Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
Unit Plan for Tom Sawyer
Created by: Theresa Kremer
School: St. Joseph
City, State: Josephville, Missouri
Mark Twain Teachers’ Workshop--July 15, 2018
Hannibal, Missouri
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Concept or Topic:
Adventures, creating a personal story and
newspaper article
Suggested Grade Level(s)/Course:
Grades 7 and 8
Subject:
Literature / Writing
Suggested Time Frame:
45 minutes per day, 20 days (4 weeks)
Objective(s):
1. Students in grades 7 and 8 will identify from Tom Sawyer at least one adventure
in each of 35 chapters with accuracy of 85% using supporting details.
2. Students in grades 7 and 8 will describe 10 adventures in their own life and
create a story called “The Adventures of You” with at least 25 out of 30
grammatically correct sentences.
3. Students in grades 7 and 8 will write a newspaper article about scenes from the
book using at least three supporting details from the book with at least 85%
accuracy.
Missouri
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.b
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue and description, to develop characters.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Assessments:
1. Draw, list or use ToonDoo’s.com to identify at least one adventure for each of the
35 chapters, using supporting details from the book.
2. Write a story, “The Adventures of You,” using at least 25 grammatically correct
sentences. (Rubric attached - 2 pages)
3. Write a newspaper article, including pictures. Describe how different people
reacted to Tom, when the children got lost in the cave, Muff Potter’s trial, or why
Huck ran away from the Widow Douglas. (Rubric inserted)
Vocabulary (Tiers 2 & 3):
1. Vocabulary for each chapter will be worked on before the students read each
chapter. The students will create a game, play bingo with new words, or write
sentences using the words correctly.
2. In projects or final assessments, the children will need to use at least 10
vocabulary words correctly.
Subject Area Integration:
Language Arts/Writing
Background Information Required for Unit/Lesson
1. The students will have prior knowledge of narrative writing.
2. The students will have prior knowledge of what an adventure consists of.
3. The students will have prior knowledge of how to write a newspaper article using
their expository writing.
4. The students will have prior knowledge of correct use of dialogue in a story.
Tools used:
1. Voyages in English: Grammar and Writing textbook
Loyola Press grade 8 - part 2 Written and Oral Communication chapters 1
and 5
2. Watch the Typesetting and naming a newspaper videos:
a.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE0OoWX6TQs
b.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pg8A0ab6S4
c.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Y95phLnsM
d.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcsOuGcaqZs
e.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKBs2Zyvdw0
Materials:
1. Tom Sawyer book
2. Vocabulary list for Tom Sawyer
3. Chrome book
4. Smartboard
5. Big Activity: The Adventures of You worksheet
6. Writing textbook for reference – Voyages in English (Grammar and Writing)
7. A set of individual ink stamps A-Z
8. Games –such as fan and pick, I have –who has?, whip it, quiz-quiz trade
Technology:
1. Create a cartoon: www.ToonDoos.com
2. Twain quotes :http://www.Twainquotes.com/quotesatoz.html
3. Create a board game: http: //www.toolsforeducators.com/boardgames/
4. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on U-tube
5. Http:/Quizlet .com
6. www.Kahoot.com
Related Twain Quotes/Passages:
1. There comes a time in every rightly-constructed boy's life when he has a raging
desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
2. You should never do anything wicked and lay it on your brother, when it is just as
convenient to lay it on some other boy.
- Advice for Good Little Boys
3. Praise is well, compliment is well, but affection--that is the last and final and most
precious reward that any man can win, whether by character or achievement.
- Affection speech, 1907
4. To believe yourself brave is to be brave; it is the one only essential thing.
- Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc
5. I think she was never in the cave in her life; but everybody else went there. Many
excursion parties came from considerable distances up and down the river to visit
the cave. It was miles in extent and was a tangled wilderness of narrow and lofty
clefts and passages. It was an easy place to get lost in; anybody could do it--
including the bats. I got lost in it myself, along with a lady, and our last candle
burned down to almost nothing before we glimpsed the search party's lights
winding about in the distance.
6. The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.
- Mark Twain's Notebook
7. The proverb says that Providence protects children and idiots. This is really true. I
know because I have tested it.
- Autobiography of Mark Twain
8. I've been to the circus three or four times--lots of times. Church ain't a
circumstance to a circus.
- "Tom Sawyer: A Play"
9. (Conscience) It takes up more room than all the rest of a person's insides, and
yet ain't no good nohow.
