Teacher Materials
About this WebQuest
This WebQuest is intended for the middle school student. The graphic nature of the content would generally not be considered appropriate for students below 7th or 8th grade. The WebQuest can be differentiated for different reading levels because it lends itself to be paired with other novels as well. (See other literature suggestions in the "Resources" section). If the educator plans to pair the WebQuest with Jane Yolen's, The Devil's Arithmetic, it is suggested that the book is read first so students are familiar with the topics that will come across during the course of their research.
This WebQuest and project could be completed on an individual basis (as presented) but could also be completed as a group project.
This WebQuest and project could be completed on an individual basis (as presented) but could also be completed as a group project.
Indiana State Standards
The following Indiana State Standards for English/Language Arts are addressed through this WebQuest and Project:
EL.8.3.3
Compare and contrast the motivations and reactions of literary characters from different historical eras confronting either similar situations and conflicts or similar hypothetical situations.
Example: Compare literary works that deal with the theme of the impact of war, both on those who fight in the battles and those who remain at home. Works could include Walt Whitman's poem "Drum-Taps" from the Civil War period, John Hersey's novel A Bell for Adano from World War II, or Graham Greene's novel The Quiet American, set in Vietnam at the beginning of the Vietnam conflict.
EL.8.3.4
Analyze the importance of the setting to the mood, tone, or meaning of the text.
Example: Discuss the importance of the setting, including the place, the time period, and the customs, to books, such as Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West or Stranded by Ben Mikaelsen.
EL.8.3.8
Contrast points of view - such as first person, third person, third person limited and third person omniscient, and subjective and objective - in narrative text and explain how they affect the overall theme of the work.
• First person: the narrator tells the story from the "I" perspective.
• Third person: the narrator tells the story from an outside perspective.
• Limited narration: the narrator does not know all thoughts of all characters.
• Omniscient narration: the narrator knows all thoughts of all characters.
• Subjective: the point of view involves a personal perspective.
• Objective: the point of view is from a distanced, informational perspective, as in a news report.
EL.8.4.10
Create an organizational structure that balances all aspects of the composition and uses effective transitions between sentences to unify important ideas.
EL.8.4.11
Identify topics; ask and evaluate questions; and develop ideas leading to inquiry, investigation, and research.
EL.8.4.4
Research Process and Technology:
Plan and conduct multiple-step information searches using computer networks.
EL.8.4.5
Achieve an effective balance between researched information and original ideas.
EL.8.4.9
Revise writing for word choice; appropriate organization; consistent point of view; and transitions among paragraphs, passages, and ideas.
EL.8.5.1
Write biographies, autobiographies, and short stories that:
• tell about an incident, event, or situation, using well-chosen details.
• reveal the significance of, or the writer's attitude about, the subject.
• use narrative and descriptive strategies, including relevant dialogue, specific action, physical description, background description, and comparison or contrast of characters.
Example: Write an autobiographical account of one of your most memorable first days of school. Describe the day and its importance clearly enough so the reader can see and feel the day from your perspective.
EL.8.5.3
Research Application:
Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research process (defines the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings) and that:
• uses information from a variety of sources (books, technology, multimedia) and documents sources independently by using a consistent format for citations.
• demonstrates that information that has been gathered has been summarized and that the topic has been refined through this process.
• demonstrates that sources have been evaluated for accuracy, bias, and credibility.
• organizes information by categorizing and sequencing, and demonstrates the distinction between one's own ideas from the ideas of others, and includes a bibliography (Works Cited).
Example: Research the topic of the benefits and drawbacks of public transportation. Conduct research to learn why some experts argue that we should use more public transportation. Survey parents and friends to find out how often they use public transportation for school, business, or pleasure travel. Summarize the findings and write a report on the pros and cons of public transportation.
EL.8.5.6
Write using precise word choices to make writing interesting and exact.
Example: Write stories, reports, articles, and letters using a variety of word choices. (Use adequately instead of enough. Use encyclopedia ormystery novel instead of book.)
EL.8.5.7
Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person, adjusting tone and style as necessary.
Example: Write a letter to the editor in response to an opinion column in your school or community newspaper.
EL.8.6.5
Punctuation:
Use correct punctuation.
EL.8.6.6
Capitalization:
Use correct capitalization.
EL.8.6.7
Spelling:
Use correct spelling conventions.
EL.8.7.10
Speaking Applications:
Deliver narrative presentations, such as biographical or autobiographical information that:
• relate a clear incident, event, or situation, using well-chosen details.
• reveal the significance of the incident, event, or situation.
• use narrative and descriptive strategies to support the presentation, including relevant dialogue, specific action, physical description, background description, and comparison or contrast of characters.
EL.8.7.11
Deliver oral responses to literature that:
• interpret a reading and provide insight, connect personal responses to the writer's techniques and to specific textual references.
• make supported inferences about the effects of a literary work on its audience.
• support judgments through references to the text, other works, other authors, or personal knowledge.
