TKAMWebquest

Jim Crow WebQuest toc

The novel // To Kill a Mockingbird // is about a young girl growing up in rural Alabama in the 1930's. Her father is a lawyer in the town assigned to defend Tom, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Taken for granted in the story is an understanding of Jim Crow Laws and culture. You will now investigate further on these laws and the people who were affected by the laws. You will work in teams of three to explore various websites that will help you gain a better understanding of the Jim Crow Era. Each one of you will take on the role of a historical researcher searching for information on the Jim Crow South. You will examine the birth of legal racial separation, the history of Jim Crow, and actual Jim Crow Laws; you will read the stories of individuals who overcame the odds and resisted Jim Crow Laws, listen to interviews of African-Americans who were directly affected by the restrictions set on them, look at racial turmoil throughout the US in this time period, and examine photographic evidence of the Jim Crow laws and their enforcement. Your mission as historical researchers is to uncover what it was really like to be black during a time of extreme racism and segregation, and to make an emotional connection to the lives of African-Americans. Without this understanding, the book will be much harder to comprehend.
 * __Introduction__ **

** __The Mission__ **
As historical researchers, you will be required to work as a group to complete this mission before you can begin reading // To Kill a Mockingbird //. Here is a description of what you and your group must do:
 * === Research Log ===
 * A detailed research log. Fill out on the wiki page linked here.
 * === Personal Response ===
 * Individually write a personal response that reflects your research and your personal response to that research
 * === Research Conference ===
 * In a research conference on the Jim Crow Era, you will share you team’s findings

Before you begin the research process, look at this site for guidelines to the way your group should work together for the best possible score.

__ **The Process** __
Before you do anything else, you must choose which role each group member will have:
 * **Navigator**: This person will be responsible for navigating the web and making sure all URL's (web site addresses) are correct in the research log. You should be a strong reader and scanner, as you will be in charge of quickly finding the important information and relating it to your group members.
 * **Secretary:** This person will be the recorder for the team and is responsible for making sure that the research log is completed. __This will be the official log for the group and all group members will get a grade for it.__ //All group members must participate in discussing what goes into the log//. Your research log will begin once you enter the first site. Make sure that your group keeps a detailed log, otherwise your mission will not be complete.
 * **Speaker:** This person will be the spokesperson for your group during the research conference. __The Speaker's performance will count as a grade for the entire group.__ Make sure //all group members help to prepare the presentation// the Speaker will deliver.

Be ready to tell me who has what role for each group when I come around and ask.

//**Step One**//:
Visit the [|Plessy v Ferguson] site to get background on the Supreme Court case that legalized racial separation in the United States. Make sure that in addition to whatever other information you find relevant, you answer the following questions: Who was Plessy? What was his complaint? How did the Supreme Court rule? Was it unanimous? How did that

//**Step Two**//:
Visit [|The Origin of Jim Crow]to get background information on Jim Crow Laws. Create a timeline of events from 1843-1914 listing the major events on this site. Discuss this site together and complete the entry for your group's research log.

//**Step Three**//:
Visit [|Examples of Jim Crow Laws]. Here each team member will need to take individual notes. Each team member will choose one different law (each law must come from a different state). How would you react to having to obey that particular law? Record this information in your research log with the details of the law and the reactions of your group members.

//**Step Four**//:
Visit [|Jim Crow Profiles]. There is a list of 20 people and their profiles. Each group will choose // one // person to research. Before you begin your research, you must get your choice approved by the teacher. Groups will be approved on a first-come, first-serve basis. Each group member should take personalized notes on the individual being studied for use in your homework assignment. At minimum you should include the following information in your notes: name, date of birth, place of origin, major cause this person fought for, and major accomplishments. After each team member has completed his/her personal notes, make sure the research log has been completed for this part of the assignment.

//**Step Five**//:
Visit [|Jim Crow Narratives]. This site has 15 people telling their own stories of living under Jim Crow. Your team will now listen to a recording of one of these interviews. Before you begin your research, you must get your choice approved by the teacher. Groups will be approved on a first-come, first-serve basis. After you listen to the interview, you should take a minute or two to record your personal responses to the interview in your own notes; this will be needed for your homework assignment. How did you feel while listening to this person’s story? What effect did hearing the person’s voice have on you? As you listened to the interview, could you hear emotions that are similar to your own? If so, describe what emotions you heard and how you know. Make sure that your group has completed the research log for this part of the assignment. (See this link for working audio)

//**Step Six**//:
A number of students wonder why this was so accepted. As a matter of fact, there was a great deal of racial turmoil in this period. Each group needs to pick one of the following incidents to explore further (warning--some of these sites have pictures of violent situations): [|Atlanta, Georgia] [|East St. Loius, Missouri] [|Elaine, Arkansas] [|Knoxville, Tennessee] [|Omaha, Nebraska] [|Rosewood, Florida] [|Springfield, Illinois] [|Tulsa, Oklahoma] [|Washington, DC] Before you begin your research, you must get your choice approved by the teacher. Each group member should take personalized notes on the individual being studied for use in your homework assignment. At minimum you should include the following information in your notes: When did this event occur? What was the incident that started the riot? What happened to those responsible for starting the riot (if anything)? After each team member has completed his/her personal notes, make sure that you have completed the research log for this part of the assignment.

