WebQuest:

Which Road Did You Take, Robert Frost?

In a group of four you are about to embark on a search through times past and places both different and familiar. Everyone's life is a path of twists and turns. While you explore the personal and world events during the life of Robert Frost, contemplate the relationship between the writer's journey through life on his poetry.

During your quest draw a poster-size map to represent the path of Robert Frost's life.

Include events which affected Frost as a child, an adolescent, a young adult, and throughout his adulthood.
Illustrate events he could not have changed, and highlight those in which he made definite choices.
Show people who were important to Frost as well as individuals who were historically well-known.
Indicate geographical and specific locations of places where Frost lived and worked.

Biographical Resources

Historical Sites 1874-1963

Places in New England

Frost Poetry Sources

At the end of your quest your group will create a newspaper which can include anything which occurred between 1874 and 1963. Name the newspaper something relevant. Divide the writing of sections among the members of the group. Although any member may write for any section, each person will become the editor responsible for two of the following:

Front page articles could include factual information about events on which his poetry could have been based (Out, Out--, Fire and Ice); articles about people who were living at the time
Feature stories about Frost, his family, places that were significant to Frost
Editorials concerning issues of the times
Frost poems which you choose to feature
Interpretations of Frost's poetry based on group discussion
Letters to the editor incorporating relevant topics from a personal viewpoint
Ads and comics representative of the time period
Graphics, layout, and design

You are now an active member of a team of Web journalists.

EXPLORE: Search the various Web sites for specific information about the personal and historical events in Frost's life and record these on the life map.
DISCOVER: Consider Frost's personality traits which you can discover from the biographical descriptions, newspaper and interviews, and from his poetry.
SYNTHESIZE:What voices did Frost use in his writing? What links do you see between Frost's writing and the places where he lived? What did Robert Frost contribute to our national identity?
CREATE: Interpret Frost's writing and the time and places in which he lived with the life map and the newspaper projects.

Notes from your editor:

Take notes on important information as you explore, and I wish you good luck. Have one member of the group report back to the Editor-in-Chief briefly each day. Prepare Frost's life map as you go, and be ready to start working on the newspaper after your exploration is complete.
**After you have seen how this project is organized, you may decide with your group to focus on a different poet. If you choose a different poet, find Web sites to explore with information about the biography, history, places, and poetry for the writer you have selected.

WebQuest: Robert Frost

Consider what Robert Frost thought was important in developing individual identity. How did he contribute to our national identity? How was this project different from other class assignments? What did you learn about the poet you chose by using the World Wide Web that you might not have learned without Internet access?