WebQuest for 7 th Grade (Social Studies & Language Arts)
Introduction | Task | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion
Introduction
Setting the Scene
When Napoli’s story begins, you are instantly reminded of the famous fairy tale, “Cinderella.” However, that is simply a metaphor for what happens in real life. Many of us grow up with the Disney version where magic and fantasy fulfill an underprivileged girl’s dreams. Napoli will transform you into a much different and more realistic version, while at the same time introducing you to much of Chinese culture/geography before the Cultural Revolution in China.
The Task
hile reading Bound you will learn more about the Chinese culture and geography. In order for you to truly understand these events and to share with others your knowledge, you will need to complete the activities in this WebQuest.
Once you have completed the novel and the other activities, you create a Power Point presentation to present to your peers. The Pathfinders will present on March 5, 2008.
The Process
Follow these steps in order to successfully complete this WebQuest.
- Reading Activity - Read the novel Bound by Donna Jo Napoli
- Mapping Activity
Websites to assist you:
Lonely Planet
National Geographic
«
Make sure your map has the following elements :
o
Major cities - Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xian
o
Major rivers - Yellow River, Yangtze River, Pearl River
o
Major waters - Pacific Ocean, South China Sea
o
Major Sites - Great Wall, Forbidden City
o
Major places - Indicate the places/route in red that the main character encounters.
- Writing Blog Activity
- You have learned a lot of important information regarding life for Chinese people, specifically for early Chinese women. Write a detailed Blog from each of the categories below.
- Also, please begin your Blog with a title (the bog question you’re doing)
- Your first name, last initial only should appear at the bottom of each Blog.
- Don't forget that a good article contains the answers to the following questions: who? what? when? where? why?
- You will later link your Blogs to a Power Point Presentation.
Reading Skills and Strategies Blog Categories
Evaluate Fact and Opinion:
(Choose 1 of the 2) |
Make Judgments and Decisions:
(Choose 1 of the 3) |
Understand Cause and Effect:
(Choose 1 of the 4) |
Recognize Point of View: |
- The author alludes to the fact that females shouldn’t be educated, however Xing-Xing is in a certain fashion. How does this both aide and inhibit her?
- Frequently throughout the novel, superstitions are brought to the spotlight. Describe in at least 3 instances how superstitions played a role in defining the culture of the people around Xing-Xing.
|
- Identify some of the most trying decisions Xing-Xing must make and discuss their outcomes.
- How are her decisions complicated by the pressure to aid her step sister?
- How are her decisions influenced by her stepmother or memory of her own mother?
- How would you have made these same choices and what their decisions would have been.
|
- Frequently, Xing-Xing is shocked by the indifference of treatment between the genders and social classes.
- How does the stepmother’s opinion of the blind raccoon change and how did it help her gain her objective?
- The author alludes to the fact that females shouldn’t be educated, however Xing-Xing is in a certain fashion. How does this both aide and inhibit her?
- What is the significance of Xing-Xing’s decision to wear her mother’s dress/shoes to attend the festival?
- What was the effect of the stepmother’s decision concerning the beautiful fish and how did it impact Xing-Xing?
|
Consider the differences in how various characters feel throughout the this time in China, and write a paragraph from the perspective of one of the following characters detailing significant details about the your lifestyle to communicate to the world:
- Xing-Xing
- Wei Ping
- Step mother
- Master Tang’s boy
- Yao Wang
- Beautiful fish
- Xing-Xing’s father
|
Use these sites to help you gather additional information about Donna Jo Napoli:
Donna Jo Napoli Homepage
Interview with Donna Jo Napoli
- Power Point Presentation
Now that you have completed steps 1-4. I will choose your partners that you will collaborate with to create a Power Point Presentation. You will all be presenting to one Social Studies core about the Culture in China and Donna Jo Napoli’s Bound. You will be the presenter/teacher, so be ready with all materials to fill 50 minutes of core time. If you need copies made, give to Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. George, Mr. Fields, or Mrs. Spataro at least 2 days prior to presentation date to proof and make copies.
Your Power Point should include:
- Title page with all your names
- Choose 1 of your maps to scan and include in the Power Point
- At least 10 slides describing the culture/lifestyle in China pre Cultural Revolution answering the following questions…..
- What Chinese customs and traditions uniquely define the Chinese people and culture?
- What are the striking differences and similarities between American and Chinese culture?
- How is Chinese culture changing/evolving?
- At least 5 slides with pictures detailing the foot binding
- At least 1 slide describing who Donna Jo Napoli is (include picture)
- At least 1 slide summarizing Bound
- Both your Writing Blogs linked
- Include Slide Transitions in between every slide
- Include at least 10 Custom Animations at any point in your presentation
- EVERYONE in your group should share in the development and presentation stage to receive full credit. Therefore, I’m not looking for 1 presenter or 1 developer – you ALL will do it ALL by sharing the workload!
GROUPS AND PRESENTATION CORES:
Core 1 |
Core 2 |
Core 3 |
Core 4 |
Emilio C.
Bayley C.
Zack Mc.
DeAsia S.
Kelly C. |
Matthew T.
Ravyn J.
Sam L.
Dumarkus P.
Ayeman K.
Xavier S. |
Nate C.
Jasmine B.
Zari L.
Briana S.
Jessica S. |
Evan H.
Caitlin L.
Annika R-H.
Alandra W.
Justin A.
Jordan S. |
Resources
News and Information on China
Labor Shortage in China
Inside China Today two weeks of current news are posted by the European InternetNetwork, Inc.
China News Digest
U.S. Department of State Background Notes on China
Country Studies: China
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
Complete Reference to China Site
New York Times: Search labor shortages and other keywords
Chinese Culture
Chinese Customs
Chinese Footbinding
Dragon Wings Multiple Resources
Traditional Chinese Festivals
Holidays and Observances
Chinese Wedding Traditions
China: Culture and Society
Index China: Guide to China's Past, Present and Future
Chinese Culture
Online Chinese Tools -- culture
Scenery Pictures: Top 10 Scenic Sites
Internet Guide for China Studie s -- search keywords
Religion in China (and philosophy)
Modern Chinese Lit, Film and Culture Chinese Traditional Medicine
Traditional Chinese MedicineChinese Herbal Medicine
POP CULTURE
ChinaStar: Chinese CelebritiesChinese Movie DatabaseChinese Pop Music
Chinese Music
Feng Shui Legends
Images
A Variety of Arts, from the Art of China Web site
The Splendors of Imperial China from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
Chinese Painting - China the Beautiful
Appreciation of The Art of Chinese Calligraphy from China the Beautiful
Picturing Power: Posters of the Cultural Revolution
view "online exhibit"
Pictures of China
Evaluation
Rubric
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now have a clearer understanding of what life was like in China pre Cultural Revolution. Don't forget that the more we know of such historical events the less likely the chance of this kind of event happening again. It’s also, time for you to present to your peers.
Last updated January 2008.
