To Kill a Mockingbird WebQuest To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is a fictional representation of Harper Lee’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. Maycomb writhes in the quagmire of prejudice natural to the south in the 1930’s. The Finch family represent a new age of thinking not welcome to the majority of Maycomb’s residents including members of their own family. Our novel is narrated by Jean Louise Finch, the young daughter of Atticus Finch, and provides the reader with a childlike view of the complexities of racism and the evolution of the south as she, her older brother Jem, and friend Dill mature and begins to understand the injustices of the world. To best understand the lessons of this great novel, you must first understand the author, times, and the place in which the story is set.

Task Visit the various websites (provided as links) to learn the background information before starting the novel. Each website will also have questions for you to answer, simply to ensure that you are finding the important material on each site. The 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 novel itself and define themes associated with this classic work of literature.

Process All questions should be answered thoroughly. You have ample time to complete ALL questions, so be sure to spend your time wisely. The questions will be graded for correctness! Use complete sentences, type your responses, and submit via email attachment or as a shared Google doc on the due date given. Website #7 provides details of a poster project to be completed and turned in by the given due date.

Evaluation Questions will be graded for accuracy and detail. Website #7 will be graded per the rubric posted on the last slide of this document.

Goals After completing this activity, examining the historical background of the times and information on the author and her work, you should be able to: Identify elements of living during the Great Depression Identify the sources of prejudice, stereotypes, and racism within the 1930’s in the Southern U.S. Explain why Harper Lee wrote about these topics.

Website #1: The History of Jim Crow http://www.pbs.org/itvs/homecoming/jimc rowpop.html (Click on the link to access the website.) What was “Jim Crow”? Where did the term “Jim Crow” originate? What Supreme Court case upheld segregation, or “separate but equal”? What were the consequences of that decision?

Website #2: Jim Crow Laws http://www.ferris.edu/news/jimcrow/what. htm Put at least two of these laws into your own words.

Website #3: The Great Depression http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depre ssion/overview.htm Explain how the Wall Street Crash led to The Great Depression. Who were the Presidents during the 1930’s? How many people were unemployed in 1933? What did they do?

Website #4: Sharecroppers http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/fac e/Article.jsp?id=h-1613 What were sharecroppers or tenant farmers? Especially after the Great Depression, what problems did sharecroppers have and leave as a “legacy”? What is the difference between cash renters and sharecroppers?

Website #5: Scottsboro Boys http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/scottsb.htm Who were the Scottsboro Boys? How did they get into so much trouble? Where and when did the Scottsboro Boy’s original trial take place? How do you think this affected the outcome of their trial? What does the NAACP acronym stand for? Why did the NAACP decide not to help the Scottsboro Boys? The Communist Party came to the aid of the Scottsboro Boys. How did the South perceive the Communist Party, and how was it similar to the perception of blacks? What was the Communist Party’s hidden agenda in providing aide to the Scottsboro Boys? The Scottsboro Boys were not provided with adequate defense lawyers. Please list at least three ways in which the defense lawyers were inadequate. Describe the trials. Were they fair or unfair? Please include at least three supporting facts to back up your opinion. Were the Scottsboro Boys ever pardoned of their convictions? The Scottsboro Boys’ trial took place during the childhood of Harper Lee. Make a prediction about how this trial might have an important affect on the novel.

Website #6: Harper Lee http://neabigread.org/books/mockingbird/mockingbird04.php http://www.biography.com/people/harper-lee-9377021 When and where was Harper Lee born? What was her family like? Who was her childhood best friend? What did she study in college? Did she participate in any extra-curricular activities? Why might this be important to consider while reading To Kill a Mockingbird? How did her decision to move to New York make To Kill a Mockingbird a reality? What year was To Kill a Mockingbird published? When was it made into a movie? Was Harper Lee honored in any way following the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird? Harper Lee’s real life influenced many of the characters and events in To Kill a Mockingbird. Given what you have learned about her life make a prediction about what kind of issues might surface in the book. Do you think you knowledge about Harper Lee will influence your reading this book? Should it influence your reading of To Kill a Mockingbird? Why or why not?

Website #7: Poster Project Using Google Images or similar image search program, find pictures that you feel depicts what you have learned about the South, the Great Depression, the Scottsboro Boys, Harper Lee, and any predicted events of the novel. Create a poster that displays your pictures with at least two facts from each of the websites used during this assignment. Your project should be decorated in a way that reflects the setting of the novel.

Grading Rubric for Poster Making A Poster : TKM WebQuest Poster Project   Teacher Name: Jenny Clough Student Name:     ________________________________________ CATEGORY 4 3 2 1 Content - Accuracy At least 12 accurate facts are displayed on the poster. 10-11 accurate facts are displayed on the poster. 8-9 accurate facts are displayed on the poster. Less than 6 accurate facts are displayed on the poster. Attractiveness The poster is exceptionally attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness. The poster is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness. The poster is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy. The poster is distractingly messy or very poorly designed. It is not attractive. Graphics - Originality Several of the graphics used on the poster reflect a exceptional degree of student creativity in their creation and/or display. One or two of the graphics used on the poster reflect student creativity in their creation and/or display. The graphics are made by the student, but are based on the designs or ideas of others. No graphics made by the student are included.