Learning a Genre through Edgar Allan Poes Work

Unit Plan
Prepared by:
Matthew Mahalak
for
Dr. Sherry
Fall 2014, BU

Unit Plan Big Question: What is a genre?

Unit Plan Rationale:

This unit plan is designed to cover one of gothic literature's most prominent author, Edgar Allan
Poe. The intended grade level for this unit to be applied is to ninth grade. In addition, students
will explore three of Poe's pieces to fully grasp what a genre means and how one is
developed. During the two week unit plan, the teacher will integrate the use of technology, via
the Internet, PowerPoint, special purpose software, and real audio and video. Students will be
presented with a new author and research his life and upbringing which led to his great pieces of
literature. The genre "horror" will be the ideal focus for the entire ten lesson course. The outline
overview for the ten lesson course is as follows: lesson one introduces who Edgar Allan Poe is
and his unique style of writing, lessons 2-4 will cover The Tell-Tale Heart, lessons 5-7 will cover
The Raven, and lessons 8-10 will cover The Black Cat. The ten lessons will span over a three
week period depending upon any interruptions, closed school days, etc. Consequently, students
will interactively work together in order to breakdown Poe's work and support why his material
belongs to a certain genre. The short stories are broken up with The Raven being read in the
middle to show a different form of Poe's work. The "horror" genre is going to be the main focus
for this unit and by using Poe's work, students will grasp how his writing and techniques enhance
this specific genre.
Objectives/Goals of Unit Plan:
Students will read Edgar Allan Poe's, The Tell-Tale Heart, in order to label a specific genre to
the text.
Students will read Edgar Allan Poe's, The Raven, in order to label a specific genre to the text.
Students will read Edgar Allan Poe's, The Black Cat, in order to label a specific genre to the text.
Students will read the story out loud in order to identify key moments that contribute to their
horrifying effect on ones reading.
Students will visit the Edgar Allan Poe museum website
(http://www.poemuseum.org/index.php), in order to answer the question, why is Edgar Allan Poe
referred to as the father of horror?
Students will be grouped together to act out the exposition of The Tell-Tale Heart, in order to
emphasize the style and tone of the text's language.
Students will create their own raven and a word or line of their own with explanation, in order to
relate the material to the type of genre they are reading.
Students will create a chart with three columns labeled; Suspenseful Moment, Dangerous Action,
and Foreshadowing, in order to organize and connect the topics relating to horror.
Students will form partners and use the computer to find a piece of music that will suit The
Raven, in order to demonstrate how specific music adds and categorizes itself with the text.
Common Core Standards:
CC.1.4.910.D
Organize ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions;

use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text; include
formatting when useful to aiding comprehension; provide a concluding statement or
section.
CC.1.4.910.K
Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition.
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the
topic.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms
of the discipline in which they are writing.
CC.1.5.910.E
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks.
CC.1.3.910.A
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an objective summary of the text.
CC.1.3.910.E
Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it,
and manipulate time create an effect.
CC.1.3-10
Reading Literature Students read and respond to works of literaturewith an emphasis on
comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts
with a focus on textual evidence.
CC.1.3.910.K
Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Name
Date
Section

What is a genre? Test

Directions: Please read and complete both essay questions. Be sure to include important details
from the text(s) to support your ideas. You may use your texts when completing your essays. You
must have one full page paper completed per essay question.
Essay Question #1
How does Poe establish an atmosphere of horror in The Raven? What techniques do you
find enhance his meaning of fear? (Use at least three specific details to support your
answer)
Essay Question #2
Compare and contrast "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart." How do the
similarities and differences in their narration shape our understanding of the meaning of
horror? (Use at least four specific details to support your answer)

What is a genre?
ESSAY RUBRIC
The following criteria will be evaluated:
Relevance, Ideas/Content, Organization, Voice, and Conventions
4.0

All aspects of the essay have been addressed. Main idea stands out and is
supported by detailed information. Details are placed in a logical order and

are placed effectively for the reader. Writer uses vivid words and phrases
that draw pictures in the readers mind. Sentences are clear and have an
obvious emphasis for the main idea (Writer makes no errors in grammar or
spelling).
3.0

Most aspects of the essay have been addressed. Main idea stands out and is
supported by detailed information. Details are placed in a logical order and
are placed effectively for the reader. Writer uses vivid words and phrases
that draw pictures in the readers mind. Sentences are clear and have an
obvious emphasis for the main idea (Writer makes no errors in grammar or
spelling).

