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 and your partner 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 and your partner to present your findings to him at city hall in three days. He's a bit of a "tech geek" and wants a presentation 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 and your partner because you work well under pressure. As you both know from years of practice, a good investigation progresses in stages and requires cooperation. You also need to takes lots and lots of notes. (Document 1 will help loads here; you and your partner are going to be keeping separate notes, so don't get lazy!!!)
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.
2. You have to look at all the theories that do (and don't) make sense. There are several, so you and your partner will need to divide and conquer. Create a GOOGLE Slide to share your findings.
3. Sometimes you have to do a little legwork on your own. You and partner decide to split up for a while. (EACH OF YOU WILL RESEARCH 4 possible theories on Poe's death. Take notes / evidence down).
- there are several links below, but you should be also researching on your own. DIG DEEP and see what evidence you can find.
4. You and your partner MUST then agree on a theory. No agreement 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!!! (Now you and your partner need to come back together and compare notes on what you've discovered. 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 and your partner have to decide what kind of presentation 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. Go to the evaluation tab of this Web Quest and see just what is expected of you, students completing a project. 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.britannica.com/story/the-mysterious-death-of-edgar-allan-poe
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/still-mysterious-death-edgar-allan-poe-180952936/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/edgar-allan-poes-greatest-mystery-was-his-death
https://www.eapoe.org/geninfo/poedeath.htm
Evaluation
Turn your imagination off for a minute. You're back to being a student in my class, not a detective on the case.
Your case file is worth 25 pts. It will be graded on both quality and content.
Because you are working with a partner, you BOTH need to be sure you understand what is expected. Look at the criteria for each category. What are you being asked to do? What "nitpicky" things are going to be considered? What are the differences between excellent work and average work? What will earn you "top honors"?
Another important consideration is your individual talents. Which of you is more artistic? Who is better with words? How good are your computer skills? Who has previous experience with creating a digital visual / presentation? Who is good with getting up in front of people and making an oral presentation? How can you boost each other's confidence when it comes to the oral presentation?
Use this time to pick each other's brains and strategize. What do you think will be the most effective way to achieve your goal? How can you do the BEST job possible? Look at the examples provided.
Conclusion
As a "detective" you've hopefully 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 with a partner 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").