Graphic
from: http://members.tripod.com/~AthenaIris/eyre.html
Jane
Eyre was not the typical 19th century woman. But what exactly
is the typical 19th century woman? This site will not tell you
the story of Jane Eyre but it will tell you about 19th century
women and how they are different from women of today. So if you haven't
read the book yet, it might help because this won't tell you the plot.
It will help you understand Jane's situation and why she was so extraordinary
for the time she was set in.
Your
task is to create two time capsules, one from an English woman of the 19th
century and one from an American woman today. You must collect items and
pictures to place in each time capsule and explain to your class in an
oral report why you have each item in the capsules.
Resources:
Gender
Matters: An Overview-
Good site for historical facts about gender roles in real life and in literature.
Also has good links to other sources.
19th
Century Tip- Beauty and Health-A
random beauty tip from the 19th century.
Literary
Resources: Victorian British-
Tons of good links- Go to the Victorian Web link!
Process:\
1.Read
the web sites listed in the resources section. Look at the pictures of
the clothes of the 19th century. Think about how those clothes
are different than the clothes women wear today.
2.Read
the articles about the lives and roles of women in the 19th
century. Look at their relationships with men. Evaluate from your own experience
how the roles of women are different and similar today. How have relationships
changed and how are they different? Are they different?
3.If
you are unsure about subjects concerning women today you have a few options.
You can interview women of today about their views of themselves and other
women. Another option would be to read women's magazines and see what they
say about women today. This would also be a good source for women's fashion
today.
4.Print
pictures from these sites and other sites of items that would be relevant
to women in the 19th century and today. Find items or draw pictures
of items that would be important to the women. When compiling your items
for your time capsule, think of the women's lives in relationship to:
-Free
time
-Work
-Relationships
-Family
-Fashion
-Life-style
5.
Place your items in the two time capsules and prepare your speech. The
speech should be 3 to 5 minutes long. The speech is important. You must
be able to support why you have each item in the time capsule. Compare
and contrast the two women in your speech. Make sure your thought process
is clear and your audience understands your reasoning behind each individual
item.
Evaluation
Criteria:
|
Points
|
|
|
|
|
Items chosen |
Very
relevant to subject
|
Somewhat
relevant to subject
|
Unclear
how the item is relevant
|
|
Support of items |
Very
clear, based in fact, fully explains importance of item
|
Somewhat
unclear, doesn't explain why item is important
|
Doesn't
explain importance of item.
|
|
Speech |
Speaks
clearly, well organized, good eye contact
|
Slightly
unorganized, slight errors in speech, some eye contact
|
Unorganized,
speaks unclearly, little to no eye contact
|
|
Length |
In
the 3 to 5 minute range
|
1
minute over or under the 3 to 5 minute range
|
No
regard for the 3 to 5 minute range
|
|
Failure
to complete the project and presentation will earn a score of 0 in each
column
Grade Scale: 12-11 =
A, 10-9 = B, 8 = C, 7 = D
Write two diary
entries- one from Jane Eyre and the other from Blanche Ingram both concerning
their feelings for Rochester at some point in the novel. Be sure to display
Brontë's feelings on woman of the era.
Resources:
Jane
Eyre- Blanche Ingram and Jane's feelings for Rochester-Descriptions
of Blanche and Jane and their relationships toward Rochester
Conflict
between Emotion and Passion in Jane Eyre and Through the looking glass-Jane's
feelings on marriage and men
Gender
Roles-What
gender role Brontë puts Jane in
Process:
1.Look
at the web sites and get a clear understanding of Brontë's attitude
towards Jane and Blanche.
2.
Pick a point in the story to write the entry from
Some
examples:
When
Rochester tells Blanche he has no money
When
Blanche is at Rochester's party
When
Jane and Rochester are engaged
When
Jane returns to Rochester at the end
3.Write
your diary- be sure to be neat and creative-
What
would Jane or Blanche think about?
What
type of paper would they write on?
Check
your penmanship and spelling!!!
Evaluation
Criteria:
Points |
|
|
|
|
|
Creativity
|
Very
creative and original (paper, writing style, etc)
|
More
creative efforts
|
Some
creative efforts
|
|
|
Relevancy to Brontë's
beliefs on the two woman
|
Exemplifies
Brontë's feelings
|
Explains
Brontë's feelings
|
Close
to what Brontë felt
|
|
|
Events
|
Excellent
part of the story (accurate and detailed)
|
Good
part of the story (some detail)
|
Ok
part of the story (very little detail)
|
|
|
Development
|
Very
descriptive and explanatory
|
General-
some description
|
Very
few details
|
|
Failure
to complete the project and presentation will earn a score of 0 in each
column
Grade Scale: 12-11 A;
10-9 B; 8-7 C; 6-5 D
Retell a section of Jane Eyre from the viewpoint
of a 19th century observer (an observer that would live during
Jane Eyre's time). For example retell the opening with the fight between
John Reed and Jane from John, Eliza, or Georgiana's viewpoint. Be sure
to use language similar to the time period.
Write a second entry retelling the same section
of Jane Eyre, but modernize it. Have the same type of characters, but fit
them to 21st century standards. Would Jane Eyre react in the
same way as the novel or would she act as a modern woman? You decide.
Resources:
Women's
Work in the 19th Century-A
list of various sites about women
in Victorian England
Victoriana-A site with information about Dating and everyday occurrences in Victorian England
Victorian
Info Headquarters- A great
site that has just about all you
need
to make an interesting Victorian character.
Process:
Read the novel and the links and try to create
a character, either female or male, and have them retell a section of the
novel from their perspective. Use the links above to add depth to the character.
Write a second story retelling the same or different part of the novel
from the view point of a modern man or woman. Use modern examples to make
the modern character more interesting. The stories will be collected during
class next week.
You will be presenting the differences in
the stories during class the day the stories are collected.
Try to stress the differences between the
time periods and women's roles in these time periods.
Evaluation
Criteria:
Points |
|
|
|
SCORE |
Event Chosen
|
|
|
|
|
Character Development |
|
|
|
|
Writing
|
|
|
|
|
Class Presentation
|
|
|
|
|
Failure
to complete the project and presentation will earn a score of 0 in each
column
Grade
Scale: A=12-11, B=10-9, C=8, D=7
Hopefully now you realize that there were
many differences between the women of the 19th century and the
women of today. If you judge the women in Jane Eyre by the standards
you have set for the women of today, you will probably misinterpret the
true meaning of the novel. The time period and the roles of people in that
time is something you should always keep in mind while you read a novel
set in a historical time period. We hope you learned from this webquest
and had fun while learning.
Created
by: Nora J., Lori L., and Rob M.