2.0

Some aspects of the essay have been addressed. Main idea stands out and
is supported by detailed information. Details are placed in a logical order
and are placed effectively for the reader. Writer uses vivid words and
phrases that draw pictures in the readers mind. Sentences are clear and have
an obvious emphasis for the main idea (Writer makes no errors in grammar
or spelling).

1.0

Few aspects of the essay have been addressed. Main idea stands out and is
supported by detailed information. Details are placed in a logical order and
are placed effectively for the reader. Writer uses vivid words and phrases
that draw pictures in the readers mind. Sentences are clear and have an
obvious emphasis for the main idea (Writer makes no errors in grammar or
spelling).
What is a genre?
Unit Plan
Lesson 1
Standards:
CC.1.5.910.A Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their
own clearly and persuasively.
CC.1.3-10 Reading Literature Students read and respond to works of literaturewith an
emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among
ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence.

 CC.1.3.910.K- Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading

independently and proficiently.
Objectives:
Students will be able to identify important information regarding Edgar Allan Poes life.
Students will be able to differentiate between the meaning of a genre and
labels/categories (subgenres).
Students will visit the Edgar Allan Poe museum website and gather information as to why
he is referred to as the father of horror?
Goals:
Define genre and provide an example.
Trace Edgar Allan Poes life up until his great works of literature.
Give examples of horror icons and explain their relevance.
Lesson Outline:
I. Introduction: What is a genre?
The teacher will have information projected on the wall through the use of PowerPoint
(This accommodation is geared toward our visually impaired students).
The teacher will introduce a genre and what its importance will be for the unit.
A.) A literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres may be
determined by literary technique, tone, content, or even (as in the case of fiction) length.
The distinctions between genres and categories are flexible and loosely defined, often
with subgroups.
B.) The teacher will ask students if they can come up with any of their own
examples of a genre. The teacher should ask students to think about Netflix and
Pandora. How do they filter to your liking? What kind of subgenres are there? Some
answers could be: fantasy thriller, romantic comedy, violent horror, etc.
The students will openly discuss different types of genres and the teacher will facilitate
their responses leading them into the specific genre they are going to cover for the unit.
The teacher will inform the students that horror will be the genre they will focus on and
they will do so by reading three works from Edgar Allan Poe (This unit aligns great
during the spooky Halloween season).
I. The Life of Edgar Allan Poe
The teacher will pass out a sheet of paper with information about Edgar Allan Poe. The
information will align with the PowerPoint and also provide extra information.
The students will briefly cover Poes early childhood and the years when he wrote his
most famous pieces.
A.) The father of horror
B.) He was an alcoholic and was involved in incestual relationships.
C.) His unique writing style
The teacher will ask the students what they think might have caused Poe to write such
horrific stories. Students can speak to their neighbors and think about Poes upbringing.

 The genre of horror will be stressed as his most prominent them amongst all his work. In
the PowerPoint, the teacher will show passages from certain works and poems to
emphasize the language of Poe.
The teacher will ask the students what a genre is again and how does Poe fit into that
particular genre.
The teacher will inform the students they will begin with one of his short stories, The
Tell-Tale Heart, for next lesson.
I. The Poe Museum Activity
The teacher will ask the students to attend to their computers and log on to the Poe
museum website (http://www.poemuseum.org/index.php).
The students will be asked to write down five things from the museum that they feel is
important.
The teacher will ask them to keep in mind the genre of Poe and see if they find anything
that may support a horror genre.
A.) Why is Poe referred to as the father of horror?
The teacher will walk around the room and ensure the students are exploring the Poe
museum website and writing down their five responses.
I. Closing - Journal Entry
The teacher will ask the students to hand in their five responses and return to their seats.
For the remaining time in class, the students will open their journals and respond to the
following journal prompt: In your own life, can you remember a time when you felt
your experience was one that can definitely suit a horror genre? For example,
attending a haunted house, watching a scary movie, etc. Why does your experience
fit with the horror genre?

