Banned Books WebQuest - Introduction
Did you know that every year in school districts throughout the United States books are challenged or banned. Books, like The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, and the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. One of the most famous recent cases took place in Arizona, which has a very high Mexican immigrant population. Read the list of books that were banned in schools and colleges in Arizona. Why do you think those books would be banned? Read about how defenders of our First Amendment Rights and the Daily Show responded to the ban by clicking here. Some of the books have been reinstated.
Latest targets of the censors are some of Tappan Zee High School's favorite books,, including Tanya Lee Stone's A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl (drugs, sex); John Green's Looking for Alaska (drugs, sex); Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower (drugs, homosexuality); Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima (Satanism, offensive language, sex); and Jeff Smith's Bone series (political viewpoint, racism, violence). Also many books covered in the Tappan Zee High School curriculum have been banned in other school districts. Just last Fall, a non-fiction book entitled, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot was targeted by a parent in Tennessee. Read about the book and the attempt to ban it here
A book about censorship, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, was censored in a very specific way. Click here to find out about it.
In this web quest, you will create an attractive, yet informative poster for display in the library and English hallway to mark Banned Books Week. The purpose of the project is to increase awareness on the issue of censorship and to generate interest in reading. You may work alone or in pairs but we would like to feature as many books as possible. Select a book or author whose work you admire...a book you enjoyed. Your informative poster project will be part of the 10H Banned Book Display that will be viewed in the library and in the English Hallway (between the 400's and 300's) during Banned Books Week (September 25 - October 1st) and beyond. We intend to keep the display up through October!
First, you need to find out a little bit about censorship, book banning, and the First Amendment.
Completed Projects (we will also be posting pictures of your posters on the library website!)
Latest targets of the censors are some of Tappan Zee High School's favorite books,, including Tanya Lee Stone's A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl (drugs, sex); John Green's Looking for Alaska (drugs, sex); Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower (drugs, homosexuality); Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima (Satanism, offensive language, sex); and Jeff Smith's Bone series (political viewpoint, racism, violence). Also many books covered in the Tappan Zee High School curriculum have been banned in other school districts. Just last Fall, a non-fiction book entitled, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot was targeted by a parent in Tennessee. Read about the book and the attempt to ban it here
A book about censorship, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, was censored in a very specific way. Click here to find out about it.
In this web quest, you will create an attractive, yet informative poster for display in the library and English hallway to mark Banned Books Week. The purpose of the project is to increase awareness on the issue of censorship and to generate interest in reading. You may work alone or in pairs but we would like to feature as many books as possible. Select a book or author whose work you admire...a book you enjoyed. Your informative poster project will be part of the 10H Banned Book Display that will be viewed in the library and in the English Hallway (between the 400's and 300's) during Banned Books Week (September 25 - October 1st) and beyond. We intend to keep the display up through October!
First, you need to find out a little bit about censorship, book banning, and the First Amendment.
Completed Projects (we will also be posting pictures of your posters on the library website!)