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
10. You are a coward when you even seem to have backed down from a thing you
openly set out to do.
- Mark Twain's Notebook
11. You see, in our house there was a sort of family prejudice against going fishing if
you hadn't permission. But it would frequently be bad judgment to ask. So I went
fishing secretly, as it were -- way up the Mississippi.
- Speech, 7 March 1906
12. Where are there are two desires in a man's heart he has no choice between the two
but must obey the strongest, there being no such thing as free will in the
composition of any human being that ever lived.
- Mark Twain in Eruption
13. ...a good and wholesome thing is a little harmless fun in this world; it tones a body
up and keeps him human and prevents him from souring.
- Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc
14. Humor is mankind's greatest blessing.
- Mark Twain, a Biography
15. Always obey your parents, when they are present. Most parents think they know
more than you do; and you can generally make more by humoring that
superstition than you can by acting on your own better judgement.
- Advice to Youth, 4/15/1882
16. Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us
to be pirates.
- Life on the Mississippi
17. "And don't they wear the bulliest clothes! Oh no! All gold and silver and di'monds,"
said Joe, with enthusiasm.
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
18. To promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want
to go and do that very thing.
- Adventures of Tom Sawyer
19. ...being rich ain't what it's cracked up to be. It's just worry and worry, and sweat
and sweat, and a-wishing you was dead all the time.
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
20. A pilot, in those days, was the only unfettered and entirely independent human
being that lived in the earth.
- Life on the Mississippi
21. In writing "Tom Sawyer" I had no idea of laying down rules for the bringing up of
small families, but merely to throw out hints as to how they might bring
themselves up, and the boys seemed to have caught the idea nicely.
- Speech, October 17, 1893 to the Oxford Club; reported in the Brooklyn Eagle,
October 18, 1893, p. 5
22. Homely truth is unpalatable.
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
23. I do not like work even when someone else does it.
- "The Lost Napoleon"
24. Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do. Play consists of whatever a
body is not obliged to do.
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
25. ...it has never been my way to bother much about things which you can't cure.
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
26. We ought never to do wrong when people are looking.
- "A Double-Barrelled Detective Story"
27. What's the use you learning to do right, when it's troublesome to do right and ain't
no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Lesson Sequence: 50 minutes per day, 20 days (4 weeks)
Lesson 1 –Reading and Recording Tom Sawyer’s Adventures
Day 1: (45 minutes)
Hook/Intro:
1. Tell a personal story of when you got into trouble when you were young. Tell the
students about the consequences.
2. Ask the students to write down a time in their lives when they disobeyed and got
into trouble. Ask them to share their stories with the whole class or one other
person in the class.
3. Explain that the book they are going to read is about the adventures of a 12-year-
old boy named Tom Sawyer.
4. Tell the students that as they read the book over the next few weeks, they should
be collecting a list of Tom’s adventures for each chapter and possible reasons
why they happened.
Teaching of the Concept(s):
1. Review the vocabulary in the first three chapters, explaining why the language is
different from how the language is spoken now. Have the students then put the
vocabulary words into sentences, or use one of the review games to help them
remember them. (Vocabulary for each chapter and possible games are attached).
2. Read the first Chapter aloud to the students. Have them tell which words they are
not familiar with and ask students if those words are in the vocabulary. If they are
not, discuss the words.
3. Ask the students if there was a section in this chapter where Tom has gotten in
trouble. Have them keep track of his adventures. They can use a journal,
pictures, or a series of cartoons.
4. Discuss why Tom got into trouble.
5. Remind the students to write the adventure on their list and give supporting
details.
Suggested Questions:
1. What led him to act this way?
2. How does Tom rationalize what he is doing?
3. Have you ever been in trouble for the same reason?
4. Do you think Tom will continue to get in trouble?
5. What other possible adventures do you think he might have being a young boy?
Learning Activity:
1. Review vocabulary words for Chapter 2.
2. As I read Chapter 2, list or illustrate (using www.toondoos.com) the trouble Tom
gets into.
3. Share your work with your neighbor to see if you agree.
4. Is Tom showing good judgement?
Review/Closure:
1. Tom Sawyer seems to have a lot of adventures and get into a lot of trouble. Why
do you think he chooses these courses of action?
Homework:
1. Carefully, review vocab words for Chapter Three, and read the Chapter Three.
2. If there is an adventure Tom gets into, either write it down or be ready to act it out
with a friend.