EL.8.7.15
Deliver descriptive presentations that:
• establish a clear point of view on the subject of the presentation.
• establish the presenter's relationship with the subject of the presentation (whether the presentation is made as an uninvolved observer or by someone who is personally involved).
• contain effective, factual descriptions of appearance, concrete images, shifting perspectives, and sensory details.
EL.8.3.3
Compare and contrast the motivations and reactions of literary characters from different historical eras confronting either similar situations and conflicts or similar hypothetical situations.
Example: Compare literary works that deal with the theme of the impact of war, both on those who fight in the battles and those who remain at home. Works could include Walt Whitman's poem "Drum-Taps" from the Civil War period, John Hersey's novel A Bell for Adano from World War II, or Graham Greene's novel The Quiet American, set in Vietnam at the beginning of the Vietnam conflict.
EL.8.3.4
Analyze the importance of the setting to the mood, tone, or meaning of the text.
Example: Discuss the importance of the setting, including the place, the time period, and the customs, to books, such as Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West or Stranded by Ben Mikaelsen.
EL.8.3.8
Contrast points of view - such as first person, third person, third person limited and third person omniscient, and subjective and objective - in narrative text and explain how they affect the overall theme of the work.
• First person: the narrator tells the story from the "I" perspective.
• Third person: the narrator tells the story from an outside perspective.
• Limited narration: the narrator does not know all thoughts of all characters.
• Omniscient narration: the narrator knows all thoughts of all characters.
• Subjective: the point of view involves a personal perspective.
• Objective: the point of view is from a distanced, informational perspective, as in a news report.
EL.8.4.10
Create an organizational structure that balances all aspects of the composition and uses effective transitions between sentences to unify important ideas.
EL.8.4.11
Identify topics; ask and evaluate questions; and develop ideas leading to inquiry, investigation, and research.
EL.8.4.4
Research Process and Technology:
Plan and conduct multiple-step information searches using computer networks.
EL.8.4.5
Achieve an effective balance between researched information and original ideas.
EL.8.4.9
Revise writing for word choice; appropriate organization; consistent point of view; and transitions among paragraphs, passages, and ideas.
EL.8.5.1
Write biographies, autobiographies, and short stories that:
• tell about an incident, event, or situation, using well-chosen details.
• reveal the significance of, or the writer's attitude about, the subject.
• use narrative and descriptive strategies, including relevant dialogue, specific action, physical description, background description, and comparison or contrast of characters.
Example: Write an autobiographical account of one of your most memorable first days of school. Describe the day and its importance clearly enough so the reader can see and feel the day from your perspective.
EL.8.5.3
Research Application:
Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research process (defines the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings) and that:
• uses information from a variety of sources (books, technology, multimedia) and documents sources independently by using a consistent format for citations.
• demonstrates that information that has been gathered has been summarized and that the topic has been refined through this process.
• demonstrates that sources have been evaluated for accuracy, bias, and credibility.
• organizes information by categorizing and sequencing, and demonstrates the distinction between one's own ideas from the ideas of others, and includes a bibliography (Works Cited).
Example: Research the topic of the benefits and drawbacks of public transportation. Conduct research to learn why some experts argue that we should use more public transportation. Survey parents and friends to find out how often they use public transportation for school, business, or pleasure travel. Summarize the findings and write a report on the pros and cons of public transportation.
EL.8.5.6
Write using precise word choices to make writing interesting and exact.
Example: Write stories, reports, articles, and letters using a variety of word choices. (Use adequately instead of enough. Use encyclopedia ormystery novel instead of book.)
EL.8.5.7
Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person, adjusting tone and style as necessary.
Example: Write a letter to the editor in response to an opinion column in your school or community newspaper.
EL.8.6.5
Punctuation:
Use correct punctuation.
EL.8.6.6
Capitalization:
Use correct capitalization.
EL.8.6.7
Spelling:
Use correct spelling conventions.
EL.8.7.10
Speaking Applications:
Deliver narrative presentations, such as biographical or autobiographical information that:
• relate a clear incident, event, or situation, using well-chosen details.
• reveal the significance of the incident, event, or situation.
• use narrative and descriptive strategies to support the presentation, including relevant dialogue, specific action, physical description, background description, and comparison or contrast of characters.
EL.8.7.11
Deliver oral responses to literature that:
• interpret a reading and provide insight, connect personal responses to the writer's techniques and to specific textual references.
• make supported inferences about the effects of a literary work on its audience.
• support judgments through references to the text, other works, other authors, or personal knowledge.
EL.8.7.15
Deliver descriptive presentations that:
• establish a clear point of view on the subject of the presentation.
• establish the presenter's relationship with the subject of the presentation (whether the presentation is made as an uninvolved observer or by someone who is personally involved).
• contain effective, factual descriptions of appearance, concrete images, shifting perspectives, and sensory details.
Graphic Organizers
The following graphic organizer may be helpful for students when planning their diary entries: