Poetry Webquest

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"Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with the shades of meaning."
--from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Shades and Echoes:
A Study in the Sound of Poetry

Salvador Dali - Poetry of America

A Webquest for Eighth Grade Language Arts
Designed by Sean Cahill
St. Ursula Villa

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Introduction / Task / Process / Rubric / Conclusion / Listing of Audio Poets / Credits

Introduction

National Public Radio (NPR), which can be heard in Cincinnati on 90.9 FM and 91.7 FM, was founded in 1970 with the goal of developing "programming that will be responsive to the interests of the people." They have been successful in this endeavor, as evidenced by the nearly 20 million people who listen to their shows every week in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa.
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The Task

As part of an ongoing series called "Echoes," NPR will focus on the life, work, and influence poets have had on life in the 20th and 21st centuries. You are part of a team who will research and write a piece that is roughly seven minutes on one of the following poets: E.E. Cummings, Robert Frost, May Swenson, Langston Hughes, Gary Soto, Lucille Clifton, or Maya Angelou. (Your editor will assign your poet to you.)

Your piece needs to include the following:

An on-location report from a place that was significant to the poet (ex, birthplace)
A brief interview with a person would be in that area now (fictitious)
A brief biography of the poet
A brief discussion on one of the following: how the poet affected the world, how the world affected the poet, how the poet affected other poets, how other poets affected the poet
An actual sound byte of the poet reading one of his her or her own works
A second poem to be read by a person who is currently famous (impersonation)

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The Process

First, you and your team will need to research the life and works of the poet you've been assigned. Use the sites below as a starting point for this research. Coordinate your efforts. All team members should do a similar amount of research. Remember, during this part of the assignment you will be looking to do most of your research, which means you will be looking for the following: biographical information, the impact of the poet's works, a sound byte or two by the poet, and a second poem to be read and discussed.

Poets. org	Poetry Portal	Electronic Poetry Center
Poets' Biographies	Biographies: The Poets	The Poet's Bookshelf

Next, you and your team will need to create a general outline for your piece so that writers can begin creating copy, technicians can start looking for sounds, and production assistants can start making travel arrangements for the on-location recording and interview. Since you are creating the piece for NPR, it would be a good idea to remind yourself of the types of feature pieces NPR does. Go to their web site and listen to a couple of their feature stories. The link is below. Then as a group, brainstorm about the best way to present your information. Have a secretary record the session and then organize your notes so that you have a plan to work from. Your outline should include the general order of the piece as well as information such as where the piece will be recorded and who will be interviewed.

NPR.org

Third, create the copy for the stories. Coordinate this effort as well. Let each team member play to his or her strength. Some members may like writing more than performing or vice versa. Balance assignments accordingly. Resources on reading poems, definitions of words, and definitions of poetry are listed below.

The Internet Poetry Archive	On-line dictionary	How to Read a Poem (Pubweb)
How to Read a Poem (Temple)	Strangers to Us All	Poetry (Nikki Giovanni)
	Poetry (Billy Collins)

Fourth, prepare your recording. The recording should sound like professionals have recorded it. On-line location recordings should include sound effects that add to the ambiance of the piece. The interview and the recitation by a famous person should be distinctive without being ridiculous. The overall piece should have a coherent feel, which means it should contain a strong attention getter, transitions that connect the various parts of the recording, and a conclusion that ties the piece together.

Finally, play your story for the executive producers (your classmates). Be sure to give them a one page outline of the presentation, so they can refer to it if they need to.

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The Rubric

Drive Time: Lead Feature Drive Time: Middle of Hour Mid-day: Lead Feature Mid-day: Secondary Feature

Elements of Assignment Contains required elements. Discussion on impact of poet is compelling and relevant to modern-day listener. Contains required elements. Impact of poet is discussed but not made interesting to modern-day listener. Contains all but one element of the assignment. Relevance to modern-day listener is not obvious. Missing more than one element. Relevance is to modern-day listener is not obvious.

Writing in Copy Contains strong attention getter, transitions, and conclusion. Vocabulary is exceptional. Contains strong attention getter, transitions, and conclusion. Vocabulary is average. Attention getter, transition, or conclusion is lacking. Vocabulary is average. More than one of the attention getter, transitions, or conclusion is lacking. Vocabulary is average.