Days 2 – 12 (45 minutes)
The steps in day 1 will be used for the remaining chapters in the book. After each
chapter, the student will write Tom’s main adventure. It will take approximately 2
weeks to finish the book.
Keep a running tally each day of the students’ main adventures from the story. At
the end of day 12, collect the entire set of adventures from each student.
Lesson 2 – Writing “The Adventures of You”
Day 13: (45 minutes)
Hook/Intro:
1. We have just finished reading Tom Sawyer and discussing all of his adventures.
Now I am going to share two stories with you. (I will read the two Adventures of
You stories - see attached.)
2. After reading and discussing the stories, tell the students that we are all going to
write our own stories using our own real life adventures.
Teaching of the Concept(s):
1. Review how to write a personal narrative. Remind them that a good personal
narrative includes:
a. a topic relating to a significant experience from the writer’s life,
b. a first person point of view,
c. a structure that includes an engaging introduction, a cohesive body, and a
conclusion that offers a sense of resolution,
d. a coherent organization that uses chronological order, flows logically, and
excludes unnecessary details,
e. a voice that shows the writer’s personality, is authentic, and uses a tone
appropriate for the intended audience, and
f. varied sentence structures that avoid run-on and rambling sentences.
2. Ask the students to tell me about the stories that I read. Did they follow the
guidelines for a good personal narrative?
3. What did you notice?
4. Did they go in chronological order or jump around?
5. What was the difference between how the two stories were written?
6. What made one better than the other?
7. What was the first adventure in each story?
Suggested Questions:
1. Think about your life. Have you ever had a special adventure?
2. Have you ever gone against the rules?
3. What were the consequences?
4. Ask for the students to share some of their own examples and have other
students ask specific questions about the adventure.
Learning Activity:
1. Place the two stories on the smartboard and have the students come up and
correct or add to the stories.
2. Have students share one adventure with a neighbor.
3. Have them begin to fill out the “Adventures of You” worksheet.
Review/Closure:
1. This is a story about you and your lifetime adventures.
2. Hand out the worksheet “The Adventures of You.” (attached)
3. Have the students fill in the worksheet and be ready to put the adventures into
chronological order.
Homework (for the lesson):
When you have finished writing in your adventures, put them in chronological order by
placing the numbers 1-10 in the appropriate places.
Days 14-16
Now you are going to put life into your story, “The Adventures of You.” Like the two
stories I read to you yesterday, we are going to expand and make our stories more
exciting. You will need to have 3 -5 sentences for each adventure that makes the
reader feel like he/she is having the adventure with you. The finished product needs
to have 30-50 full complete sentences, be in chronological order and be
grammatically correct. Hand out the rubric on day 14 and review it. (see attached)
Lesson 3 – Newspaper Article
Day 17: (45 minutes)
Hook/Intro:
1. How do you think Aunt Polly felt when Tom and Becky were lost? How do you
think Mr. Thatcher felt?
2. How do you find out about the news in your neighborhood, city, country or world?
3. In Tom Sawyer’s day, you heard about the news by word of mouth or by reading
the newspaper. They didn’t have computers or i-phones. So when Tom and
Becky got lost in the cave or Muff Potter’s trial was going on, you needed to get
the newspaper to find out what was going on.
Teaching of the Concept(s):
1. Talk about different points of view and how the same event can be seen through
different eyes.
2. Review what a newspaper article is about and what kinds of words and dialogues
would be in a newspaper article.
3. Talk about typesetting and how Mark Twain worked for a newspaper. Watch
videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE0OoWX6TQs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pg8A0ab6S4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Y95phLnsM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcsOuGcaqZs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKBs2Zyvdw0
4. Have the students get into groups of two and hand out individual alphabet letter
stamps to each group. Have each group stamp out the sentences: Tom and
Becky got lost in the cave and we don’t know if they are alive. How do their
families feel?
5. Talk about how news reporting has gotten easier.
6. Talk about news events such as the soccer players getting lost in a cave or the
Branson duck boat where several people lost their lives in a storm. Discuss what
type of questions you would ask those you are interviewing.
Suggested Questions:
1. Was it easy to stamp out the 2 sentences?
2. What kinds of questions would a reporter ask about Tom and Becky being lost in
the cave? Who would they interview?
3. Would the news reporter include dialogue in the story from those he interviewed?
4. How would the reporters in Tom’s time put pictures in their article?
5. Would everyone in town feel the same about Muff Potter’s trial?
6. What does a good reporter write? (the truth)
Learning Activity:
1. Let’s use our Chrome books to decide on a name for our newspaper and how
much it would cost in Tom Sawyer’s time.
