“Tell Tale Heart” Unit Plan Klesta 1

Alexa Klesta
8th Grade English Language Arts
“The Tell-Tale Heart”

Goals:
- The goal of this lesson will be for students to think more complexly about a piece of
literature. This lesson will demonstrate all the various viewpoints that a piece of literature
may have. For example, when discussing symbolism, all the students may understand
how to identify a symbol within the story, but it is how they interpret the symbol and the
words they use to describe the representation, that takes their level of thinking to the next
level. Also, the goal of this lesson will be for students to determine mood and tone of a
story; this is usually a very difficult concept for students to accomplish because mood and
tone can be viewed as synonymous. But, after this lesson the students will be able to
successfully determine mood and tone of “Tell-Tale Heart.” Finally, the goal of this
lesson is to demonstrate to students how a character comes to make a certain decision and
how that decision effects the story and plot.

Objectives:
- W 8.2: I can write a short narrative text (story’s ending).
- RL 8.3: I can identify key elements in a story’s plot.
- RL 8.3: I can determine how dialogue and action propel the action in a story
- RL8.3: I can explain why a character makes a certain decision
- Students will be able to identify mood and tone.
- After this lesson, the students will be able to determine mood and tone after reading “The
Tell-Tale Heart.”
- Students will be able to define symbolism.
- Students will be able to identify and analyze symbols within “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

Rationale:
- This lesson is important for students to learn because it is teaching them how to think
more abstractly about literature. By teaching students how to think abstractly, we are
preparing them for higher levels of thinking; students will be able to interpret and analyze
stories much easier and not think so literally. When students read a book without abstract
thinking then it can be very boring, but when they think more complexly they can explore
many different interpretations of the novel. Also, students will now be able to ask more
though-provoking questions which prepares them for higher levels of learning. While
planning this lesson, I really took into consideration differentiation and levels of
engagement; knowing that there were some students who were more out-spoken than
others, I tried to have some kind of worksheet or paper where the quiet students could
write their response. This way, I could still assess if they were understanding the material
without them having to talk. The differentiation was also important, this is why there are
many different strategies to reach the various learners in my classroom. For the visual
learners there are videos and PowerPoints. For the auditory learners, there are songs and
lecture. For the tactile learners, there are interactive notes and games to ensure their
learning style is being met. Finally, the differentiation is also seen in the “Tic-Tac-Tale”
Activity; students get to choose what activities they want to do based on their interests.
“Tell Tale Heart” Unit Plan Klesta 2

Prerequisite Knowledge:
- General symbols
- General idea of mood and tone

Ohio Standards:
Grade 8 Reading Standards for Literature:
2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary
of the text
3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action,
reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone,
including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Grade 8 Writing Standards:

3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences
a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a
narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically

Common Core Standards:

Reading Literature --
Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal
aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

Craft and Structure:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone,
including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Writing –
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop
experiences, events, and/or characters.

Procedures:
Daily Procedures:
“Tell Tale Heart” Unit Plan Klesta 3

1. 20 minutes of Independent Reading at the beginning of class (afternoon only) and allow
students 5 minutes to complete their annotation sheets
2. Complete Word of the Day Activity
3. Complete Wordly Wise Activity
4. Argumentative Essay (Mrs. Kregel)

Day 1: Symbolism
- Ask students what they know about symbolism.
- Begin symbolism PowerPoint
o In the beginning, the students should name what the symbols presented represent
o Students should write in notebooks the definition of symbolism and how to find it
o Continue through symbolism PowerPoint
 Discuss how colors can also serve as symbols
 Discuss symbols in pop culture
o Short discussion on the symbols that students have noticed in their independent
books or movies
- Next, pass out whiteboards and dry erase marker. Students will begin to play a symbols
game.
o Give the students a word and they have to draw a picture (symbol) of the word.
 Words may include; strength, knowledge, happy, love, etc.
o Students then draw a picture of the word  they cannot use words
 Points depend on the creativity of the picture
 If two or more people have the same picture, they get one point
 If one student drew something different from the others, they get
two points.
- EXTRA TIME: Pass out the mood and tone notes for tomorrow and have students cut
and paste notes into their “Reading Notebook.”
- ASSESSMENT: Note-Taking and Asking Questions

Day 2: Mood & Tone

- Pass out mood and tone interactive notes
o Students should cut and paste the notes into their reading notebook (directions to
cut and paste can be found under the “Lesson 22: Mood & Tone Activities 1-2)
- Begin Mood and Tone PowerPoint
o Watch: https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/tone-and-mood/
o Students should write down what mood is and how to find it
o Students should write down what tone is and how to find it
- When practicing with mood and tone, discuss how and why the students identified the
mood and tone
o When getting to a tone example, change some of the words and ask students the
new tone of the example.
o Have a short discussion about how tone can change based on the author’s word
choice
- Homework: “Identifying Tone & Mood” (Blue Paper)
- EXTRA TIME: Pass out “The Tell-Tale Heart” Story Packet and review vocabulary.
Have students begin the “Vocabulary Warm-Up Exercises”
“Tell Tale Heart” Unit Plan Klesta 4

