With this activity, students will take Poe’s “The Raven” and adapt it for the modern day.
An excellent way to get students thinking about the poem is to have them make a modern day adaptation. To make an effective adaptation, students must understand the poem, and what makes it unique. Keeping the elements of the poem in mind, student's adaptation should parallel the plot, but may use a more modern setting, word choice, and speaker.
This adaptation of “The Raven" maintains a similar meter, and keeps the same subject matter. A proper adaptation preserves the underlying structure of the work. Students should be able to reread their first draft, and recognize the sound and feel of the original work.
Once upon a night so stormy, while I wandered with my homies,
With a pile of hero comics, from ages now long yore,
I felt a tiredness quite sapping, and went home, to start my napping.
When out of nowhere, came a scratching, scratching at my bedroom door.
I told myself, "it's just a rat", scratching at my bedroom door;
Just a rodent, nothing more.
Quickly then I did remember, Uncle Pete in last December,
Who had ignored the noisome scratching, that came at his basement door.
I took up my mag-light, fading, its batteries, they need replacing,
And forced myself up to the door...
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard of a modern day adaptation of "The Raven" and remember to keep in mind the feel and atmosphere of the original story.
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
Proficient 5 Points | Emerging 3 Points | Beginning 1 Points | |
---|---|---|---|
Explanation | The descriptions are clear and at least two sentences. | The descriptions can be understood but it are somewhat unclear. | The descriptions are unclear and are not at least two sentences. |
Illustrations | The illustrations represent the descriptions using appropriate scenes, characters and items. | The illustrations relate to the descriptions, but are difficult to understand. | The illustrations do not clearly relate to the descriptions. |
Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. | Work shows some evidence of effort. | Work shows little evidence of any effort. |
Conventions | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are somewhat correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly incorrect. |