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Web assignments

September 2004

ASSIGNMENT 1

Arthur

The article 'Arthur rides in' gives us more information about the 'historically accurate' movie 'King Arthur'. Although some academics suggest that King Arthur never existed, others have numerous theories on his descent and life. In this exercise, you'll take a look at some of these theories and search the Internet for 'proof' of these theories.

A. The Legend and location.
In this exercise, your group is a tour operator company. You focus on trips in the UK, preferably thematic trips. As a good businessman, you try to keep up with the trends and hypes, and now that the movie 'King Arthur' has been released, you've decided that it might be a good idea to organize 'King Arthur' trips. A King Arthur trip should last about five days and consist of visits to at least four 'historical' Arthur sites. Nice extras, to get people in the mood for knights and swords, should be added of course. The problem is that you actually don't know that much about King Arthur, so your team will have to do a little research. Your first task is to decide on which part of England you'll focus on for your trip: Scotland, Wales or England. It's not really advisable to travel from England to Scotland just for some sightseeing, so it's best to choose locations to visit that are relatively close to another. Split your group up in three smaller groups (1-2 persons in each group). One group will search for the Welsh interpretation of the Arthurian legend and summarise the information they've found and list the websites used, another group will do the same for England, and the third will focus on Scotland. When you have finished, report on your findings and decide which legend seems most promising to base your tour on. Make notes on the discussion you've had and how you've come to a decision on which region to focus on. Search the Internet for a map on the region you've chosen for and print it. You will need it to indicate the places to visit later on.

A small selection of websites on
- the Arthurian legend:
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/trlout_gfx_en/TRA23307.html
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/4186/Arthur/htmlpages/kingarthur.html
http://www.magicdragon.com/Wallace/arthur.html#GL
http://www.legendofkingarthur.com/
http://www.cornwall-calling.co.uk/legendof.htm

B.
Now that you've decided on a place, start looking for historical locations. Again, split up in three groups:
Group one will search for Arthur-related places (Tintagel, Camelot, famous battlefields, …) . Try to find at least five places so you'll have something to choose from later on, and describe for each place: 1) where you've found the information (which website(s)), 2) why this place is linked to Arthur or the Knights of the Round Table and 3) where this place is located on the map.
Group two will search for museums that offer more information on King Arthur, historical Britain, knights, important battles etcetera. List at least five museums so you'll have something to choose from later on, and describe for each museum: 1) where you've found the information (which website(s)), 2) why this place is linked to Arthur or the Knights of the Round Table and 3) where this place is located on the map.
Group three will search for Arthur-extras that might do nicely: an Arthur musical in your region, a King Arthur based restaurant, a town where the movie King Arthur can be watched, a village that still has a historic 'look', King Arthur role-playing or a university in which lectures on King Arthur can be attended.

- Arthur-related places:
http://www.uidaho.edu/student_orgs/arthurian_legend/england/arch/
http://home.earthlink.net/~neatoguy/caer.htm
http://www.jammed.com/~mlb/arthur.html
http://www.magicdragon.com/Wallace/arthur.html
http://www.visitbritain.com/VB3-en-GB/experiences/Tour/kingarthur.aspx
http://www.visitengland.com/ideas/discover/ancestorsdidforus/ArthurEngland/index.aspx
http://www.fbmholidays.co.uk/regional_south_coast.asp
http://www.tintagelweb.co.uk/Then%20&%20Now%20(One).htm
http://www2.sfu.ca/archaeology/museum/kingarth/1intro.html
http://www.camelotcastle.com/

- Arthur museums:
http://www.corris-w.dircon.co.uk/home.htm
http://www.tintagelweb.co.uk/Then%20&%20Now%20(One).htm
http://www2.sfu.ca/archaeology/museum/kingarth/1intro.html
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/King_20Arthur_20Aroma_20Museum
http://www.show.me.uk/site/make/Anglo-Saxons/STO92.html
http://www.nms.ac.uk/home/index.asp?m=2
http://www.fact-index.com/m/mu/museums_in_scotland.html
http://www.fact-index.com/m/mu/museums_in_england.html
http://www.fact-index.com/m/mu/museums_in_wales.html

- Arthur extras:
http://www.cornwall-online.co.uk/trethevy-manor/Welcome.html
http://www.cornwall-online.co.uk/olde-malthouse/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186466-d239625-Reviews-The_King_Arthur-Swansea_Southern_Wales_Wales.html
http://www.corris-w.dircon.co.uk/home.htm
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Round_Table
http://www.seeksouthwest.co.uk/leisure-eatingout.htm

C. Get back together again and report on the places you've found. Now, as a group, try to plan a nice route that can be followed to visit at least five -but preferably more- Arthur sites. When planning your route, take into account that most tourists don't want to spend the whole day in a bus, that it would be nice to have lots of different sites (so not three castles in a row), and that it would be perfect if there is a logical sequence in the tour; that the tour follows a trail. Make notes on the discussion you've had and how you've come to a decision on which places to visit.