Cooperation Within Group Worked well within team. Listened to other team members when they spoke. Asked good questions. Looked to solve problems that arose. Contributed to research. Found niche within team and accomplished task. Worked well within team. Listened well and did not create problems, but was not especially active in the process. Did not ask questions or look to solve problems. Contributed to research. Niche was assigned and task was accomplished. Worked well with only a few members of the team. Was overly concerned with social groupings. Was active in the process but was not inclusive of all members. Would only listen to certain people. Contributed to research. Found niche, accomplished task, but in isolation. Hindered progress of the group. Did not listen. Created problems instead of answers. Did not contribute to research. Was overly concerned with own agenda.

Final Recording Professional quality. Good volume, distinctive voices, great sound effects. Exceptional creativity engages listener throughout. Professional quality. Good volume, clear voices, sound effects are in place. Listener is interested but not engaged. Pauses diminish interest. A strong effort. Good quality. Good volume, clear voices, sound effects are hard to distinguish. Long pauses diminish listener interest. Lacks attention to detail. Poor quality. Poor volume, on-air personalities laugh during piece, no sound effects. Listener feels uncomfortable listening to piece because it lacks professional integrity and attention to detail.

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Conclusion

Excellent work! NPR has decided to run your piece on the birthday of your respective poet! In addition, they have decided to move you from freelance team member to full-time staff. Your children can go to the dentist again! With continued diligence, you'll be the one assigning projects and deciding where your team will be flying do to its next recording.

In the meantime, prepare for your next assignment by listening to what some of these other poets have to say (suggested titles in parenthesis):

Maya Angelou ("On the Pulse of Morning")
W.H. Auden ("On the Circuit")
Gwendolyn Brooks ("We Real Cool")
Lucille Clifton
E.E. Cummings
T.S. Eliot
Robert Frost
Allen Ginsberg
Seamus Heaney
Langston Hughes
Galway Kinnell
Yusef Komunyakaa ("Camouflaging the Chimera")
Philip Levine ("What Work Is")
Robert Pinsky ("To Television")
Sylvia Plath
Ezra Pound
Adrienne Rich
Theodore Roethke ("My Papa's Waltz")
Gary Soto
Wallace Stevens
May Swenson
Dylan Thomas ("Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night")
David Wagoner ("The Junior High School Band Concert")
Margaret Walker ("Big John Henry")
Richard Wilbur ("A Fable")
William Carlos Williams
W.B. Yeats
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Credits

Web sites:
Thanks for allowing images, links, and references for this Webquest:

Webshots (Dali Image)
Poets. org
Poetry Portal
Electronic Poetry Center
Poets' Biographies
Biographies: The Poets
The Poet's Bookshelf
NPR.org
The Internet Poetry Archive
On-line dictionary
Northwestern University
Temple University
West Virginia University
Poetry By
Phillips Academy
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	Drive Time: Lead Feature	Drive Time: Middle of Hour	Mid-day: Lead Feature	Mid-day: Secondary Feature
Elements of Assignment	Contains required elements. Discussion on impact of poet is compelling and relevant to modern-day listener.	Contains required elements. Impact of poet is discussed but not made interesting to modern-day listener.	Contains all but one element of the assignment. Relevance to modern-day listener is not obvious.	Missing more than one element. Relevance is to modern-day listener is not obvious.
Writing in Copy	Contains strong attention getter, transitions, and conclusion. Vocabulary is exceptional.	Contains strong attention getter, transitions, and conclusion. Vocabulary is average.	Attention getter, transition, or conclusion is lacking. Vocabulary is average.	More than one of the attention getter, transitions, or conclusion is lacking. Vocabulary is average.
Cooperation Within Group	Worked well within team. Listened to other team members when they spoke. Asked good questions. Looked to solve problems that arose. Contributed to research. Found niche within team and accomplished task.	Worked well within team. Listened well and did not create problems, but was not especially active in the process. Did not ask questions or look to solve problems. Contributed to research. Niche was assigned and task was accomplished.	Worked well with only a few members of the team. Was overly concerned with social groupings. Was active in the process but was not inclusive of all members. Would only listen to certain people. Contributed to research. Found niche, accomplished task, but in isolation.	Hindered progress of the group. Did not listen. Created problems instead of answers. Did not contribute to research. Was overly concerned with own agenda.
Final Recording	Professional quality. Good volume, distinctive voices, great sound effects. Exceptional creativity engages listener throughout.	Professional quality. Good volume, clear voices, sound effects are in place. Listener is interested but not engaged. Pauses diminish interest. A strong effort.	Good quality. Good volume, clear voices, sound effects are hard to distinguish. Long pauses diminish listener interest. Lacks attention to detail.	Poor quality. Poor volume, on-air personalities laugh during piece, no sound effects. Listener feels uncomfortable listening to piece because it lacks professional integrity and attention to detail.