Introduction
This nine weeks you will be reading The Pearl by John Steinbeck. This is a short novel about Kino, a poor pearl diver, who finds "The Pearl of the World." With this pearl comes the promise of a better life for his wife, Juana, and his baby, Coyotito. This Nobel Prize in Literature winner takes the reader through a great tale of family, the struggles of man, and the pursuit of something "better."
Task
After completing this WebQuest, you will have gained the following:
- understanding of the author's life and inspiration for the story
- knowledge of the setting of the story
- basic information about the main characters of the story
- the ability to identify some of the devices and figurative language used in the story
Your class will be divided into predetermined groups. Group one will work on "The Author." Group two will work on the "Setting." Group three will work on "Main Characters." Group four will work on "Literary Devices and Figurative Language." Each group will create a slideshow using Google Slides to present their information to the class. The presentation should be clear and pleasing to the eye. Each group member must participate in sharing the information with the class, and there should be evidence of the participation of all members of the group.
Process
Group One: The Author
Visit and read the following websites:
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1962/steinbeck/biographical/
https://www.biography.com/writer/john-steinbeck
https://steinbeck.stanford.edu/writer
In your presentation, be sure to include the following information:
- Steinbeck's childhood
- Success as an author
- Inspiration for his writing
- Most famous works
Group Two: The Setting and Background
Visit the following websites:
https://www.britannica.com/place/La-Paz-Mexico
https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-1995-pearling-baja-california
https://www.baschools.org/pages/uploaded_files/8thGradeBackground.pdf
In your presentation, be sure to include the following information:
- When La Paz was founded
- What La Paz has been known for
- The background information regarding the people of this area
- a map of La Paz
Group Three: Characters
Visit the following website:
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pearl/characters/
In your presentation, highlight the most important details of each character without giving away too much information. If possible, include pictures to represent each character. Also, define the words "protagonist" and "antagonist" in your presentation. Be sure to discuss how the two work together in literary pieces.
Group Four: Literary Devices and Figurative Language
Define the following:
Allusion
Irony
Metaphor
Simile
Symbol
Imagery
In your presentation, be sure to include the definition and an example of each.
Evaluation
The following link is to the rubric that will be used to grade the presentations. In addition to this rubric, be sure that each member takes an opportunity to speak/share.
https://carla.umn.edu/cobaltt/lessonplans/attachments/98/7-slideshowrubric.pdf
Conclusion
After these presentations, you should be prepared to read and understand this novella. Let's dive in!
Credits
The links in this WebQuest do not belong to me.