D. Now compile a brochure for the tour in which you include a map of the area in which the route is indicated, a picture of each major place you plan to visit, a description of all places (including Arthur related places such as cinemas, restaurants and hotels) you plan to visit, with a brief explanation of how it's linked to the Arthurian legend or what's so special about the place and a day-to-day schedule for the trip. In the introduction, summarise the Arthurian legend. Make sure the brochure looks attractive; you're supposed to sell these tours and make a living out of them! If there's time, present your brochure to the class.

E. Now compile a report that includes your brochure, the notes on the discussions you've had, a list of which group member contributed to which part and a list of websites used, and what information you've used from these websites.

ASSIGNMENT 2

Bonnie and Clyde

Aim:
-To find out more about Bonnie and Clyde
-To experience how difficult it is to find trustworthy information.
-To think about advantages and disadvantages of research through the Internet.
-To organise information.

Part I

A. Preparation exercise
For this exercise, you have to make groups of about six persons. In your group discuss the good and the bad effects of Internet on acquiring information and doing research. What advantages and disadvantages can you think of compared to the 'old' ways of gathering information, through books, magazines and newspapers, or has nothing changed basically? Organise advantages and disadvantages in the following diagram:

Download diagram

B.
As you might have found out, the movie on the life of Bonnie and Clyde and the article on the same subject have some similarities, but even more differences. In this assignment, you will do research and report on several 'truths' about the life of Bonnie and Clyde, both important ones and minor details. Your task is to search for websites that have information on the following subjects that are the subject of discussion, summarise what each website has to say on the topic and organize this information using a diagram or a table.
Divide your group into three smaller groups, preferably pairs. Each pair selects one group of questions (The Early Years, The Barrow Gang or The Aftermath) and searches for possible answers to the questions on the Internet. Try to find at least four different sources for each question and summarise what the answer to the question is according to this website. You may also use the article 'Starcrossed Lovers' as a source if it answers any of the questions. Clearly state where you've found what information. For each website, indicate how trustworthy and objective you consider the information you've found; for instance, an essay by a primary school student might be less trustworthy than one from a university student; a 200 word description might leave out information that is covered in a 5000 word account; a 1932 police report on the gang might vent a different opinion than a newspaper article from the same year.
If you come across a website that contains useful information for team members that do research on another group of questions, don't hesitate to pass this information on to them.

Topics:
Early years: -How did Bonnie meet Clyde?
-What's Clyde's full name?
-What was Bonnie's background?
-What happened after Bonnie met Clyde?
-How did Bonnie get involved in crime?
-What happened during Clyde's first hold-up?

The Barrow Gang:
-Of how many members did the Barrow gang consist, and what were the names of the members?
-What was Blanche's role in the gang?
-Who tried to persuade whom to quit the life of crime?
-What was Bonnie's role in the gang?
-What are the major events in the existence of the Barrow gang? Create timelines based on the information from different websites.
-Did Bonnie smoke?

The Aftermath:
-What was the general opinion of the public on Bonnie and Clyde?
-What happened directly after the shooting?
-Why weren't they buried together?
-Is it true that Clyde's favourite car can be spotted on a ten-dollar bill?
-What made Bonnie and Clyde so famous?
-Why are Bonnie and Clyde known as 'vicious killers'?

For each topic, discuss which explanation or story you consider most likely and make clear why you think so.

C. Evaluation a. Get together as a group again and discuss your findings. Each pair should explain to the rest of the group which answers they've found on the topics mentioned, and which answer they consider most likely, and for which reason. Combine your results to create a full report and create an introduction and a conclusion. Also add an index of websites used (there is no need to rank them since you've already done that in the pair exercises) and an overview of which team members did what. Check your report for spelling and grammar mistakes; don't automatically assume that information from the Internet is flawless, neither in contents nor in writing.
b. Take a look at the diagram you created in exercise A and add advantages and disadvantages you have come across while working on the exercises.

Useful websites:
http://texashideout.tripod.com/bc.htm
http://www.historybuff.com/library/refbonnie.html
http://www.censusdiggins.com/bonnie_and_clyde.html
http://www.geocities.com/dillinger72234/bonnieandclyde.html
http://www.bonnielovesclyde.com/
http://www.rene-despres.com/2.htm
http://www.cinetropic.com/bonnieandclyde/links.html
http://www.snopes.com/business/money/model-t.asp
http://www.mysteries-megasite.com/main/bigsearch/bonnie-clyde.html
http://wa.essortment.com/deathbonniepar_rtpo.htm
http://www.dallashistory.org/history/dallas/bandc.htm

Part II

D. Bonnie wrote a poem about her life of crime with Clyde. The last stanza of this poem can be found in the article 'Starcrossed lovers'.
a. Look up the full text of this poem on the Internet.
b. In your group, read the poem and look up words you don't know. List these words and their descriptions or translations. When you have finished, answer the following questions. For some of them, you will have to search the Internet; if you use the Internet, always mention where you've found your information. Write down the answers and hand them in with your vocabulary list.
1. Who was Jesse James and why would Bonnie mention him here?
2. Why would Clyde have said that 'he'll never be free'?
3. What would 'the road' in the 6th stanza represent?
4. What references to the Great Depression can you find in the poem?
5. How are the police and the law depicted in the poem, and would this be a realistic portrayal?
6. Search the Internet for more information on the two crimes (stanza 10) that are not accredited to Bonnie and Clyde and summarise these two cases.
7. What does the abbreviation 'NRA' (stanza 12) stand for?
8. What does the word 'stool' mean in the 13th stanza? What is it that the people in the described area won't do?
9. What 'nice little flat' would Bonnie refer to in the 14th stanza?

