Collaborative Research for The Grapes of Wrath
Formative Work
GOALS
Develop your skills as a communicator, collaborator, and problem solver.
Develop your skills as a researcher, as you create the background knowledge needed for an in-depth understanding of The Grapes of Wrath.
Lay the groundwork for future success in summative assessments.
Create some of the evidence needed to demonstrate competency in the context of your SEA - the semester portfolio & symposium..
Step 1: Get Ready!
Have one person in the group click here to access the Collaborative Research Notes Google Slides. Click "File" and select "Make a Copy" of "Entire Presentation". Save it to your Junior English folder in your Google Drive.
This same one person must then:
share this Google Slides file with each person in the group - making each person an editor.
change the share permissions so that anyone with the link in Londonderry School District can view.
Decide which research topic you want to explore. (See options below.)
Step 2: Research- Go with the Flow!
Decide which research topic (below) your group wants to focus on.
Divide up the work so that every person is completing their own research notes in their ONENOTE Notebook AND every person in the group is researching a different aspect of the research topic your group chose.
As you read through different topics below and begin to dig-in to some research sources, you may get sidetracked by some interesting information you hadn't expected to find. That's great! Go with the flow!
This process of exploration may lead you to something that intrigues or inspires you. That's important. It will help you become invested in your topic which will help you create a fabulous summative assessment.
Each source must be valid, reliable and accurate sources from the following:
our class website
text resources (your copy of The Grapes of Wrath )
Research Topics
Here are some topics and questions to get you started on your research related to The Grapes of Wrath. Don't forget that you also have the option of developing your own questions within each topic.
Route 66
Why is this route called the "Mother Road"? Where is it located? Why was this route popular with victims of the dustbowl? If you were to travel along it today, what would you encounter?
"Jungle Camps" & "Hoovervilles"
"Jungle Camps" also known as "Hoovervilles" were a commonplace experience for many migrant workers who traveled to California in search of employment. What were was life like in these camps? How many camps were there? Where were these camps located and how did the surrounding communities respond to the presence of these camps?
Migrant Workers: California of the 1930s
What was life like for migrant workers in California during the Great Depression? Where did they work? What were the wages like? Where were living conditions like? What did they eat? What was their health like?
Government Camps: California 1930s
Did you know that during the Great Depression, the US Government established some camps to provide shelter for homeless migrant workers? What was life like in these camps? How many camps were there? Where were these camps located and how did the surrounding communities respond to the presence of these camps?
John Steinbeck: Public Enemy?
Why did our government investigate John Steinbeck? Why was he considered a threat? What does this have to do with labor unions and fears of communism?
Once you find a great source...
Go to your OneNote Notebook. In the research section, you will find a page that will help you organize and synthesize your thinking. Once you have done this, go to Google Classroom where you can complete your collaborative slide.
All done? Not yet.
Every person in the group should have a copy of the group's completed Google Slides. Place YOUR copy in your course folder.