Introduction
Being a detective is hard work. No one seems to appreciate the hours you spend trying to solve the trickiest of cases. You're lucky, though. You just wrapped up a huge case and have been rewarded with two weeks' paid vacation. Ahhh, rest and relaxation at last!!! You fall into bed thinking how great it is you don't have to get up early tomorrow morning.
Flash forward to 3:00 a.m. Your cell phone rings. Captain Hardcase is yelling about a dead author found in the downtown area. He says the mayor is really giving him grief about solving this Edgar Allan Poe's death. Edgar Allan Poe? Did you hear right? You just read something of his the other night and thought it was some pretty spooky stuff. You explain you're officially on vacation, but the boss says that vacation time starts when the case is solved.
You pull yourself out of bed and call your partner. Combining your powers of deduction and observation, you'll both be catching zzz's in no time.
Task
You arrive and find the typical crime scene: flashing lights, running EMTs, gawking bystanders, and one very dead body.
Captain Hardcase waves you over. You're hoping for an open-and-shut case, but he's got bad news. No one really saw or knows anything. There are a couple of witnesses to interview, but they're offering all kinds of theories about Poe's death. This could take a while, but the captain makes it interesting and puts you on a deadline. The mayor wants answers, he says, and he wanted them yesterday.
The mayor wants you to present your findings to him at city hall. He's a bit of a "tech geek" and wants a some kind of visual that breaks it all down and puts this case to rest. As long as you can prove who or what killed the master of suspense, he'll be happy and you can go back to your vacation.
Process
The deadline doesn't bother you because you work well under pressure. As you know from years of practice, a good investigation progresses in stages and requires cooperation. You also need to takes lots and lots of notes.
1. Starting at the beginning is the best thing, so delve into Poe's life and the days leading up to his death. What you discover here can go a long way in making up for lack of eye witness testimony. (use Links 1-3 to aid in gathering information.)
2. You have to look at all the theories that do (and don't) make sense. There are several (Links 1-3 will prove invaluable.)
3. You MUST decide on a theory. No decision means vacation time never starts, Captain Hardcase stays on your back, and the mayor has it in for you. That's not a pretty picture!!! (Narrow it down to the one theory that makes the most sense and for which you have the information to back up your claims.)
5. In order to present your findings to the mayor, you ahave to decide what kind of visual will get the job done. Remember, the mayor is a bit of a "tech geek," so he knows a good job when he sees one. (Put your detective hats aside and think like students for a minute. If it helps, think of me as the mayor. You know what I'm like and what I'll do if I don't get what I want!!!)
https://www.shmoop.com/poe/death.html
http://www.poemuseum.org/who-was-edgar-allan-poe
http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/person/death.asp
Evaluation
Turn your imagination off for a minute. You're back to being a student in my class, not a detective on the case.
You are being asked to research Poe's life leading up to his death and evaluate the possible theories surrounding his death. You must then pick the one theory that makes the most sense. REMEMBER, the theory you choose must be supported by evidence.
You are being asked to present your decision and findings visually. What will work best? Be clever and creative. Use your iPads.
What are you being asked to do? What "nitpicky" things are going to be considered? What will earn you "top honors"?
Conclusion
As a "detective" you've successfully solved the murder of Edgar Allan Poe. You've satisfied the mayor and are ready to start that much-needed vacation. (Make sure to pack your cellphone. You never know when Captain Hardcase is going to need your help!!!)
As a student you've accomplished a lot as well. You've successfully worked to analyze information and draw a conclusion. You've created a visual product to educate others about that conclusion and presented it to your classmates and the teacher (the "mayor").
You've covered a lot of territory in a short amount of time, but don't stop now. There is so much more you can learn about Edgar Allan Poe. The links below will take you to some non-Web Quest resources designed to add to your knowledge about this beloved author. Happy exploring!!!
http://www.virginiamemory.com/exhibitions/poe/PoeBrochure.pdf
http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/writer/pov.asp