.
Provide options for comprehensionactivate, apply & highlight

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and are they ready to
use?

Provide options for executive

functions- coordinate short & long
term goals, monitor progress, and
modify strategies

Provide options for self-regulationexpectations, personal skills and

strategies, self-assessment &
reflection
Vocab words will be on quizlet,
show them how to use the flash
cards, games, tests, and read-aloud
options.

- Huck Finn books for each person

Twain, M. (2008). The adventures of huckleberry finn (Trade Paperback ed., pp. 5-71). New York City, NY: Barnes & Noble Classics.

- Reading quizzes
- Computers for each person
- Quizlet set shared with the whole class
- Satire and Foil Google Docs shared with the whole class
- Projector and screen
Desks in the usual rows facing the screen/whiteboard, but they can be moved about for group work.

How will your classroom

be set up for this lesson?

III. The Plan

Time

9:55

Components
Motivation
(opening/
introduction/
engagement)

10:05

10:10

10:25

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Development
(the largest
component or
main body of
the lesson)

Describe teacher activities

AND
student activities
for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking questions and/or
prompts.
- The day before chapters 1-6 were assigned to be
read and questions about words, events, or
motivations to be written down.
-Pass out reading quizzes to the students and have
them take it. When they are done, tell them to draw
a picture of a scene from the reading that they
found interesting on the back. Then go over the
quiz, have them grade themselves, and hand their
quizzes in.

- Read chapters 1-6 for class and write down any

questions about words, events, or motivations that
you have.
- Take reading quiz and when finished draw a
picture on the back of a scene from the reading that
you found interesting. When the quiz is over grade
yourself as the instructor goes over the answers and
hand your quiz forward when you are done.

- Ask students about their questions from the

reading that they wrote down the night before and
answer them.
- Bring quizlet up on the screen and ask the
students if they know the terms satire, dialect,
vernacular, and foil already. Once they have given
or tried to give the answers, define the terms and
show them how to use various study options on
quizlet (on which they will have access to your
vocab set) such as flash cards, games, tests, and the
read-aloud option.
- Ask students where they see the use of dialect and
vernacular in these chapters and briefly explain
how this was very innovative on Twain's part since

- Ask any questions you had written down from the

previous night's reading.
- Give definitions of the words satire, dialect,
vernacular, and foil if you know them, otherwise
listen as they are explained and pay attention as
your instructor shows you how to use quizlet to
study in a variety of ways.

- Mention examples that you see of how Twain

uses dialect and vernacular in these chapters.

almost all author's up to this point wrote in a more

literary and polished style.
- Put the students into groups of three (different
from the previous day) and have them discuss
where they see satire occurring in these chapters
and what is being satirized. Show them a Google
Doc where they can write down what they come up
with and then, after giving them five minutes or so
to write things down, come together as a class to
discuss your ideas. Make sure they understand that
this book is a satire of society, particularly of race
(Jim's superstition, the way Tom treats Jim as a
prop in a game, breaking up families bad for whites
but fine for blacks) and religion ("grumbling" over
food and wanting to go to hell), and also of overly
romantic, sentimental literature (Tom's games).
Also remind students that the Google Doc will stay
up and they can use it to study.
- Repeat this Google Docs activity, this time
starting by asking which characters they see as foils
in these chapters. Make sure they understand that
Huck and Tom are the primary ones (both young
and love adventure and hijinks, but Tom more
romantic and insensitive while Huck is more
realistic and thoughtful) and that the Widow and
Miss Watson (loving God vs. cruel God, but both
good women) and Pap and the Professor (white,
politically inactive, drunk, filthy vs. mixed race,
seems to vote, respectable, clean) are also foils.
Have them get back in their groups and in another
Google Doc have them brainstorm similarities and
differences in these characters. Then go over these
as a class. Note that the some of the historical
differences between the antebellum North and
South are shown here through the character of the
Professor.

10:30

10:45

10:53

Closure
(conclusion,
culmination,
wrap-up)

- Assign chapters 7-13 for tomorrow and again

have them write down any questions about words,
events, or motivations they don't understand.
- Thank them for good work and participation.

- Get into assigned groups of three and discuss

where you think satire is occurring in these
chapters and what is being satirized. Put your
findings on the provided Google Doc (which will
be left up for studying later) and participate in the
following discussion.

- Offer your insights as to which characters you

think act as foils in this lesson. Then get into your
assigned groups again and discuss what the
differences and similarities are between these
characters. Put your findings on the provided
Google Doc (which will be left up for studying
later) and participate in the following discussion.

- Read chapters 7-13 for tomorrow and again write

down any questions you have about words, events,
or motivations you don't understand.

Your reflection about the lesson, including evidence(s) of student learning and engagement, as well as ideas for improvement
for next time. (Write this after teaching the lesson, if you had a chance to teach it. If you did not teach this lesson, focus on the
process of preparing the lesson.)
This is one of the lessons that I did not actually end up teaching in class, but it was good practice for figuring out how to
teach a novel, something I'm sure I will do many times in the future. I started with a quiz just so that students are held
accountable for their reading (which is very important for this unit, obviously) and so that I can gage their general
comprehension of the story. The pictures are an idea I got from one of my English profs at Calvin, just a fun way for those
who are artistic to express themselves and to keep all the students thinking as they wait for everyone to complete their
quizzes. I emphasized the ideas of satire, dialect, vernacular, and foils here because they are useful tools in understanding
what Twain is trying to say in Huck Finn and because they show some of Twain's unique rhetorical style, which is one of the
things I'm trying to teach. I use quizlet to teach the vocabulary because it is an excellent study tool that has really helped me
in the past and which I would really like my students to know how to use. Finally, I thought the Google Docs were a great,
simple, multi-media way to collect brainstorming data from the entire class and then edit it together so that it contains all the
main ideas I want them to know. Plus, I can leave it up for them to study later.
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