2. When all the articles are turned in, we will put them all together and make our own
newspaper.
3. I will be coming around with a basket that has different events we will be reporting
on. The events we will be reporting on are:
a.) how Aunt Polly felt about Tom and how it changes when she thinks he is
dead,
b.) how Huck Finn felt about Tom and how it changes when Tom got lost in the
cave,
c.) how Becky felt about getting lost in the cave,
d.) how Tom felt about getting lost in the cave.
e.) the town’s reaction to Muff Potter’s trial,
f.) why Tom not tell the truth to start with at Muff’s trial
g.) why Huck left the widow’s house
4. In groups of two, we will pick out an event, begin to think about the event, and jot
down some ideas. Remember to use the book in order to use at least three
supporting details about your event.
Review/Closure:
1. We have gone over how to write a newspaper article, who should be
interviewed, and what kinds of questions should be asked.
2. Now you are going to go back over the section of The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer that includes what your group is going to write about. Then you need to
jot down who you will interview, why you would be interviewing them and
possible answers they would give you. Remember, your article should have
some dialogue and have at least three supporting details from the book.
Homework:
1. If you have not completed re-reading the section in Tom Sawyer or jotting down
ideas, you must finish it for homework.
Days 17-20
Have the groups get together and review what they worked on for homework.
Review each group’s work to make sure they are heading in the right direction.
Remind them that they will need to turn in their illustrated article on day 20, and that
their article should include dialogue and at least 10 – 15 sentences using supporting
details from Tom Sawyer. The students will need to read their article to the class and
send a copy to the teacher so we can put all the articles together in a newspaper.
Strategies for Exceptional Students
1. As a follow-up, use the Multiple Intelligences choice Board to provide an
assessment that matches the content objectives for each of the multiple
intelligences. (see attached)
Suggested Follow up Activities:
1. Watch Tom Sawyer on U-tube,
mid=CCB767748C1004FE31A3CCB767748C1004FE31A3&FORM=WRVORC
2. Go to Hannibal and visit Tom Sawyer’s boyhood home, tour the museum, go to
the cave, and ride the riverboat.
Vocabulary Lists
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Chapter 1
spectacles--eyeglasses
conscience—the ability to recognize right from wrong
vanity—extreme pride in one’s ability, possessions, or appearance
vexed—annoyed or bothered by something
sagacity—using wisdom or good judgment
lapels—the front part of a garment (usually a coat) which is a
continuation of the collar
diligence—constant effort used to accomplish a task
roundabout—not going about something in a direct manner; a
coat/jacket/cloak used for general purposes
ambuscade—a trap; a surprise attack
guile—trickery; deceit; duplicity; lying
bona fide—performed in good faith; genuine; authentic
subtle—not blatant or obvious
deduce—to derive a conclusion by reasoning
diffident—lacking confidence in oneself; unsure
Chapter 2
beguiled—deceived; deluded; tricked
reluctance—unwillingness
alacrity—cheerfulness; willingness; eager
delectable—greatly pleasing; delightful; enjoyable
reposeful—calm; peaceful
melancholy—sadness; depression; gloominess
mulatto—persons of mixed parentage
taw—a large fancy marble for shooting; the line from which a player
shoots in marbles
inspiration—a sudden bright idea or thought
tranquility—peacefulness
ridicule—to make fun of something or someone
anticipation—eagerly awaiting an event or occasion
melodious—nice and pleasant to hear
starboard—the right hand side of a ship as one faces forward
ponderously—ungracefully; laboriously
jeer—mock; taunt; abuse openly
dilapidated—fallen into a state of disrepair; broken-down; in need of
repair
obliged—obligated; indebted to; mandatory
wended—proceeded; went along; traveled
Chapter 3
balmy—mild and pleasant
intrepid—resolutely courageous, fearless, bold
diluted—watered down, made weak
virtuous—possessing the qualities of moral excellence
clods—lumps of clay or earth
eminence—a position of great distinction or superiority
evanescence—vanishing or likely to vanish; fleeting
furtive—sneaky, sly, stealthy
grotesque—distorted; strange; bizarre
pliant—easily bent; flexible; easily persuaded
exultation—joy, triumph, great happiness
perplexed—puzzled, confused
audacious—fearlessly daring, bold, insolent
morosely—gloomy, depressed, sullen, melancholy
beseeching—plead, beg, request earnestly
desolate—deserted, uninhabited; gloomy, dreary, dismal
dismal—gloomy, depressing, dreary
felicity—great happiness, bliss
blighted—declined, decayed, ruined, destroyed
martyr—one who sacrifices something very important in order to
stand up for ones beliefs or principles
Chapters 4, 5,
and 6
tranquil—very calm, quiet; free from disturbance
benediction—a blessing given at the end of a religious service
prospective—looked forward to as likely or promised; probable;
expected
convulsion—a violent shaking
grandeur—the quality of being grand; splendor; magnificent
contrived—planned; devised
scarify—to mark, damage or scar
diligently—showing painstaking effort; industriously; carefully
disconcerted—upset; perturbed
tallow—hard fat rendered from sheep or cattle used to make soap,
candles, and lubricants
edifice—a large, impressive building or structure
éclat—a brilliant success; fame, glory; applause, approval
mien—way of acting or looking; demeanor; bearing
prodigious—very great; huge; vast
awe—a feeling of wonder or reverence; in respect of
prodigy—a person endowed with amazing talent, brilliance, etc.
