Edgar Allan Poe'south "Tell Tale Eye" Lesson Plan

Tell Tale Heart Free Lesson Plan

This Mutual Core aligned lesson is designed for students to gain a articulate understanding of Poe's employ of tone and mood in the "Tell Tale Heart."  The lesson is cleaved downwardly into activities that occur before (into), during (through), and after (beyond) reading the brusk story. Learning is scaffolded throughout the lesson, giving students a chance to build a solid foundation with the "Tell Tale Heart" earlier progressing into deeper critical thinking skills.

OBJECTIVE

  • By the end of this lesson, students will exist able to explain how Poe used mood and tone in the "Tell Tale Heart" to create suspense within the reader.

MATERIALS

  • Copy of Edgar Allan Poe's "Tell Tale Eye" for each pupil. Click here to download a free PDF version.
  • Materials required for the additional lesson components will vary based on your needs.

INTO

  • Use this complimentary ane-page biography or this short video clip to introduce students to influential American author Edgar Allan Poe. Foreshadow the darkness and mystery students will meet in the "Tell Tale Heart" by discussing some of the tragic events in Poe's life.
Edgar Allan Poe Biography Free Printable

THROUGH

  • As a class, read Poe'due south "Tell Tale Heart." Click here to play a dramatic estimation of the text as you read through it with your class. In society to help students gain a clear agreement of the plot, finish and discuss the different story elements  (exposition, raising action, climax, falling action, and resolution) every bit the narrative moves forth. You tin can likewise have students tape the "Tell Tale Heart" plot using this free printable graphic organizer.
Tell Tale Heart Summary Comic Book Activity
  • Students review and summarize the plot of "Tell Tale Heart" with a comic book activity. In order to complete the consignment, students add together illustrations and dialogue to a full of ten comic book scenes. The scenes should cover the entire plot of a "Tell Tale Heart" in a summarized version with contemporary language.   You lot can differentiate by requiring advanced students to write their own abridged version of the narrative. The bullet points below include the narrative I provide for each comic book foursquare:
  • Mad?  I am not mad! Wait at how calmly I tin can tell you lot the story.  The old man'south eye was like a vulture's.  Information technology was pale blue with a thick film over it.  I made upward my mind to kill the old human being even though he did nothing wrong.
  • For a calendar week I was very careful. Every night at midnight, I would slowly open the old human being'south bedroom door to peek upon the center, but it was always closed.
  • On the eighth night, I slowly opened the door and my finger slipped on the lantern.  The old man cried out, "Who's there?"
  • I didn't move for an 60 minutes.  I knew the old man was wondering what had made the sound.  I slowly opened the door again.
  • The eye was open and staring directly at me.  It chilled my bones.  I could hear the old man'south middle thumping.
  • The time had come.  I threw the bed over him and he was rock dead.  His eye would non bother me anymore.
  • You would not think I'grand crazy because I concealed the torso so well.  At that place was no trace of the old man under the floorboards, and the bathtub defenseless all the blood.
  • Neighbors heard yelling and called the police.  I was perfectly calm when they arrived, and I invited them in for tea.  I sat on the very floor above the dead body.
  • Afterward searching the house and finding zippo wrong, the officers decided to sit and chat.  I wasn't feeling proficient.  My head ached from the noise.  The noise got louder and louder.
  • I couldn't stand information technology anymore! I told them, "I admit the deed! Here! Here! It is the beating of his hideous eye!"
Tell Tale Heart Summary Comic Book

"I loved this activeness to check comprehension with some of my students who are less than thrilled with reading but love fine art." -Melissa Due south.

Beyond

The final portion of the lesson utilizes a differentiated close reading strategy that provides students with an opportunity to analyze and sympathize Poe's employ of tone and mood.  Students complete iii readings of the selected excerpt from "Tell Tale Heart." Each reading is standards aligned and provides an objective, skill focus, and text-based questioning. Students volition need a copy of the extract they tin write on to complete the close reading. If writing on the excerpts is not an selection, these plastic sleeves will allow students to consummate the shut reading activities without writing directly on the newspaper. Also, t he excerpt and subsequent didactics is differentiated based on pupil power. Hither's how I break the close reading for advanced, intermediate, and emerging readers:

Avant-garde Readers

(Excerpt) But even yet I refrained and kept still.  I scarcely breathed.  I held the lantern motionless.  I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the heart.  Meantime the hellish tattoo of the center increased.  It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant.  The old man's terror must take been extreme! Information technology grew louder, I say, louder every moment! -practise you marker me well I have told you that I am nervous: so I am.  And now at the dead hour of the dark, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a racket every bit this excited me to uncontrollable terror.  Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood however.  Simply the chirapsia grew louder, louder! I thought the eye must outburst.  And now a new anxiety seized me -the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The erstwhile man'due south hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open up the lantern and leaped into the room.  He shrieked once -once only.  In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him.  I then smiled gaily, to find the act so far done.  But, for many minutes, the center vanquish on with a muffled audio.  This, still, did not vex me; information technology would non be heard through the wall.  At length information technology ceased.  The erstwhile man was dead.  I removed the bed and examined the corpse.  Yes, he was stone, stone dead.  I placed my manus upon the eye and held it in that location many minutes.  There was no pulsation.  He was rock dead.  His eye would trouble me no more.

