Web Quest for The Pearl by John Steinbeck
The purpose of this WEBQUEST is to acquaint the students
with background information for John Steinbeck’s THE PEARL.
Each student will complete two sections of the WEBQUEST.
To complete your assignment, you will use one electronic source
listed under the specific topic and one print source from the books
provided by the Media Center.
Please write your answers on loose-leaf paper. Label and
number your answers for each section. Remember to list the
sources you use. Don’t forget your name at the top of your paper.
Section One / Author Information
http://as.sjsu.edu/steinbeck/biography/index.jsp?val=biography_steinbecks_prizes
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/johnstei.htm
1. When did John Steinbeck live? _____________________________________________
2. Where was he educated? _________________________________________________
3. What kinds of awards did Steinbeck win for his works? Complete the chart.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Year
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1946
1962
1964
Award
For what?
4. What are some common themes that are generally presented in Steinbeck’s novels?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
5. Who is Eddie Ricketts and how did he influence Steinbeck’ s The Pearl?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
6. When was The Pearl written? ______________________________________________
7. What other books did Steinbeck write that deal with human values? __________________
Write a paragraph that summarizes the information you obtained about John Steinbeck.
Section Two/History and Setting of La Paz
http://www.bajatravel.com/Baja California
Virtual Mexico
1. Locate La Paz on a map. Make a copy or draw the map.
2. What is the geography of La Paz?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. What bodies of water surround it? List all of them and label them on the map.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. What mountains exist? List the names of the mountains and label them on the map.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. What is the climate of La Paz?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. Where is the capital of Mexico? __________________________________________ How far
would it be from La Paz to Mexico City across the water? _________________ How far
is it to go around on land? ________________________________________
7. What are the main ways of making a living in La Paz? __________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Write a paragraph which summarizes the information you obtained about La Paz.
Section Three/Scorpions
https://insects.tamu.edu/extension/publications/epubs/e_362.cfm
http://www.desertusa.com/oct96/du_scorpion.html
1. What do they look like? Include a picture of a scorpion.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Where do they live?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. What do they eat? ___________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. How do they hunt their prey? ____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Are they dangerous to humans? Why or why not? _____________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. What should people do if they encounter a scorpion? What if a person is stung?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Write a paragraph which summarizes the information you obtained about scorpians.
Section Four/Pearl Diving
http://library.thinkquest.org/10236/div.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/10236/div.htm
1. What dangers do pearl divers face? __________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
2. How do pearl divers adapt their bodies to the ocean? _____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
3. How is the quality of a pearl judged? ________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
4. How does modern day pearl diving compare with pearl diving in the past? _______________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________
Write a paragraph which summarizes the information you obtained about Pearl diving.