Mark Twain's Short Stories and Essays
|Mark Twain: Background, Criticism, and E-Texts|
|Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|
|The Adventures of Tom Sawyer|
|A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court|
|The Prince and the Pauper|
|Roughing It|
Short Stories by Mark Twain
"The Californian's Tale"
This lesson is designed for 7th and 8th grade and focuses on reading skills. Access to this 17-page document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.
"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"
Lesson plans and classroom activities related to this story.
"The Christmas Fireside (for Good Little Boys and Girls)"
Introductory material and text of the story, subtitled "The Story of the Bad Little Boy That Bore a Charmed Life." Available in PDF and Google Docs formats.
"A Dog's Tale"
Introductory material and text of the story, which opposes experimentation with live animals. Available in PDF and Google Docs formats.
"Encounter with an Interviewer"
Lesson plan to support the story. Access to this 3-page document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.
"Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses"
Text of the essay. (Satire.)
"Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses"
Text of the essay with pictures and links to other selections by Twain. (Satire.)
"How I Edited an Agricultural Paper Once"
Lesson plan to support the story, with emphasis on satire and humor. Access to this 10-page document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.
"How I Edited an Agricultural Paper"
Follow the links to listen to an audio file OR to listen and read at the same time.
"How the Chimney-Sweep Got the Ear of the Emperor"
Text via Google Books.
"Hunting the Deceitful Turkey"
Introductory material and text of the story. Available in PDF and Google Docs formats.
"Jim Baker's Blue-Jay Yarn"
Introduction and text of the story.
Birds of a Feather
This lesson, which features Mark Twain's "Jim Baker's Blue-Jay Yarn," is part of an interdisciplinary unit on birds that contains math/science and language arts components. In the language arts wing, students will explore dialects and personification through this very entertaining tall tale full of the antics of talking blue-jays. Lesson includes a copy of the story. It is designed for 7th grade.
"Journalism in Tennessee"
This 3-day lesson is designed for high school students. Access to this 4-page document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.
"The Invalid's Story"
Text of the story, downloadable and printable.
"The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg"
Online text of the story, printable and downloadable.
"The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg" Study Guide
Broad overview of the story, including a list of characters, plot summary, themes, figures of speech, allusions, and 6 questions for discussion/writing. Includes a link to the text of the story, downloadable in multiple formats.
Mark Twain and Laughter
In this WebQuest students read an excerpt from Life on the Mississippi, short stories, and one-liners as they analyze Twain's humor and compare it to that of modern comedians.
"The McWilliamses and the Burglar Alarm"
This lesson is designed for upper elementary students and emphasizes humor and business letter format. Accessing the 6-page document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.
"The Million-Pound Bank Note"
This lesson focuses on the humor in the story. It is designed for grades 7-9. This 7-page document includes a picture of the Twain birthplace and of a British 5-pound note. It requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.
Mrs. McWilliams and the Lightning
This lesson focuses on irony, vocabulary, sensory details, and dialog. It's designed for upper elementary grades. Access requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.
"A Murder, A Mystery, and a Marriage"
This PBS site offers insights into this story and Twain's life. The "Forum" link offers answers to questions about Twain's writing in general.
"On the Decay of the Art of Lying"
Follow the links to listen to an audio file OR to listen and read at the same time.
"A Presidential Candidate"
Twain decides to run for Presiden, but first, to thwart his opponents, he confesses "in advance to all the wickedness I have done."
"Queen Victoria's Jubilee"
Introductory material and text of both articles. Available in PDF and Google Docs formats. (Nonfiction/informational text.)
"Taming the Bicycle"
Designed for 8th grade, this lesson focuses on vocabulary and on explaining a process. Access requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.
"A True Story, Repeated Word for Word as I Heard It"
Text of the story.
