The Victorian Era: A WebQuest

A study of the setting of Charles Dickens’ novel, Great Expectations

Introduction

Task

Process

ResourcesEvaluationConclusion

INTRODUCTION• To fully appreciate an author’s work it is

important to understand not only the personal history of the author, but also the social, political, and economic contexts in which his work was created.

• Charles Dickens lived during the Victorian Era and he made it the setting of Great Expectations.

• Thus, we must figure out what the Victorian Era was like! Cont’

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introductionTap your Wizard of Oz shoes three times and feel yourself transported back in time to England during the 1900s: The Victorian Era.

Say farewell to President Obama; here there is no president, only a ruling queen. Here, you’re not dating your girlfriend or boyfriend, you’re courting. You commit a felony and you had better get used to the ball and chain because you’re canned for life. You don’t watch television, play video games, or edit your facebook profile for fun. You read Charles Dickens’ latest installment of Great Expectations. That is, if you can read and you’ve been privileged enough to get an education.

Welcome to Victorian England . . .

Here it from Dickens himself!

TASK

You will become better acquainted with this new world you’ve been placed in by . . .

• Researching a particular aspect of the Victorian Period and Industrial Revolution in England using provided internet resources,

• Sharing your research with a group,

• Presenting your research to the class with your group.

Victorian England

PROCESS: Here’s How1. Mrs. Tate will divide the class into 4 groups of 5 students.

Find your group members.

2. Your group will be given 5 topics. Each group member will research 1 of the topics. The group members must decide who will be responsible for the topics.

3. You must research your topic using the Internet. Begin with the websites Mrs. Tate provides for you

and branch out to other internet sites as necessary.

4. Mrs. Tate will also provide you with questions to guide your research. These are suggested questions and ideas for inquiry.

You do not have to answer every question but use them as a test of how well you know your topic. Take notes as you research on the notes handout provided.Cont’

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5. Find your group members and share your findings. Discuss. Mrs. Tate will give each group a chart divided into 5

columns with each column labeled for a different topic.

While one student presents his or her notes to the group, another student will write at least 5 facts about the topic in the appropriate column in the chart.

Then the next student will share with the group and another student will record the notes on the chart.

This will continue until each group member has shared his or her topic and written on the chart. Ultimately, each topic should have 5 facts under it (not complete sentences, only key words or phrases).

6. Mrs. Tate will choose 1 of the 5 topics for your group to present to the class. Each student in the group will be responsible for

sharing 1 of the 5 facts about the topic selected by Mrs. Tate.

PROCESS: Here’s How

RESOURCES Select your topic to find a list of questions to guide

your research.

QUEEN VICTORIA

& POLITICS

Roles of society

Justice crime &

punishmenteconomics, factories, &

tradesFamily &

education

Cont’d

RESOURCESBBC’s History Trail of Victorian Britain

Find information on industry and invention; earning a living; social conditions; the state, education, and health; women at home; and women out and about.

The Victorian Web A resource on the Victorian Era in general, including

facts on a range of topics.

Virtual Victorians Visit the “Themes Gallery” and “Victorian Legacy” for

truly interesting primary documents and pictures related to your topic.

The Victorians Facts about the daily life of Victorians: work,

play, education, family life, and much more.

Begin your research by exploring the sites below. You may choose to expand your research by discovering other sites as well.

QUEEN VICTORIA &

POLITICS

• Who was Queen Victoria? What are important biographical details about her?•What important events preceded her reign?•When did she reign?•What were the major political events during her reign (in England)?•What important international political events occurred during her reign?•How did the people view Queen Victoria?• How do you think people in England or in America would view the idea of a female leader today?•What contributions did she make to British society, literature, politics, etc.?•How is Queen Victoria remembered today?•Who rules England today and makes decisions for the country? How does this compare to America’s system of leadership?

Resources

Queen Victoria & Politics Research Notes Handout

ROLES OF SOCIETY

Resources

Roles of Society Research Notes Handout

• How did men and women interact?•Who could be a lady or gentleman in 19th century England?• Explain the importance of one’s birthright in Victorian England.• What role did a person’s past play in his/her life?• Compare the importance of roles in society then and now.• What were dating, coursthip, and marriage “rules”? How do they compare to today’s customs of dating and marriage?

• Describe the various levels of society during the 19th century. What rules governed these levels?• What kinds of movement between these levels were possible for a man or woman?• How did adults address each other in the various levels of society?• Look at 19th century clothing as a reflection of the various levels of society. • Explain the roles of men and women. How were they alike? How were they different?• What was acceptable behavior and employment for men and women?

Justice, crime,& punishment

Resources

Justice, Crime, & Punishment Research Notes Handout

•How were convicts treated after their release from prison?• How do 20th century penal systems compare to those of the 19th century?• What were typical crimes and punishments in Victorian England?• What is a penal colony? Give an example of a penal colony.

• Study the penal system during the 19th century. What is a debtor’s prison?• What did a prison look like? Find pictures of a typical debtor’s prison and post on the class wiki.• What were prison conditions like?• Who was sent to debtor’s prison? Why?• What was Dickens’ stance on prisons and treatment of prisoners?• What were other types of prisons? For what were they used?