dupe—a person easily deceived or tricked
wily—using tricks to deceive; crafty; cunning
venerable—worthy of respect
laggard—slow; backward; lagging; someone who loiters
predestined—destiny; fate; decided beforehand
pathos—a quality that evokes sadness or pity
odious—very displeasing; hateful; offensive
sash—frame for the glass of a window; part of a window that can be
moved to open or close a window
mortified—wound the feelings of; make to feel ashamed ; humiliate
expectorate—to cough up and spit out
pariah—any person or animal generally despised; an outcast
animosity—hostile feelings; dislike
caricature—imitation of something by ridiculous exaggeration
derrick—a machine with a long arm used to lift something
portentous—indicating evil to come; ominous; threatening
ostentation—showing off; display intended to impress others
Chapters 7 and 8
wane—lose size; gradually become smaller
bliss—great happiness or delight; joy; ecstasy
andiron—a pair of metal supports for wood in a fireplace; firedog
upbraid—find fault with; blame; reprove
frivolity—silly behavior
ecstasy—condition of very great joy
cogitating—consider with care; pondering; thinking about deeply
incantations—set of words spoken as a magic charm or to cast a
magic spell
accouterments—clothes, outfit; a soldier’s gear
Chapters 9 and
10
perceptible—noticeable
ingenuity—cleverness
ghastly—horrible; terrifying
solemnity/solemn—very serious; sacred
ensconced—settled securely
oppressive—causing worry or creating a burden
innumerable—too many to be counted
monotonous—lacking variety
pallid—pale; lacking color
vagrant—roaming from one place to another without a job
ruffian—a lawless, rowdy person
stolid—dull; slow-witted
dire—dreadful or terrible
sublimity—lofty excellence; grandeur; majesty
fetters—chains or ropes used to prevent escape
lugubrious—mournful; dejected
facility—ease in doing something
flogged—beaten, whipped
colossal—huge; great in scope
Chapters 11 and
12
infernal—abominable
impudence—marked by rude boldness or disrespect
haggard—worn out or exhausted as from hunger or fatigue
serene—calm, peaceful
miscreant—having very bad morals; wicked
conscience—ability to recognize right from wrong
blanched—turned pale as if by fear or surprise
inquests—legal investigations into the cause of death
vogue—leading style or fashion; popularity
gory—covered by or stained with blood
grisly—ghastly or gruesome
phrenological—the study or theory that the conformation of the
human head indicates the degree of intelligence and
character
clandestinely—done in secret
gravity—seriousness
consternation—great dismay; paralyzing terror
avariciously—greedily; greatly desiring money
Chapters 13 and
14
forsaken—deserted; abandoned
succumb—give way, yield; die
countersign—a sign or signal used in reply; a password given in answer to the
challenge of a sentinel
hilt—the handle of a sword, dagger or tool
bar (sand bar)—ridge of sand formed by the action of the tides or
current
foliage—leaves of a plant
festooning—a string or chain of flowers, leaves or ribbons hanging in a curve between
two points
peril—chance of harm or loss; exposure to danger
waif—person without a home or friends, especially a neglected child
purloined—stolen
pervading—spreading throughout
obtruded—put forward unwanted and unasked; forced upon
gaudy—to bright, cheap and showy to be considered in good taste
credulous—too ready to believe; easily deceived
conflagration—great and destructive fire
limpid—clear or transparent
ravenous—very hungry; greedy; rapacious
regalia—the emblems or decorations of any society; clothes, especially fine
clothing
channel—the deeper part of a waterway
sumptuous—lavish and costly; magnificent; rich
quicksilver—mercury; a heavy silver, metallic element which is liquid
at normal temperatures
frolic—a merry prank; play; have fun
derision—scornful laughter; ridicule
Chapters 15, 16,
and 17
shoal—a sand bar which makes the water shallow
skiff—a small, light rowboat
yaw—turn from a straight course; go unsteadily
conjectured—guessed without sufficient evidence
