Hoover Middle School

  

 Journeys Historical Novel Research

English 8 Unit 1 – Created by K Crossley 9/30/11 

 

Essential Question: How do historical contexts, cultural influences, and life experiences shape texts? 

In this project you will be researching the concepts and ideas of the time period in which your novel is set.  It is important to explore how all texts reflect the culture of a society, expressing the values and beliefs of that society. 

You will be exploring the historical context of one of these novels:  Canyons by Gary Paulsen; Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter; The Hobbit  by J. R. R. Tolkien; The Pearl by John Steinbeck; or Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah. 

You must create a NoodleTools bibliography for this project.  You are required at least three sources, and at least one must be from a database (not all websites). 

 

Novel	Key Words
Canyons	Sioux Indians; Sitting Bull; Chief Red Cloud; Custer’s Last Stand; Indian Wars; Crazy Horse; Custer
Light in the Forest	Lenni-Lenape Indians; William Penn and Peace Treaty
The Hobbit	J.R.R. Tolkien; World War I
The Pearl	Hernan Cortes; Juan De Onate; Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca; John Steinbeck
Chinese Cinderella	Mao Zedong (or Mao Tse-Dong); Communism; Pearl Harbor; Second Sino-Japanese War; Chaing Kai Shek; Footbinding

 

Online Resources  

Encyclopedia Britannica - An encyclopedia is always a good place to begin your research.  Here you will find basic information that will help you decide how to continue your research.  Use the search box to find your topic.  You can also use 21^st Century Explorer (also Britannica). 

NoodleTools:  Encyclopedias are considered a reference source – not duplicated from a printed work.  Do NOT provide a URL. 

eLibrary - E-Library – Use the search box to find your topic.  Some articles will begin with “Why don’t you try” and they give different headings for your topic.   If you get a large display with a photograph, click on “Expand this document” to see the whole thing.
NoodleTools:  Look at the icon next to your article title on the search page.  That will tell you if the article is from a newspaper, book, magazine, etc.  Then look at the top of your article and sometimes the bottom to find the information you need to create your citation.  To see the correct citation, click on “Citation View” in the bar above the article title.  Do NOT provide a URL. 

SIRS Discoverer - Use the search box to search with your key words and look at the colored box to the left of the title to see the reading level for articles.  You can also search for websites by clicking on Discoverer WebFind. 

NoodleTools:  Click on “Source and Summary.”  Use that information to figure out where SIRS Discoverer found this article and cite that source (magazine, newspaper, encyclopedia, etc.)  Retrieved from an online database.  For an encyclopedia article:  yes, duplicated from a printed work.  Do NOT provide a URL. 

Encyclopedia Britannica Image Quest – You can use this database to find images.  Click on the image to get information for your citation.  You must cite these images in NoodleTools. 

NoodleTools:  Cite as Painting, Sculpture or Photograph - photograph from an online database – online.  If you find information that the image is from a  museum or collection, make the first choice.  If no information is given about a collection or museum, choose second option.  Look under “Credit” for the artist/photographer, collection or museum.  The title is under “Caption.” The year it was created is found under “Date” at the bottom.  The database is Encyclopedia Britannica Image Quest. Do NOT enter a URL. 

NetTrekker -   There are many websites in this pathfinder.  If you don’t find a website there, you can use NetTrekker to find relevant websites instead of using Google.  Search for websites about your issue here.
NoodleTools:  Cite pages you find here as websites.  Do NOT cite NetTrekker.  DO provide a URL for the website you use.  

 

 

 

 

Websites  

NoodleTools:  Cite as websites.  DO provide a URL for websites. 

Canyons – Setting is Texas, 1860s and 1960s 

Canyons by Gary Paulsen - http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/viewWorkDetail.do?workId=1163911  

Sioux Indians 

1. http://www.sonofthesouth.net/union-generals/sioux-indians/sioux-indians.htm 
2. http://www.sioux-indians.com/ 
3. http://school.eb.com/elementary/article?articleId=353776 

Sitting Bull 

4. http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/sittingbull.htm 
5. http://www.sonofthesouth.net/union-generals/sitting-bull.htm 
6. http://www.aaanativearts.com/sioux/sitting_bull.htm 

Chief Red Cloud 

7. http://school.eb.com/comptons/article-9276671 

Custer’s Last Stand 

8. http://www.sonofthesouth.net/union-generals/custer/custers-last-stand.htm 

Sioux Indian Pictures 

9. http://www.sonofthesouth.net/union-generals/indians/sioux-pictures.htm 

Famous Sioux People 

10. http://www.aaanativearts.com/sioux/famous-sioux.htm 

Daily Life in the Sioux Nation 

11. http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/plains/sioux.html 

Sioux Warriors 

12. http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/plains/sioux/warriors.html 

Sioux Religion 

13. http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/plains/sioux/religion.html 