Handout:

Lesson 2
Standards:

 CC.1.3-10 Reading Literature Students read and respond to works of literaturewith an

emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among
ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence.
CC.1.3.910.K- Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading
independently and proficiently.
CC.1.3.910.E Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it, and manipulate time create an effect.
Objectives:
Students will read Edgar Allan Poe's, The Tell-Tale Heart, in order to label a specific
genre to the text.
Students will read the story out loud in order to identify key moments that contribute to
their horrifying effect on ones reading.
Students will highlight specific details in the text showing how it relates to the horror
genre.
Goals:
Define what a genre is and relate it to The Tell-Tale Heart.
Pick out who the protagonist and the antagonist are in the story.
Draw the terrifying eye the man keeps referring to in the text.
Lesson Outline:
I. Read The Tell-Tale Heart with the class
The teacher will begin reading the short story and pass on the reading to whom ever may
want to next (Larger print of the text will be provided for visually impaired students).
The teacher will have students keep note of all major vocabulary words in the story.
The teacher will point out each vocab word and ask students if they can gather a
meaning using the context clues.
The students should keep in mind what a genre is and the certain aspects that make a
horror genre.
A.) Dark images, irony, suspense, motifs, etc.
I. Journal
Students will respond to a journal prompt on the board
A.) What do you think Poe intended his readers to get out of this story?
What kind of techniques does he use to support your answer?
The teacher and students will openly discuss some of their responses.

I. Symbols of Horror
The teacher will ask the students to draw this evil eye that the old man keeps looking at
the narrator with.
Students can use markers and be creative with their eye. The teacher should ask the
students, what is it that the narrator doesnt want the eye to see? Why is being seen so
horrifying?

 In this story, the eye symbolizes human identity and thus frustrates the narrator because
he wants the eye gone which means he will have to kill him.
The teacher will cover what the symbol is and its meaning and relate it to the genre of
horror.
The students can share their eyes with the class and explain why they chose to make
certain decisions when creating their eye. For example, using the color black to represent
the darkness and unknown in this evil eye.
I. Homework
Students must go back through the text and find anymore symbols or moments where the
narrator expresses his obsession between love and hate which is a main theme. How does
the narrator toy with these two opposite emotions? How does Poe use symbols to
enhance the horror within his story? (Think of the illuminating eye and the creaking
clock, what do these represent?)
The teacher will collect this response next class.

Lesson 3
Standards:
CC.1.5.910.E Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks.
CC.1.3.910.E Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it, and manipulate time create an effect.

 CC.1.3-10 Reading Literature Students read and respond to works of literaturewith an

emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among
ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence.
Objectives:
Students will be grouped together to act out the exposition of The Tell-Tale Heart, in
order to emphasize the style and tone of the text's language.
Students will write a script and use Poes style of writing to create the dialogue.
Goals:
Demonstrate the feeling of horror and how it affects the actor through use of words and
movements.
Emphasize the importance of symbols when acting out a scene from The Tell-Tale Heart.
Notice moments of suspense and foreshadowing in the text.
Lesson Outline:
I. Opening Handout - Steps of a story
The teacher will pass out a chart with six steps on it: exposition, rising action, conflict,
climax, falling action, and resolution. (The teacher will explain how on the other hand
storylines can be complicated and diverse, such as an episode from CSI. Make the
students think of other sources where the storyline crosses over with another one and
does not follow the typical structure.)
The teacher will ask the students to get into groups of four and fill out the chart.
The students can work together and use the text to include details in their chart.
There are a total of six groups, one per step of the story. The teacher will ensure the
students are on task while they fill in their charts.
Once finished, the teacher will ask each group a different step and to explain it in detail.
A.) The teacher will be looking for elements such as foreshadowing, irony,
symbols, suspense.
B.) For certain steps, suspense plays a large role in the text so students should
notice this through his words and actions of the characters. For example, the narrator
repeatedly walks slowly in and out of the old mans room as the floor creaks behind him.
The teacher should emphasize how this moment puts the readers on edge and how Poe
does this through repetition.

Handout:

I. Act it out!
The teacher will pass out instructions for each group and let them know that they are
going to act out the opening scene.
The exposition immediately starts with tension and the narrator seems like he has
completely lost it.
The groups of four are to decipher Poes exposition from this story and create dialogue.
The students have freedom to change the story however they may want to, but they must
keep Poes style in tact.
The teacher will go to each group and see what they did to the exposition and how they
are using Poes style of language.
The teacher must reinforce the genre of text and that suspense is what sparks this story.
Once the students create their own scripts, each group will perform for the class (Make
sure the students are speaking loudly and are visibly seen by all students).
I. Journal - Reflect on Skit
The teacher will ask the students to journal about their groups work and why they chose
to make alterations to the text. Did they keep in mind Poes techniques? Also, the student
should journal how he/she felt when acting out the scene. Were the emotions the actor
was trying to portray suppose to be the same emotions the readers felt? Why or why not?
I. Homework
Students will be asked to continue from the ending of the short story. They can be
creative and choose whichever route they want to go, however, they must use the style of

language and elements Poe uses when writing. They must include at least three elements
and have at least one page complete. Students may write more if they would like.

