Mark Twain, best known for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, was born 175 years ago

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 – 1910) known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He is noted for his novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), called "the Great American Novel", and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). Twain was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty.

Twain was popular, and his wit and satire earned praise from critics and peers. Upon his death he was lauded as the "greatest American humorist of his age", and William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature".

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Mark Twain and the American West
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- understand the distinctively American voice of Mark Twain;
- see how Twain's writing was molded by his adventures in the American West and how his work has since shaped our perceptions of the West;
- understand the rapid Westward expansion of America in the 19th century.
Grade Level: 8-12
Subject: Language Arts / History
Materials: Copies of Mark Twain's Roughing It, computers with access to the Internet.
Time Needed: Up to three class periods
Provided by: PBS (Author: Joan Brodsky Schur, Village Community School in New York City)
Link: http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/lesson_plans/lesson02.htm