Focus on Internet Research
by Abigail Garthwait, Librarian, Asa Adams Elementary School

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963.

Christopher Paul Curtis
Delacorte Press
1995

SUMMARY: Peopled with a loving mother and father, three perceptive children, and a vivid community culture, this book shows an ordinary family's laughter, love and travails in Flint, Michigan. Ten-year-old Kenny Watson tells the story but his 13-year-old brother and six -year-old sister are unforgettable characters. The title may haunt the reader from the beginning with the notion that the trip South (which takes place at the very end) is really the center of the book. Curtis sets familial love and stability as a foil to the devastating events in Birmingham of 1963 .

HONORS:

Newbery Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Award.
New York Times Notable Book.

THEMES:

family life
civil rights

LEVEL: Grades 5-7

PART I - INTRODUCTION

The climax of The Watsons is based on an actual event; four girls were killed in 1963 when a bomb was thrown into a Southern black church. (The novel's dedication personalizes it by giving us the names.) Curtis briefly explains in the epilogue about the civil rights movement of the sixties and he ends with a commentary on "bravery". Episodes like this are not just relics of an old struggle found in dusty text books; they are part of an ongoing means of criminal behavior. During the past year the news has been plastered with the burning of black churches.

Culling the internet with this activity should not only:

- bring some of these incidents to a focused study but will also
- assist your students in analyzing webpage authority & bias and the values of researching historical continuity. (Part II - Because first experiences can be so intimidating and overwhelming, we've "salted the mines" with specific URLs to assist a beginner's introduction. )
- recognize the frailties of search engines and further reflections on net researching (Part III - the section that demanded to be written as a result of my explorations for this article).

RECOMMENDATION:
Select just one or a few of the sections below on which to focus. Start by having the sites open in front of you. Activate and work the links before you try to absorb this whole piece. (Remember sites that were active at printing time may no longer be available. That's why we suggested a variety of web sites.)

About the Author:

The natural plot and the realistic dialogue in The Watsons flow so smoothly you'd think that it's a real journal. Readers may wonder how much material Curtis used from his own life. But where can you find out about this brand new, first time author? On the World Wide Web, of course! Read these book reviews and news articles in order to discover how much Christopher Paul Curtis based the book on his own life. Your students will find out the real story behind the emotionally-charged sulphur matches incident from the following site.

Book Pick of the Month

Activity: Author Research - Individually or in groups of twos students research an author they have read and chosen. Each student makes a hypercard stack using this information. One focus could be to highlight elements in the authors' lives that have influenced their writing Before the hypercard stacks are started, the class should develop a set of criteria by which the stacks will be evaluated. At a draft stage, expect students to read and evaluate three other students' work. At the conclusion of the project, combine the stacks to form a class reference work. Give to the librarian for use in future research projects.
Explanation: This notetaking form is designed to make the PROCESS of research visible to students and therefore advance their self-monitoring skills. While researching in pairs, one will be focused on content and one will watch what is happening successfully or dismally. With librarian and teacher guidance this tool serves to focus the student on reflective research work.

PART II - RELATED SITES

With all the comments and dangers listed in Part III, the novice internet researcher may have qualms about his or her ability to find anything! If we are going to be successful in teaching students about searching on the net, these topics need addressing in a method that doesn't turn students (and teachers!) off to using this resource. Do you think the best method is to explain issues and concepts to students or is it to let them "discover" these problems and frustrations on their own? Part of the answer will depend on your own comfort level.

Part II will give you and your teachers some starting points for student researching on the internet. You, as the adult guide, will need to be thinking about how to utilize the URLs listed below. It might be that you select two or three sites to use as a demonstration of the angles you expect them to pursue. Or you might wish to "prime their pumps" by handing them a small sample of some of the addresses and expect them to find other sites, and evaluate and use this information in an original way. The bold faced headings loosely group the addresses. The web below suggests a way of putting a large unit together
.

If the class or a group will be fully immersed in this project, have them construct their own web on chart paper. Students sign up to research the topics or subject areas of their interests. Additional bubbles and arms of the web should be added as they are "discovered." Research results may also be added to the webs or recorded on comparison charts.

