​​To Kill a Mockingbird            Webquest 

To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama. The consciousness of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is awakened by the quiet heroism of one man’s struggle for justice. Through the young eyes of Atticus Finch’s children, Scout and Jem, Harper Lee explores the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930’s. To best understand the lessons of this great novel, you must first understand the author, the times, and the place in which the story is set. 
 
Your Task: Visit the websites provided below to uncover background information before starting the novel. Each website will also have a few questions for you to answer.  

The Process: All questions should be answered thoroughly, in complete sentences, and should include details from the sites. Use your own words and paraphrase as needed.

Evaluation: The questions will be graded for accuracy and detail and there will be a quiz over the information researched.    
   
Website #1 – The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/

1.      What was “Jim Crow”?
2.      Where did the term "Jim Crow" originate?
3.      What Supreme Court case upheld segregation, or "separate but equal"?
4.      What were the consequences of that decision? 

Website #2 –Jim Crow Laws       http://www.ferris.edu/news/jimcrow/what.htm

5.      Put three of these laws into your own words. 

Website #3 – The Great Depression  https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/great-depression-history

6.      Explain how the Wall Street Crash led to The Great Depression.
7.      Who were the Presidents during the 1930’s?
8.      How many people were unemployed in 1933? What did they do?  
9.      Social Problems: What social problems occurred in the USA as a result of the depression?
10.     Images of the Depression: How did it affect farmers? 

Website #4 – Sharecroppers   http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1613

11.  What were sharecroppers or tenant farmers?
12.  Especially after the Great Depression, what problems did sharecroppers have and leave as a “legacy”?
13.  What is the difference between cash renters and sharecroppers? 

Website #5 – The Scottsboro Boys https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/scottsboro-boys-who-were-the-boys/

14. Who were the Scottsboro Boys? How did they get into so much trouble?       
15. Where and when did the Scottsboro Boys' original trial take place? How do you think this affected the outcome of their trial?     
16. What does the NAACP acronym stand for? Why did the NAACP decide not to help the Scottsboro Boys?       
17. The Communist Party came to the aid of the Scottsboro Boys. How did the South perceive the Communist Party, and how was it similar to the perception of blacks? What was the Communist Party's hidden agenda in providing aid to the Scottsboro Boys?      
18. The Scottsboro Boy were not provided with adequate defense lawyers. Please list at least 3 ways in which the defense lawyers were inadequate.      
19. Describe the trials. Were they fair or unfair? Please include at least 3 supporting facts to back up your description.
20. Were the Scottsboro Boys ever pardoned of their convictions?      
21. The Scottosboro Boys' trial took place during the childhood of To Kill A Mockingbird's author, Harper Lee. Make a prediction about how this trial might be an important impetus for the book
Website #6 – Harper https://www.arts.gov/national-initiatives/nea-big-read/to-kill-a-mockingbird

22  When and where was Harper Lee born? What was her family like?    
23. Who was her childhood best friend?    
24. What did she study in college? Did she participate in any extra-curricular activities? Why might this be important to consider while reading To Kill A Mockingbird?    
25. How did her decision to move to New York make To Kill A Mockingbird a reality?    
26. What year was To Kill A Mockingbird published? When was it adapted to screen?     
27. Was Harper Lee honored in any way following the publication of To Kill A Mockingbird?    
28. Harper Lee's real life influenced many of the characters and events in To Kill A Mockingbird. Given what have you learned about her life (including personality traits, friends, family, experiences) make a prediction about what kinds of issues might surface in the book. Do you think that your knowledge about Harper Lee will influence your reading of the book? Should it influence your reading of the book? Why or why not?

Website #7 – To Kill a Mockingbird  http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged/index.cfm

29.  From 2000 to 2009, how frequently were books challenged?
30.  What reasons are frequently given for challenging books?
31. Look at the list of challenged classics. Where does TKAM fall and what reasons are given for it being challenged?
32.  Look at the list of books challenged by decade.  How many books do you see that you have read?  List 3 or 4 sample titles (books you have heard of) and include your feelings as to the reasons why these have been challenged.
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Website #8: https://www.history.com/news/how-photography-defined-the-great-depression

33. PHOTO ESSAY REFLECTION
When you are finished, look at the images in this photo essay. Choose one photo and copy and paste it into your document to include with your response to the prompt… Describe the way of life for a person living in the setting of this photograph. You can be creative here. Certainly, you will need to identify your person/character (indicating race, age, and gender might be important), the setting, and an overall daily routine. You may set this up as a journal entry or even a story of "a day in the life of ----". Remember, this is all based on the photo you have selected -- and your photo does not need to contain people. This should include many solid details -- make me feel that I know the character/person. You must write a minimum of three paragraphs.