- ASSESSMENT: “Identifying Tone & Mood” Homework Sheet and Notes

Day 3: Introduce “The Tell-Tale Heart”

- Pass out the “Tell-Tale Heart” Story Packet if not done yesterday and review the
vocabulary words
- Give students time to work on the vocabulary warm-up exercise.
- When students are done, read the “Reading Warm-Up B” and have a short discussion as
to why I might have chosen this warm-up to read before actually reading the story.
- Give students time to work on the questions on “Reading Warm-Up B”
- After they are finished, students should turn the story packet in on the chair and pick up a
copy of “The Tell-Tale Heart” and a highlighter
- Instruct students that they are not to read the story quite yet but just do a “Quick
Glimpse”
o For this, students will highlight any negative connotative words that sticks out to
them and underline any words that are repeated and can be symbols.
o Give students about 5 minutes to complete this
- Have a short discussion about the words that students highlighted and the words that they
underlined
- Homework: Story Packet (if not already finished)
EXTRA TIME: Begin to read “The Tell-Tale Heart”
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnHFMAxACnM)
ASSESSMENT: “Tell-Tale Heart” Story Packet

Day 4: Read and Discuss “The Tell-Tale Heart”

- Use this link to listen to the story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnHFMAxACnM

- Pause at various places to ensure that students are understanding and comprehending
what is going on in the story
- When the story is over, have a short discussion. Ask students;
o What do you think about the story? Narrator?
o Are there any parts that you didn’t understand?
o Why did Poe call title this piece of work “Tell-Tale Heart”
o What symbols did you pick up and what might they represent?
 The two major ones; the heart and the eye
 Have students write on the back of their story what they think each of
these symbols represent
o Next, discuss mood and tone.
 Mood = how the students feel (scary, terrified, etc.)
 Tone = the author’s attitude (eager, disoriented, etc.)
- Verbally ask the students the “Tell-Tale Heart” Questions to measure student
understanding of the story
- EXTRA TIME: Pass out “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity
- ASSESSMENT: “Tell-Tale Heart” Questions and Discussion

Day 5: “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity

“Tell Tale Heart” Unit Plan Klesta 5

- Pass out the “Tic-Tac-Tale Activity”

o Students must complete 3 of the assignments  the assignments must be in a
straight row either going down, across, or diagonal.
o Go through each assignment with the PowerPoint to ensure that the students are
understanding the assignment and provide examples
o Give students the remaining class time to work on their activities they have
chosen off the “Tic-Tac-Tale” chart
- ASSESSMENT: “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity

Day 6: “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity Continued

- Pass out the rubric for the “Tic-Tac-Tale Activity”

o Go through the expectations set forth by the rubric for completing these
assignments
- Give students the remaining time to continue working on their “Tic-Tac-Tale” activities
- ASSESSMENT: “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity

Day 7: Intro to writing assignment and “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity Continued

- Introduce the writing prompt that students will be completing in a couple of days
o Students must write a continuation of the story  not rewrite the story
 So, what happens after the narrator turns himself in?
o They may do it from the perspective of a police officer or of the narrator
o Students must pick 10/15 words given to them and use them within the story
- Give students a couple of minutes to brainstorm about ideas (create outline)
o Have students write in their reading notebooks (but this will be an English grade);
 The perspective from which they want to write the ending
 The ideas they may have
 Circle which is their favorite and begin to brainstorm details that will be
added to the ending
- After this is finished, students will use the remaining time to work on their “Tic-Tac-
Tale” Activity
o Students should have at least one done and working on the second by the end of
this class.
o Students will present one activity that they have chosen to do and share it with the
class
- ASSESSMENT: “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity and Story Ending Outline

Day 8: Finish “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity and work on endings

- Give students about thirty minutes to finish up any details for their “Tic-Tac-Tale”
Activity
o Provide students with a last chance to ask questions
o “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity is now homework  whatever is not finished must be
“Tell Tale Heart” Unit Plan Klesta 6

turned in on Friday 1/26/18

- Give students time to work on their story endings
o Yesterday, the students outlined their story. Today, they will begin to form their
stories.
 These are going to be handwritten and do not have to be very long
o This activity should take the rest of the class period
- ASSESSMENT: “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity and Story Ending

Day 9: Finish Story Ending and Share

- Students should be provided with about 20 minutes to finish their story ending
- Then, students will exchange with a partner to ensure that the story is in a coherent and
understanding manner.
- Finally, the students will set up their own little galleries around the room where they will
display their “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activities and their stories for their classmates to see
- When returning back to the desk, we will discuss what we saw, what we liked, and what
story endings we enjoyed reading.
- ASSESSMENT: “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity and Story Ending Outline

Materials:
- English Notebook
- Reading Notebook
- Projector
- Computer
- PowerPoint
- Colored Pencils and Markers
- Blank Paper
- A copy of “Tell-Tale Heart”

Accommodations:
- IEP: Extended time and for the “Tic-Tac-Tale” Activity, the student only has to complete
2 of the activities.
- Struggling Readers: Audiobook for the “Tell-Tale Heart”
- 504: Copy of any teacher notes