Lesson Title: Will the Real Text Please Stand Up?
By: Pat Lowe
Burning Question: Is Catherine Nichols’ retelling of the Tom Sawyer fence story true to Mark Twain’s text? How does the Henry Brook retelling compare to Nichols’ and Twain’s stories? Do they use literary license, or alter the message to achieve another purpose?
Objectives:
- Students will understand the concept of literary license.
- Students will analyze text content and intent.
- Students will use the reading comprehension strategy of compare and contrast.
- Students will use critical thinking skills to form an opinion.
- Students will write a persuasive essay.
Context: The lesson could be used in a storytelling unit or during the study of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Grade Level: 7th through 9th, and accelerated 5th or 6th grade students
Materials:
· Brook, Henry and Mark Twain. Tom Sawyer (Usborne Classics Retold). London: Usborne, 2008, or individual copies of pages 16-21 for student use (“The Happy Artist” chapter)
- Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Puffin Classics). London: Puffin Books, 2008, or individual copies of Chapter 2 for student use
- Nichols, Catherine, adapter, and Mark Twain. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer #2: The Best Fence Painter (Easy Reader Classics). New York: Sterling, 2006.
- Graphic organizer/study sheet for each student
Time Span: Two 40 minute sessions
Procedures:
- Teacher will read aloud The Best Fence Painter.
- With a partner, students will read the original text by Mark Twain, and respond orally about similarities and differences between the two texts.
- Each student will read “The Happy Artist” and begin to list similarities and differences among the three texts on the study guide.
- In a small group, students will share their analysis and discuss the questions.
- The teacher will present information about literary license and the role of a storyteller. (A brief discussion of copyright is on page 133 in the Rasmussen text. An incident concerning plagiarism is on page 95.)
- The teacher will lead a class discussion of the differences in the two retold texts and the original Mark Twain narrative.
- Each student will form an opinion about the retold stories and write a persuasive response to the burning questions.
Extensions:
- Students might write a letter to the publisher with their opinion.
- Students could have a debate or panel discussion on the idea of literary license, and storytelling traditions.
- Students might write an advertisement or literary review for their preferred text.
Rationale:
Giving students the opportunity to analyze different versions of a popular story will help them practice critical thinking skills. They will think about audience, author’s purpose, and the use of appropriate literary license.
Resources:
· Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Puffin Classics). London: Puffin Books, 2008.
· Brook, Henry and Mark Twain. Tom Sawyer (Usborne Classics Retold). London: Usborne, 2008.
· Rasmussen, R. Kent. Mark Twain for Kids: His Life & Times, 21 Activities (For Kids series). Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2004.
- Nichols, Catherine, adapter, and Mark Twain. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer #2: The Best Fence Painter (Easy Reader Classics). New York: Sterling, 2006.
- Study Sheet for “Whitewashing the Fence”
The Best Fence Painter
( entire text )
Usborne Classics Retold: Tom Sawyer
( p. 16 – 21 )
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
( Chapter 2 )
Similarities
Differences
Questions:
- Who is the audience for each text?
- Which differences seem O.K.? Why?
- Which elements are not as Mark Twain wrote them?
- How do they change the story? Why?
- Is the change important? What are the consequences of the change?
Assignment: Write a persuasive essay explaining your opinion about one or both of the retold versions of the “fence” story. Are they true to Twain’s text and characters? Do the changes seem to be an appropriate use of literary license, or is the message altered to achieve another purpose?