Mark Twain's novel entitled
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn takes place in various settings, all of which are on or near the
Mississippi River. Students
sometimes need help appreciating the dramatic scope of this novel and the way in which the river serves
as a framework and organizing principle of the novel. This framework provides an effective method for
structuring this collection of episodes into a meaningful narrative—the story of a young boy's
development into a moral creature to whom the
hypocrisy of American life becomes
clearer.
This activity is designed to add to your experience of reading and discussing the novel in
class. It is a chance to pursue your interest in a range of directions and to personalize your
inquiry by the choices you make in the links you follow. No one is expected to read all of the material
linked here, but of all the options presented, each student should be able to find several links to
follow and several resources to examine. Keep in mind that this research, as personalized as it may be,
should be obvious in the way you respond to the assignment below.
The technology behind Google Maps provides plenty of flexibility
for this sort of exploration, and you don't even need to leave home or school to explore the settings
and geographical features discussed here. Working with it also will help to extend your technological
literacy, an important component of developing the skills you will need as citizens of the 21st century.
NOTES:
- Because the map below is based on Google Maps,
remember that you can drag the map around in the window, zoom in to see more detail, and also
click on "Satellite" or "Hybrid" to see the maps as aerial photos.
- Clicking on the red markers on the map, or on the links in the right-hand column below, will
open information windows on the map.
Clicking links in those windows will open new browser windows or tabs with more information on those topics.
- Most additional information is drawn from
Wikipedia, a new concept
in research and reference. It is a constantly evolving resource,
written and continuously refined by people from all over the world.
- Aerial photos are provided by Flash Earth. The pages will first
load with a logo obscuring the page. Simply click on the page to clear this up.
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