For our cumulative Edgar Allan Poe project, we will be producinga Poe Wax Museum…and YOU will be the wax figures! You will each choose one of the Edgar Allan Poe short stories or poems that we read as a class and become a character from that poem or story. This is something that will definitely be fun, yet will still showcase your writing process and literary analysis skills in the written component and the final live performance.

WRITTEN COMPONENT

First, you will prepare a written component, which will be your speech, summarizingyour story or poem. The speech must be 1-2 minutes in length and include a quote from the short story or poem. You will write using the character’s “voice”, in 1st person, and prove that you understand who they are and how they fit into the story. In addition, the project will be a way for you to showcase your knowledge of the skills you will learn during this unit. You will earn points in several ways through the written component/speech:

Uses given format
Summarizes story/poem in a 1st person narrative
Includes a relevant quote from the story/poem
Makes a clear connection to Poe’s life showing his purpose, perspective, and bias / Correctly references the mood and tone
Uses descriptive language in speech
Explain the character and his/her internal/external conflict in the story
Explain other literary devices you find

Performance Component

Next comes the really fun part…you will turn your written component into a live performance!! For your performance, you will be asked to dress up as the character from your chosen short story or poem, using props as applicable. Because guests will be coming through and observing you throughout the period, you will be expected to stay in character the entire time. You will only come to life when someone pushes your “button.” Between “button” pushes, you will need to sit completely still, like a wax figure. Again, there are several ways to earn points with a creative performance:

Stay “in character”
Make eye contact & speak clearly
Don’t move unless “button” is pushed / Dress up “in character”
Have appropriate props
Memorize all of most of your speech

You can also earn extra credit by creativity in costumes, props, and acting.

Presentation of the PoeWax Museumis a really important day at JWJ. Not only will your parents be invited to attend, but there are also classes from upper grades who attend, our administration, and often School Board members and other distinguished guests from downtown. I know that this will be a very memorable experience that you will have while here at JWJ.

Poe Wax Museum RubricName ______Per ______

Poe Wax Museum

Rubric:

Elements / Your Score / Total Points
Written Component
Written component is complete and well-developed (it should take 1-2 minutes to read aloud). / 5
Written component is a summary of the short story or poem, and is written in 1st person point of view from one of the character’s point of view (Ex. “I am Annabel Lee. Poe wrote a poem about me…”). / 10
You included a quote (lines) from the short story or poem that exemplifies, or is significant to, the character you are trying to portray. / 5
You identified the theme of the short story or poem, and included it with an explanation in your written component. / 5
Describe how Poe uses literary devices or descriptive language such as tone/mood, imagery, symbolism, similes/metaphors, or personification. Also consider sound devices such as alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme/rhyme scheme/internal rhyme. CHOOSE AT LEAST 3 AND EXPLAIN HOW EACH PLAYED A ROLE IN THE STORY OR POEM. (5 points each) / 5
5
5
You made a connection between the short story or poem you chose and Edgar Allan Poe’s actual life. / 5
Your paper is relatively free of spelling, punctuation and/or grammatical errors. / 5
Your planning sheet is completed accurately, thoroughly. / 5
Bonus (if typed)
Written ComponentSubtotal / 55
Elements / Your Score / Total Points
Presentation
Did not move unless “button” was pushed. (This means NOT talking to your neighbor, leaving your spot, being off task, playing with your props, etc.) / 5
Kept to character using voice inflection and drama to convey character, made eye contact, and spoke clearly in a way that was easy to hear and understand. / 10
Dressed up to become character and had appropriate props. / 10
Memorized all or most of speech (notecards are acceptable, but do not read straight from them). / 5
Extra Credit: Can be earned for being extra creative in dress, props and acting out of part
Presentation Total / 30