Student Activity Plan          Student Activity Title     Student Activity Information     Objectives             Materials     Resources     Entered Texts               Signature       Welcome to the Teachers’ Instructions area for this student activity. Here you’ll find directions and suggestions for using this activity along with the materials you need to evaluate your students’ work. Title: All About Poe Audience: Middle Duration: 50 Minutes Subject Area(s):     Social Studies Grade Level(s): 6,7,8,9 Teacher Directions: In this activity, students will conduct research using the Knowing Poe Interactive Timeline to learn about the author's life. Students will collect facts, and make connections between the facts and how they impacted Poe's life and ultimately his writing. Students will write an obituary or a newspaper article on the life and death of Poe, and as an extension activity, students will work in small groups to create a Poe radio broadcast. This activity can be completed using a variety of technology configurations. If a computer lab is available, students can access the activity, worksheets and Web pages through Thinkport. Another option would be to display the activity and Interactive Timeline on a classroom computer with a projection device. In this case, students will need a copy of each worksheet. Focus for Media Interaction The focus for viewing the Knowing Poe Interactive Timeline  is for students to collect basic facts about Poe's life. Viewing Activity Tell students to open the Knowing Poe Interactive Timeline section on the Poe the Person page. Explain to them that they will be using this section to research and collect basic facts about Poe's life. Ask them to open up the Knowing Poe Interactive Timeline Organizer (or pass out copies of this handout to the students) and have them collect information about Poe and record it in the organizer. Postviewing Activity 1. After students have completed the organizer, lead students in a class discussion about the facts. The intention here is to help students make connections between the facts, not just get the facts. Questions for this discussion might include the following: What were some of the tragic events Poe faced during his life? How do you think these may have influenced Poe's writing? Poe was sometimes described as opinionated, romantic, impractical, arrogant, ingenious, creative, intelligent and restless. Did you find examples in your research that would support these descriptions? Do you think many of the themes of Poe's work can be explained by the events in his life? Do you think Poe's frequent moves impacted his work? Explain. Are you surprised that Poe didn't get along with his father? Explain. Poe was recognized as a skilled writer during his lifetime and yet he was often very poor. Do you think this would happen if Poe had lived today? Explain. Do you think that the time period in which Poe lived is reflected in his writing? Explain. 2. After the students have made connections between the various facts of Poe's life, students will write Poe's obituary or a newspaper article that briefly explains the life and death of Poe. Tell students that the following information needs to be included in the obituary: dates of birth and death, where the author lived, names of his birth and adoptive parents, his relationship with his father, his wife's name, examples of important works, and a brief history of employment and financial struggles.  Tell students to refer to the rubric as they are writing the obituary.   Extension Activity Students will use the facts they collected to create a Poe radio broadcast. Have students work in small groups to create interview questions, write a narrator script, cast Poe and a narrator, and tape the broadcast.     Student Directions: What was the first tragic event in Poe's life, and what was unusual about the woman he married? How did these events and others influence Poe's life? You will find the answers to these questions and learn many other fascinating facts during this activity. The Students will: Students will be able to summarize the basic facts about Poe's life. Directions: Collect information from the timeline and record it in the Poe Interactive Timeline Organizer. Remember to include the year that the event occurred for each piece of information. Poe Interactive Timeline Organizer  (View) Directions: Visit the Knowing Poe Interactive Timeline to learn more about Poe's life. Knowing Poe Interactive Timeline The Knowing Poe Interactive Timeline chronicles Poe's personal and professional life from this birth in early 1800's until his unexplained death in 1849.   http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/person/timeline.asp   What was Poe's life like and how might the events of his life have influenced his writing? Directions: After completing the Poe Interactive Timeline Organizer, answer these questions to make connections between the facts and how they relate to Poe's life. Making Connections With the Facts  (View) Directions: Write an obituary or newspaper article that explains Poe's life and his death using the information you have learned. Make sure to include the following information in the obituary: dates of birth and death, names of his birth and adoptive parents, relationship with his father, wife's name, examples of his important works, and a brief history of employment and financial struggles. Refer to the scoring rubric before you begin writing. All About Poe Scoring Rubric  (View) Edgar Allan Poe Obituary electronic version  (View) Edgar Allan Poe Obituary printable version  (View) 1.0 General Reading Processes: Comprehension Students will use a variety of strategies to understand what they read (construct meaning). Grade 6 3. Use strategies to make meaning from text (during reading) j. Use a graphic organizer or another note taking technique to record important ideas or information Grade 7 and 8 3. Use strategies to make meaning from text (during reading) a. Select and apply appropriate strategies to make meaning from text during reading Grade 6 4. Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading) g. Summarize Grade 7 and 8 4. Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading) e. Summarize or paraphrase 4.0 Writing Students will compose in a variety of modes by developing content, employing specific forms and selecting language appropriate for a particular audience and purpose. Grades 6, 7 and 8 7. Locate, retrieve, and use information from various sources to accomplish a purpose b. Use various information retrieval sources (traditional and/or electronic) to obtain information on a self-selected and/or given topic Activity Signature Author: Laurel Blaine