“ (Quote from the book)” from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn

Morris High School Ms. M. Johnson

Teaching
Interdisciplinary
Problem
Solving

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A Web Quest for English 5

(11^th Grade)

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A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE’S

THE SCARLET LETTER:

A CONNECTION

TO OUR WORLD TODAY

INTRODUCTION:

“………..with all the townspeople assembled, and levelling their stern regards at Hester Prynne—yes, at herself—who stood on the scaffold of the pillory, an infant on her arm, and the letter A, in scarlet, fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom.

Could it be true? She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real. Yes these were her realities—all else had vanished!” From The Scarlet Letter by Nathan Hawthorn.

Hester was made a public example for her pregnancy. She was shamed and ostracized by the community for having sex with a man who was not her husband. Other young girls from the community remained pure until they were married, because they did not want to be put on display like Hester. Has our society changed much from the 1600’s? Are young unmarried pregnant girls still shunned by society? Historically in America, young unmarried teens that were pregnant were considered an embarrassment to their family. Quite often they were hidden from the community by being sent away to a convent or another family member who lived far away. Has society changed? Is being an unwed pregnant teen a social problem? Today in America’s intercity, the rate of unwed teen pregnancy has decreased recently. Although this social problem still exist in America’s intercity. This social problem has created higher high school dropout rates, an increased burden on government aid, a higher rate of unemployment, and an increase in the poverty level of the country. You have been selected to be on a committee for Mayor Bloomberg to develop some solutions/policies for this problem in New York City. Through this web quest you will complete the 6 Steps of the Public Policy Approach. Upon your completion of the PPA steps, you will write a five page research report, create a 7-Slide Power Point Presentation and share your Power Point presentation in an Oral Presentation.

TASK:

You will have to write a five page paper, create a 7-slide Power Point Presentation and give an Oral Presentation. For your project you will have to use the 6-Step Public Policy approach:

1. Define and describe the problem (social conditions, players, public policy)

2. Gather evidence for this problem

3. Identify causes for this problem

4. Describe and evaluate the existing policy for this problem

5. Develop solutions/policies for the problems for this existing policy

6. Select the best policy for this problem

PROCESS:

In order to complete this web quest, the following steps must be completed.

· Read for information from the internet using the resource sites

listed in this web quest.

· Read the Public Policy Analysis and complete the worksheets.

· Write a five page research paper using the information from the Public Policy Analysis.

· Design a 7-Slide PowerPoint Presentation using the information from the PPA worksheet.

· Each of the first 6 slides will reflect the information from each of the PPA steps. Use the completed worksheets to help you design each slide.

· The seventh slide will be a bibliography slide using the M.L.A.

Style.

· Print a hard copy of all your completed slides.

· Give an Oral Presentation of your 7 slide PowerPoint presentation to your fellow classmates at your appointed time.

RESOURCES:

TEXT: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

INTERNET

Websites:

1) Teens speak out about teen pregnancy

2) Closer look at teen pregnancy

3) States Can Use TANF Funds to Prevent Unwanted Pregnancy, Support Teen Parents

Search Engines:

7) www.metacrawler.com

8) www.google.com

EVALUATION:

Web Quest Rubric

	Beginning	Developing	Accomplished	Score
Overall Aesthetics
Overall Visual Appeal	0 points There are few or no graphic elements on your slides. No variation in layout or typography. OR Color is garish and/or typographic variations are overused and legibility suffers. Background interferes with the readability.	2 points Graphic elements sometimes, but not always, contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. There is some variation in type size, color, and layout on your slides.	4 points Appropriate and thematic graphic elements are used to make visual connections that contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. Differences in type size and/or color are used well and consistently on your slides.
Navigation & Flow	0 points Getting through the lesson is confusing and unconventional. Slides can't be followed easily and/or the way back isn't clear.	2 points There are a few places where the learner can get lost and not know where to go next.	4 points Navigation is seamless. It is always clear to the learner what all the pieces are and how to get to them.
Mechanical Aspects	0 points There are more than 5 broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables, misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	1 point There are some broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables, misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	2 points No mechanical problems noted.
Introduction
Motivational Effectiveness of Introduction	0 points The introduction is purely factual, with no appeal to relevance or social importance. It shows no use of the PPA approach. OR The scenario posed is transparently bogus and doesn't respect the media literacy of today's learners.	1 point The introduction relates somewhat to the learner's interests and/or describes a compelling question or problem. Introduces the social problem using the PPA approach.	2 points The introduction draws the reader into the lesson by relating to the learner's interests or goals and/or engagingly describing a compelling question or problem. Presents a complete understanding of the social problem by using the PPA approach.
Cognitive Effectiveness of the Introduction	0 points The introduction doesn't prepare the reader for what is to come, or build on what the learner already knows. No use of the PPA worksheet #1 is shown.	1 point The introduction makes some reference to learner's prior knowledge and previews to some extent what the lesson is about. Some reference to the PPA worksheet # 1 is shown.	2 points The introduction builds on learner's prior knowledge and effectively prepares the learner by foreshadowing what the lesson is about. Complete reference to the PPA worksheet # 1 is shown.
Task
Connection of Task to PPA	0 points The task is not related to the PPA.	2 point The task is referenced to the PPA but is not clearly connected to what students must know about the social problem and be able to do to achieve proficiency of the PPA.	4 points The task is referenced to the PPA and is clearly connected to what students must know about the social problem and be able to do to achieve proficiency of the PPA.
Cognitive Level of the Task	0 points Task requires simply comprehending or retelling of information found on web pages.	3 points Task is doable but is limited in its significance to students' lives. The task requires analysis of information and/or putting together information from several sources.	6 points Task is doable and engaging, and elicits thinking that goes beyond rote comprehension. The task requires synthesis of multiple sources of information, and/or taking a position, and/or going beyond the data given and making a generalization or creative product.
Process
Clarity of Process	0 points Process is not clearly stated. Students would not know exactly what they were supposed to do just from observing the power point presentation.	2 points Some directions are given, but there is missing information. Students might be confused based on the Power Point Presentation.	4 points Every step is clearly stated. Most students would know exactly where they are at each step of the process and know what to do next as shown in their Power Point presentation.
Scaffolding of Process	0 points The process lacks strategies and organizational tools needed for students to gain the knowledge needed to complete the PPA, the Power Point Slide Presentation and Oral Presentation. Activities are of little significance to one another and/or to the accomplishment of the task.	3 points Strategies and organizational tools embedded in the process are insufficient to ensure that all students will gain the knowledge needed to complete the PPA, Power Point Slide Presentation and Oral Presentation. Some of the activities do not relate specifically to the accomplishment of the task.	6 points The process provides students coming in at different entry levels with strategies and organizational tools to access and gain the knowledge needed to complete the PPA, the Power Point Slide Presentation and Oral Presentation. Activities are clearly related and designed to take the students from basic knowledge to a higher-level thinking.
Richness of Process	0 points Few steps, no separate roles assigned.	1 points Some separate tasks or roles assigned. More complex activities required.	2 points Different roles are assigned to help students understand different perspectives and/or share responsibility in accomplishing the PPA, the Power Point Slide Presentation and the Oral Presentation.
Resources
Relevance & Quantity of Resources	0 points Resources provided are not sufficient for students to accomplish the PPA, the Power Point Slide Presentation and the Oral Presentation. OR There are too many resources for learners to look at in a reasonable time.	2 point There is some connection between the resources and the information needed for students to accomplish the PPA, the Power Point Slide Presentation and the Oral Presentation. Some resources don't add anything new.	4 points There is a clear and meaningful connection between all the resources and the information needed for students to accomplish the PPA, the Power Point Slide Presentation and the Oral Presentation. Every resource carries its weight.
Quality of Resources	0 points Links are mundane. They lead to information that could be found in a classroom encyclopedia.	2 points Some links carry information not ordinarily found in a classroom.	4 points Links make excellent use of the Web's timeliness and colorfulness. Varied resources provide enough meaningful information for students to think deeply.
Evaluation
Clarity of Evaluation Criteria	0 points Criteria for success are not described. Little or no use of the PPA, the Internet, or the Power Point Slide Presentation is shown. Poor or no Oral Presentation is given. Student shows complete confusion.	3 points Criteria for success are at least partially described. Some evidence of use of the PPA, the Internet, or the Power Point Slide Presentation is shown. A moderate Presentation is given. Students have some working knowledge of the social problem and formulating policies.	6 points Criteria for success are clearly stated in the form of a rubric. Criteria include qualitative as well as quantitative descriptors. The evaluation instrument clearly measures what students must know and be able to do to accomplish the PPA, the Power Point Slide Presentation, and the Oral Presentation.
Total Score				/50

This web quest focuses on the following English Language Arts Performance Standards:

E1c: Read and comprehend informational materials.

E2a: Produce a report of information.

E3a: Participate in one to one conference with the teacher.

E3c: Prepare and deliver an individual presentation.

E3d: Make informed judgments about TV, radio, film.

E4b: Analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its clarity and

effectiveness.

This web quest focuses on the following New York State Standards:

Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression

Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction

This web quest focuses on the following Social Studies Standards:

Standard 1: History of the United States

CONCLUSION:

Having completed this Web Quest, you have enhanced your worldview and community awareness. You have enriched your literary appreciation, thus creating a stronger citizen who will bring about a brighter future for society and children.