Fahrenheit 451 – WebQuest Project



Fahrenheit 451 – WebQuest Project

English 9 2011

A Web Quest project uses the resources of the Internet to explore and answer questions pertaining to a particular topic. We are going to explore the issue of censorship – past and present.

Introduction

Learn about censorship in today’s society. How does society affect the life of a teenager? Draw comparisons between censorship today and Ray Bradbury’s life experiences. Write a response that examines the influence of society on an individual and how Ray Bradbury reacted to the dystopian control in his lifetime. Is censorship dystopian control or a necessary protection for all citizens?

Task

The WebQuest will have three parts:

Part I – requires you to explore Web sites on censorship in the past and the present. You will be given a selection of web sites related to these issues from which to choose. Take notes and print out important information needed for your response.

Part II – requires you to gather and organize your information on a modern day censorship issue that affects teenagers today. Select a topic for your response.

Part III – write a 2-3 paragraph response on a contemporary censorship issue using materials from your research. The essay must use information from your research, so you will need to take notes as you explore the sites. (Remember to record reference/citation information.)

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Part I: Background

Explore these websites for information on the kinds of historical censorship Ray Bradbury discusses in Fahrenheit 451: For this part of the WebQuest, I will be collecting answers to the questions that accompany each web site. Copy and paste each question then answer each question in complete sentences in a separate word document. NO PLAGARISM – use your own words to answer each question!!

Step I: Who is Ray Bradbury?

• When was Ray Bradbury born?

• Is he still living?

• What major life events or ideas may have influenced Ray Bradbury while growing up?



Step II: Nazi Book Burning:

What is significant about the date May 10, 1933?

In what way might the pictures of book burning images inspire Bradbury to write Fahrenheit 451?

What effect do you think the burning of books had on the authors whose works were burned?





Step III: Dystopian Society:

• Define dystopian

• What are some important characteristics of a dystopian society?

• How does a person feel when living in a dystopian society?



How might history have inspired Bradbury to write Fahrenheit 451? (one paragraph response)

Part II: Censorship

As you conduct your research, think about the censorship issues that are in the news today. The questions listed below are designed to guide your thinking for the response you will write in Part III. I will not be collecting answers to them, but the essay should demonstrate that you have thought about them.

Questions to consider as you prepare your paper:

Who is in favor of these limitations?

Why are they in favor of them?

Who is opposed?

Why are they opposed?

Which side do you agree with? Why?

What types of censorship exist at Jefferson Township High School?

Sample Essay Topics to consider for your essay:

➢ Video Game Warning Labels ~ Protect the innocent children!

➢ Labeling of Music to keep our youth safe from harmful lyrics!

➢ Movie Ratings: (PG-13/R) Controlling your right to view a movie based on age!

➢ Book Banning: Remove books from the shelves of libraries to protect our society!

Part III: Response Prompt

❖ This 2 paragraph response reports on a type of censorship and the relevance to today’s society.

❖ Your response does not need to answer every question, but you must state your opinion about the controversy and use information you have gathered from the WebQuest and your own research to support your opinion.

❖ You must include a list of website you used for your research.

Evaluation

Your WebQuest Project will be evaluated in two ways:

First, I will evaluate your answers to the Questions asked about the individual web sites in Part I. I will be looking to see that you have explored the web sites effectively, and that you have thought about the information you found there. (

Second, I will be grading the essay you wrote for Part II. I will look to see how effectively you have used information and ideas from this WebQuest to support your opinions on one of the censorship topics explored in Part II.

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