Introduction
To Kill A Mockingbird talks of a sleepy, southern town in Maycomb, Alabama during the depression where racism and injustice was running rampant. Although To Kill A Mockingbird is a fictional story, it mirrors the social climate in the Southern United States during the 1930’s. As you complete this webquest you will learn about the book’s author, Harper Lee, her reasons for writing the book and about the social climate during the Great Depression.
Process
Section 1 - Author harper Lee
Click on the link below to learn about the author, Harper Lee.
http://www.biography.com/people/harper-lee-9377021#synopsis
After reading the information included on the website, answer the following questions-
1.When and where was Harper Lee born?
2.What was her family like?
3. Who was her childhood best friend?
4.What did she study in college?
5.Did she participate in any extra-curricular activities?
6.How did her decision to move to New York make To Kill A Mockingbird a reality?
7. What year was To Kill A Mockingbird published?
8. When was it adapted to screen?
Section 2 Jim Crow
Click on the link below to learn about the Jim Crow laws. Then answer the following questions.
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1559.html
1. Where did the term, "Jim Crow," originate from?
2. How did the term "Jim Crow" become synonymous with the segregation laws in the South?
3. What Supreme Court case upheld segregation, or "separate but equal?"
4. Who was Rosa Parks and what was her role in the challenge of Jim Crow laws?
5. How and when were these laws finally invalidated?
Section 3: The Scottsboro Boys
Go to the following link and read about the Scottsboro Boys. Then answer the following questions.
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1456
1. What were The Scottsboro Boys known for? What did they do? How did they get in so much trouble?
2. When and where did the incident take place involving the Scottsboro Boys?
3. Who were the two women that accused the 9 boys and why did they do so?
4. List at least 3 reasons why the boys were convicted.
5. What organization stepped in to help the Scottsboro Boys after their convictions?
6. Why did the Supreme Court overturn the convictions of patterson and Norris?
7. How many times was Patterson put on trial for rape?
Section 4 The Great Depression
Click the links below to answer the following questions over the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.
http://www.history.com/topics/great-depression
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/dustbowl.htm
1. What was the Great Depression and how long did it last?
2. What is "Black Tuesday" and why does it mark the beginning of the Great Depression?
3. What institution failed causing great panic throughout the United States?
4. What president was inaugurated in 1933?
5. What were some of the changes made by this administration?
6. Many people believe that WWII marked the end of the Great Depression. How did the war affect the economy?
7. What was the Dust Bowl and about how long did it last?
8. What states were affected by the Dust Bowl?
9. What were the 2 reasons for the Dust Bowl?
Section 5
Look at the 10 photos of the Great Depression on the following website and then pick one of them to describe in detail. Use descriptive words so the reader visualize what you are describing.
http://history1900s.about.com/od/photographs/tp/greatdepressionpictures.htm
Credits
Penski, Cynthia. "To Kill a Mockingbird Web Quest." To Kill a Mockingbird WebQuest. Eaton Rapids Public Schools, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2015. <http://www.erpsk12.org/profiles/Cynthia_Jean_Penski_Profile/english-9/w…;.