A Life Search of Charles Dickens

-
Partner Webquest Charles Dickens is said to be one of the greatest writers that has ever lived. Before we read one
of his works in class, I would like you to spend some time getting to know this famous author and
learning what the world was like as he knew it. To better understand the life and times of Mr.
Dickens, you will complete the following webquest with a partner. (A webquest is basically a
scavenger hunt for information using a variety of internet sources.)

DIRECTIONS
Create a new document in your LA folder in Google Docs and title the document Charles

Dickens Webquest (F & L Name).

Put a proper heading on the top left hand corner of your document. The assignment title is

the same as the document title.

There are NINE PARTS to this webquest and 17 TOTAL QUESTIONS. You will need

to restate part of the question when answering each question.

During the webquest, you will be directed to various internet sources to use to help you

answer questions about Charles Dickens and Victorian era England. Each source has been
hyperlinked for you. Simply click on the link to access it.
Although youre working with a partner, you will each create and submit your own
document for this assignment.
DUE:

-
PART ONE http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/olivertwist/dickens_timeline_text.html
1.
2.
3.
4.

What was the date of Charles Dickens birth?

How old was Dickens when the family moved to London, England?
What was Dickens doing right before he died?
What famous story did Dickens write in 1843?

-
PART TWO http://charlesdickenspage.com/dickens_london_map.html
Here, youll find a map of London-as it was during Dickens lifetime. Please find and click on
Camden Town
to answer Question 5 below.
5. Which family from
A Christmas Carol
lived in Camden Town?

- PART THREE http://www.english.uwosh.edu/roth/VictorianEngland.htm

6. Dickens lived during the Victorian era. Read the
first five paragraphs o
n this website. Then
write a one paragraph summary (5 - 7 sentences) about the Victorian era time period in England.
7. What made Victorians Victorian more than anything? In other words, what attitude did
Victorians have which made them different from people before them?

- PART FOUR http://www.english.uwosh.edu/roth/VictorianEngland.htm

Keep scrolling down the page until you see MONEY
.

8. List the three types of money used in England during this time.
9. A little further down, youll notice DISEASES. Please l
ist
and
describe three
major diseases
during Dickens time.

- PART FIVE http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/dietwh.html

10. Workhouses were built to house poor Victorians, who worked for a small amount of food and
money. Name
five
foods that poor Victorians were given to eat here.

- PART SIX http://www.logicmgmt.com/1876/schoolday.htm

l
11. Please read the list of 10 rules, which were found in a typical Victorian classroom. In your
opinion, which rules should still be used in schools today?
Explain your reasoning.

- PART SEVEN http://charlesdickenspage.com/reading_dickens.html

12. Who read Dickens in the nineteenth century?
13. Why is Dickens challenging to read today?

- PART EIGHT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens

14. Dickens married Catherine Thompson Hogarth in 1836. How many children did they have?
15. Dickens wrote 20 major novels during his lifetime. Please write down the four novels that
were written and/or published during the years listed below.
- 1837-39:
- 1849-50:
- 1859:
- 1860-61:

- PART NINE http://www.mytimemachine.co.uk/dickens.htm

16.
What major event happened in 1865?

17. Exactly five years later, what major event happened, and what was the date (be specific and
include the month, day, and year)?