bereaved—left desolate and alone; deprived of; robbed of
mutinous—rebellious; not controllable; unruly
sullen—silent because of bad humor or anger
plausible—appearing true, reasonable or fair
stupendous—amazing; marvelous; immense
retching—vomiting
peal—a loud, long sound
unflagging—not weakening or failing
eloquent—very expressive; speech that has grace and force
Six Nations—the federation of Iroquois Indian tribes
loitered—lingered idly
vestibule—passage or hall between the outer door and the inside of
a building
anguished—suffering very great pain or grief; great emotional
distress
abashed—embarrassed and confused; uneasy and somewhat
ashamed
soliloquized—talked to oneself
Chapters 18, 19,
and 20
audible—loud enough to be heard
menagerie—a collection or assortment of animals for exhibition
notoriety—being famous for something bad; ill fame
vindictive—bearing a grudge; wanting revenge
reconciliation—settlement or arrangement of a disagreement or
difference
ingenious—clever, skillful, good at inventing
scornful—showing contempt, mocking
urchin—poor ragged child
anatomy—the science studying the structure of animals and plants
lethargy—drowsy dullness; lack of energy; sluggish inactivity
smote—(smite)—strike hard
vengeance—revenge; punishment in return for a wrong
Chapters 21-24
gilded—covered with a thin layer of gold; made to be bright and shiny
dome—a rounded top of something; like a rounded roof
ferule—stick or ruler for punishing children by striking them on the
hand
dominie—schoolmaster; clergyman
spasmodic—occurring very irregularly
gesticulation—lively or excited gestures; wild waving of the hands
edification—moral improvement or benefit
frivolous—silly; lacking seriousness; senseless
geniality—the quality of being friendly and cheerful
garret—space in a house just below a sloping roof
temperance—exhibiting self-control; being moderate in habits; speech;
actions, etc.
abstain—do without something; refrain
convalescent—recovering health and strength after an illness
minstrel—singer or musician; a white man in make-up appearing as a black man who entertains by
song and dance
mesmerizer—hypnotist
measles—an infectious disease characterized by a bad cold, fever, and a breaking out of red spots
on the skin
tract—book or pamphlet on a religious topic
forbearance—patience; control; not acting out against someone
when you have the right to
incongruous—not appropriate; out of place
verdict—the result of a trial—guilty or innocent
haggard—having a wild or wasted look as if from lack of sleep
stolid—having or showing little or no emotion or sympathy
perplexity—being confused, not understanding
delirium—a temporary state of mental excitement, confusion, or
insanity
corpse—a dead body
Chapters 25-35
cipher—figure out; compute mathematically
hieroglyphics—a form of picture writing used by the ancient
Egyptians
bishop—a high-ranking member of the church (usually Catholic or
Anglican)
deaf—unable to hear
dumb—unable to speak
attrition—the process of wearing away or breaking down
tavern—a saloon, bar, or establishment selling drinks and food; an
inn
slaughterhouse—a place where animals are processed for food
anticipation—to eagerly await something, some event, or someone
labyrinth—a maze; a winding, twisting path
stile—a step or set of steps used to climb over a low wall
embellishment—added (unnecessary) detail
stalagmites—limestone deposits which are formed from the ground
upwards
stalactites—limestone deposits which are formed from the ceiling
downwards
famished—extremely hungry
contrived—think up, devise; make up
sumac—a type of bush in the cashew family (some of which are
poisonous)
mystic—mysterious; unexplainable
laudations—praises; honors
magnanimous—noble or generous
chronicle—a written account or retelling of an event or happening
Rubric for the Newspaper Article
Rubric for Newspaper article
Student Name: ________________________________________
CATEGORY
4
3
2
1
Who, What, When,
Where & How
The article includes
all of the 5 W's
(who, what, when,
where and how).
