Al Purdy's Place in Canadian Literature

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11-12

Al Purdy's Place in Canadian Literature

Project type: Web Quest

Related topic:
Al Purdy, An Uncommon Poet

Subjects

English Language Arts

Summary

Students will research the life and work of Canadian poet Al Purdy and write a report about his place in Canadian literature.

Duration

3 lessons

Purpose

To learn about the life and work of a major Canadian poet

Materials

sample reports

Before Exploring

Purdy was considered a failure as a poet for thirty years. He didn’t give up, because, as he says in the seventh clip, he was “infected with the disease of words” — plus he jokes that he didn’t like to work. He became successful once he stopped rhyming and found his own voice.

Outline the Opportunity

Students will write a detailed report of Al Purdy’s life and accomplishments. Have them devise at least 10 questions they want their research to answer. As a starting point, have them browse the topic Al Purdy, An Uncommon Poet on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. As they explore, they should take careful notes, in point-form, recording the answers to their questions and any additional information they think is important. If they quote a speaker, they must enclose the quote in quotation marks and write the speaker’s name in parentheses after the quotation. Students can expand their research to include other Internet sources, books, and literary journals. Remind them to cite all sources used or consulted.

Revisit and Reflect

Students will submit their reports for evaluation.