The Things They Carried Background Computer WebQuest
Options:
In order to understand the setting of The Things They Carried, by
Tim O’Brien you have a choice of several possible activities.
A. Compare Vietnam’s 1945 Declaration of Independence with the
United States Declaration of Independence and another
Declaration of Independence using http://www.wordle.net/
B. Print out and write descriptions of 2 photos from Vietnam from
http://vietnampix.com/intro.htm and 2 photos from
http://www.vwip.org/coppermine/index.php
C. Explore maps of Vietnam using
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/maps/map_pop_intro.htm
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and then draw your own map of the most important events of the
war.
D. Use the slang terms and abbreviations from the war from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/language.html
to write a short story.
The details of each choice are on separate papers.
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Name:__________________________________
A. Compare historical documents using wordle.net : Comparing the 1945 Vietnam Declaration of
Independence and Constitution of 1992 with the United States Declaration of Independence and
Constitution
The American Declaration of Independence
1. Go to http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=2&page=transcript
2. Copy the transcript of the United States Declaration of Independence (select the text up to
the signatures, right click over the selection and select “copy”) Don’t select any
introductory text or side advertisements.
3. Open another web browser and go to the site http://www.wordle.net/
4. Select “Create your own.”
5. There is a box titled, “Place in a bunch of text.” Paste your copied U.S. Declaration of
Independence into the box (place the cursor in the box, right click and select “paste”
6. You should see the text of the declaration in the box.
7. Click the “GO” button under the box.
8. In the next screen there is a menu bar with options for EDIT, LANGUAGE, FONT,
LAYOUT, & COLOR. Choose black and white colors because we’re printing to a black
and white printer
9. When you are satisfied that the font and layout are pleasing. Select the button beneath the
wordle “Open in Window” you should get a window with just your wordle in it.
10. Click the “Print” button and print to the appropriate screen. You may get a message
asking to give wordle permission to access the printer. Click yes or okay.
The Vietnam Declaration of Independence
11. Go to http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1945vietnam.html
12. Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence starts with the text: "All men are created
equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; among
these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Just like America’s
13. Create a wordle of Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence using the same procedure
above and print it out
Third Declaration
14. Choose either De Gouge’s The Declaration of the Rights of Women, 1791.:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1791degouge1.html
or the French Declaration of the Rights of Man 1789.
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/rightsof.asp
15. Create a wordle from your chosen third declaration
Compare your three printed wordles
16. Label which wordle is which. Put your name on each wordle
17. Fill in the chart on the next page and hand in with your wordles
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Name: __________________________________
Declaration
Based on the
wordle, what
issues (words) are
important in this
document
What words are unique to this
declaration?
What smaller words
stand out to you? Why
did they look interesting
or important?
U.S. Dec. of
Independence,
1776
Vietnam Dec
of
Idependence,
1945
Circle the 3rd
declaration
you chose
Rights of
women
France’s
rights of man
What words or words that are similar appear in at least two of the declarations?
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Name: _______________________________
B. Print out and write descriptions of 2 photos from Vietnam from
http://vietnampix.com/intro.htm and 2 photos from http://www.vwip.org/coppermine/index.php
1. From http://vietnampix.com/intro.htm there are five sections listed across the top of the
page. 1)MACHINES 2)FACES 3)HIPPIES 4)UNDER FIRE 5)LIFE AND SORROW.
Choose one picture from two (2) different sections that you feel is powerful or most
meaningful to you.
2. Print these pictures and the accompanying descriptions out.
3. For each picture write a short paragraph (Thesis sentence, two or three supporting
sentences, conclusion sentence) about why you chose this picture. How is it different
from the others? What did it make you think of or feel?
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for two (2) photos from http://www.vwip.org/coppermine/index.php
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C. Maps of Vietnam War. Name: ____________________________
1. Go to the website http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/maps/map_pop_intro.html
2.There are sections for time periods along the top as follows…
Introduction|1945-1963 | 1964-1967 | 1968|1969-1974|1974-1975|1976-postwar
3. For each time period choose a location labeled in a red box and summarize what is going on in
that location at that time in the war. Don’t just copy what is written online. Summarize in your
own words.
4. Create your own map of what you feel are the most important events of the war or fill in the
blank map on the back of this sheet.
Time
Location name Summary of what is going on.
period
(from red box)
19451963
19641967
19691974
19741975
1976postwar
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Name: _____________________________
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Name: _________________________
D. Use the slang terms and abbreviations from the war from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/language.html to write a short story.
1. Go to the website http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/language.html
2. There is a list of special terms and acronyms used in the war.
3. Write a short story about an experience in Vietnam where 15 of these terms are used
correctly. Circle the terms where they are used in your story.
4. List your 15 terms here: _______________________________________________________
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5.Write your story
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