A Separate Peace:

A Webquest

Fifteen years after leaving Devon School,

Gene returns and reflects on his experiences as a sixteen-year-old boy
attending the preparatory school in 1942 during World War II.

Your job will be to create a time capsule

for Gene that will help him remember the summer that changed his life.

You will collect a variety of information on 1942.

With the data you find, you will develop a list of items
to include in a time capsule that will give an overall representation of the time.

To help Gene remember his life as a sixteen-year-old,

find information that was relevant to his life at the time.
Consider things like:
World War II
The draft
Political leaders
Top songs
Popular authors, singers, actors, etc.
New inventions
 New Hampshire
Preparatory schools
Fashion
Search the websites provided and decide what will be important to Gene.
Make a list of what you will include in the time capsule.
Compile the materials to create a packet of resources.
Use the material you find to create newspaper articles, maps, timelines, letters,
journals, etc.
to be saved in the time capsule. (See Evaluation.)

Be as elaborate as possible when creating your packet. (For

example, rather then just including the name of a popular song,
include the lyrics also if possible.)
It is important to print pictures, but incorporate them creatively.
You can also use your own artwork if it is appropriate.
Do not feel limi ted to this list of items to include!!! Additional
entries can only enhance your grade. Try to think of other forms
of documentation to use -- creativity is a large portion of your
grade.
Remember that your entire class is completing this project. Make
your project stand out from the rest!!!

Resources
http://www.exeter.edu/
Homepage of Exeter Academy.

http://library.exeter.edu/dept/separate_peace/article.html
Article by John Knowles discussing his time at Exeter.

http://library.exeter.edu/dept/separate_peace/essay.html
Photographic essay of the moods and setting of A Separate Peace.

http://library.exeter.edu/dept/separate_peace/defense.html
Description of Exeter's response to the coming of World War II.

http://library.exeter.edu/dept/separate_peace/war.html
Discussion of life at Exeter during World War II.
 http://library.exeter.edu/dept/separate_peace/program.html
Changes made at Exeter to meet special circumstances caused by the draft.

http://library.exeter.edu/dept/separate_peace/labor.html
How labor entered the curriculum at Exeter.

http://library.exeter.edu/dept/separate_peace/knowles.html
John Knowles discusses his novel.

http://library.exeter.edu/dept/separate_peace/forties.html
Faculty perspective of life at Exeter in the forties.

http://newdeal.feri.org
An educational website dedicated to the New Deal and surrounding times that contains
links to speeches, photos, letters, and interviews.

http://newdeal.feri.org/texts/subject.htm
A subject index for the New Deal Network. May be useful to search for specific subjects.

http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/fdr/FDRcartoons.html
Approximately 30,000 political cartoons about Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration.

http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu
Homepage for the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum

http://history1900s.about.com/library/photos/blyindexdepression.htm
Photographs of the Great Depression.

http://Propaganda.htm
Links to World War II Propaganda & Poster Art

http://www.nara.gov/nara/nn/nns/ww2photo.html
Pictures from National Archives of World War II.

http://www.davison.K12.mi.us/academic/hewitt9.htm
Links to timelines and information on Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the
New Deal.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/fsowhome.html
Photographs from the Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information
Collection of America from 1935-1945.

http://heismanmemorialtrophy.com/
Heisman Award winners.
 http://cgi.pathfinder.com/time/special/moy/1942.html
Article on Time 's man of the year.

http://www.everblue.net/1942
Summary of battles in Pacific between U.S. Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy.

http://members.aol.com/VRV1/index.html
Information on Casablanca.

http://classicfilm.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa070698.htm
Information on Roy Rogers.

http://classicfilm.miningco.com/library/weekly/bllistrw.htm
A list of movies from various time periods.

http://classicfilm.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa051798.htm
A list of World War II movies.

http://americanhistory.miningco.com/library/weekly/bl112897.htm
Random facts about American history.

http://www.classicar.com/bombsight/42.html
Picture of a 1942 Buick.

http://WhiteChristmas
Lyrics to "White Christmas."

http://www.filmsite.org/index.html
A guide to the Oscars of 1942.

http://www.choochoo.com/history/history.htm
History of the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

http://www.glennmillerorchestra.com/history.html
Information on the Glen Miller Band.
 Conclusion
As a concluding activity, select a couple of pieces from your time capsule that
are outstanding.
What makes them more impressive than the others?
Be prepared to share these in class.

Evaluation
An "A" capsule must include at least:
three newspaper articles
a timeline of a year or two during WWII
a journal with five entries from a teenager during the time – be creative –
use historical situations and things from your research
two advertisements
a letter to or from Gene and its response
four pictures used creatively in the other entries

Lower grade capsules follow the same criteria as an "A" capsule but are
missing:
one required piece for a "B"
two required pieces for a "C"
three required pieces for a "D"
any more than three missing pieces constitutes a failing grade

A piece is considered to be one of the six required elements of an "A"

capsule.
Your time capsule will be graded on historical accuracy, creativity,
thoroughness of research, and quality of presentation.
NOTE: Just having the required elements is not enough to earn a high grade.
They must also be quality work!!!

70 pts total for project!