Introduction
Life of Pi is a beautifully written novel that explores many places and ideas unfamiliar to the average American high school student. It takes place in India and the Pacific Ocean and requires some understanding of Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. Many animals make appearances, and many strange things happen throughout the story.
This webquest is designed to take you on a self-paced journey to explore a variety of these topics and complete the scavenger hunt under the Evaluation tab.
Task
You will collect information on the following topics using the sources provided under the Process tab:
* Hinduism
* Christianity
* Islam
* Being lost at sea
* Popular zoo animals
* India
* The Pacific Ocean
You may choose to work alone or with one or two of your classmates. Groups of more than three are strictly prohibited.
Process
Resource for Hinduism:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/
Resource for Christianity:
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Christianity
Resource for Islam:
http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch3-2-6.htm
Chapter 3 has many subheadings and will be most useful for you.
Resource for Being Lost at Sea:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/03/world/survival-at-sea/
Resource for Popular Zoo Animals:
http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals-a-z
Resource for India:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html
Resource for the Pacific Ocean:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/zn.html
Evaluation
Scavenger Hunt
Use the resources provided on the Process tab to answer the following questions on your own paper. Each student must complete his/her own paper to turn in, even if working with others.
Hinduism
* List some of the main deities of Hinduism.
* Define atman.
* Define Brahman.
* Briefly explain dharma and karma (maybe one sentence each).
* List the main castes of Hindu society.
Christianity
* Out of what religion did Christianity develop?
* Who do Christians worship?
* Who were the main prophets/spreaders of Christianity?
* List three things Christians believe about Jesus that non-Christians do not.
* Name two symbols of Christianity.
Islam
* List the five pillars of Islam. Give no more than one sentence of explanation per pillar if explanation is necessary.
* What is the sacred text of Islam?
* In two sentences or less, summarize what Islam says about terrorism.
* Who is the main prophet of Islam? Also, list three other prophets whose teachings Muslims trust.
* By what name do Muslims call God, and how is that name unique/significant?
Being Lost at Sea
* Summarize (one paragraph or less) the lost at sea story you found most interesting.
* How long do you think one person can survive on their own lost at sea?
Popular Zoo Animals
* Pick seven animals and write down an interesting fact about each.
* Which of the animals you chose do you think will appear in Life of Pi and why?
India
* How long has human civilization existed in India?
* How many official languages does India have?
* Which religion(s) are practiced in India?
* How big is India...
-by land area?
-by population?
* List three significant problems faced by the people of India, based on the information available to you.
The Pacific Ocean
* What hazards might someone lost in the Pacific encounter?
* What is the deepest point in the Pacific?
* Why is the Pacific Ocean important to the world as a whole?