Web assignments

January 2004



ASSIGNMENT 1

19th century

Group work

 The articles on servants have given you a bit of inside information on the life of servants in families in the (late) 19th century. This assignment encourages you to research life in the 19th century, in order to give you some background information to help you understand texts and plays from that century better. Make this assignment in groups of 3-5 persons.


A. General research
Group work
20 minutes

Search the Internet for answers to the following questions.
  1. What is the Victorian age?
  2. What changes took place in Victorian times?
  3. What classes can you distinguish in Victorian times?
  4. Who reigned over Britain before Queen Victoria in the 19th century?
  5. Give the names of five writers and two poets of 19th century you've heard of, or whose work sounds familiar to you. Also, give the title of one of their major works and the date of publication of this work.
  6. Look up what happened in 1815, 1851, 1857 and 1870 and why these events were so important. You can use a search engine but the links at the bottom of this page may also be of use to you.

B. In depth research
Take a look at the following subjects and elect in your group one topic you'd like to research more comprehensively. Again, the list of homepages may contain useful websites. When you come across information that is useful for other groups, pass this on to them. This way you can help each other. The questions that are formulated after the topics are merely meant as guidelines; there is no need to answer all of them, as long as you become aware of the 19th century way of life and show this in your report.

What you need to do is write a report (approx. 750 words) in your group in which you explain about your subject in the 19th century. You may focus on one era or period of time (for instance the Victorian times or the period from 1850-1860), or give an overview of the way the view on your subject changed throughout the 19th century. You may also decide to focus on one class, or base your research on one book you've read that takes place in the 19th century, but explain in your introduction why you have chosen for that focus. It's probably best to decide on your focus while surfing the Internet, to see which information you can find and what you consider most interesting. You may also decide to choose another topic that isn't listed underneath, but you should discuss this with your teacher first. Make sure your report has a proper layout and add a list of the web pages you've used. Don't copy and paste information from the Internet for your report, but use your own words.

Topics:
- Schooling
Who went to school? What ways of education were there? From what age till what age did children go to school? Did boys and girls get the same education? Did it make a difference whether you had rich or poor parents, or whether you were an orphan? What subjects were taught at school? Did the pupils have to wear uniforms? Did the students have homework or books? In what way did schooling and the way people regarded education change throughout the 19th century? What information do you get about private schools in 19th century England from books such as 'Tom Brown's schooldays' by Thomas Hughes?

- Food and Celebrations
What food did the people in the 19th century eat? What changed during the century when it comes to eating habits? Can you find any typical meals, or any food that was eaten typically at important occasions? What did a working class family typically eat? When did the upper class have diner, generally? What did a typical Christmas look like for the lower and the higher classes? What would have been on the menu?

- Daily Occupation
How did people spend their time? What did a typical day look like from someone from the working class, the middle class or the upper class? Were there typical 'male' and 'female' occupations? What did the children do, if they had any leisure time at all? Were there any toys, and if so, what kind? What role did religion play? What religion did people generally have in 19th century Britain? Were there any rules for social events like balls or dinners? When were young people first allowed at 'adult' parties? What was considered 'fun' or 'humorous' in the 19th century?

- Child Labour
Did child labour still exist in the 19th century? In what way were children forced to work, did all children go to work or only children of certain classes? What kind of work was there for children and young people? Was there any law that protected children against child labour? How did people regard child labour in the beginning and at the end of the 19th century? Why did children have to work? Can you think of any 19th century writers who wrote about child labour? What was their opinion on child labour?

- Health
What was medical care like in the 19th century? What did the public health acts and the Sanitary Reform Movement change? What was hygiene like in the 19th century? What kinds of illnesses were common in the 19th century? Do these illnesses still exist nowadays? Can you find any literary references to illnesses, medical care and health care? What were bathrooms like in the 19th century in the houses of the upper class, the middle class and the lower classes? Did people have toiletries like soap, toothpaste, shampoo or deodorant? How old did people get in general? Did life expectation increase during the century?

- Gender relations
What were relations between men and women like in the 19th century? What rights did women have back then? Were women supposed to have an opinion on important topics like literature, politics, economics or music? Were boys and girls raised separately or did this depend on class? Did boys and girls have certain obligations? What was marriage like in the 19th century; were the marriages arranged or did this depend on class as well? Did love play any part? Was there any sign of feminism or emancipation already, either in literature or in reality? Were women considered superior, inferior or equal to men?

- Clothing and appearance
What kinds of clothes were worn by the different classes? What clothes were worn for which occasions? Was it already custom to wear black at funerals and white at weddings? Can you find any literary references to dresses or suits, for instance in Jane Eyre or in Pride and Prejudice? What did working people wear? How often did people change clothes? What kind of shoes were worn? What did the children wear? Till what age were they supposed to wear children's clothing? What about accessories like hats and gloves? Did one wear these inside as well or not, or did this depend on the situation? What kind of haircut was popular? Did this depend on class as well?

