Here’s a list of links I’ve found helpful in keeping classics relevant. Please share how you have used these in the classroom. Also, I’d love to share links you have found helpful, as well.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain Home and Museum : While most everyone is aware of Samuel Clemens’ boyhood home in Hannibal, Missouri, not everyone knows about his Gothic-inspired mansion in Hartford, Connecticut. It’s an amazing home. If you ever have a chance to visit, you should. For classroom purposes, the related museum website is full of great stuff. The Teachers & Students tab even takes you to trusted resources sections.
Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum : Samuel Clemens’ boyhood home has so much to offer, especially for readers of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. It’s interesting to use this site in conjunction with the previous one to see where Clemens came from and where he aspired to.
Center For Mark Twain Studies : I recently attend the Summer Teacher Institute at the Center for Mark Twain Studies. I can’t compliment the staff enough. They are truly generous with their wisdom, knowledge, ideas, resources, and passion. The website offers tons of primary sources on Twain and the culture of the society he lived in. If you can’t find what you need, contact them. I promise they will help you.
Twain Quotes: Mark Twain is famous for his witty and relevant aphorisms. To check for accuracy, I trust TwainQuotes.com. My research has shown me that most everyone else does, too.
Teacher Tools
Smithsonian Learning Lab : This site is AMAZING! (There I go again, shouting in all caps.) Not only does the SLL grant teachers and students access the millions of resources from all of the Smithsonian museums, but they cite the source for you, too. I could go on and on about the learning strategies and lesson plans teachers will find there. I could explain how students can use SLL to gather research even from outside sources. I could brag on how teachers can create interactive activities, lesson, and quizzes. However, I’m gonna stop at they cite the sources for you. Seriously, check it out. Subscribe to the newsletter. Attend the live office hours. Feel free to contact me with questions on how to use this in your classroom.
Famous Trials: Be careful. You could easily fall down a rabbit hole on this site. After all, it starts with the trial of Socrates and goes all the way to the George Floyd trial. This site offers a glimpse into many primary sources. My favorite way to use it is in studying The Crucible. Students can see the transcripts of petitions to the courts penned by John Proctor and Mary Easty, begging for mercy and justice. Students are amazed at the words used by these convicted witches. You’ll also find resources from The Scopes Monkey trial, The Scottsboro Boys trial, and many others.
The Big Read: “The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read, a partnership with Arts Midwest, broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book.” I’m lucky. For nearly a decade, my community has secured an annual grant to create an area-wide celebration and study of a Big Read book. The list of Big Read titles includes a wonderful combination of classics, recent publications, fiction, and non-fiction. Every year, my students host an event and become engaged in this unforgettable community-wide book study. If your community doesn’t participate in The Big Read, perhaps you could be the spark. This site explains how to apply for the grant. Otherwise, you can still use The Big Read list as a resource to find good books. Just click on a title for more information about the book, the author, and discussion questions.
Of Mice and Men Lesson Plans: Whether it’s to teach a book you haven’t read before or one you’ve read so many time you are bored to tears, every teacher scours the internet at some point in a desperate search for inspiring lesson plans. I found these Of Mice and Men plans to be thorough and interesting.
