After reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and an article about the use of the novel, class members engage in a Socratic seminar focused on whether or not Twain's book should be banned.

Concepts

reading comprehension strategies, mark twain, the adventures of huckleberry finn, banned books

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• To establish a framework for the reading of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, ask individuals to compose a list all the negative stereotypes associated with a group to which they identify. Then ask them to imagine the class is assigned and begins reading a book that opens with a character that embodies all these negative stereotypes. Finally, ask class members to journal about how they would feel in this situation

Classroom Considerations

• Carefully consider the composition of your class and of your community before selecting Twain's novel for inclusion in your course
• The activity assumes that a classroom environment has been established that permits a safe and respectful discussion of controversial issues

Pros

• The questions attached to Claudia Durst Johnson's "Unfit for Children: Censorship and Race" introduce some of the major issues that surround the use of the novel in the classroom

Cons

• No instruction is included on how to create a classroom environment safe for the discussion of controversial issues

Common Core

SL.11-12.1.a