English 621 Independent Novel Study

Angels and Demons:  A WebQuest

Now that you’re 120 chapters into your novel, we’re going to explore some of the references made by your author, Dan Brown, and some references still to come.  The following webquest has been designed so that you – the reader – will discover some context for your novel.

Some questions ask for information only while others ask you to apply your reading.  Since you have been asked to accomplish this quest using presentation format, it should make use of representative photos and other cool stuff.  Good luck.

Before You Begin

• Open a document in Microsoft PowerPoint (highly-recommended) or Corel Presentations and save it as ‘webquest’.  Your responses will be completed in the form of a presentation, each question on a new slide.  Please create a cover slide for this web quest.

Question One:  Explore Vatican City

• Go to http://www.truthaboutangelsanddemons.com/ and click on the Explore Vatican City link.  Zoom the map until you can identify three sites within the Vatican City where particular events occurred in your novel.  Copy and paste this map into your presentation and insert a shape next to each of the sites (Coffin will provide assistance if requested).  On the next slide, very briefly describe the event from your novel which occurred in each of these sites.

Question Two:  Create Your Own Ambigram

• There are many ambigrams used in this novel.  Do an online search for an ambigram of your name (or create one using an online ambigram generator).  Copy and paste your ambigram into your presentation.

Question Three:  Quickies (Choose One of Three)

1. In 50-100 words, tell us who Galileo Galilei was and why he is important to the plot of this novel (provide his photo also).
2. Look into Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica.  In terms a twelve-year old can understand, explain the general theme of this work (don’t forget to include his photo as well).
3. Do some reading about antimatter.  In terms a twelve-year old can understand, explain what antimatter is and what we might use it for.

Question Four:  Hard to Believe

• Critics of Dan Brown state that he is inaccurate in many of the ‘truths’ he claims exist in his books.  What are a couple of things that Brown has written about that you find hard to believe?

Question Five:  Bernini’s Sculptures

• Robert Langdon believed that Illuminatus artist Bernini created four Illuminati sculptures placed in four different churches in Rome that provided the clues for the Path of Illuminati.  Identify these sculptures and then find photos of them and copy and paste them into your document.

Some Useful Links:

• Explore Vatican City
• Angels and Demons:  Decoded (History Channel)
• Ambigram Generators (Google Search)
• Illuminati Conspiracy Archive
• danbrown.com