Hello,
We will be starting our novel unit and will be reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I know some
of you have read the novel before, and you will read it again, gaining so much more than you can
imagine. For the next two days, you will be in the computer lab working on the background information
for the novel. You will start by going to my website to watch and read the To Kill a Mockingbird (TKAM)
Power Point presentation that you will find on the Freshman English Notes and Handouts Page or the
Freshman Honors Notes and Handouts page. Then, you can start the webquest below. You will need to
answer all of the questions in the webquest using complete sentences and thorough answers. Include
what websites you get the information from especially if several options are listed.
I am giving you two days to complete this, because that is how long it should take. If you are not done
by Friday, you will need to finish it at home as homework. You may do the assignment in MS Word or
on Google Docs, however, you will need to turn in the typed and completed work in hard copy printed
up form Monday. If you use your time well, you will not have a problem finishing it in class—leaving you
free to have fun this weekend. Take care, work hard, and be good. If you need me, email me. See you
Monday.
To Kill a Mockingbird Web Quest
Introduction
You are about to read the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The story is set in the sleepy
town of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus Finch is asked to defend a black man charged with
the rape of a white woman. Through the young eyes of his children, Scout and Jem
Finch, Harper Lee explores the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in
the Deep South of the 1930’s. The consciousness of a town steeped in prejudice,
violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the quiet heroism of one man’s struggle for justice.
To best understand the lessons of this great novel, you must first understand the author,
the times, and the place in which the story is set.
Task
Your task for this Webquest is to visit various websites (provided for you) to learn the
needed background information before starting the novel. Each website will also have a
few questions for you to answer, simply to ensure that you are finding the important
material at each site. This Webquest will give you a good feel for the 1930’s and a good
understanding of the historical context of the novel as well; therefore, you will be much
more equipped to understand the introductory notes to follow and the novel itself.
Questions
You should answer all questions thoroughly. You have ample time to complete ALL
questions; so be sure to SPEND YOUR TIME WISELY. The answers will be graded for
thoroughness and correctness!
The Process
You will be working individually on this assignment—sorry no group work.
Conclusion
After completing this activity, you should have learned the following:
Background information of the author, Harper Lee
Historical background of the times
Insight into some of the events in the novel
Remember – you will have more introductory notes on this information; so don’t be
alarmed if you do not completely understand a particular event.
Website #1 – The History of Jim Crow
http://crf-usa.org/black-history-month/a-brief-history-of-jim-crow
http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm
http://www.history.com/topics/booker-t-washington
1. Where did the term, "Jim Crow," originate from?
2. After the year 1900, what did the term, "Jim Crow," become identified with?
3. What Supreme Court case upheld segregation, or "separate but equal?"
4. Who was Booker T. Washington? What was his stance on the segregation debates?
5. What was the name of the new literary movement, based in Harlem, New York, which
featured "New Negro" poetry and literature that emphasized self-respect and defiance
under the Jim Crow laws?
6. How did some southern black people try to resist and escape the Jim Crow laws?
Website #2 – Black Thursday
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Thursday
7. What does the term, "Black Thursday," refer to?
8. What was the date of Black Thursday?
9. Explain how the Wall Street Crash led to The Great Depression.
Website #3 – American History 1930-1939
http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade30.html
10. During The Great Depression, many Dust Bowl farmers packed their families into
cars and headed where?
11. Why did the farmers go?
12. Who were the Presidents during the 1930’s?
13. What did the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, create?
14. Observe the painting, American Gothic (on the website). Describe Grant Wood’s
famous work. What does it look like? What kind of life does it portray?
15. What was fashion like during the 1930’s? Observe the pictures on the site and read
about the trends during the times.
16. Who were some of the prominent authors of the time? What famous works are they
responsible for?
Website #4 – The Scottsboro Boys
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/SB_acct.html
17. What were The Scottsboro Boys known for? Who were they? What did they do?
How did they get in so much trouble?
18. The Scottsboro Boys’ attorneys were extremely incompetent. How did the defense
attorneys show their lack of experience?
19. Were The Scottsboro Boys ever pardoned of their wrongful convictions?
Website #5 – Harper Lee
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/harperle.htm
20. What work is Harper Lee most famous for writing?
21. When did she win the Pulitzer Prize and for what piece of literature?
22. What famous Civil War general is Harper Lee related to?
23. Where and during what time is Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, set?
Taken From Websites #6 – Maycomb County Map
Using the maps below, answer the following questions:
24. Based on the Maycomb County map, the Finch’s live next door to whom?
25. Whose house is the oak tree next to?