Mrs. Amber Butler
English 8th Grade
Leo Jr./Sr. High School
Leo, Indiana
October 18, 2015
Introduction
It is impossible to say how the idea first entered my brain, but, once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved my 8th grade class. 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! The grades had an eye of a vulture. A pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever my students grades fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees --very gradually -- I made up my mind to improve the grades of all my students with a gratifying unit on Edgar Allan Poe, that would include a webquest with cultivating questions, and rid myself of seeing bad grades forever...
Task
Use the following websites to complete your webquest. All websites contain the information you will need to answer the questions on the scavenger hunt sheet.
1. The Edgar Allan Poem Museum Website: Here you will find information about the life of Poe, a family tree, theories about his death, his works, and educational resources:
2. The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore Website: Here you can find biographical information, copies of his short stories and poems, and studies about the author.
3. Poestories: Here you will find short stories, poems, famous quotes, a timeline of his life, and photos.
4. Knowing Poe webisite: Here you will get to know Poe on a more intimate level.
Process
Watch the video about Edgar Allan Poe on the introduction page, and use the four websites under the task tab to complete all the questions on the scavenger hunt's page. You may look at as many items that you would like on each site, but the goal is to discover answers to ALL of the questions on the hunt. Submit your answers to the scavenger hunt in the assignment box on canvas labeled, "Edgar Allan Poe" webquest answers. Do not get frustrated, because you will not find all of the answers in one spot. This would not be a "quest" if you did not have to go on a journey to find answers.
Edgar Allan Poe Scavenger Hunt
To learn more about Poe's life and how it affected and inspired his writing, find the
answers to the following questions.
1. When and where was Poe born?
2. What tragedy befell Poe’s mother, and how old was Poe when it happened?
3. Who adopted Poe?
4. What happened to Poe's foster mother, and when?
5. Whom did Poe marry? What was her relationship to Poe and how old was she when they married?
6. What happened to Poe in regard to his first love?
7. Poe is considered the "Father of ______________" (a subgenre of Mystery), the creator of science fiction, and the “Father of the __________ Story”.
8. What happened in Fordham, New York, in 1847?
9. In what year did Poe die, where did he die, and where is he buried?
10. List at least three different theories about the death of Edgar Allan Poe.
11. According to the Edgar Allan Poem Museum, what state did Poe call home?
12. What does the Poe Society of Baltimore think about this claim (where he calls home)?
13. When was the Tell Tale Heart and the Raven written?
14. Check out the Poe photo gallery. Do you think that the picture of Poe in a coffin is authentic? Why or why not?
15. Sign the guestbook at Poestories.com
16. Who is the Poe Toaster?
17. List five examples of "Poe in your life."
18. Now that you know about the major events in Poe's life, what do you anticipate his
writing will be like?
Evaluation
Your grade will be based on your ability to navigate through the various websites and videos to accurately complete each question. Be sure to restate the question at the beginning of each answer, and write in complete sentences. Some questions may have more than one part, so read carefully to ensure you answer all parts. All of the information you need, can be found in the video, and websites provided. You will have to take your time to discover the answers, as they will not jump right at you. This is an independent assignment. If you do not complete all questions in class on Tuesday, you will need to complete for homework, and have submitted to Canvas by Wednesday at 8am to avoid point deduction.
Conclusion
This will be a fun quest for you, as you get to know the author we are doing a study on. If you use the sites as a guide, you will do well on the quest. I bet by the end of this unit you will be feeling like this :-)
Credits
This webquest was modified and adapted by Mrs. Amber Butler at Leo Jr./Sr. High School.
This quest was based on Read-Write-Think Edgar Allan Poe scavenger hunt, and "Edgar Allan Poe Webquest and Questions," by Trent Lorcher.