Poet Research: Biography of a Poet

Select one of the following poets to do your research on.

Shel Silverstein

Robert Louis Stevenson

Roald Dahl

Langston Hughes

Walt Whitman

Carl Sandburg

Edgar Allan Poe

Emily Dickinson

Gary Soto

Rudyard Kipling

Robert Frost

Edward Lear

Robert Browning

William Carlos Williams

Lewis Carroll

Nikki Giovanni

Gwendolyn Brooks

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

William Blake

Christina Rossetti

STEP 1: TOPIC AND QUESTIONS

We are exploring the biography of a poet. Here are the research questions to guide your research:

Data Chart # 1: Life of Poet

Data Chart # 2: Career of Poet

Data Chart # 3: Interpretation of Poem

Remember to write your source in the left column.

STEP 2: SEEKING INFORMATION SOURCES

Print - look for books in the library.

Biographies

Nonfiction books

Encyclopedia

Databases -

Alabama Virtual Library (avl.lib.al.us)

ESBCO (http://search.ebscohost.com/)

INTERNET

Individual Websites

1. Shel Silverstein

2. Robert Louis Stevenson

3. Roald Dahl

4. Rudyard Kipling

5. Langston Hughes

6. Walt Whitman

7. Carl Sandburg

8. Edgar Allan Poe

9. Gary Soto

10. Emily Dickinson

11. William Blake

12. Robert Frost

13. Edward Lear

14. Robert Browning

15. William Carlos Williams

16. Lewis Carroll

17. Nikki Giovanni

18. Gwendolyn Brooks

19. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

20. Christina Rossetti

STEP 3: LOCATING INFORMATION IN YOUR SOURCES

- Skim and scan your sources for the answers to your questions.

- Remember to focus on answers, but also remember to include interesting details!

- Use the table of contents and the index to help you locate answers.

STEP 4: USE INFORMATION

Collect notes on your graphic organizer.

Remember - avoid plagiarism:

Quoting (primary sources only!)
Paraphrasing
Summarizing

Citation Generators - note that these are tools like grammar check and spell check on the computer. It can make mistakes. Please check each entry.

Citation Machine

EasyBib

STEP 5: SYNTHESIZE

Outline
Rough Draft
Revising/Editing
Final Copy (2-3 double-spaced typed pages)

STEP 6: EVALUATION

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Note Taking	Minimal notes turned in, no sources noted, disorganized	Adequate notes taken, few sources noted, somewhat organized	Notes taken, sources noted on most, organized	Thorough notes taken, sources noted on each, well-organized
Rough Draft	Draft is missing required information and is difficult to read.	Draft includes most required information and is legible.	Draft includes all required information and is legible.	Detailed draft is neatly presented and includes all required information.
Revising and Editing	Paragraphs do not flow (poor sentence structure), no use of transitional words, many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.	Sentence structure could be improved, some transitional words, some grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.	Sentence structure is adequate and flows, include transitional words, and there are few grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.	Sentence structure is varied and flows well, transitional words add interest, almost no grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.
Written Paper	Paper unorganized, unoriginal ideas, poorly written, missing bibliography, much too short or long.	Paper somewhat organized, some original ideas, adequately written, bibliography included, correct length.	Paper organized and written with adequate original ideas, bibliography included, correct length.	Paper well-organized and thoughtfully presented, containing many original ideas, bibliography included in MLA style.