A New Unit?

For a current college class that I am taking I need to develop a curricular integration project that utilizes the use of technology. While I have been thinking about this project during the whole class time (about 5 weeks now), I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to tackle it. Actually, I'm still not 100% sure. However, with that I think I will venture into the area of a webquest.

Students in the 9^th grade English will read the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” and concentrate on the essential question of: Is honor inherent or bestowed? I think that the web quest will be framed around the book but also places that can be explored while students are reading the book to help them determine the final answer to this question. I plan on having students read about “The Scottsboro Boys” trail from the 1930's. I feel that this will provide a connection that students will be able to relate to, and yet connect to the essential question being asked as well.

Students will also explore art and photographs from the time of the Great Depression. While looking at the art and photographs students will study the artists behind the pieces of work. All the while they will be looking for the connection to honor being inherent or bestowed.

Finally students will study the impact that the Jim Crow south had on the people of the time. How did these laws and practices contribute to honor?

I am just starting to piece this together, and maybe after some exploring I might find that this would be a great novel to do as an online Moodle type of class. I'm not sure. I do hope that as this project develops that I can utilize what I have learned and make something that when it's done, I can confidently hand it over to my classroom students and see success.

During the school year my students study themes rather than novels or topics. I feel that students today do not get enough exposure to ideas like honor and self respect/self worth. They are ideas that we use in life all the time, yet, when are they truly explained to the students? Sure, students are given the definition and the word to memorize at some point and time in their education, but we need to make sure they know how to “own” words like honor. We also need to teach students that they are worthy of having and helping give honor to others.