Personal Reactions to the church burnings:

At "The Flames of Hatred" site the reader will find photographs and church members' reactions to the burnings. It made me cry.

Flames of Hatred

This site includes interviews with pastors of many of these churches. "After 400 years of slavery and prejudice, blacks are uniquely prepared to deal with adversity," Akins [a Baptist pastor] said. "Besides," he said, "a church doesn't consist of a building, but of the people who belong there.... It's impossible to burn down a church." One question your class might wish to consider is the intent behind some of the poignant quotes; is this news or is a pathos or is it sensationalism? Other quotes can be found at this site which is copyrighted by the Lexington-Herald Leader:

'Heightened awareness' sparked by church from the Lexington Herald Leader

Consider:
A. What might be a dividing line between journalistic sensationalism and the concept that the most effective education comes through the affective domain (i.e. a person learns best if there is emotional involvement)? Debate: This topic is quite wide but certainly fits into the social action schema revolving around what we might do about church burning.. The potential for issue-based research is strong in the area of journalist sensationalism. PRO: Many of the URLs here eloquently show how people are moved to action after learning of the dreadful injustices of church burnings and the subsequent cancellation of insurance policies! This group of students might also interview local activists or even class members to discover the most motivational points in their lives. CON: Students might collect examples of how the media plays with its readers' emotions. (e.g. the tragic faces of relatives of those lost in airplane disasters; or the small Vietnamese girl running crying through her streets 30 years ago. ) How much privacy (in grief) is the "average citizen allowed? Another argument might dwell on how news viewers become inured to tragedy and injustice if they see it night after night. Statistics on how well specific issues of periodicals sell if they feature sensationalist news may be a supporting point here.

B. The benefits /drawbacks of the ease with which news can be published on the net. Compare news on the net with periodicals such as the Newsweek article June 24, 1996. "Who's Bombing the Black Churches." Keep a running list on the class or library wall throughout this unit that show the differences that students find in these two mediums. Talk about this often with them. This is a crucial skill to develop if students are to gain insightful ways of mining of the net.

Authority/Bias

To have something published in print, an author or group must jump through an elaborate series of hoops, many of which serve as selectivity tools to weed out frivolous matters or to make it difficult for disseminating non-mainstream view points. Evaluate the authority or bias of the following sites:

- There is a thorough document:
BLACK CHURCH BURNINGS IN THE SOUTH: CDR REPORT IN 3 PARTS

It is produced by The Center for Democratic Renewal. What is the purpose of this Center? Do they have an agenda or a bias? (Their mission statement is included within the body of the article. How do you know they are telling the truth?) Compare their time line with the one Michelle Murrain developed from CNN .

Incidentally the above site includes an excellent map, a superior model of graphic effect and a fine set of Further Resource links. Ms. Murrain also includes her background and creditials. With an education in neuroscience, she is particularly interested in race and class issues as well as the political implications of HIV and AIDS. How would her educational background give her a bias in one direction? How is this related to her interest in the church burnings?

- How would you rate the information found on the "Keeping America White" or "Stormfront's" webpages? (KEY CONCEPTS OF WHITE NATIONALISM). The third site listed below provides background material on white supremacy. These will assist with student understanding of the issues and are useful in adding other key words to the search.

Storm Front : White Pride
WHITE SUPREMACY IN THE 1990s

- This site displays a news release published by National Gay and Lesbian Task Force on the passage of the Church Arson Prevention Act. Do they have an agenda? Why are they expending time and energy on this issue?

- The Assembly of IaHUShUA MaShIaChaH (Conspiracy Page) has a fascinating point - that federal agents are also experienced church arsonists. Here's how they defend that comment: "After a sustained attack and siege, the ATF and FBI, under orders from Clinton and Reno, finally used tanks against the Mount Carmel church. These tanks lobbed highly flammable CS gas, which is banned from use in war with our enemies, into the church. The CS gas caught fire, burning down the church, and burning most of the congregation of men, women and seventeen children to death. ... These "Justice and Treasury" agents are, of course, FBI and ATF, who have experience with church burning, having performed one themselves back in 1993.

