04. Webquest

THE DEATH PENALTY in the UNITED STATES

Find the right definition and translate into French :

You've probably seen this film : "The .............................................................".

What is it about ? Complete the following text, using words from the grid :

"The Green Mile" tells the story of Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks), the head guard on .................... ................ at Cold Mountain Penitentiary in Louisiana.

(The Green Mile is the green floor from the prisoners' cells to the execution chamber.)

Edgecomb tries to maintain order and peace among the prisoners until each is escorted to the electric chair.

An .............................. , seven-foot-tall, 330-pound John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) who makes miracles, was .............................. of murdering two girls and the .............................. sentenced him to the .............................. .............................. .

Although he is not .............................. , he will be executed.

MODES OF EXECUTION

Complete the following sentences with : electric chair / firing squad / gas chamber / hanging

1) ............................................................ is a method of execution where a hangman's noose is put around a person's neck and the person is raised from the ground, either via suspension from a tree or a drop away floor on a gibbet or gallows.

2) The ............................................................ was first used in 1890 in New York. It took eight minutes to kill a person via electricity. Benjamin Franklin experimented with the process earlier to see how much electricity it took to kill a monkey.

3) The ............................................................ is a method of execution where a person is faced with an array of people with guns who all shoot at once, utilized especially by militaries.

4) The ............................................................ is a method of execution where lethal gas is pumped into a chamber containing victims.

A LITTLE HISTORY

1) What was famous in 1692 ? ......................................................................................................................

2) Who was electrocuted in Massachusetts in 1927 ? and why ? ..................................................................................................................................................................

(Go and see them there.)

3) Why was Bruno Richard Hauptmann executed in 1936 ? .................................................................................................................................................................

4) What were Julius and Ethel Rosenberg convicted of in 1952 ? .................................................................................................................................................................

5) Why was Timothy McVeigh famous in 1997 ? ...........................................................................................

6) Who tried to save Karla Faye Tucker in 1998 ? ........................................................................................

7) What saved nine death row inmates in 2000 ? ...........................................................................................

8) Find 2 states which had the most juvenile executions. .............................................................................

9) What did the Washington Post announce on March 2, 2005 ? .................................................................

Look at the map and click on the different methods of execution.

1) Is lethal gas used in California ? .........................................................................................................................

Is it the only State ? ...........................................................................................................................................

2) In which part of the USA is electrocution most used ? .......................................................................................

3) Which method of execution is most common ? ..................................................................................................

4) Which method do Idaho and Utah also use ? ....................................................................................................

5) Which methods are used in Washington ? .........................................................................................................

6) Name the 12 States that do not use death penalty (plus the District of Columbia) :

EXECUTIONS

1) Most black people can be found on the death row in this State. Which ? ........................................................

2) Are there more men or more women on death row ? .......................................................................................................

3) In which State do most executions take place ? ..............................................................................................

4) Why was George W. Bush nicknamed "the Texecutioner" ? ............................................................................

ARGUMENTS FOR and AGAINST

1) Find arguments FOR the death penalty . Use your own words.

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2) Amnesty international wants to abolish the death penalty.

What are their arguments ?

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ALTERNATIVES to the Death Penalty

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Now look at this drawing ("jo 2212").

What can you say about it ?

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