If all the same you lot think me mad, y'all will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the darkening of the body.  The dark waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence.  Commencement of all I dismembered the corpse.  I cut off the caput and the artillery and the legs.

I then took upward three planks from the flooring of the sleeping room, and deposited all betwixt the scantlings.  I and then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human centre –not fifty-fifty his -could accept detected any thing wrong.  In that location was zilch to wash out -no stain of any kind -no blood spot whatever.  I had been too wary for that.  A tub had caught all -ha! ha!

1st Reading: The start reading is done independently and is focused on active reading skills.

  • Use symbols (metacognitive markers) for agile reading

2nd Reading: The second reading is a partner or choral reading and is focused on vocabulary.

  • Circle unknown words
  • Use strategies to define words (word parts, context, lexicon)
  • Sketch word meanings in the margins.  Connect the meaning and the word with a line.

3rd Reading: The 3rd reading is completed equally a read aloud by the instructor and is focused on tone and mood.

  • Tone: How did the story sound coming from the writer?  Respond using an adjective.  Highlight sentences and phrases that support your tone choice.
  •  Mood: How did the story make you, the reader, feel?  Reply using an adjective.  Highlight words that contribute to that mood.
Tell Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe Close Reading Worksheets

Intermediate Readers

(Extract) If still you think me mad, you will call up so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body.  The nighttime waned, and I worked hastily , merely in silence.  First of all I dismembered the corpse.  I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.

I and then took up iii planks from the floor of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings .  I then replaced the boards and then cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye –not fifty-fifty his -could accept detected any thing wrong.  There was zilch to wash out -no stain of any kind -no claret spot whatever.  I had been likewise wary for that.  A tub had caught all -ha!

1st Reading: The first reading is done independently and is focused on active reading skills.

  • Metacognitive markers and sentence frames are provided for agile reading.
    • ?…I accept a question about _____________.
    • ✔…I don't like this because _____________
    • ★…I like this because _____________.

2nd Reading: The second reading is a partner or choral reading and is focused on vocabulary.

  • Use context clues to define words in assuming print.
  • Sketch word significant in the margins. Connect the pregnant and the word with a line.

third Reading: The third reading is completed as a read aloud by the teacher and is focused on tone and mood.

  • Tone: How did the story audio coming from the writer?  Respond using an adjective.  Highlight sentences and phrases that back up your tone option.
  • Mood: How did the story make you, the reader, feel?  Reply using an adjective.  Highlight words that contribute to that mood.

Emerging Readers

(Excerpt) If withal you retrieve me mad, you will think so no longer when I depict the wise precautions I took for the darkening of the body.  The night waned, and I worked hastily, simply in silence.  First of all I dismembered the corpse.  I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.

1st Reading: The first reading is done independently and is focused on active reading skills.

  • Metacognitive markers and judgement frames are provided for agile reading.
    • ?…I have a question about _____________.
    • ✔…I don't like this because _____________
    • ★…I similar this considering _____________.

2nd Reading: The second reading is a partner or choral reading and is focused on vocabulary.

  • Utilize context clues to define words in bold impress.
  • Sketch word pregnant in the margins. Connect the meaning and the word with a line.
  • Write a one-sentence summary of the extract.

third Reading: The third reading is completed as a read aloud by the instructor and is focused on tone and mood.

  • Tone: Does the story sound crazy? Highlight sentences and phrases that sound crazy.
  • Mood: Does the story make you scared? Highlight words that are scary.

ASSESSMENT

The formative cess requires students to explain how Poe'south apply of tone and mood in "Tell Tale Middle" creates suspense inside the reader. Students volition need access to the previously analyzed excerpt in order to consummate the cess.

Avant-garde Readers: Open up-Concluded Response

Explain how Edgar Allan Poe used tone and mood in "Tell Tale Eye" to create a feeling of suspense within the reader.

Intermediate Readers: Cloze Paragraph

Edgar Allan Poe used tone and mood to create suspense within the reader.  The tone of the extract above from Poe'south "Tell Tale Heart" can be described every bit _______________.  For example, the writer writes, "____________________________________________" (paragraph ___ ).  Additionally, the mood tin can be described as _______________.  For instance, the narrator explains, "_________ ___________________________________" (paragraph ___ ).  Poe's use of a _______________ tone and a _______________ mood create suspense.

Emerging Readers: Guided Response

Tone:  Re-create a sentence from the passage that sounds crazy.

Mood: Write three words from the passage that make yous feel scared.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1: Read closely to decide what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2: Determine cardinal ideas or themes of a text and clarify their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.four: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific discussion choices shape meaning or tone.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.five: Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (due east.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

Tell Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe Close Reading Activity

"This was the perfect differentiation for my class, while reading the verbal same material!" -Brittany B.