C. Presentation Of course, you can just stand in front of class and read out your report, but that would be pretty boring. So instead, think of a creative way of passing on -part of- your knowledge to your fellow students in class, in a short 10-minute presentation. You can do this for instance in the form of a play, a graphic presentation with sheets or drawings, a (rap-) song, a story, a discussion, a tableau (in which (part of) your group represents a major event, and the 'audience' has to guess which event is meant) or a game, a 19th century food-tasting, a fashion show or a quiz, as long as you make pass on some information about your research to the group. After your presentation, the class may ask you more questions about your research. Your teacher will take in the reports.

Useful links:
Basic and rather detailed information on Victorians/19th century England:
http://www.victorianweb.org/
http://www.victorians.org.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/victorians/victorians.shtml
http://www.romanceeverafter.com/the_victorians.htm
http://www.regencylady.com/repository/Town_Bronze/
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/terrace/adw03/peel/marjie.htm
Information on (mainly) women's issues in the 19th century
http://womenshistory.about.com/cs/marriage19th/
Basic, mostly not very detailed information on the life of Victorians and Victorian children:
http://www.snaithprimary.eril.net/victoria.htm
http://www.nettlesworth.durham.sch.uk/time/victorian/vindex.htm
http://www.thegrid.org.uk/learning/hals/victorians.htm
Timeline of 19th century Britain/Britain in Victorian times
http://members.aol.com/noctifer01/private/VampHome/LbN/History/timeline19.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/england/vic_victoria_accession.shtml
Annotations to 19th century literature with useful references to life in that era (among others references to health issues, social issues, gender issues, family issues, &c):
http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/pptopics.html
http://students.washington.edu/cgiacomi/courses/english200/bibliography/group7.html
http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/lit-med/lit-med-db/webdocs/webdescrips/bronte280-des-.html
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/janeeyre/
On Tom Brown's Schooldays (by Thomas Hughes)
http://www.literature.org/authors/hughes-thomas/tom-browns-schooldays/
http://www.wesclark.com/rrr/tombrown.html
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/1896/tombrown.html
On Charles Dickens and his work
http://www.fidnet.com/~dap1955/dickens/
http://www.bibliomania.com/0/0/19/46/frameset.html
http://www.helsinki.fi/kasv/nokol/dickens.html
http://www.online-literature.com/dickens/olivertwist/
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/oliver/






ASSIGNMENT 2

Leaving home

Group work

 You've read two articles on young people who are about to leave home or have left home to study, the expectations they have and the (financial) problems they got into. In this exercise, the aim is to become aware of the costs of living when you are leaving home, and how you can find out what living on your own and studying -for instance in the UK- might cost. Do these exercises in groups of 3 to 5 persons.

A. Moving out - budgeting.
Probably you're still living with your parents presently, but no doubt you've thought of the moment you will leave your parents' house and have an apartment of your own. For this exercise you won't need the Internet yet, just discuss the following questions in your group and write down the answers.
  1. You've read the article 'Young, gifted and broke'. What do you think of the way the young people in that article behaved, where their finances were concerned? How do you think you can avoid getting into financial problems when you're moving out?
  2. What would you do if you had to economise because your income doesn't cover your expenses? For instance, would you spend less money on entertainment such as going to the pub or the cinema, or would you spend less on daily groceries, stop smoking or drinking, quit the sports club or unsubscribe from the newspaper or magazine you used to read? What alternatives can you think of for these budget cuts? Make a list of at least 10 ways to limit your expenses and alternatives for these cuts, for instance, quitting the sports school and instead take a run in the park every morning. Organise your ideas in a table to order them more clearly.
  3. How much money do you think you'll spend in a month? Make a list of all expenses you think you'll have in a month when living on your own (in a student home or an apartment) and studying. Start by making a list of all items that should be listed on your budget, like rent, college fees, food and phone costs. Make sure the list is more or less complete; you wouldn't want to be surprised by additional costs when you were studying. When you've finished the list, try to estimate how much money you'd need for all these expenses. Would the list and the amounts of money spent be the same if you were to study in the UK? What would be similar or different? Which entries wouldn't be required, and which should be added? Which things would be cheaper in the UK and which would be more expensive, do you think?
NB: In your budget, you don't have to include all items you only need to purchase once (if you're lucky), like a washing machine, a bike, a vacuum cleaner, a couch, a bed and mattress, a gas stove or costs for decorating your room or apartment).

