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INTRODUCTION |
Authors bring characters to life. Thanks to them we learn about their feelings, their way of life, their interests, their relationships. In addition, characters occupy a moment in time and space and authors picture this setting for us as vividly as the characters themselves. When taking a book in our hand, we are enabled to transport ourselves to the time: past, present or future when the story takes place. By interacting with the characters and getting to know them better, we also learn about the place they live in, and thanks to this about the history at that time, the customs, and traditions.
Last year you learned about the American way of life, the “American Dream” and the people who fought for that dream. This year we are moving back to the old continent, to Europe, to Great Britain, to the place where the first Americans came from. Now it is your turn to discover this personality of the Englishman and eventually you might discover why he left looking for an adventure, a new life, an opportunity to become someone different.
The Englishman’s strong point is his vigorous insularity; that of the American his power of adaptation. Each of these attitudes has its perils. The Englishman stands firmly on his feet, but he who merely does this never advances. The American’s disposition is to step forward even at the risk of a fall.
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
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TASK |
The main objectives for this task are:
1. Identify the character traits and personalities of the characters based on an authors’ descriptions and interpretations.
2. Identify the ways the characters develop throughout the story.
3. Support descriptions and interpretations with specific quotes.
Based on the stories, epics, poems, plays you have read so far and will be reading, you have to find out the ways the authors make their characters come to life. You will have to identify:
a) Their physical characteristics according to the author’s description and the way you imagine them.
b) The interaction of the character with others in the story as well as with the environment where the story takes place.
c) The relationship of any background information you might have of the character with the way he/ she is depicted by the author.
d) The character’s thoughts, his actions and how these have an influence on his/ her life and others.
e) The way of speaking and expressing himself/ herself.
You will be working in teams of three. Each one of you is responsible for two characters. Once you know your character, you will interview him/ her so that you can identify the profile of a typical Englishman/ woman. You will get together to discuss and analyze your answers to establish that profile. This you will hand it in as a PowerPoint presentation to share with the rest of the class.
As Will Ludwisgen said, “It is popular and trendy to say that the characters completely drive the story and the author merely follows them around and chronicles the adventure.”Oh, characters just come into my imagination, hats in hand, begging to show me their lives. I grab my pencil and follow!"” (24 July 2006) You have known the characters, you have followed their adventures, you know what they think, what they like and what they dislike. Whatever they are: heroes, kings, queens, they are also common citizens who live according to the way of life of a certain period in time. And this is your quest! You have to identify him or her!
Ludwigsen, Will. ”Characterization“ Writing Gym. 2005. 24 July 2006. http://www.will- ludwigsen.com/gym/character.htm
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PROCESS |
First of all you have to define your team of three. Each one of you is responsible of making an analysis of two of the following characters. You choose one character from each group of three.
Beowulf
The Wife of Bath
King Arthur
Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Samuel Pepys
Next, you analyze your characters. Your description must be based, as far as it is possible, on the information you get from the stories, as well as on the background research you will have to do. This you will hand in as a character map using Inspiration. If there is anything necessary to quote, do so correctly following the MLA style.
Each analysis must include:
a) Physical description
b) Character traits
c) Character’s behavior
d) Fashion traits
e) Linguistic characteristics and ways of expressing himself/ herself
f) Interaction with other characters
g) Occupation
h) Special talents
i) Activities
j) Motivation
k) Conflicts
l) Change
Next you will get together to define the five questions for the interview of your characters. The answers your characters give you should be enough for you as a team to define the profile of a typical Englishman/ woman. Each one of you will hand in the transcript of both interviews. Again quote if you consider it necessary.
Once you have the information, you will define the profile. First you will have to decide if you want to describe a man or a woman, and in what century this person lived. After you have agreed on this, you will make a description of this person as a PowerPoint presentation. To aid with the understanding of your character, and for others to picture him/ her more easily, use the necessary images. The PowerPoint presentation… One Day in the Life of….. must include:
a) Name
b) Physical appearance
c) Physical traits
d) Linguistic characteristics
e) Character traits
f) Personality
g) Behavior
h) Attitudes
i) Background
j) Social class
k) Dress code
l) Occupation
m) Daily life
n) Family life
o) Friends/ relationships
p) Achievements
q) Any other interesting information
Finally, you will give an oral presentation to introduce your Englishman/ woman to the rest of the class.
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RESOURCES |
In general terms you will have to read the stories, poems, plays, etc, to get familiar with your characters, but you should also do some research on your own.
To understand a little bit more about the English mentality, Emerson gave his view as an American of an Englishman for you to be able to compare and understand him better.
Some links that might help you out with your character map and analysis are:
Character analysis chart - http://content.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/u/unit_characteranalysis_characteranalysis.pdf
Character pyramid - http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/graphic/character/
English traits – Emerson - http://www.emersoncentral.com/character_english.htm
English traits - http://www.bartleby.com/5/209.html
What a Character! - http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/units/create_char/description.html
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EVALUATION |
Three aspects that will be graded are:
1. Individual analysis of two characters
2. Interview of both characters
3. PowerPoint presentation and oral presentation
The following rubric - check the link below -includes all three aspects and should help you out with defining what you should do and how it will be graded.
http://www.geocities.com/miwm_esn/rubricenglishman.doc
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CONCLUSION |
Obviously, you feel much more related to the Americans. You, yourselves, live in a country which can be called of immigrants. Yes, mostly Spaniards, but ever since people, mostly Europeans have come in search of a dream, a new beginning, a letting go of old traditions and ways of being. Yet, to be able to start, create and produce, one must understand one’s origins. Without them we are lost because no one can look forward without understanding the past, understanding history, understanding mankind and what he has always wished to change.
Probably you have also discovered that to understand our historical past, more than studying history and important dates and events, it is important to immerse oneself in the time period. Thank God there are books! We must be grateful for all these authors who have opened the doors to their creations. They allow us to let loose our imagination to become an active part of their plots, interacting with the different characters and so letting us discover on our own a way of living which otherwise would always be hidden, unknown to us.
Hopefully this webquest has helped you go back in time to a period in history so unknown to us, yet so relevant for our future to understand the mentality of the people of that time to be able to forge new characters, the creators in the future of a better world and a more promising future for all of us.
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CREDITS |
Two sites that helped me organize my ideas while writing this webquest were:
Characterization in Literature
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2331/
What a character!
http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/units/create_char/description.html
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