//**Step Seven**//:
Visit [|Photographs of Signs Enforcing Racial Discrimination: Documentation by Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information]. Your group must choose one photograph and complete a[| visual literacy exercise]. After your group has completed the VLG, make sure that the research log for this part of the assignment has been completed. The VLG will be turned in with the research log.

//**Step Eight**//:
Before you complete your research, make sure that your entire research log has been filled in and submitted to the teacher.

//**Step Nine**//:
If you complete these steps in advance of the other groups, you should explore some other Jim Crow sites that are provided below.

** __Research Conference__ **
As a closing activity for this project your group will share your research findings with the class. You should view this session as a research conference where all the teams have come together to share their findings. In this presentation of your findings, concentrate on the unique research your group did. Each group should be prepared to briefly summarize the following information:


 * The laws discussed within your groups (pick three--one from each group member?)
 * The person your group researched
 * The interview your group listened to
 * The incident of racial turmoil
 * The historical importance of the above
 * Your group's personal reaction to the findings

Remember that although your group's speaker will present your findings, this is a grade for the entire group. You are all expected to help prepare the presentation of the findings. This should be more than one member of the group reading the research to the rest of the class.


 * Possible methods of sharing information at the conference: **
 * Create a new wiki page that I can link to.
 * Present findings verbally, from note cards.
 * Use PowerPoint or [|Prezi] to make a visual presentation.
 * Make a poster or series of pages to show from the ELMO.

__ **Evaluation** __

 * || **A level work** || **B level work** || **C level work** || **D level work** ||
 * **Group Response** || All team members contributed and stayed on task. Each student performed his/her assigned role. Students worked together as one complete unit to complete the mission. || All team members contributed and stayed on task. Each student performed his/her assigned role. || Efforts for student collaboration were visible. Each student gave input, but group work did not yet come together as one unit. || Students illustrated little to no group collaboration. Individual effort was unequal and one student took on the majority of the tasks. ||
 * **Research Log** || Each site logged in and all information for that site noted. All questions for each site were answered and at least one example given when needed. When appropriate, personal (and emotional) responses of group members noted and backed up with evidence from the site. || Each site logged in and all information for that site noted. All questions for each site were answered. Group members' personal reactions noted, but not always backed up with evidence from the site. || Most sites logged in and some information for that site noted. Not all questions for each site were answered. Group members' personal reactions not always noted and not always backed up with evidence. || Did not log in many sites visited. Did not answer many of the questions asked. Mainly did not note group members' personal reactions and provided little evidence for what reactions were mentioned. ||
 * **Response Paper** || Student addressed all required elements of the paper, __and included information from additional sites__ in a well-organized fashion. Student included historical importance, and emotional affects. Formatting requirements were followed. || Student addressed the required questions in a well-organized paper. Student discussed the historical importance and emotional affects of the assignment. || Student addressed some of the required questions, but not all of them. Paper was well organized and coherent. || Student did not address the required questions. Formatting was not followed. ||
 * **Research Conference** || The Speaker addressed all required elements of the presentation, and included some additional information in a well organized talk. The Speaker included historical importance and emotional effects. The Speaker was easy to hear and understand. || The Speaker addressed the required elements in a well-organized talk. The Speaker discussed the historical importance and emotional effects of the assignment. The Speaker could be heard and understood. || The Speaker addressed some of the required elements, but not all of them. The presentation was organized and coherent. The Speaker needed to speak more loudly and/or more clearly. || The Speaker did not address most of the the required elements of the presentation. The Speaker needed to speak more loudly and more clearly. ||

** __Conclusion__ **
After investigation a number of sites related to the Jim Crow Laws, you should have a better understanding of the hardships that African Americans faced in this era. Jim Crow Laws affected all Americans, but African-Americans experienced the brutalities of segregation for many years.If you want to have a full understanding of what is going on in // To Kill a Mockingbird //, you have got to understand the extent to which Jim Crow laws had become part of the "normal" way Americans treated each other at this time. The goal of this assignment was to help you make an emotional connection to what Tom and other black people experienced, as well as gain historical knowledge of the Jim Crow South.

** Why Is This Still Important? **
The Legacy of Jim Crow lives on to this day. On 25 April, 2013, the Washington Post ran this article about segregated proms in Georgia.

** For Further Research **
[|Who Was Jim Crow?]

[|What Was Jim Crow?]

[|The Plessy v. Ferguson Decision of the Supreme Court of the United States of America]

[|Justice Harlan's Dissent to Plessy (excerpt)]

[|The History of Jim Crow]

[|Remembering Jim Crow]


 * End of Jim Crow Webquest **

This webquest was adapted from "[|Jim Crow South]" by Tanya Mijajlovic Original website: http://mrbe9.wikispaces.com/To+Kill+a+Mockingbird+Background

Photographs
[|Alabama--Dallas|Alabama—Selma]

[|Alabama--Eutaw|Alabama--Eutaw]

[|Alabama—Greensboro|Alabama—Greensboro]