process

[ task ] [ process ] [ evaluation ] [ conclusion ]

To accomplish this task, you must complete the following steps:

1.GATHER EVIDENCE
Your group of three students will be assigned one of the topics/problems listed below to investigate. Every group member should look at these links to familiarize yourselves with your group’s topic. At this point, you are all reporters gathering evidence. Good reporters search far and wide for the evidence they need, but please start with the websites linked below. Don’t go on to other sites until you have consulted with your group members and your teacher and are sure that you need to look elsewhere.

a) Conditions in the coal mines
       http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/victorianbritain/default.htm
            http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/victorian/history/sochistov.html
       Coal Mining History:
            http://www.cmhrc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
      Miners’ Unions:
            http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUminers.htm

b) Conditions in the textile mills :
    Life and labor in Victorian England:
    http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/victorianbritain/industrial/default.htm
      http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/victorian/history/work/workov.html
     The textile industry in general :
        http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Textiles.htm
      Textile workers’ unions :
        http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUcotton.htm

c) Child Labor :
    Life and labor in Victorian England:
    http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/snapshots/snapshot25/snapshot25.htm         http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/victorian/history/sochistov.html
    More on problems with child labor in England :
        http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/IRchild.htm

d) Differences between the lives of the rich and the poor :
Race and class issues:
http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/victorian/history/sochistov.html
http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/snapshots/snapshot14/snapshot14.htm
Lives of domestic workers :
http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/victorian/gender/femeconov.html

e) Conditions of urban life:
    Public health issues:
http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/victorianbritain/healthy/default.htm
http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/victorian/history/sochistov.html
Descriptions of specific towns :
     http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/towns.htm

f) Representation in Parliament: Rural vs. Urban areas
        Reform Acts :
        http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/victorian/history/histov.html
        http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/politics/greatreform/default.htm

Parliament :
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRparliament.htm

g) Conditions for women in general
        Victorian Web: Gender
http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/victorian/gender/socialhistov.html
http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/victorianbritain/divided/default.htm                                            English Laws for Women:                       http://www.indiana.edu/~letrs/vwwp/norton/englaw.html#Text

2. DEFINE THE PROBLEM AND PROPOSE A SOLUTION

After you have gathered evidence, work together to formulate a thesis statement for your editorial. Your thesis should describe the nature of the problem and explain what you think should be done about the problem you are describing; this is your answer to the question: what is to be done? You should decide on one of the following possible solutions:

a. Your newspaper feels that Parliament should pass a law regulating the situation. Later, in the text of the editorial, you will be specific about what exactly the law should say, how it will be enforced, and how it will be funded.

b. Your newspaper feels that the people involved should organize a union to negotiate better working conditions. Later, in the text of the editorial, you will be specific about who should belong to the union and what specific improvements the workers should demand.

3. CHOOSE YOUR ROLE
After you have familiarized yourselves with the details of the problem and written your thesis statement, each group member should choose one of the following roles:

    The editorial writer(s):
            You will actually sit at the computer and write the editorial (with
            input from the other members of the group).   Look carefully at
            the evaluation page for guidelines about the composition of the editorial.

    The staff photographer/illustrator
            In addition to helping the writer with the composition of the
            editorial, you will find at least one historical and relevant image
            with which to illustrate your editorial. You will also write appropriate and relevant
             captions for your illustrations.
http://humwww.ucsc.edu/dickens/OMF/photoarchive/photoarchive.html#anchor246655

http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/us-index.htm

http://www.cmhrc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/prints.htm

   The researcher/copy editor
            Your job will be to find a direct quotation from a primary document
             to use in the editorial. Your quotation should be long enough
              to be meaningful—two to three sentences—but not too long. It is your specific job to make
              sure that the editorial introduces and analyzes this document.
              You will also contribute to the writing of the editorial by checking it for
              accurate spelling, good grammar, and powerful word selection.

4. WRITE YOUR EDITORIAL/FIND YOUR ILLUSTRATION(S)/FIND YOUR QUOTATION(S)

Your final product, which will be typed, should include the following components:
        a)      A masthead for your newspaper (what is the name of this paper?)
        b)      A title for your editorial (define the problem and/or propose the
                solution)
        c)      The editorial itself: written in the form of a multi-paragraph, persuasive
                essay that includes:
                    An introduction containing the thesis
                    Body paragraphs: define the problem more specifically, present                                         evidence (including quotation(s) from primary document(s)), and                                       propose your specific solution
                    A conclusion: restate your thesis in different words; end with a                                        powerful call for action!
        d)      Illustration: at least one sketch or photograph from the 19^th century
                that illustrates your story in some way.

5. EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM AND DEFEND YOUR ARGUMENT TO THE CLASS

Your group will be asked to tell the class what you learned and explain the solution you propose. Organize your presentation so that everyone has a role.