- A radio station in Charlotte N.C.(WBT) publishes on the web some of their commentaries. One very relevant speech is Jerry Klein's Monday Morning Commentary (6/10/96) " Blinded by the Light." (link no longer available).

In this speech Jerry refers to a book entitled "The Turner Diaries," a fictional work about race wars. The author hopes and expects these wars to erupt soon. It is scary to realize that some groups view the book, The Turner Diaries as a blueprint for war. This web page is a good example of bias.

Consider:
The original by-line was Gaston County Young Democrats - bias?
Jerry is also reporting on a church burning that occurred the night before the newscast. What attitude, what emotions would a listener glean from hearing this report for the first time from Jerry?


Not just a Southern Problem:

- "Politics of Hate" site is written by Elizabeth Farnsworth and illustrated with photographs. Her background report is followed by a discussion with Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Deval Patrick, and Kansas City minister, Rev. Mac Charles Jones. There is quite a bit of information and opinions to be found.

- Reuters carried a news story (no longer available) about an arson fire in Oregon (June 20, 1996). Like the one the Watsons experienced in Birmingham, this too was caused by a bomb thrown through a church window resulting in a fire so intense that carpets melted!. Damage was placed at $65,000 but a motion sensor alarm was credited with preventing more extensive damage.

http://reuters.gnn.com/19960620/RTRNEWS-CHURCHES.html

Consider: Motion sensors are finding their way into modern society and can be seen on computer power systems, drinking foundations and sinks in public bathrooms. How has technology aided crime prevention? How do crooks make use of it?

What are government regulations about melting temperatures of fabrics and carpets in public buildings? Clothing? How easy was it to find this specific governmental safety information? Interview the owners/managers of new public buildings in your area to ask about the process they used to determine what brand to buy. Post your findings on your school's web site.

Nothing new?

- The 1996 rash of church burnings is not a recent phenomena, nor even a 1990s event. A Brown University historian, John Saillant, says that burning of black churches can be traced back to racial incidents in the 18th and 19th centuries. Find out what happened to Connecticut teacher Prudence Crandall when she enrolled a black girl in her private school during the early 1830s.

http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/1995-96/95-171i.html

- "Democracy Place" (a net source of information about current events and civic journalism) sponsors Issue of the Week. At the following site they look at the rash of burnings of African American churches, and how it's been covered in the news. The following items in italic offer further links from the site.

CNN articles archive: Another archive, this one maintained by CNN and Yahoo. America's Long History of Black Churches Burning By Jim Campbell for the Los Angeles Times, examines the history of the black church in America -- and the frightening ramifications of the recent rash of burnings. Timeline of black church fire investigations - Find out when and where each fire occurred, and how investigations are proceeding.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9606/08/arson.timeline/index.html

- An interesting - scary corollary question arises: How trustworthy are the government statistics? An ordinary reader of one newsgroup suggests taking a closer look. The following post continues for pages and was written by D. Henry Williams Philadelphia, PA - 07/15/96 15:55:24 EDT

http://www.stepshow.com/churches/guestbook.html

According to the newspaper, "The numbers confirm that a sharp rise in black church arsons started in 1994 and continues." But USA Today's own chart belies this claim. It shows that two of the states didn't start reporting data until 1993 and a third one didn't until 1995. Naturally, when they did, the numbers went up. Among states that have compiled data going back to 1990, the number of black church arsons shown in the USA Today chart for that year (13) was two more than in 1994. The number in 1991 (16) was the same as in 1995. As for the 1996 numbers, law enforcement officials consider them unrepresentative because media publicity has generated copycat crimes. What about federal data? The FBI doesn't keep such statistics, and Department of Justice data are too scattered and sketchy to be useful. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms doesn't give out data anymore because "people started using the numbers in contexts that weren't justified," spokesman Jim Limbach told me. Only recently has the agency been ordered to investigate all church fires. Its earlier records mainly cover federal cases, while most arsons are under state jurisdiction.

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December 1997
Maine Educational Media Associaton

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