American Poetry Project
As a group of 2 or 3 you will provide a brief biography of a certain poet or explanation f a literary style and analyze
two poems by using our literature textbook.
REQUIREMENTS
Your presentation will be graded on the aesthetic quality of the PowerPoint that covers the background about the
poet or literary style and any necessary literary terms. Slides should only include titles and brief bullet points.
You will also be graded on your presentation skills (how well you speak, how well you know the information, and
how prepared you are with note cards for the presentation). Each group member should share in this project
equally.
Each person is responsible for having detailed notes/note cards of information he or she will present. Each person
should know that information well and should therefore not be reading from notes. The notes are there to help if
you get lost or to remind you of key points.
For each poem you need to read the introductory notes before the poem and any other extra information about
the poem in the textbook, the poem itself (multiple times!), and answer the questions about the poems. You will
be the EXPERTS!
PROCESS
Stage I – Each group member answers the questions about each poem. Staple each member’s responses together
and turn them in to me. Class work grade.
Stage 2 – Prepare your PowerPoint presentation about your poet. It should be at least 3 minutes long. At the end
of the biographical information, include information about terms students need to know for each poem. You will
find that information in bold on the pages before the poems. Create your notes for the presentation as you work
on the PowerPoint. Consider adding animation and music to your PowerPoint’s to enhance the presentation. You
do get points for creativity.
Stage 3 – Prepare your analysis of the poem using the answers to the questions and any information provided by
the textbook in the way of literary analysis
Stage 4 – practice giving a dramatic reading/performance of the poem & practice the presentation
PRESENTATION TOPICS:
Edgar Allan Poe (253-254)
“The Raven” (273-277) with questions (279)
Emily Dickinson (335-336)
“Because I could not stop for death” (347) with questions (352) and you choose one other poem with
questions
Walt Whitman (307-309)
“I Hear America Singing” (310-311) with questions (312) and “from Song of Myself 52” (319) with questions
(320)
Imagism (572-573)
Ezra Pound’s “The Garden” (578) with questions 580 and William Carlos Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow”
(593- read the critical comment box and intro on page 592) with questions 1 & 2 (597)
The Harlem Renaissance (742-743)
Countee Cullen’s “The Tableau” (745) with questions 748 and “Incident” (747) with questions 748
Langston Hughes (749)
“Harlem” (754) with questions 758 and “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” (759) with questions 761
Oral Presentation Group Rubric : American Poetry Project
Student Names:
________________________________________
CATEGORY
Content: biography,
literary terms, literary
analysis
4
Shows a full
understanding of the
topic.
3
Shows a good
understanding of the
topic.
2
Shows a good
understanding of parts
of the topic.
1
Does not seem to
understand the topic
very well.
Content: biography,
literary terms, literary
analysis
Shows a full
understanding of the
topic.
Shows a good
understanding of the
topic.
Shows a good
understanding of parts
of the topic.
Does not seem to
understand the topic
very well.
Comprehension
Students are able to
accurately answer
almost all questions
posed by classmates
about the topic.
Students are able to
accurately answer most
questions posed by
classmates about the
topic.
Students are able to
accurately answer a
few questions posed by
classmates about the
topic.
Students are unable to
accurately answer
questions posed by
classmates about the
topic.
Preparedness
Students are
completely prepared
and has obviously
rehearsed.
Speaks clearly and
distinctly all (100-95%)
the time, and
mispronounces no
words.
Students are pretty
prepared but might
have needed a couple
more rehearsals.
Speaks clearly and
distinctly all (100-95%)
the time, but
mispronounces one
word.
Students are somewhat
prepared, but it is clear
that rehearsal was
lacking.
Speaks clearly and
distinctly most ( 9485%) of the time.
Mispronounces no
more than one word.
Students do not seem
at all prepared to
present.
Creativity: PowerPoint
and dramatic reading
Students use
considerable creativity
and which make the
presentation better.
Students show some
creativity and which
makes the presentation
better.
Students show very
little creativity.
Students do not think
outslde the box to
make their
presentation unique.
Teamwork
Almost always listens
to, shares with, and
supports the efforts of
others in the group.
Tries to keep people
working well together.
Usually listens to,
shares with, and
supports the efforts of
others in the group.
Does not cause
"waves" in the group.
Often listens to, shares
with, and supports the
efforts of others in the
group but sometimes is
not a good team
member.
Rarely listens to, shares
with, and supports the
efforts of others in the
group. Often is not a
good team member.
Speaks Clearly :
quality of the group as
a whole
Individual Test Grade:
Name _____________________
Group Grade: _____/28
Presentation: _____/10
Participation: _____/10
Total: _____/50
Often mumbles or can
not be understood OR
mispronounces more
than one word.