The Mysterious Life and Death of Edgar Allan Poe

Ready, set, POE!  Your mission is to uncover the life and demise (demise is a fancy word for death) of Edgar Allen Poe.  In teams of two (or three, if you have been assigned to a group of three), you will research Edgar Allen Poe and create a Google presentation of your findings.

You will use the following sources to research the life of Edgar Allan Poe:

• Smithsonian.com
• Edgar Allan Poe Museum
• The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
• Poestories.com
• Knowing Poe

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grab a pen and paper.  You will need to take notes to complete this webquest.  
2. Team Member #1, create a google presentation.  Title it:  Poe Research/[Your partner's first and last name]/[Your Partner's First and Last Name].  Share it with your team member by clicking "Share" in the top right hand corner.  Type in your partner's email address, and select the drop down box on the right that says "can edit." If you are in a group of three, make sure to share the presentation with all of the members of your group.
3. As a team, choose a theme and layout for your slides.
4. ALL of your answers should include parenthetical citations in MLA format. You may use citationmachine.net or easybib.com to generate the correct parenthetical citations.

TEAM MEMBER #1, you will research and answer the following questions:

1. Provide the following biographical information: birthdate, birthplace, and death date. (Your findings will go into slide 1 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
2. What was Poe’s relationship with his adopted father like? (Your findings will go into slide 1 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
3. Who did Poe marry? How old was she? What do you think about the marriage? (Your findings will go into slide 1 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
4. When was "The Tell-Tale Heart" written? (Your findings will go into slide 1 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
5. What is "Murders in the Rue Morgue" the first of? (Your findings will go into slide 1 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
6. Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Raven,” is one of his most famous works.  Watch The Simpson’s version of “The Raven.”  What is the word that is repeated throughout the poem? (Your findings will go into slide 1 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
7. List five examples of "Poe in Your Life." (Your findings will go into slide 1 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
8. There are 13 theories on what caused Poe's death. List five of them. (Your findings will go on the 3rd slide of your group presentation--your partner will answer the same questions and include his/her findings on their side of the 3rd slide.)
9. Check out the Poe photo gallery. Which picture looks most like the Poe you envision while reading his stories? Include a picture of Poe on the 3rd slide of your presentation.

TEAM MEMBER #2, you will research and answer the following questions:

1. What tragic childhood events influenced Poe’s writing? (Your findings will go into slide 2 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
2. What famous military academy expelled Poe in 1831? Why?  (Your findings will go into slide 2 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
3. When was the Cask of Amontillado written? (Your findings will go into slide 2 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
4. One of Poe’s fictitious stories was published in the New York Sun in 1844.  People believed the story to be true, and lined up outside of the New York Sun office to buy it.  Poe later admitted the story was made-up. What was the name of the story and what was it about?  (Your findings will go into slide 2 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
5. Who is the Poe Toaster? (Your findings will go into slide 2 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
6. Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Raven,” is one of his most famous works.  Watch The Simpson’s version of “The Raven.”  What is “The Raven” about? (Your findings will go into slide 2 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
7. List five examples of "Poe in Your Life." (Your findings will go into slide 2 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
8. There are 13 theories on what caused Poe's death. List five of them. (Your findings will go on the 3rd slide of your group presentation--your partner will answer the same questions and include his/her findings on their side of the 3rd slide.)
9. Check out the Poe photo gallery. Which picture looks most like the Poe you envision while reading his stories? Include a picture of Poe on the 3rd slide of your presentation.

TEAM MEMBER #3

1. What did Poe’s birth parents do for a living? (Your findings will go into slide 3 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
2. Did Poe’s writing provide him a comfortable life financially? (Your findings will go into slide 3 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
3. What is the name of Poe’s only novel? (Your findings will go into slide 3 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
4. Who was Elmira Royster Shelton? (Your findings will go into slide 3 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
5. Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Raven,” is one of his most famous works.  Watch The Simpson’s version of “The Raven.”  What is the name of the woman Poe writes about in “The Raven?” (Your findings will go into slide 3 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
6. When was “The Raven” published? How did “The Raven” affect Poe’s career? (Your findings will go into slide 3 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
7. List five examples of "Poe in Your Life." (Your findings will go into slide 2 of your Google GROUP presentation.)
8. There are 13 theories on what caused Poe's death. List five of them. (Your findings will go on the 4th slide of your group presentation--your partner will answer the same questions and include his/her findings on their side of the 4th slide.)
9. Check out the Poe photo gallery. Which picture looks most like the Poe you envision while reading his stories? Include a picture of Poe on the 4th slide of your presentation.