 Indian Wars 

14. http://school.eb.com/comptons/article-287579 

Crazy Horse 

15. http://school.eb.com/comptons/article-9273848 
16.  http://school.eb.com/elementary/article?articleId=353011 

Custer 

17. http://school.eb.com/comptons/article-9273884 

 

Light in the Forest – Setting is Pennsylvania, 1764   

The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter —1950s: Post WWIIhttp://www.randomhouse.com/acmart/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400077885&view=tg 

Lenni Lenape Indians 

 

 

 

1.   http://www.ancestral.com/cultures/north_america/lenni_lenape.html 
2.  http://www.bigorrin.org/lenape_kids.htm 
3.  http://www.native-languages.org/lenape.htm 
4.   http://www.anthro4n6.net/lenape/ 
5.   http://www.penntreatymuseum.org/americans.php 

William Penn & the Peace Treaty 

6. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/PENN/pnind.html 
7. http://www.penntreatymuseum.org/treaty.php 

Other Websites 

8. http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=45&nm=Henry-Bouquet   
9. http://www.akronhistory.org/marycampbell.htm   
10. http://explorepahistory.com/odocument.php?docId=37 
11. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/paris763.asp 

 

The Hobbit – Setting is England in 1930s 
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - http://www.nytimes.com/1954/10/31/books/tolkien-fellowship.html  

J.R.R. Tolkien 

1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5133000.stm 
2. http://faeriekeeper.net/newzealand6.htm 
3. http://www.tolkien-online.com/tolkien-biography.html  
4. http://www.nytimes.com/1973/09/03/books/090373tolkien-obit.html  

 Influences on Writing The Hobbit 

5. http://www.nytimes.com/1954/10/31/books/tolkien-fellowship.html 

World War I 

6. http://www.firstworldwar.com/origins/causes.htm 
7. http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/somme.htm 
8. http://www.firstworldwar.com/timeline/1914.htm 
9. http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/pistols.htm 
10. http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/mortars.htm 
11. http://www.firstworldwar.com/maps/europe1914.htm  

 World War I Personal Experiences & Diaries 

 12. http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/august1914.htm 

 13. http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/aboysexperiences.htm 

 14. http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/index.htm 

 15. http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/burrage_intro.htm 

 16. http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/thedevilmyfriend.htm 

 17. http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/rations.htm 

World War I Images 

 18. http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/index.htm  

 

 

 The Pearl – Setting is 1930s Mexico
 The Pearl by John Steinbeck - http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/pearl1.asp 

Hernan Cortes & Other Explorers 

1. http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/timeline/1.html 
2. http://www.newberry.org/aztecs/s2i1.html 
3. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/OO/fon2.html 
4. http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/cabezadevaca.htm 
5. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngbeyond/rings/influences.html  

Colonization 

6. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=670 
7. http://www.mexperience.com/history/mexico-colonial-era.php 
8. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/182906/the_colonization_of_mexico.html?cat=37 
9. http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/comp/cw27colonizationeffects.htm 

La Paz 

10. http://www.bajatravel.com/guidebook/lapaz/home.html 

Aztecs 

 11. http://www.newberry.org/aztecs/s2i5.html 

 12. http://www.newberry.org/aztecs/section_2_home.html 

 13. http://www.newberry.org/aztecs/index_en.html 

 

 Chinese Cinderella – Setting is 1940s 
 Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah -http://www.penguin.co.nz/webfiles/PenguinGroupNZ/files/ChineseCinderellaTeachNotes.pdf 

 Foot Binding 

1. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8966942 

Second Sino-Japanese War 

2. http://worldwar2database.com/html/sinojapan.htm 
3. http://history.cultural-china.com/en/34History7545.html 

World War II – Americans Join Chinese Against Japanese  

4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/7/newsid_3494000/3494108.stm 

 Communism 

5. http://www.china.org.cn/english/kuaixun/38073.htm 
6. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/special_report/1999/09/99/china_50/mao.htm 
7. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/special_report/1999/09/99/china_50/chiang.htm 

Tiajin Takeover 

  8.  http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=74&catid=2&subcatid=6 

 

 

 

 Bibliography of Images Used in Pathfinder (created in NoodleTools) 

Anderson. Sioux Indian Brave. 1900. Son of the South. Son of the South, 2008. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. <http://www.sonofthesouth.net/‌union-generals/‌indians/‌sioux-brave.htm>. 

October 1, 1949. N.d. Facts and Details. Jeffrey Hayes, Feb. 2011. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://factsanddetails.com/‌china.php?itemid=74&catid=2&subcatid=6>. 

TAMMANY (fl.1685). - American Lenni-Lenape (Delaware) Native American chief. Steel engraving, 19th century. 19th century. Granger Collection. Encyclopedia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. 

West, Benjamin. William Penn’s Treaty with the Indians in 1683. 18th century. Bridgeman Art Lib., London. Encyclopedia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. 

World War I: Soldier. 20th century. Granger Collection. Encyclopedia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 4 Oct. 2011.