Exploring Uncle Tom's Cabin

Introduction

Description: This WebQuest is designed to help students learn about the famous American novel Uncle Tom's Cabin as well as understand the significance it played in the abolitionist movement.

Grade Level: 5

Curicculum Area: Social Studies

Keywords: Uncle Tom, Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist, slavery, Civil War

Students,

Get ready! Today you will be exploring Uncle Tom's Cabin. This is not just any cabin. Uncle Tom's Cabin is famous throughout American history for its revolutionary power. Why was it so powerful? Who penned such a bold piece of literature? You will discover the answers to all these questions as you explore Uncle Tom's Cabin today.

Task

You and your group will reserach the novel Unlce Tom's Cabin and the author Harriet Beecher Stowe. using what you have been learning about the abolitionist movement, slavery, and the American Civil War, you will create a graphic organizer to present to the class. Each member of the group will be responsible for a different section of information. After indivivual research, you will collaborate with your group to create your graphic organizer and present the information to the class.

Process

1. You will be assigned to a group of three students.

2. Each person will choose one of the following items to research so that everyone reseraches something different: biogrpahical information of author, significance of the novel, and the content of the novel.

3. Once you have decided your role, you will use the websites provided to resrach your topic. You may use other educational sites for additional information. Look below to find questions to help guide your reserach.

4. As you find your information, take notes on a piece of notebook paper. You wil be sharing this information with your group later.

5. You will have one day to reserach information. The next day of the project will consist of your group creating a graphic organizer to sort your information. This graphic organizer can be arranged however you and your group decide.

6. The third day of class, your group will present your graphic organizer to the class. Make sure to highlight interesting facts and the information you find most important.

Questions to consider while researching:

Biographical Information about the Author

1. Who is the author? Where is she from?

2. What was her view of slavery? Why did she decide to write Uncle Tom's Cabin?

3. Who influenced her anti-slavery views?

http://video.pbs.org/video/2295592489/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2958.html

Significance of the novel

1. What was the reaction of the public? When was it published?

2. How many copies were sold?

3. What changed becuase of the novel?

https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/utc/

http://www.ushistory.org/us/28d.asp

Content of the novel

1. What is the story about? Provide key points.

2. Who are the main characters?

3. What else is unique about this novel?

https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/utc/

Evaluation

Students will receive a group grade. If one member of the group fails to fulfill his or her role, the grade may be adjusted.

	1	2	3
Graphic Organizer Appearance	Graphic organizer fails to “organize” information.	Graphic organizer is neat. It is coherent.	Group organized information in an easy to understand way. Graphic organizer is also visually appealing.
Graphic Organizer Content	Lacks important information or contains inaccurate information.	Graphic organizer contains accurate, but minimal, information.	Graphic organizer contains important information. It is clear students have researched the topic well.
Presentation	Presentation was not interesting. Students read the information from their graphic organizer or shared inaccurate information.	Presentation was somewhat interesting and presenters seemed to understand most of the history.	Presenters understood the history and significance of the novel’s place in American history. Presenters rarely referenced the graphic organizer and made presentation interesting.
Group Collaboration	Students did not work together.	Students had some issues in working together but worked well for the most part.	Students worked well as team to share information and create presentation.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully explored Uncle Tom's Cabin. From this research-filled exploration, you have learned the significance literature can make in a political movement. In addition, you have learned why this novel is important in American history and how it forwarded the abolitionist movement.

Teacher Page

Wesbites for students:

https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/utc/

http://video.pbs.org/video/2295592489/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2958.html

http://www.ushistory.org/us/28d.asp 

Images:

http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/uncletom/illustra/figures/cover15.jpg

https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/images/utc/13.jpg

Learning Objective:

By the end of this WebQuest, students will be able to draw from multiple resources how the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin made slavery a national issue in the 19th century in order to score a 12/12 on the rubric.

Curriculum Standards:

TN- Social Studies, Grade 5

5.4 Draw on information from multiple print or digital resources explaining the events that made slavery a national issue during the mid-19th century, including: Unlce Tom's Cabin (C,E,G,P)