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Baltimore of the 1880s

Construct a map of Baltimore as it was in Mencken's childhood, in the 1880s. The map should include landmarks that Mencken mentions in his articles, including Chesapeake Bay.

Mencken Today

Speaking as Mencken, students can choose a modern-day topic, event, or news item, and write a Mencken-style essay. Students should be encouraged to "think" like Mencken, and to use some of his rhetorical devices.

The Y.M.C.A. Dialogue

In "Adventures of a Y.M.C.A. Lad," Mencken mentions a conflict with a teen in the center's reading room. Have students write a play-like dialogue between Mencken (as a boy) and the moralizing teenager. Students can then act out this dialogue in front of the class.

Law Versus Justice

Gene the magistrate in "Recollections of Notable Cops" makes a distinction between law and justice. Have students research and provide an oral report...

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