Fahrenheit 451 – WebQuest Project

English 11

A WebQuest 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.

Process

Part I:

Explore these sites 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.

Step I: The burning of Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley:

·        Why were they burned at the stake?

·        Why was Latimer confident that they were doing the right thing?

·        Why would it be important to remind people of this history?

http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Latimer_Ridley_Cranmer.htm

http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/269.html
 

Step II: Nazi Book Burning:

·        In what way might these images have inspired Bradbury to write Fahrenheit 451?

Book Burning | photography 

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_ph.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005852&MediaId=3551

Step III: McCarthyism and Blacklisting in Hollywood:
     This site will take you to a page of links. Each link takes you to a page that tells a

     small part of the story of Blacklisting in Hollywood in the late 1940’s and early

     1950’s.  You will need to look at several of the pages to get a complete picture.

·        Why did it happen?

·        Was it right or wrong?

·        Could it happen again?

·        How might it have inspired Bradbury to write Fahrenheit 451?

www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/blacklist.html

http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/bios/31.html

Step IV: The Trial of John Peter Zenger

·        Why did it happen?

·        When did it happen?

·        Who was involved?

·        How does it involve censorship?

·        Are the issue still relevant today?

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/Ftrials/zenger/zenger.html

Part II Modern Censorship

Explore these sites to look at censorship issues that are in the news today. Write a well constructed paragraph on each of the 3 following topics that clearly show you have read and understand the link provided.  Questions to consider answer in your paragraphs:

·        Who is in favor of these limitations on freedom of speech?

·        Why are they in favor of them?

·        Who is opposed?

·        Why are they opposed?

·        Which side do you agree with? Why?

1. Warning Labels on CD’s
http://www.findarticles.com/m1571/n2_v13/20121875/p1/article.jhtml

2. The V-Chip and Movie Ratings: Controlling access to violence and sexuality in the Media http://www.fcc.gov/vchip
 

3. Decency and the Public Funding of the Arts
http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=10906

Part III Banned Classics:

Expanded writing:

I have assigned you a book to research. I want you to write a ½ page summary (no less than 150 words) on your “banned” book.  You will be presenting to the class a minute explanation of why your book has gained the infamous distinction of finding itself censored. Hint: Try lookung up Banned Book Week or The american Library Association.