Embedded Files
Created by Stacy Kitsis, Arlington High School Librarian. Last updated: January 10, 2012.
Literature is a product of its time, and as readers, so are we. This pathfinder is designed to help you begin to explore the historical context of A Tale of Two Cities, written by Charles Dickens in 1859, about a period in time from almost 100 years earlier, as well as some revolutions happening today.
See your teacher's complete assignment sheet to know which questions your group should answer. Don't forget to keep track of all sources you use, which will be included in the last slide of your presentation as a works cited page.
Suggested Resources
The following database and web resources will help you get a running start on your revolution research (say that three times fast!). They are meant as a starting place, but you may branch out from there.
Group One: France Before and During the French Revolution
Modern World History Online (Facts on File)
World History in Context (Gale)
Gale Virtual Reference Library (e-books)
Group Two: The American Revolution
American History Online (Facts on File)
U.S. History in Context (Gale)
Gale Virtual Reference Library (e-books)
Group Three: Arab Spring: Egypt Today
Issues and Controversies (Facts on File)
Global Issues in Context (Gale)
Tip: Start by reading this overview of the Arab Spring movement.
Group Four: Arab Spring: Libya Today
Issues and Controversies (Facts on File)
Global Issues in Context (Gale)
Tip: Start by reading this overview of the Arab Spring movement.
Group Five: Arab Spring: Tunisia Today
Issues and Controversies (Facts on File)
Global Issues in Context (Gale)
Tip: Start by reading this overview of the Arab Spring movement.
Group Six: England Before and During the French Revolution
Modern World History Online (Facts on File)
World History in Context (Gale)
Gale Virtual Reference Library (e-books)
Search Tips
Do a keyword search. You may need to search for more than one big idea to get relevant results, for example:
England AND French Revolution
Use synonyms. The first search terms that come to mind may not be the best. For example, you could try:
revolution OR democracy OR protest
Search for key phrases. Use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase, such as:
"Arab Spring"
Check your spelling. If at first you don't succeed ... spelling may be to blame!
Citing Sources & Academic Integrity
Interactive citation generator for online and print sources.
Research and Documentation Online
Detailed explanation of in-text citations and works cited entries in perfect MLA format for a wide variety of sources.
Happy Reading!
Illustration from A Tale of Two Cities by Fred Barnard (circa 1870). Image scanned by Philip V. Allingham for The Victorian Web.
Questions, comments, compliments, concerns? Email me at skitsis@arlington.k12.ma.us.
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