Lesson 4
Standards:
CC.1.4.910.K Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition. Use
precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms of
the discipline in which they are writing.
CC.1.3.910.A Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its
development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and
refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

 CC.1.3.910.E Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it, and manipulate time create an effect.
Objectives:
Students will create a chart with three columns labeled; Suspenseful Moment, Dangerous
Action, and Foreshadowing, in order to organize and connect the topics relating to horror.
Students will watch a clip from Scream and relate it to Poes The Tell-Tale Heart.
Goals:
Recognize similarities and differences between Scream and The Tell-Tale Heart.
Discuss and notice elements relating to horror.
Explain how the narrator shapes our understanding of horror.
Lesson Outline:
Movie clip of Scream
The teacher will have pre-selected and approved the specific movie clip for the class.
The clip will show how Wes Craven uses suspense and music to highlight key moments.
The students will journal their response to the movie clip and discuss how Wes Cravens
style if similar and different from Edgar Allan Poes style.
The teacher will ask a few students to share their responses and emphasize how Craven
envisioned the genre of horror and used his own techniques as Poe did also.
I.

I. Collaborative Chart Activity

The teacher will create a chart which will be divided into three columns labeled,
Suspenseful Moment, Dangerous Action, and Foreshadowing.
The students will be asked to look back at Poes work and think of information to fill
each column.
The teacher will also make a chart for the film clip of Scream so students can see the
comparisons.
A.) The teacher will ask how the narrators shaped their understanding of horror.
What did Craven and Poe do that make it acceptable to call this material a genre of horror.
B.) The students should include examples regarding the eye symbol from Poes
work and the ghostface mask from Cravens work.
The teacher and students will spend most of class discussing the main elements from
these two pieces.
I. Short Answer Essay
After the chart activity, the teacher will pass our paper and project a short answer essay
question on the wall.
A.) What instances in Poes The Tell-Tale Heart are readers reminded of the
horror genre?
The teacher will give until the end of class and help any students who made need further
assistance with the essay completion.

Lesson 5
Standards:
CC.1.4.910.D Organize ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections
and distinctions; use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the
text; include formatting when useful to aiding comprehension; provide a concluding
statement or section.
CC.1.3-10 Reading Literature Students read and respond to works of literaturewith an
emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among
ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence.
CC.1.3.910.K- Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading
independently and proficiently.
Objectives:
Students will read Edgar Allan Poe's, The Raven, in order to label a specific genre to the
text.

 Students will read the story out loud in order to identify key moments that contribute to
their horrifying effect on ones reading.
Students will create their own raven and a word or line of their own with explanation, in
order to relate the material to the type of genre they are reading.
Goals:
Define what a genre is by relating your own horrifying moments to the narrators
current dilemma.
Pick out who the protagonist and the antagonist are in the story.
Draw the ominous raven from the poem and explain its significance.
Lesson Outline:
I. Read The Raven with the class.
The teacher will use a loud and clear tape recording of the text for students to
following along while reading (This device will be used to accommodate any hearing
impaired student).
The teacher will have students keep note of all major vocabulary words in the story.
The teacher will point out each vocab word and ask students if they can gather a
meaning using the context clues.
The students should keep in mind what a genre is and the certain aspects that make a
horror genre.
A.) Dark images, irony, suspense, motifs, etc.
I. Journal
Students will respond to a journal prompt on the board
A.) How does Poe make an effective use out of the poem structure? What kind
of techniques does he use to support your answer?
The teacher and students will openly discuss some of their responses. The teacher will
ask, How did this text make you feel? What moments in the text contributed to that
feeling?
I. Symbols of Horror
The teacher will ask the students to draw their own ominous raven.
Students can use markers and be creative with their raven. There should be some mystery
involved when creating their raven since the readers are never really sure where it came
from.
The teacher should discuss how the raven is almost like a part of the black sky it came
from and that its repeatedness is something the readers do not forget.
The students must also create a new line or phrase that their raven repeats. It must suit the
genre of horror and relate back to the text. For example, one student can draw a raven and
it could say, Till Death Do Us Part! This phrase would make sense coming from the
raven because the raven symbolizes the narrators lost love Lenore.
A.) The teacher will also cover the format of the poem and its affect on the reader.
The teacher will go over what a quatrains and rhyme within The Raven.

