Hearken! and observe how well a literary analysis unit can help ninth graders read closely and connect text structure to a central idea. Focusing on Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," learners take notes and track the development of the story's central ideas and the narrator's slow descent into madness.

Concepts

edgar allan poe, the tell-tale heart, central ideas, literary themes, literary analysis, annotation, point of view, text structure, textual evidence

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Assign the Quick Write as an exit ticket or collaborative discussion topic for literature circles
• Host a Reader's Theater session for multiple members of the class to participate in the reading

Classroom Considerations

• Consider differentiating between motifs and themes
• The lesson describes obsession and madness as central ideas to track
• Discussion questions reference Romeo and Juliet, the core text of Module 1; instruction does not depend on reading the play, but the comparison is helpful
• The third lesson in a 14-part unit

Pros

• A full version of the module, as well as the unit, is included in the attached materials
• Encourages high schoolers to read closely and use textual details in their responses

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.9-10.2 RL.9-10.5 W.9-10.9.a