"The Noble Experiment"
A Jackie Robinson WebQuest
By
Teresa Phillips
This page was based on a WebQuest by Donna Glandorf.
Introduction | Task | Resources | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion
You are a reporter for the New York Times in the 1940's. You have been assigned to interview the African American baseball player, Jackie Robinson and his general manager, Branch Rickey. Jackie Robinson is the first African American to ever play in the Big Leagues.
You will create a newspaper article in Microsoft Word. Your article will highlight the attitudes of people in the 1940's to African Americans, especially their reactions to Jackie Robinson playing on a Big League team. In your research you will find that African Americans did not have the rights that we all have today. Your newspaper article must include answers to the questions: "Who? What? When? Where? How? and Why?".
Branch Rickey (Breaking the Barrier)
Branch Rickey (Baseball Library)
Sites about Treatment of African Americans in the 1940's
Civil Rights Movement in Florida
Civil Rights Movement in Florida, Part 2
1. You will be assigned two partners to complete this quest.
2. Student 1 will interview Jackie Robinson. To do this click "Sites about Jackie Robinson" to learn about him. You may also use books in the room about Jackie Robinson, as well as, electronic and other encyclopedias. Find out why Jackie Robinson agreed to play on an all white team, knowing that his decision would not be popular with baseball fans because of the color of his skin.
3. Student 2 will interview Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He asked Jackie Robinson to play for his team. Find out his motivations for doing this. You may click on the "Sites about Branch Rickey" to find out about him. You may also use the various books in the room, as well as, electronic and other encyclopedias.
4. Student 3 will become an expert on life during the 1940's. You should become familiar with the treatment of African Americans during this time in our history, as well as, attitudes towards these people. To do this task, click on "Sites about Treatment of African Americans in the 1940s ".
5. Last, all three of you may want to include some pictures for your newspaper article. Decide as a group how best to accomplish this.
You will be graded on content, creativity and accuracy. You should print out a copy of the Student Self-Assessment Checklist to check your own work before turning in the printed copy.
Click here to see how I arrive at your grade for your group project.
When you have completed your newspaper article, you will have learned much about an interesting and troubled time of our history. In addition you will know more about a brave African American in our history, Jackie Robinson. Perhaps you will even have learned what it is to have tolerance and patience with people who are different from you in some way, and that different is not bad.
Resources:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/malu/documents/jim_crow_laws.htm
http://englischlehrer.de/usa/rosaparks.php
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_jackie.html
http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/robinson01.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/robinson/jr1860s.html
http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/jackie/index.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/robinson/
http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016431.html
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/detail.jsp?playerId=121181
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/robinson/davis.html
http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Branch_Rickey_1881
http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/cvl_rts/cvl_rts1.pdf