 The students will present their ravens to the class and explain why they made certain
choices when creating their raven. For example, if the raven is anything other than black,
maybe red, what significance does that have?
The teacher will also look for the students word or phrase they assigned their raven.
A. Homework
Students must go back through the text and find anymore symbols or moments where the
narrator expresses his mourning over Lenore and coping with the loss of a loved one.
How does the narrator deal with the dark side of the human mind? How does Poe
use symbols to enhance the horror within his story? Is there any difference from
Poes short story format to poem?
The teacher will collect this response next class.

Lesson 6
Standards:
CC.1.5.910.A Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their
own clearly and persuasively.
CC.1.3-10 Reading Literature Students read and respond to works of literaturewith an
emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among
ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence.
CC.1.3.910.K- Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading
independently and proficiently.
Objectives:
Students will journal about The Raven in order to make connections with Poes format of
the poem.
Students will listen to an audible voice recording of The Raven in order to help visualize
Poes imagination of horror.
Students will discuss with their peers about their own visualizations and grasp different
perspectives.

Goals:
Listen and identify different aspects regarding the genre of horror.
Collaborate and define the language of the audible narrator.
Speak to the class about their own perspectives.
Lesson Outline:
Collect Homework and Introduce Poem Structure
The teacher will start off class by asking the students for their homework and if there
were any questions.
The teacher will pass out a worksheet that describes the poems structure.
A.) Define quatrain, rhyme scheme, capitalization, etc.
B.) Ask the students if they can see a rhyme scheme and what affect does
it have when read out loud.
The teacher will discuss how the words and lines of the poem embody a character of its
own. The horror lies within the words and the way the words were intended to be spoken.
The teacher will model with a creepy voice, Once upon a midnight dreary (speaking
slowly)..While I pondered weak and weary
Student work / Audible Recording
The teacher will ask the students to get into groups of three and have thir journals out.
The teacher will ask the students to write down what comes to mind when listening to the
narrartors voice read the poem.
Play the audible voice recording.
After the recording is finished, the teacher will give the students time to write down their
personal response to voice spoken.
A.) How did the speaker use his voice on certain words?
B.) Did the speaker sound scary when speaking the lines?
C.) Why do you think the speaker spoke in that tone?
Class Discussion / Own Voice Interpretations
The teacher will ask the students to collaborate as a group and come up with some of
their own perspectives.
Students will speak to the class about their own perspective when listening and offer their
own voice when reading the poem.
The teacher needs to emphasize the genre of horror and how it demands to be noticed
even by the voice of the reader.
Homework
The students are to come up with a certain song and explain why that song can be played
while reading The Raven. Students should keep in mind the genre of horror and support
their reasoning with details.

Lesson 7
Standards:
CC.1.3-10 Reading Literature Students read and respond to works of literaturewith an
emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among
ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence.
CC.1.3.910.K- Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading
independently and proficiently.
CC.1.3.910.E Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it, and manipulate time create an effect.
Objectives:
Students will form partners and use the computer to find a piece of music that will suit
The Raven, in order to demonstrate how specific music adds and categorizes itself with
the text.
Students will create a chart with three columns labeled; Suspenseful Moment, Dangerous
Action, and Foreshadowing, in order to organize and connect the topics relating to horror.
Goals:
Listen to music and explain why it is relevant to Poes The Raven.
Organize a chart and make connections to Poes techniques within The Raven.
Lesson Outline
Introduce Music to class

 The teacher will ask students to have their homework out and be ready to discuss their
music choice.
The teacher will start the class by presenting their own choice of music that would best
suit The Raven. (It can be any type of music - song, soundtrack, musical, etc.)
The students will then be asked to get into groups and discuss their music choices. They
will decide on one choice collectively to present to the class.
The students will be able to use the computers in the classroom to find their choice of
music.
A.) Students will present to the class and explain why the decided to
choose that piece of music and why it is relevant to the genre of horror.
B.) The teacher should be looking for connections between Poes poem
and their choice of music (style, voice, images, etc).
C.) What does the music do for the listener? What kind of picture or
feeling does it create?
Genre Chart
The students will be asked to go back to their seats and complete a chart using their
text/notes/journal etc.
The chart will consist of three topics: Suspenseful Moment, Dangerous Action, and
Foreshadowing.
A.) Students will work alone on this chart and ask the teacher for any
questions.
B.) This chart is going to be graded and used to ensure student
understanding of the horror genre.
C.) The chart must include details and supporting information that was
discussed in class.
The teacher will collect each students chart to be graded for review for the final
assessment.
Homework
The students must review Poes biography in their text and write down three interesting
things about his life. The teacher will inform them that their final short story from Poe
will be The Black Cat which will be started next. The teacher should hint to the
students that they should look for aspects of Poes life that might have influenced his
writing (family life, drugs, alcohol, marriage, etc.).