The article
includes 3-4 of the
5 W's (who, what,
when, where and
how).
The article
addresses 2 of the
5 W's (who, what,
when, where and
how).
The article does
not include the 5
W’s and/or is a
summary of the
entire book.
Articles – Purpose
and dialogue
The article
establishes a clear
purpose in the lead
paragraph and
demonstrates a
clear
understanding of
the topic and uses
dialogue to do so.
The article
establishes a clear
purpose in the lead
paragraph, but
lacks a clear
understanding of
the topic and uses
some dialog.
The article does
not establish a
clear purpose in
the lead paragraph
and the dialog is
not consist with
the story.
The article is more
than 25% off-topic
and doesn’t use
dialog.
Articles -
Supporting Details
The details in the
article are clear,
effective, and vivid
90-100% of the
time.
The details in the
article are clear
and pertinent 80-
90% of the time.
The details in the
article are clear
and pertinent 70-
80% of the time.
The details in more
than 30% of the
article are neither
clear nor pertinent.
Articles - Interest
The article
contains facts,
figures, and/or
word choices that
make the articles
exceptionally
interesting to
readers.
The article
contains facts,
figures, and/or
word choices that
make the articles
interesting to
readers.
Format and length
1 1/2+ pages.
Typed, double
spaced, 1"
margins, Times
New Roman.
1+ page. Typed,
double spaced, 1"
margins, Times
New Roman.
3/4+ pages. Typed,
double spaced, 1"
margins, Times
New Roman.
Less than 3/4 page.
NOT typed, double
spaced, 1"
margins, Times
New Roman.
Spelling and
Proofreading
0-1 spelling,
punctuation, or
grammar errors.
2-3 spelling,
punctuation, or
grammar errors.
4-5 spelling,
punctuation, or
grammar errors.
6+ spelling,
punctuation, or
grammar errors.
Rubric for “The Adventures of You” page 1
Continued rubric for The Adventures of You page 2
The Adventures of Me Example 1
I was born on January 15
th
. My mom and dad took me home two days later. My siblings
thought all I did was cry.
On my first day of kindergarten, a boy named Brian laughed at my shoes. I bit him and
he cried. I laughed at him and then horrors of all horrors, I had to miss recess.
I learned how to walk. I put one foot in front of the other to get to my dog’s food. I
dropped sown and started to eat his food. My mom couldn’t decide if she was excited because I
was walking or mad at me because I was eating dog food.
In preschool, I learned my colors. My mom was excited until she said she would like the
kitchen to be red. I guess she didn’t like the ketchup on the walls and the floor. I thought I was
doing good but she made me clean it up.
One summer, I challenged my baby sister to see which one of us could swing the
highest. Unfortunately, she was going so high she fell off and had to have stitches. I told mom
she was just being clumsy, and I had asked her to slow down.
When my mother was out Christmas shopping, my brother and sister and I decided to
make Christmas cookies. We were having a great time, unfortunately, we had flour all over the
kitchen and living room. Mom made us clean up the mess but she was proud of us for making
such good cookies.
My mom looked like she had swallowed a watermelon. Dad took her to the hospital and
I thought they were going to bring home the watermelon. Instead they brought home a
screaming baby. They told me it was my little sister. I asked if they could take her back.
One day in school, I was bored. My friend John had just asked to go to the bathroom. Shortly
after he left the room, I asked if I could use the restroom. Being in there together, we decided to
swing on the bathroom doors. We were having such a good time, we lost track of time. When
the principal walked in, we got into trouble. We had to stay in his office until our parents came
to get us.
One Easter, while the family was having their annual egg hunt, we were told that there
was a golden egg that contained a special prize. My baby sister was so tiny she could only see
the eggs that were on the ground. I helped her look for eggs. There up in my favorite tree was
the golden egg. I lifted her up and she grabbed it. The one who found the egg would be able to
pick out a toy at the toy store. When my mom realized that I let my sister get the egg, she let
me pick out a toy also.
My very favorite adventure was my first year playing baseball. It was the end of the
season game which would make us the winning team if we won. We were tied and I was the
last at bat. I had 2 outs and 3 walks. I was sweating and hoping that I wouldn’t be remembered
as the loser who lost the game. Then I hit the ball out of the park and was the hero of the year.
