Teaching the Raven Using Technology
From WRIT-2510 Spring 2007 Wiki
Welcome!
Hello fellow teachers, students,and lovers of literature.
On this page, you'll find links and other resources to support your teaching of Poe's "The Raven."
While the following resources, links, and assignments are text specific, they are meant to provides example that could be used as templates for assignments/units for other texts.
Feel free to download materials, or add your own.
Teaching Literature with Technology
Sample Lessons: Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
Potential Writing Prompts Using Technology
Assignment Options:
A. Use the Simpsons clip to introduce the poem, and then read the whole poem (either together or ask students to read it for homework).
Use the questions below to generate discussion.
You might then ask students to post comments to the YouTube video clip, or to view other video interpretations and compare the director's choices.
The Raven on YouTube Full Screen
Discussion Questions
What do you have to know about The Simpsons to find this clip funny?
What are the genre constraints of The Simpsons that show up in this version?
1) Who is featured as Lenore?
2) Who is featured as the Raven?
3) What happens that is "classic" Simpsons?
4) What are the books that the Raven pulls off the shelf?
5) Why is this important?
6) How does the episode use visual or other elements (music, timing, point of view) to heighten its interpretation of the poem?
7) Which verses were cut or condensed?
8) How does the poem read differently without certain stanzas?
B. If you wanted to incorporate a bit of the Barthes discussed in today's talk and get students involved in the art of intertextual production, you might ask them to work in groups and take a look at the following texts.
3) The Fall of the House of Usher (The earlier stories in this Simpson episode also make reference to this story).
4) The Philosophy of Composition In this essay, Poe describes his writing process for "The Raven."
5) In the piece here the authenticity of Poe's description is questioned.
6) Links to different manuscripts of the Raven.From the Edgar Allen Poe Society
7) "Near A Raven" A Poem Inspired by the Raven
To learn more about this Simpsons snippet:
1) Follow the link to Wikipedia's article on the Tree House of Horror Episode, or
2) Read theAnimated TV's guide.
3) Read the Script for the Episode
To learn more about "The Raven" and Ideas for Teaching
1) Text of the Raven at the House of Usher Fan Site
2) The Interactive Raven A teaching tool that uses visuals to teach poetics.
3) "Near A Raven" A Poem Inspired by the Raven
4) NPR Interview about the Composition of "The Raven" An audio file.
5) NCTE Sponsored Site on Using Technology to Teach the Raven
