Lesson Title: Stereotypes and Hypocrisy in Tom Sawyer

 

By: Deidrien Booth

 

Burning Question:

How can I help students observe the stereotypes around them and the biases that are part of our lives through the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?

 

Objective/Introduction:

Students will explore their feelings about stereotypes and biases they are aware of before observing the ones portrayed in the novel.

 

Context:

This important lesson brings to light the prevalent stereotypes and biases people hold and hopefully will show students how wrong they are because of the hurt they can cause.

 

Materials:

 

Time Span:

The time it takes to read the novel, whether at home or in class,  2-4 weeks approximately.

 

Procedure:

1.                  Begin students with a quick-write.  Ask them if they ever felt left out for any reason—at home, with friends, at school, at church.  Ask them to write about the incident and their feelings.  How did you know that you were being unfairly judged?  What words or actions were directed at you because of assumptions or stereotypes?  Why do you think those assumptions were made about you?  How did the experience make you feel?  How do you think you should have been treated in that situation?  Ask for students volunteers to read their piece aloud.

2.                  Tell students that this lesson will be about stereotypes.  Ask them to define what they think a stereotype it.  Write it on the board.  Ask students to brainstorm different stereotypes (people) they see at school.

3.                  Along a series of whiteboards, or on large Post-it or tablet papers, write the stereotypes the students came up with.  Allow students to think about these stereotypes for one minute.  Then, in complete silence, let students go to the board and write down any thoughts they have, assumptions they are making, or adjectives associated with these stereotypes.

4.                  Discuss each stereotype (or as time allows—some may be more discussion-worthy than others).

5.                  Hand out stereotype sheet.  Ask students to write down their thoughts as they encounter each of the stereotypes as they read the novel.  The information they write on their sheet should be similar to those on the white board: feelings and thoughts they have, assumptions they are making, or adjectives associated with these stereotypes/people from the novel.

6.                  At the end of the novel, in a protocol like Socratic Seminar, have students discuss their thoughts.

Rationale:

Hopefully, this strategy teaches students to be kinder to others because of their differences instead of judging them because of the way the look, their friends, their background.  By viewing those from the book, they should be able to clearly see these stereotypes since Twain has gone to a lot of work to make them clear.

 

Extensions:

Material from the worksheet can be developed into a multi-paragraph, a shorter piece, or a genre project.  Other media from the movies or T.V. can be discussed in a final product as well.

 

Resources:

·         From Teacher Librarian is a discussion about Injun Joe as a stereotype, “Getting the ‘Indian’ out of the Cupboard: Using Information Literacy to Promote Critical Thinking,” by Rhonda Harris Taylor and Lotsee Patterson: http://www.teacherlibrarian.com/tlmag/v_28/v_28_2_feature.html

·         McKanna, Clare V.The Trial of "Indian Joe": Race and Justice in the Nineteenth-Century West. Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press, 2003.

·         From Web English Teacher is information about Socratic Seminars: http://www.webenglishteacher.com/socratic.html

 


 

·         Stereotypes in Tom Sawyer

 

Church-goers

Town Drunk

Injun Joe (Native American)

African Americans

Teacher

Wealthy people

Judge