The Titanic

a Web Quest by

Andrew S. Basler

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Introduction  |  Task  |  Process  |  Evaluation  |  Conclusion  |  Teachers  |  Credits

Introduction

On the evening of April 14, 1912, the ocean liner Titanic struck an iceberg and sunk 3 hours later.  The news quickly spread around the world that the "unsinkable" ship had sunk, resulting  in the greatest maritime disaster in history.  Years later, the Titanic still evokes fascination from the public and scientists alike. The Titanic is representative of the time period. Historically, the Titanic has become a symbol for the end of the Gilded Age. In this Web Quest, you will explore the tragedy of the Titanic, and investigate the history surrounding its creation and destruction.

Task

You will be broken up into groups.  Your task is to search the internet for different facts about the sinking and discovery of the Titanic.  Make sure to write all your answers down legibly.  You may click on the white underlined links to go directly to a website.

Process

Part I - First, go to the Titanic Fact Page and find the following numerical measurements.

   1)  How long and tall was the Titanic?

   2)  How many people could the Titanic hold?  Passengers and Crew.

   3)  How many apples and oranges were on the Titanic for consumption?

   4) How many lifeboats were on the Titanic?

   5) How many people died in the disaster?  How many survived?

Part II - Now that you have a general idea of the size of the Titanic, go to Titanic Online and learn more about the construction, voyage, and sinking of the ship.  You will find links at the bottom of the page to each section.  Look over the sections "Floating Palace, Voyage, Collision and Sinking, Carpathia and Rescue, Inquiries, and Discovery"  Use complete sentences to answer the following questions:

   1) What "safety" features on the Titanic made it seem unsinkable? (Floating Palace)

   2) What accident was narrowly avoided as the Titanic was leaving harbor? (The Voyage)

   3) How did the passengers react to the collision with the Iceberg? (Collision)

   4) How long did it take for help to arrive after the Titanic sunk? (Carpathia)

    5) What were the causes of the disaster according to the US Senate investigation? (Inquiries)

    6) What was the first, serious scientific attempt to locate the Titanic?  Was it successful?  (Discovery)

    7) In your own words, do you think the Titanic disaster could have been avoided?  What significance does it have today?

Part III - You have learned about the size of the Titanic, and the actual sinking and discovery of the Ship. Now, you will do your own web searches using a Search Engine to answer questions about the age of Titanic, the end of the Guilded Age. For each question, you will be given some key words to help you begin your search, but do not limit yourself to using only the provided tips.

1) When was the "Gilded Age?" What kind of technological advances were made then? What was it like to live back then? (Tip: use the keywords "Gilded Age England Titanic" and look for stories.)

2) The Gilded Age is also known as the Edwardian Age in England. During this time, many immigrants were coming to America, and many were on board the Titanic. Why were so many people coming to America? (Tip: use the keywords "Immigration Gilded Age")

3) In what ways did the Titanic represent the Gilded Age? Using what you already know, come up with your own search key words to answer this question.

Evaluation

You will be evaluated on the correct answers, and on your teamwork as a group to complete the assignment. The following rubric may be used:

Note that 25 percent of your grade is on teamwork. Make sure that each person has a role and contributes, to score well. Also, the majority of your grade focuses on correct answers. Make sure that you read carefully and use complete sentences when necessary, and answer each question in full.

Conclusion

The sinking of Titanic was the greatest and most tragic maritime accident in History. But even more than that, the Titanic symbolized the end of the Gilded age, and introduced a new era of reality. People understood that perhaps even the greatest technology was not perfect, and that there was certainly no such thing as an "unsinkable ship." Looking back through time, the tragedy of the Titanic still appeals to people today, since every generation is able to learn something from the accident.

Teachers

Grade Band: World History, Social Studies (7-12)

Tennessee Curriculum Standards:

7th grade - (History) 7.5.01 Understand the patterns of human settlement

8th grade - (Geography) 8.3.05 Understand the impact of immigration and migration on a society

9-12 - (World History) 3.2 understand human geographic interactions and their impact on world historic event

Purpose: To connect a single historical event to its larger implications, to encourage the use of internet research, to reinforce internet research skills, to promote group skills through a group project, to illustrate the Gilded Age in history.

Preceding and Ensuing Instruction: Before starting this Web Quest, the teacher should show the IMAX dvd Titanica (1 hour). This dvd is available at www.amazon.com . The movie will give the student a background in the history of the Titanic, and show how the accident is still relevant today. This Web Quest may take several hours to complete, and may be broken up over several days if necessary. This Web Quest may be incorporated into a study on the Gilded Age, Immigration, Great Historical Events, Scientific Expeditions, the Ocean, etc. The teacher should first complete the Web Quest to find the correct answers. In addition, during the Web Quest, the teacher should aid in helping students locate answers, answer any questions the student has, and provide tips on using the Google Search Engine.

Credits

Search Engine (2003). Google Search Engine. Retrieved November 18, 2003 from www.google.com

Titanic (2002). Titanic - Floating Palace. Retrieved November 18, 2003 from www.titanic-online.com/titanic/history/history04.html

Jim's Titanic Website (2001). Titanic: Facts and Figures. Retrieved November 18, 2003 from http://www.keyflux.com/titanic/facts.htm

Miramax. Titanica (2001). [DVD]. Toronto, Canada, IMAX

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