Introduction
This WebQuest asks students to explore the life and times of Edgar Allan Poe. It is a look into his work and the mystery that lies within, as well as his personal history. The importance of the creative process is emphasized here as Poe is an author who employed the supernatural in his literature. The students will split into groups for this activity. The purpose of this activity is to explore a well-known author's life and why doing so is important to understanding literature.
What is a WebQuest?
A webquest is an interactive learning method that involves directed student research on the Internet. Our WebQuest is to prepare students for Edgar Allan Poe and his literature.
Task
You and your group will study various aspects of Edgar Allan Poe's life, including the time period he live in, the culture that surrounded him, his literature, and his personal life, as well as Gothic literature as a whole. Your goal is to solve the death of Edgar Allan Poe, for there is much mystery that surrounds his death, and to write his obituary accordingly, including how he died.
Task
PHASE I: Research
Each role is responsible for gathering knowledge based on the following areas of interest:
Reporter: You will do most of the writing, however make sure all of your group members make a significant input to the obituary. You will research Poe and see if you can find any articles written on him, from the past and more recent articles, to gain information on him in a newspaper context. Make sure to take notes on the information you find important.
Detective: You will research Poe's life, specifically the circumstances surrounding his early death. The websites you look at will concentrate on not only his death, but his life leading up to it. Concentrate on things a detective might, what may be significant in finding out how Poe died? Are there suspects or people who might have been associated with his death? It will be up to you to report to your group about theories surrounding Poe's death. You will be the major source in determining what your group thinks happened to him, why and how he actually died. Make sure to take notes on the information you find important.
Editor: You will research background knowledge on Poe, and will be responsible for general information on his life and his literature. Your focus should be on his literature specifically. How are his literary texts tied to his life and death? Are there are connections you can make between a specific work of his and his own death? You will relate this information to the rest of your group to be added to the obituary. Also, you will be responsible for helping your group edit your final draft of the obituary you all come up with (spelling errors, grammar, flow, punctuation, ect.) Make sure to take notes on the information you find important.
Historian: You will research Poe's personal life, specifically his family and his relations with others outside the specifics of his literature. Who were his parents? Did he marry or have children? When was he born and when did he die? These are just some of the specific questions it will be your job to answer. Make sure to relate these details of his life to the rest of your group so they can be added to the obituary. Make sure to take notes on the information you find important.
Where to find information?
Check out sources / websites containing information on Poe and writing an obituary that will be helpful in collecting information.
YOU MUST include research note cards for ALL sources used in compiling your information. Follow and watch this link on how to make research note cards correctly.
PHASE II: Compiling the Information
Each member of the group should share the information they found with the rest of the group, noting information that will need to be included in the obituary. Make sure to discuss the best way to use the information and to compile it into the obituary. At this point it may be helpful to create an outline or to jot down (in note-form) the information you think is vital to include in your final project. Remember, each group member plays a vital part in the final project and all of the notes are important so make sure that the obituary contains an even amount of information from each group member.
1) Share notes taken with the entire group
2) Take notes on what you want to include in the final draft of the obituary
3) Create an outline of what you want your final draft to look like.
4) Make sure you note vital information so that you can make sure it will be included (Remember, each part is important and you cannot get full marks without all of the information accounted for.)
5) Begin your first draft of the obituary. The Reporter should be typing or writing it out, since they researched information on newspaper articles.
6) Each member should contribute to the obituary. It should not be the Reporter alone doing the work.
7) Once the draft is created. Have all of the members of the group look it over for content. Once all members are satisfied the editor should go over the obituary for spelling mistakes, grammar, punctuation, ect. You will be marked down for misspelled words, incorrect grammar and punctuation.
8) Once everyone in the group is satisfied with the final draft of the obituary, attach the rubric to your final product and hand it into the teacher, making sure to write all of your names on the paper. It would be a good idea to look at the rubric to make sure you meet all of the points I ask you to.
** PLEASE be sure to attach your research cards to your final obituary.
9) Also you will be presenting a brief synopsis on your theory about how Poe died to the class.
Process
Directions:
The following is a brief overview of the steps you will need to take to complete this WebQuest. Look below for more detailed instructions.
1) Within your group you will divide yourselves into the following categories: Reporter, Detective, and Editor, EVERYONE will need to help be the Historian. Also, keep in mind, everyone will need to help research and write the final product to gain maximum points.
2) Once you have decided what role each person will take inform your teacher.
3) Do your research on the websites provided. Make sure you take notes so that you are able to share with the rest of your group. You may also attempt to find your own websites for more information. It would be wise of you to check with us before you take the information found in alternative websites seriously; make sure you check for credibility.
4) Teach your group and discuss what you have learned.
5) As a group, decide what information is important enough to include in your obituary of Poe. Keep in mind that you need to discuss the culture that surrounded him, his literature, and his personal life, as well as Gothic literature as a whole. His entire life was engulfed by the mysterious aspects of his literature. It seems only fit that his death would be surrounded by mystery as well. How does that factor into your take on his obituary? Is that significant?
6) After analyzing your information, decide as a group how to synthesize it in order to write a comprehensive obituary. Look back on the criteria that you must include (personal life, literature, Gothic literature in general, his culture, family, specifics about his death). Be sure to state your theory of how he died. Was it a natural death, a disease, or was foul play involved?
7) Begin writing your obituary. It may be helpful to look up examples of obituaries online to look at the set up of one. However, if you look up and copy down Poe's original obituary you will receive a zero. Be creative, write in newspaper format, print off a picture, ect. You should type out the obituary. It must be at least two columns in length.
8) You will also be responsible for presenting your theory on how Poe died to the class. It will only need to be a brief summary on your theory. You will not be reading your obituary aloud to the class.
Please see rubric for more details on how you will be graded.
Credits
Websites
Please refer to the following websites to find information on Edgar Allan Poe for your final product, his obituary.
Reporter:
http://www.online-literature.com/poe/
http://www.poestories.com/biography.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm1vPzbK-eI&feature=related
http://www.ehow.com/how_3456_write-obituary.html
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/wright/teachers/pdf/language/Newspaper_Article.pdf
http://www.matthewpearl.com/poe/deathdossier.html
Detective:
http://www.online-literature.com/poe/
http://www.eapoe.org/geninfo/poedeath.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm1vPzbK-eI&feature=related
http://www.matthewpearl.com/poe/deathdossier.html
Editor:
http://www.online-literature.com/poe/
http://www.poestories.com/biography.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm1vPzbK-eI&feature=related
http://www.ehow.com/how_3456_write-obituary.html
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/wright/teachers/pdf/language/Newspaper_Article.pdf
http://www.matthewpearl.com/poe/deathdossier.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2151251_edit-newspaper-article.html
Historian:
http://www.online-literature.com/poe/
http://www.poestories.com/biography.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm1vPzbK-eI&feature=related
http://www.matthewpearl.com/poe/deathdossier.html
http://www.poemuseum.org/life.php
http://www.notablebiographies.com/Pe-Pu/Poe-Edgar-Allan.html