Economics, factories,& trades

Resources

Economics, Factories, & Trades Research Notes Handout

• What was the Industrial Revolution? • What was happening to the working person during the Industrial Revolution?• What was it like to work in factories? What was a typical day? Workweek? • What was the currency used in 19th century England? Convert the currency to dollars today.• How much money did the average worker make? Research the economic levels of other members of society during the 19th century.• Look at the economic picture of England during the reign of Queen Victoria. What were the prosperous years? The lean years?

•What were the common trades in England? Investigate the trades—especially Blacksmithing.• What view did society hole toward factories, trades, and the workers of each?• What is an apprenticeship? How does it differ from internships or job shadowing in today’s society?• How do the factories and trades of 19th century England compare with those of today?•Find pictures of equipment & tools used in the factories & trades. Post these on the class wiki. Explain the use of the trade tools.•How ere the tools in use during this time period different from those used today?

FAMILY AND EDUCATION

Resources

Families & Education Research Notes Handout

• What was the basic structure of the family during the 19th century?•With what kind of issues or struggles did families have to deal?•What were the living conditions like?•How were children’s destinies affected by their place in society?•How would the families of the 19th century compare with the families of today?•What types of problems did the youth of Dickens’ time face?•What solutions do you see to some of the problems of youth in that society?•How do they differ from the problems of youth today?•How did society at large look at children and youth during Dickens’ time?•What attitudes did adults hold toward youth?•What was the educational structure in Dickens’ time?• Who went to school? How many years of education did people receive?•What was the focus of the school curriculum?•Compare the educational systems of the 19th century and the 20th century.• Would you prefer going to school in the 19th century or 20th century? Explain.

Evaluation: RubricCriteria Advanced Proficient Basic Below Basic

Note-taking & Research:

How well you worked

independently

Accurate, relevant, & interesting data recorded that provides an excellent understanding of the topic; responses to higher-order questions demonstrate insight; all questions answered

Accurate & relevant data recorded that provides a sufficient understanding of the topic; some interesting facts; almost all questions answered; responses to higher-order questions demonstrate thoughtfulness

Mostly accurate & relevant data recorded that provides a basic understanding of the topic; few interesting facts; most questions are answered; responses to higher-order questions lack insight

Minimal and/or inaccurate/irrelavant data recorded that does little to help audience understand the topic; no interesting facts; little effort to answer questions; responses to higher-order questions are dull

Collaboration:

How well you worked with

others

Student observed listening to, respecting, & supporting the ideas & efforts of group members & contributing constructively to project in written and oral form; chart is neat, & legible

Student observed listening to & respecting the ideas & efforts of group members and contributing to project in written and oral form; chart is neat, & legible

Student observed listening to ideas of group members on and off and contributing to project in written and oral form; chart is neat & mostly legible

Student observed not listening to ideas or respecting efforts of group members and not contributing positively in written and/or oral form; chart is messy & difficult to read

Listening Skills:

How well you listen to other groups give

their presentations

Student gives the presenter his or her full attention and doesn’t interrupt

Student gives the presenter some attention and doesn’t interrupt

Student does not listen, but does not interrupt others

Student does not listen and/or interrupts others

Presentation Skills:

How well you speak to and look at your

audience

Student maintains eye contact throughout; chart is a tool not a crutch; uses clear, audible voice; sounds engaging and enthusiastic

Student maintains eye contact most of the time; chart is a tool not a crutch; clear, audible voice

Student occasionally uses eye contact; relies too heavily on chart; low voice that is difficult to hear

Student relays information with no or minimal eye contact; prefers contact with chart rather than audience; mumbles inaudibly

Cont’d

Evaluation: Self/Group Assessment

Question Answer

How helpful were the Internet Resources for researching your topic?Which Internet Resource did you find most helpful? Least helpful?Rate your individual researching effort for this webquest on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being no effort and 5 being above and beyond. Explain rating.Rate your individual effort while sharing with your group (respect and support of opinions, clear explanation) and creating the group chart (contribution, neatness) on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being no effort and 5 being above and beyond. Explain rating.Rate your individual effort while presenting to class (clarity, eye contact, poise, elocution) on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being no effort and 5 being above and beyond. Explain rating.Rate your presentation performance as a group on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being no effort and 5 being above and beyond. Explain rating.What did you learn through working on this project and collaborating with other people?

CONCLUSIONIt’s time to tap your Wizard of Oz shoes again and return to 21st

century America. Though you have just concluded your webquest, you have only just begun your study of Great Expectations. Your knowledge of Victorian England will help you understand the characters, places, social situations, and events that you encounter as you read the novel. To see just how much you’ve learned and its value, see if you can tell anything more about these characters from their short description:

Mrs. Joe Gargery – She constantly wears an apron.

Joe Gargery – He is a blacksmith.

Pip – He is an orphan.

The convict – He is just that: an escaped criminal.

Without having even begun reading you can already infer so much about these important characters just from your webquest study! Now it’s time to meet them in the book. Start reading!