"Tom Sawyer" Projects
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," a classic novel written by Mark Twain, is read in many upper elementary and middle school classrooms. After reading the book, students can complete a variety of writing activities that require them to demonstrate their knowledge of the characters and plot of the novel, using evidence from the book for support.
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Character Trading Cards
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Students can create character trading cards for Tom, Aunt Polly, Huckleberry Finn, Becky Thatcher, Joe Harper and Sid. On one side of an index card, draw a picture of the character and write the character's name. On the other side of the card, write the character's name, description of the character's appearance and personality, likes and dislikes, and two or three quotes from the book that provide insight into the character.
Character Blog
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Have students create a blog for Tom Sawyer. Students should complete at least five entries about events in the story such as whitewashing the fence, the murder of Doc or getting "engaged" to Becky. Each entry should be about a paragraph in length and be written from Tom's perspective. Students can create a free blog online or type and print out the entries.
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Eulogy for Tom's Funeral
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Using evidence of Tom's character from the book, have students practice their public speaking skills by writing a eulogy for Tom's funeral and delivering it to the class. Instruct students to use specific quotes or examples from the book to support what is said in the eulogy. To make the assignment more challenging, instead of writing a eulogy from the student's perspective, require students to write it from the perspective of another character and pretend to be that character while delivering it.
Compare/Contrast Paper
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Tom Sawyer has been adapted into numerous films. Present a film version of the story to the class or instruct students to watch one or two versions of the film at home. After watching the movie, have each student write a paper comparing and contrasting the book to the movie. Structure the paper so that each paragraph deals with a different story element, such as characters, plot and setting, and have students discuss how those elements differed between the two pieces.
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References
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