Introduction
In our upcoming unit, students will be reading The Yellow Wallpaper, a short story in which the narrator is subjected to the Rest cure. To better understand the narrator's point of view, students will complete this WebQuest to research the Rest cure and apply their newfound information to analyze the text.
Good luck!
Task
Your task is to use the resources provided and research the different components of the Rest cure. These questions will include who invented the cure, why is it used, what kinds of patients were treated, the effects of the cure, and why the Rest cure is no longer practiced.
Students will also be tasked with researching the author of The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, as she was once subjected to the Rest cure as well. Answer the questions listed on a separate sheet of paper.
Process
Let's get started! Answer all the questions on a separate sheet of paper. This will be collected by the teacher at the end of your WebQuest. It will be graded and you'll be able to use the paper to refer to while reading The Yellow Wallpaper.
Use the links provided for information!
The Rest Cure
http://broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/techniques/rest…
1. Who invented the rest cure?
2. When was the rest cure first developed?
3. Which gender was the rest cure typically prescribed to?
4. What sort of conditions or diseases did patients have when prescribed the rest cure? In other words, why was the rest cure given as a form of treatment?
5. How long did the rest cure last for a patient?
6. What were the components of the rest cure (diet, exercise, limitations)?
7. What was the point of the rest cure? In other words, what was the doctor aiming for when he prescribed this treatment to his patients?
8. Name two famous writers who underwent treatment and why.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
9. When does Gilman become depressed and what does she do?
10. What was Gilman's reaction to the rest cure and her treatment?
11. Why did Gilman write The Yellow Wallpaper?
12. What were Gilman's thoughts on the men in her life who prescribed the rest cure as a form of treatment?
Your Thoughts: Use your acquired knowledge from the links about to come to your own conclusions about the rest cure.
13. What do you think are the negative aspects of the rest cure?
14. Do you think the rest cure should be prescribed to patients today?
15. What is your biggest take away from this assignment?
Evaluation
You will be evaluated on the paper with all your responses to the assigned questions. Your answers should be thoughtful and thorough, and all your responses should fully explain your reasoning behind your answer. Please have your name at the top of your paper before handing it in.
Thank you!
Conclusion
This WebQuest should be used to prepare the students for the upcoming short story, The Yellow Wallpaper. We will be reading the short story in class and analyzing the text.
Credits
http://broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/techniques/rest…
https://writingonwomenwriters.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/the-rest-cure-in…
Here are the links for the websites my students used to complete their WebQuest.
I used google for the images.