Mr. Bruce L. Lewis & Miss Sonya Leigh McGee
English 10
Salem High School
Virginia Beach, VA 23464
March 17th, 2015
Introduction
It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain, but, once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved my English classes. They had never wronged me. They had never given me insult. For their behavior I had no problem. I think it was their low grades!
Yes, it was this! Some of their grades resembled that of a vulture -- a pale blue 'E' with a film over it. Whenever I typed the 'E' my blood ran cold, and so by degrees, very gradually, I made up my mind to improve the grades of my English classes with an Edgar Allan Poe lesson that would incorporate a webquest with questions, and thus rid the class of 'Es' forever! ...or so I hoped.
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Task
Avoid a Descent into the Internet Maelstrom
Use each of the following three sites to complete your webquest. Each contains the information you need to answer the questions provided:
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The Edgar Allan Poe Museum Website: The main purpose of the site is to promote the museum. Fans of Poe, however, can find biographical information, a family tree of Poe, theories about his death, selected works, educational resources, and an online store. The site makes certain all information is credible and accurate.
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The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore Website: Don't let the poor web design and subpar formatting deter you from the site. It's full of useful biographical information, studies of his writings, and copies of his short stories and poems. The site's main goal is to promote the Poe Society of Baltimore.
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Poestories: This is the Edgar Allan Poe of Edgar Allan Poe websites. In addition to biographical information, his complete short stories and poems, and a timeline of his writing, Poestories.com contains a photo gallery, quotes, summaries, wordlists, guestbook, links, and a forum. It is the most thorough of all Poe websites.
- The Knowing Poe Website: This is the most fun for students (...no really!;) In fact, I spent the last 25 minutes looking at videos and listening to audio versions of "The Raven," reading about the Poe Toaster, and checking out Edgar Allan Poe everyday allusions.
Process
Use the websites on the previous page to complete an eighteen question evaluation. You may look at as many items in each site as you would like but your goal is to locate the answers to ALL of the questions using the sites listed on the TASK tab.
Each of the questions is listed on the EVALUATION tab but you should use the worksheet provided in class (and on Edmodo) to record your answers.
DON'T get frustrated and DON'T expect all of the answers to jump up and wave at you... It wouldn't be a QUEST if you didn't have to do some hunting around for the correct responses!
Evaluation
How will be I Assessed?
You will be graded based on your ability to accurately and completely answer each question. Be sure to restate the question at the beginning of each answer. Some questions have more than one part so make sure that you address EVERYTHING that you are asked for each question. All of the information you need can be found in each of the links, you just have to take the time to LOOK. Scroll down to see the questions...
- Provide the following biographical information: birthdate, birthplace, death date.
- What tragic childhood events influenced his writing?
- There are 13 theories on what caused Poe's death; explain the significance of the number thirteen when referring to these theories surrounding his death. List five of them that you believe are the most plausible.
- According to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, what state did Poe call home?
- What does the Poe Society of Baltimore think about this claim? (where he calls home)
- What famous military academy expelled Poe in 1831? Why?
- Who did Poe marry? How old was she?
- What was significant about this marriage? Do you agree or disagree with the controversy surrounding his choice? Why or why not?
- What was the significance of "Murders in the Rue Morgue"?
- When were "The Tell-Tall Heart" and "The Black Cat" written?
- When was "The Raven" published? Briefly explain what it was about?
- Check out the Poe photo gallery. Do you believe that the picture of Poe in a coffin is authentic? Why or why not?
- Post a comment in the Edgar Allen Poe forum about your favorite Poe story. Copy and past your comment or write/type it here. Please ensure that what you write is appropriate and shows thought on your part.
- Sign the guest book at Poestories.com
- Read two Poes short stories you have never read. Write a brief summary of the storyline for each.
- Listen to the audio version of The Raven. Why do you think this story has remained so popular over the years?
- Who is the Poe Toaster?
- List five examples of "Poe in Your Life."
Conclusion
If you answered EVERY question thoroughly you should have an "A". This will go a long way toward improving your grade if it looks a bit macabre at this point in time!
We bet none of you have EVER felt like this in our class!
FYI:
For those of you who have an interest in Poe consider watching the movie The Raven on Netflix and/or check out the link below the media player to learn about significant locations for Poe during his lifetime.
Credits
This WebQuest was adapted by Miss Sonya Leigh McGee, Salem High School
It was based on the PDF "Edgar Allan Poe Webquest and Questions" http://www.stbenbi.org/view/693.pdf, which was written by Trent Lorcher and edited by Wendy Finn
This WebQuest is for instructional/educational use only