B. Moving out - financial reality
  1. Suppose you decide that, after you've finished school, you don't want to start at a Dutch college or university directly, but that you'd like to give it a try at an English college. In 'at home and away', one of the articles you've read, the three teenagers who are interviewed went or go to the University College of London, the University of Leeds and the City of Westminster College. Try to find these three colleges on the Internet and note down their web addresses.
  2. Take a look at the homepages. Which college seems most attractive to you, if you had to choose one of these three to attend for a year? On what grounds do you think so? For instance, your decision might be based on the contents of the courses, the atmosphere, the location, the extra activities or the rules and regulations of the college. Discuss your choice with the other members of your group and select the college you like best.
  3. Once again, go to the homepage of the college you've selected. Now, try to find information concerning the fees. Remember that you are supposed to be a 'foreign exchange student from an EU country'; in most cases, fees for foreign students and British students are different. Note down the amount you're supposed to pay for one year of study.
  4. Now take a look at the list you made in exercise A, question 3 and search the Internet for information on costs of living in the UK. How much money would you need monthly in the UK? Make a budget as you did in A3 with the information you've found on the Internet. If you find contrasting information, try to explain the difference and estimate how much you would spend. Always mention your sources, and don't use one source of information only.
When you have finished, compare the information you've found with the estimation you made earlier. Are they similar or do they differ a lot? In your group, discuss and explain the differences, if any, both in entries in the estimation (for instance, have you left out certain entries, or forgotten about them) and in amounts (did you estimate certain costs of living to be higher or lower).

C. Moving out - recommendations
Suppose you have a friend who wants to study abroad, in the UK but who isn't a real genius on the Internet. He or she is not familiar with the Internet or search engines, and has therefore asked for your help. Your friend needs a list of homepages with information about living costs in Britain, both in London and elsewhere, information on moving out and what to do in case of trouble that is connected to moving out, like financial problems, but also concerning finding your way around, how to create a social network and homesickness, for instance. In your group, select five homepages you'd consider suitable for your friend. Explain why you have chosen these five pages and write down shortly, in about five lines for each page, what the page is about and what information your friend can find on this page.





ASSIGNMENT 3

The Cambridge spies

A. Cambridge Spies - The BBC drama
Pair/Group work
30 minutes

The article you've read on the Cambridge Spies was written because the BBC has recently started broadcasting a series on these spies. Search the Internet for more information on the series and answer the following questions:
  1. Who is Peter Moffat?
  2. How does the BBC portray the Cambridge Spies and why have they been portrayed like this?
  3. What were the reasons for the Cambridge Spies to betray their country, according to Moffat?
  4. Why was it so hard to make a truthful drama series?
  5. How did the press react to the series? Collect at least three newspaper reviews and write down what their opinion is on the series, why they have this opinion and if the paper is British, American or other. Order your information in a table.
B. Cambridge Spies - the reality
Pair/Group work
30 minutes
  1. The article doesn't give us a lot of information about the Cambridge spies before they met at College or after they fled the country. Focus on one of the four men and search the Internet for information about him. Organise the information you have found in a timeline. You should collect at least 10 facts that can be placed in the timeline. Try to include new information that wasn't included in the article you've read as well.
    Pages on which you might be able to find more information:
    http://www.angelfire.com/oz/1spy/
    http://www.crimelibrary.com/spies/cambridge/cambridgemain.htm
    http://www.paperlessarchives.com/philby.html
    http://www.bvalphaserver.com/article7880.html
    http://www.who2.com/kimphilby.html

  2. Some articles mention that there might have been a fifth Cambridge spy. Search for the name of this spy. Why isn't he normally included? In what way is he different from the others? What similarities can you find?
C. Controversial persons
Group work
60 minutes
As you might have noticed, some people were quite shocked that the BBC was doing a series on the Cambridge Spies. There has certainly been a lot of discussion about the four men and their reasons for betraying their country and, as the article explains as well, where some people might see them as 'men of principle who waged a private war against a corrupt and pitiless establishment', others consider them to be misfits or despicable traitors.
  1. Can you think of any other people who are loved by one group of people but disliked by another? Don't limit your thoughts to spies, but think of other groups of people as well; for instance political leaders, pop stars, sportsmen, activists, businessmen or scientists. In your group, try to compile a list of at least ten 'controversial people'.
  2. Take a look at your list. Why are these people adored by one group and disliked by the other? For instance, a football player can be admired for his athletic qualities, but disliked by another -or maybe by some people from the same- group for his behaviour outside the stadium. Organise your information in a table in which the first column contains the name of the 'controversial person', the second column why some people like him or her, and the third why others dislike him or her.
  3. In your group, select one person from your list to do further research on. Make sure you pick someone famous; it is highly unlikely that you will find much information on the local greengrocer or the principal of your primary school on the Internet, if you've included them in your list.

    4. Search the Internet on information on the person you've selected, both information that confirms the view of the people in the second column and information that confirms the view of the people in the third column. Write down the address of the homepages you've found the information on and write down if the homepage is mainly positive or mainly negative about your subject, and for which reasons. Also write down some general information about the homepage; what kind of homepage is it, what's the aim of the homepage. Select at least six homepages.
  4. When you've finished your research, take a look at the homepages and the information you've gathered. Which homepage is most objective, do you think? Which information sounds most reliable to you? Why? Discuss these questions in your group and sort the homepages in order of reliability and objectivity.
  5. Now discuss your subject. Which group do you support, the people who dislike the person you've selected, or the ones who admire him or her? Why? Take a look at the information your group has marked as 'most reliable' and 'most objective'. Do you agree with their information or not?
  6. Individually, write a short essay (approx. 100 words) why the person you've selected is such a controversial personality, and why you like or dislike him or her.






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