Poe WebQuest Task
Today, you will become detectives examining the detective story genre. What is the detective story genre made of? What makes it so appealing to readers of the 19th century and today? Every good detective starts with a good hunch (that is another way of saying an intuitive feeling).
Take the hunch you have about detective stories, and put some evidence behind that hunch. You'll find out how to do that in the Process section of this WebQuest. You group will analyze Poe's creation of the Detective Short Story Genre and Poe's life.
What about Poe's life lead him to write the way he did?
Was there a part of his life that had the most bearing on the works he wrote?
Poe was inspired by some of the scientific advances of his time. Can you think of any books, tv shows or movies that focus crime detection based on today's technological advances?
How has his writing influenced modern mysteries?
To make sure this is a thorough investigation of Poe's works and the Detective Genre, students will work in groups of three, and each student will have a specific role. Students will research their portion of the investigation using links found on the Process page of this WebQuest. Students will report their finding to their group members, and together, the group will decide what information should be included in the final presentation.
Student Roles:
1.Detective researching Poe's life
2.Detective researching Poe's Detective stories, specifically The Murders At Rouge Morgue and The Purloined Letter
3.Detective researching detective story genre after Poe
Continue on to the Process link below to learn where your investigation should begin.
The Case and Quest
Poe WebQuest Home
Process
Evaluation
Conclusion
