Edgar Allan Poe: Teacher Page

INTRODUCTION:

This lesson was created in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's NCWISE OWL WebQuest training. It includes activities designed to allow students to investigate the life of Edgar Allan Poe and apply their research to his works and the the works of Stephen King.

Students will read biographies, short stories, and poems. They will create dramas and produce documents based on their understanding of the selections read and their research.

LEARNERS:

Students will read one of six selections of Edgar Allan Poe and complete a short story/poetry unit which incorporates an understanding of the basic components of short stories and narrative poems. Academically Gifted students will also read Stephen King selections and extend what they have learned to his work through an assigned essay.

After reading Poe’s biography and developing an understanding of the demons that influenced his life, students will read selections of Poe’s short stories and poems. They will share their information, stories, and poetry through drama, art, and public speaking. This unit integrates language arts, computer skills, art, drama, and elements of character education.

PROCESS:

Before starting this lesson, students will need to understand the literary terms character, setting, plot, conflict, climax, resolution, and theme. Students will need to be able to apply these terms to their Poe selection.

After reading Poe’s biography and assigned selections, students will divide the material and complete several tasks. Students will create a timeline of events that affected their Poe selection. They will break down their work in to acts and scenes in prepartion for creating a HyperStudio/PowerPoint presentation, "silent-movie" drama, or song/rap. Students can use the Literary Glossary Page and literary games online to refine their understanding of literary terms and concepts. To help them prepare for their presentation they can go to the Presentation Workshop page for hints and guidance.

Two selections and their suggested follow-ups are designed for either students with learning disabilities or academically gifted students. The "Raven" page is designed for LD students with hints and suggestions along with connections to audio text of the story. "Premature Burial" is a logical lead into the AIG Extension assignment. This project lends itself to directing students to particular stories or you may opt to use diverse cooperative learning groups.

Students often are more successful in cooperative learning groups that take advantage of student diverse learning styles. I divide my students into these groups according to their previous year’s state writing test scores and end of grade test scores. Careful consideration is also given to behavioral patterns. I start with the lowest scores and divide into "X" number of groups depending on the size of the class. This gives me a uniques flavor to the groups and I find students' weaknesses and strengths often complement each other.

Novice teachers who are computer literate should not have problems with the HyperStudio/Powerpoint components of this unit. If computer time or skills are a problem the "silent-movie" dramas are an excellent medium for "energetic" students. Middle school students love the macabre and usually enjoy this unit. This unit can be used anytime during the year but we like to use it round Halloween.

The lesson plan includes an academically gifted extension which AG students complete or students who want extra credit may also complete. After reading the Poe selection, these studnets will be reading one of Stephen King's novels and describing the influence of Poe on King and a comparison of the two authors.

Here's a link to the AG Student Page AIG Student Page

I usually complete this unit with assistance from the media coordinator. However, I do invite my colleagues and administrators to the presentations. The HyperStudio/PowerPoint presentations can be an outstanding PTSA programs.

RESOURCES NEEDED

Class set of books containing the short stories
and poetry of Edgar Allan Poe.

Computer labs are optimal but project can be done with access to a computer station for each group and materials pulled from media center.

Computer should have Internet access, publishing software, and HyperStudio/Powerpoint capabilities

Optional: Video/digital camera

EVALUATION

Evaluation varies from teacher to teacher. You may want to use ours which has parts for the team/individual/teacher. We use the following Rubric. But you may want to create your own. Here's a great page to help you out with creating rubrics. Rubric Construction Set from the Landmark Project (Thanks David!)