Useful websites:
All the websites mentioned earlier and:
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/depression/overview.htm
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/depression/section5.rhtml
http://www.islandnet.com/~the-gang/
http://www.crimelibrary.com/americana/jesse/
http://www.rootsweb.com/~daisy/jamesged.htm
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-sto2.htm
http://www.bartleby.com/59/4/stoolpigeon.html
http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/famous/lindbergh/crime_2.html?sect=7
http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/floyd/7.html?sect=17

ASSIGNMENT 3

The Dust Bowl - making a special newspaper edition

A. Introduction
Make groups of about six persons. In your group, discuss the following questions and try to answer them using the information you remember from the article 'Hard Times' and the fragments of 'The Grapes of Wrath'.
- Describe the economic situation in the USA in the beginning of the 1930s.
- What is the 'dustbowl'?
- When did it happen?
- Which states were affected?

B. The assignment
You are journalists for a local newspaper in an agricultural town that's affected by the Dustbowl. The year is 1934, and the chief editor has decided to do an item on the Dustbowl and how it has affected daily life. The special edition of your paper should consist of:
1. An explanation about the Dustbowl and the economic situation in 1934 in general;
2. An interview or statement by a New Deal politician about the agricultural policy
3. An in-depth analysis of how the Dustbowl and the economic situation in the 1930s affect one family, consisting of a father, grandfather, mother and a few children:
a. The father will comment on or be interviewed on how his farm, farming and his income have changed in recent years, and what disasters have happened to his farm in recent years.
b. The grandfather will comment on or be interviewed on what farm life was like in the early 20th century, before WWI
c. The mother will explain how the current situation has changed her daily life; working and keeping the family running, dealing with illnesses, dealing with poverty.
d. The kids will be interviewed on what's changed for them with regard to education, working the fields, getting special treats or new clothes, friends moving away etcetera.

Decide in your group where (in which state) your family is situated (you can make up a town name), of how many people your family consists and how old the family members are (if it suits your articles, you can adapt this later, but always discuss changes with all group members). In your group, think of potential questions that could be answered in the articles, for instance, 'do the children go to school?', or, 'how did the prices of groceries change?', or 'what does the family do when they aren't working'.
Now split up in three groups. Each group will take care of two of the articles, for instance The Dustbowl and the interview/report on the father, or the New Deal politician and the mother, or the grandfather and the children. Search for information that you consider valuable or interesting. Write the article/interview in the present tense (except for the grandfather's story); you're a 1934 journalist, reporting on current events! Each story should be about 200 words. Underneath you'll find a couple of useful websites for each topic. Write down which websites you've used.

Father:
http://countrystudies.us/united-states/economy-8.htm
http://www.gottawritenetwork.com/Vallar2.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/peopleevents/pandeAMEX06.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/sfeature/eyewitness.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsowhome.html

Grandfather:
http://countrystudies.us/united-states/economy-8.htm
http://www.usinfo.pl/aboutusa/business/agriculture.htm
http://nuevaschool.org/~debbie/library/cur/20c/turn.html
http://www.dmarie.com/timecap/
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/oecon/chap8.htm

Mother:
http://www.cindyvallar.com/dustbowl.html
http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade30.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/peopleevents/pandeAMEX06.html
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_03.html
http://www.mcsc.k12.in.us/mhs/social/madedo/pri32-33.htm
http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/1918/great.html

Child(ren):
http://www.gottawritenetwork.com/Vallar2.html
http://newdeal.feri.org/eleanor/er2a.htm
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_09.html
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_04.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/peopleevents/pandeAMEX08.html
http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/1918/great.html
http://www.unm.edu/~rkroth/lindyhop.htm

New deal politician:
http://countrystudies.us/united-states/economy-8.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/peopleevents/pandeAMEX03.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/peopleevents/pandeAMEX09.html
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_10.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~gfeldmeth/chart.newdeal.html
http://www.teacheroz.com/20thcent.htm#first%20twenty
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal

The dustbowl:
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_02.html
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_03.html
http://www.teacheroz.com/20thcent.htm#first%20twenty
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl

C. Making the paper
Get back together again and read each other's articles. Adapt the articles if necessary and correct each other's spelling or grammar mistakes. Search for photos to accompany the articles and add other newspaper items (a cartoon maybe, or a weather report, you name it) to make the page look more real. In your group, create a proper layout and a name and logo for your newspaper and create a full front page of a newspaper.

Examples of newspaper front pages: http://www.rife.org/newspaper/Frontpage5-8-38.jpg
http://feefhs.org/fdb2/sfcallmh.jpg
http://okielegacy.org/journal/Vol4/OHTHV4-4.html

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