The Adventures of Me Example 2
My life has been very eventful. I arrived in the world on November 2
nd
. I was evidently
in a hurry to come into the world, and since I couldn’t seem to wait to make an appearance I
was born in an elevator. I had two older brothers and two older sisters who were excited to see
me. They wanted to know where Calamazoo was. That’s where dad said mom had gone.
They thought I was too little and cried too much. My oldest brother tickled my tummy and I
stopped crying. Everyone was glad for the peace and quiet.
As I got a little older, I had many more adventures. I remember the first time I was able
to be on the sled in the snow by myself. We had a big hill across the street that we always had
fun sledding on. The first time I was able to go by myself was thrilling. I got on the sled and
begged my sister to give me a big push. She did and I went flying down the hill. Unfortunately,
I never paid attention to the stopping part. I ended up in the street on my face. I was all
scraped up but I had done it on my own. I couldn’t wait to do it again. I soon learned how to
stop the sled before the street.
The next summer, I was allowed to help my siblings in the garden. That year, the
cabbages we grew were huge. One of the cabbages was bigger than my head. Mom took a
bunch of pictures and if I have to say so myself, they were really cute. The pictures were great,
but the cabbage was the nastiest tasting stuff I have ever eaten. I managed to spit it out in my
napkin before mom saw me. Unfortunately, my brother saw me and told her. I had to eat more
of it than what was on my plate originally. Darn the luck!
I so wanted to be like my older brothers and sisters. I tried to do everything they did. My
oldest sister used to take me to the library and let me pick out two books. I asked her when I
could start taking out my own books. She told me I would have to be able to write my own
name. After weeks of practicing, I learned to write my name small enough to fit on the card. I
was never so proud to have my own card.
The next fall, I started school. I was so excited to finally be old enough to be able to go
to the smart place. Unfortunately, I got into trouble the second week of school. One of the boys
was teasing me about being a girl and not being able to keep up with him. He even continued
as the teacher was talking. I decided to shut him up by writing all over his desk with a crayon.
The teacher saw me and I had to stay in from recess and clean all the desks in the room. I was
really mad and determined to get even. The next day at school I gave him a rope burn during
recess. Luckily, none of the teachers saw the incident or I would have been in more trouble.
That night, my brother teased me about not being able to keep up with him. He was laughing at
me because of what happened at school. I told him if he didn’t stop, he would be sorry. Since
he didn’t stop, I went and got my school bag. I hit him in the nose and almost broke his nose. I
cried for two days. My mom never really punished me. I think it was because I was crying more
than my brother.
When we went on vacation, my brother and I were fishing on the dock. I was standing on
the edge and my pole started to bob up and down. I was excited. I had a fish on my line. My
brother decided that I couldn’t reel it in myself, so he pushed me out of the way and grabbed the
pole. I ended up upside down in the lake. He lost the fish and I ended up with rocks and
minnows in my mouth. Needless to say, I wouldn’t go fishing with him again.
Page 2
By the time I was in 3
rd
grade, my friend and I were able to keep up with the big kids.
We were allowed to play outside with them until it was dark. One night we were playing tag and
I hid in a big box that a neighbor was throwing away. No one could find me, I got bored and
went inside. When my mom called in my big brothers, they couldn’t find me. Mom got so upset
she called the police. It turns out I was in my bed sleeping. Boy, did I give everyone a scare.
I was quite a little daredevil. My friend and I would climb the backstop and sit on the top with
our feet dangling. I love to climb up, watch the practices and games and then jump down. My
siblings told me that if Mom ever caught me jumping down I would be grounded forever. I used
to laugh it off until the day that my friend jumped down and broke his leg in three places. I never
climbed to the top again.
Luckily, that adventure did not make me totally afraid of heights. That would come the
next summer. My cousin and I were at a carnival with our moms. After riding on the bumper
cars, and the train, we wanted to go on the Ferris wheel. Since it was just for kids, Amy and I
sat together. I did not know that she was afraid of heights and she proceeded to scream each
time it stopped to let people on and off. She was driving me crazy. I tried to explain to her that
it had to be safe if they let us on. I ended up eating those words when something happened to
the gears and the Ferris wheel stopped. She started screaming and shaking the “car” we were
sitting in. They had to get the town’s hook and ladder to get us down. She froze and wouldn’t
walk down the steps even if the fireman was holding on to her. They had to carry her down. I
finally climbed down the steps with the fireman helping me. After that, I was not so fond of
heights. Even to this day, I prefer to have my feet on the ground. I have never been on a Ferris
wheel again.
I have had may more adventures in my life but none so memorable as these.
