Lesson Title: Making Connections in Tom Sawyer (Chapter XX)

 

By: Mat Wenzel

 

Burning Question:

How can I integrate reading and writing to help students make connections between the text and their worlds?

 

Objective/Introduction:

Students will write to make connections in a chapter of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

 

Context:

This lesson focuses on just one chapter. It can be used separately from the rest of the book.

 

Materials:

·         Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Puffin Classics). London: Puffin Books, 2008.

·         Post-it Notes

 

Time Span:

The time span for this lesson is one class period.

 

Procedures:

Establishing a Classroom Vocabulary

·         Review or introduce three types of connections; model each.

                                i.            text to self connection - something in the book that reminds the reader of something in his/her own life

                              ii.            text to text connection - something in the book that reminds the reader of something in another text (book, short story, movie, television show, work of art, etc.)

                            iii.            text to world connection - something in the book that reminds the reader of something that has or is happening in the world around them

·         Remind students of the value of this reading strategy - it helps their minds stay alert while they are reading, helps them to think more deeply about the subject, etc.

Making Connections

·         Hand out post-it notes. You can hand out three different colors, one for each type of connection. Students will write at least one of each type of connection on these post-it’s.

·         Read chapter xx from the text. You may want to offer some context, but this chapter can be read without much prior knowledge of the book.

·         You may want to model your own connections at first, if your students are not practiced in making connections.

·        

 

 

After you have finished reading, give students time to record one connection on each post it note if they have not already done so. Students may need help from you or other students.

 

Sharing Connections

• Divide the board into three sections, one for each connection. If you have a lot of students you may want to have several places around the room where they can post their post-it notes.
• Have students put their post it notes in the appropriate columns. You will want to dismiss them in groups to do so.
• Have students do a gallery walk and read what other students have written. Make sure that you review the rules of the gallery walk.

                                i.            This activity is like walking through an actual gallery, so there should be little to no talking.

                              ii.            They should respond to post it’s that stand out for them by adding a comment on a post it note to the post it note that they are commenting on.

                            iii.            They should be respectful at all times, and only respond with effective feedback comments.

                            iv.            They should respect the author’s post it by not writing on it or damaging it in any way.

                              v.            When they have finished commenting they may continue to walk around and read other students’ comments, or they may sit down.

• Discuss with the class the experience of the gallery walk. How did it change how they saw the chapter? Did they share any connections? Did other students’ connections bring another connection to mind?
• Students should collect their post it notes at the end.

 

Extensions:

This lesson would work really well with the lesson on chapter VII where Tom upsets Becky with the news that he has been engaged to another girl. Students could compare and contrast the two situations and build a deeper understanding for his character.

This incident is left out of the graphic novel Tom Sawyer by Tim Mucci. Students could discuss how this changes the story and possible reasons why the author chose to leave it out.

This text also brings up many issues such as school, relationships, and miscommunication. Students could discuss or write about these themes.

 

Rationale:

Students need to see that reading books is not simply a classroom routine, but a real world skill. They should be able to make connections from the text to things outside of school.

 

Resources:

Mucci, Tim. All-Action Classics Tom Sawyer. New York: Sterling, 2007. A great graphic novel interpretation of the classic Tom Sawyer.