A WebQuest to introduce the study of A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley

Introduction Task Procedure Resources Rubric What You Need To Turn In Conclusion Victorian Age: A WebQuest

Introduction The Little Theater of Central Dauphin has decided to stage “A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley” for local middle schools. The director believes that the play is more meaningful to audience members who have an understanding of the Victorian Age, the time period in which the play is set. However, the director was recently informed that most middle school students have not yet studied the Victorian Age. To make up for this lack of knowledge, the company has decided to include a special insert in the playbill featuring information on the Victorian Age.

Task The Little Theater of Central Dauphin has asked our class to create the special insert that will be included with the company’s production of “Scrooge and Marley.” The director would like the insert to include information on working conditions, fashion, social class, education, food, entertainment, Christmas traditions, and advances in science/technology of the time period. He feels the insert will be most effective if it includes both graphics and text. After reading this special insert, the director wants each middle-schooler to be able to answer the question: What was life like during the Victorian Age? If the director likes our work, he has promised to allow our class to attend a special performance of the play.

Procedure 1.Each student will be responsible for researching a different aspect of the Victorian Age. Topics to be researched are: Working Conditions Fashion Social Class Education Food/Diet Entertainment Christmas Traditions Advances in Science/Technology 2.Students will have one day in the computer lab to research and two days in the classroom to finish research and complete task. Click on the topics above for lists of approved research sites. You may ONLY use these Web sites. Library books are also available for research.

3. Students should use the research form to record information. Remember to document where you found your information. Click here for reminders on the proper way to document facts.Click here 4. After completing research, students will decide what information to include in their playbill insert. 5. In addition to submitting research and final drafts, students will orally present their products before a representative of the theater company for approval.

Resources Working Conditions University of St. Andrews Information on working conditions. Includes illustrations and photographs. Time Traveler's Guide to Victorian Britain Information on working conditions and industry of the time period. Scroll down to “Conditions at work” Fashion Wikipedia Includes information on both men’s and women’s styles, along with photographs and illustrations. Fashion Era Very detailed information on women’s fashions of the day. Eras of Elegance Information on men and women’s fashion of the day.

Social Class Victorian Web Information on the different social classes of the time Victorian England – Upper Class A look at the life of a member of the upper class. Literary Liaisons A look at the life of a servant – scroll down to the “Feature Article.” Education University of St. Andrews Take a look at the different types of schools for children in Victorian England. Victorian Schools This Web site designed for elementary school students has many facts about schools during the Victorian Age – Click on “Time Trail,” then “The Victorians,” then “School Days”

Food/Diet Victorian Web Description of the working man’s diet. Eras of Elegance Scroll down to “Food and Cooking” for information on how the Victorians ate. Entertainment Time Traveler’s Guide to Victorian England A look at many of the different past times of the people during Victorian England. Virtual Victorians A description of the leisure activities of the Victorians. Eras of Elegance Scroll down to “Sports, Games, and Leisure” for information on some of the games the Victorians played.

Christmas Traditions Historic UK.com Details on many of the traditions of the Victorian Age. Christmas in Victorian England Information on the specifics of how Christmas was celebrated during the Victorian Age Victorian England Information on authentic Victorian Christmas celebrations. Advances in Science/Technology Victorian Web An overview of Victorian science – includes links to other information on the topic Eras of Elegance Information on technological advancements.

Rubric 4321 Research Research is complete and thorough. Information is correctly documented. All group members took an active role in the research process. Research is complete. All members participated in research, and most, if not all, research was documented. Some research was completed; however, there are obvious admissions to the information. Not all members took an active role in research. Information was not documented. Research is minimal and lacking. Text Text includes a minimum of two well-developed paragraphs. Text well reflects the group’s research. There are few, if any, grammatical and spelling errors. Text includes a minimum of two paragraphs. Text reflects research, but is lacking some ideas. Text is less than two paragraphs. There are important admissions to the information. Text does not reflect group’s research. Graphic Graphic is creative, neat, and shows thought and attention. Graphic well reflects group’s research. Graphic reflects research. Graphic is neat. There is a limited connection between graphic and research. The graphic could benefit from more attention to detail. Graphic is sloppy. Graphic does not reflect group’s research. Oral PresentationPresentation is clear. Student exhibits excellent eye contact, speaking volume, and posture. Presentation is mostly clear. Student exhibits some eye contact, adequate speaking volume, and relatively good posture. Some aspects of the presentation are unclear. Student would benefit from better eye contact, speaking volume, or posture. Presentation is unclear. Student needs improvement with eye contact, speaking volume, and/or posture.

What You Need To Turn In Each student must submit a research paper. Each student must submit a final written portion of the insert (with documentation) and a final graphic. You will receive a rubric score for the entire project.

Conclusion Congratulations! With the help of your classmates, you are now able to answer the question “What was life like during the Victorian Age?” But, wait… there is more! Check out books on the Victorian Age in our school library to learn even more about this fascinating time period.

How To Document Research For each fact you write down, record where you got the information. Write down either the name of the website and address or the title and author of the book. Make sure to document which information came from which specific Web site or book. Remember, you MUST put all of facts in your own words. DO NOT copy directly from any source. At the end of the final copy for your portion of the insert, list the books and Web sites you used for research. Back to Procedure

Text After you have finished your research, decide what information is most important and interesting. Use this information to write a rough draft of the text. The text needs to be a minimum of two well-developed paragraphs. After you have edited your rough draft, handwrite a final neat copy on the form provided. At the bottom of your final copy, you MUST list all of the resources you used (names, addresses of Websites, titles and authors of books) Back to Procedure

Graphic Design After you have finished your research, decide on an image that you think would represent your topic well. Make a rough sketch of the image using pencil. Then, use colored pencils, markers, and/or crayons to create a final copy. Use the form provided. Make sure you can explain why you think this image represents your topic. Back to Procedure