Racism is a common theme in literature. You have already
been exploring this theme in Harper Lee’s To Kill a
Mockinbird. This WebQuest will introduce you to another
author’s treatment of this theme through poetry. Langston
Hughes (1902 – 1967) was an African American poet. In his
poem, “The Bitter River,” Hughes uses allusion and other
literary devices to provide you with a powerful work of
poetry that further illuminates this theme. Through
research, using his poetry and what you have read in
TKAM you will compare and contrast these two author’s
treatment of the theme of racism.
 So, get ready to board a raft that will take you down “The
Bitter River” and remember, “it’s a sin to kill a
mockingbird.”

You will visit three sites that will give you
insight into references in Hughes’ poem.
 You will create a double-bubble map
comparing and contrasting Maycomb’s
usual disease and “The Bitter River.”
 Using your concept map you will write an
essay that compares/contrasts “The
Bitter River” and Maycomb’s usual
disease.

Research: visit the sites on the next slide
 Read: As a group we will read “The Bitter
River”
 Re-read: the excerpt from To Kill A
Mockingbird
 Create: a double-bubble map to help
organize your writing
 Write: a four paragraph
compare/contrast essay using textual
evidence to support your writing

Copy and paste the links below to a separate browser
window and read the information or view the video about
each of the subjects below that are mentioned in Hughes’
poem “The Bitter River”.
Lewis Jones:
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUlewisLM.htm
Scottsboro Boys:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/88c5c7e62c6d43bb
97d7/Scottsboro%20Boys%20trials
Finally, log in to Discovery Education with your log on and search
Jim Crow. View the video titled “Plessy and the Era of Jim Crow.”

“What bothers me is that she and Jem will have to absorb some pretty
ugly things pretty soon. I’m not worried about Jem keeping his head, but
Scout’d just as soon jump on someone as look at him if her pride’s
stake…” “Atticus, how bad is this going to be? You haven’t had much
chance to discuss it.” “It could be worse, Jack. The only thing we’ve got
is a black man’s word against the Ewells’. The evidence boils down to
you-did –I didn’t. The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to take Tom
Robinson’s word against the Ewells’.
“You know, I’d hope to get through life without a case of this kind, but
John Taylor pointed at me and said, “You’re it.” “But do you think I could
face my children otherwise? You know what going to happen as well as
I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it
without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual
disease.
“Why reasonable people go stark raving made when anything involving
a Negro comes up, is something I don’t pretend to understand…I just
hope that Jem and Scout come to me for their answers instead of
listening to the town” (Lee 97).

Use a double bubble concept map to
diagram the similarities and differences
between the poem “The Bitter River” and
the passages in TKAM.

Apply what you have learned from the
websites you visited, “The Bitter River,”
the excerpt from To Kill a Mockingbird
and other evidence from chapters 9 and
11of To Kill a Mockingbird and write a
four paragraph essay that compares
and contrasts the poem “The Bitter River”
and Maycomb’s usual disease.





Introductory paragraph: 2 – 3 sentences that
introduce your paper
Use Jane Schaffer style for Paragraphs 2 & 3
Paragraph 2: 8 sentences that explain the
similarities between the poem “The Bitter River”
and the passages in TKAM. Don’t forget to use
textual evidence to support your writing.
Paragraph 3: 8 sentences that explain the
differences between the poem “The Bitter
River” and the passages in TKAM. Don’t forget
to use textual evidence to support your writing!
Paragraph 4: 3 – 4 sentences explaining what
you have learned from this activity.

Use the “Ideas” rubric located in the
writing section of your binder to selfevaluate your essay. Make any changes
you feel are necessary and then type
your final essay.

Due Date: To Be Announced

Congratulations! You have just “climbed
around in someone else’s skin and
walked around in it. Now, you can better
speak about the issue of racism as it
relates to the two pieces of literature in
this WebQuest. Go out and share what
you learned! Remember, racism is a
disease based in ignorance. Education is
the cure for the disease.
Discovery Education. Web.
http://app.discoveryeducation.com/searc
h?Ntt=Jim+Crow
 Spartacus Education. Web.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUle
wisLM.htm
 Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird
 School Tubehttp://www.schooltube.com/video/88c5c7
e62c6d43bb97d7/Scottsboro%20Boys%20tri
als