Lesson 8
Standards:
CC.1.4.910.K Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition. Use
precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms of
the discipline in which they are writing.
CC.1.3.910.A Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its
development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and
refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
CC.1.3.910.E Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it, and manipulate time create an effect.
Objectives:
Students will read Edgar Allan Poe's, The Black Cat, in order to label a specific genre to
the text.
Students will read the story out loud in order to identify key moments that contribute to
their horrifying effect on ones reading.
Students will create their own black cat and write and explanation of its symbol with the
short story.
Goals:
Define what a genre is and relate it to The Black Cat
Characterize the narrator and his current situation.
Draw a black cat and connect its symbolism.
Lesson Outline
Read The Black Cat from Edgar Allan Poe
The teacher will begin reading the short story and pass on the reading to whom ever may
want to next.

 The teacher will have students keep note of all major vocabulary words in the story.
The teacher will point out each vocab word and ask students if they can gather a
meaning using the context clues.
The students should keep in mind what a genre is and the certain aspects that make a
horror genre.
A.) Dark images, irony, suspense, motifs, etc.
Journal
Students will respond to a journal prompt on the board
A.) How are The Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat
similar/different? Do you see certain techniques repeated?
The teacher and students will openly discuss some of their responses.
Symbols of Horror
The teacher will ask the students to draw their own black cat and write a paragraph of
what its symbol is within the short story.
Students can use markers and be creative with their black cat. The teacher will inform the
students that their black cats will be hung up on the walls in the classroom.
Once students have finished drawing/coloring their black cat, they will then present their
black cat to the class.
The teacher will ask the students to speak loudly and clearly for all students to hear their
response (Accomodate hearing impaired students).
The teacher should walk around the room and make sure each student wrote a paragraph
about the symbolism of the black cat.
Homework
Students must complete the following journal prompts in their journals: How does
alcohol play a role in this story? The narrator at one point confesses to alcoholism
but do you think that is the cause for his descent into madness?

Lesson 9
Standards:
CC.1.5.910.E Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks.
CC.1.3.910.E Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it, and manipulate time create an effect.
CC.1.3-10 Reading Literature Students read and respond to works of literaturewith an
emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among
ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence.
Objectives:
Students will watch the 1981 film version of The Black Cat in order to see a different
take of Poes story.
Students will cover personification and explain how Poe uses it to enhance the horror.
Goals:
Watch a film version and look for elements relating to horror.
Define personification and how it relates to the horror genre.
Connect Poes story to the film version and distinguish its differences.
Lesson Outline
Watch the 1981 version of The Black Cat
The teacher will first ask students to hand in their homework and if there were any
questions.
The start of the lesson will be to watch the film version of The Black Cat and remind
students to look for certain things. (Students with visual impairments will sit near the
front of the screen).
A.) Why does the director choose to film a certain scene a particular way?
B.) Is there music in the movie? Does the music add or take away from the
film?
C.) How is the black cat portrayed in the film? Is it effective?
Journal
After the film is finished, the teacher will ask the students to write about their response to
the film. The questions mentioned above will be posted on the whiteboard for guidnace.
Introduce Personification

 The teacher is going to refer back to the film version throughout the entire lesson.
The teacher will ask if anyone has an example of personification and if so to share it with
the class.
A.) Personification is a figure of speech that gives human qualities to
objects, animals, or ideas.
B.) How is the black cat personified? What happens in the story that
supports your answer.
The teacher will have an open discussion about this topic and talk about how the director
chose to portray the cat. The black cat is displayed as an eerie cat with mysterious red
eyes and thick black fur. The teacher will talk about how these elements relate to the
genre of horror.
The students should pick out details that are similar from the short story such as the
mans erotic behavior at home and the hanging of the black cat.
Grammar Handout
The teacher will pass out a worksheet covering personification.
The students should begin working on this worksheet at the end of class and ask the
teacher for any questions.
Homework
Students will complete the grammar handout for homework and come to next class with
any questions.

Lesson 10

Standards:
CC.1.4.910.K Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition. Use
precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms of
the discipline in which they are writing.
CC.1.3.910.A Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its
development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and
refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
CC.1.3.910.E Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it, and manipulate time create an effect.
Objectives:
Students will create a chart with three columns labeled; Suspenseful Moment, Dangerous
Action, and Foreshadowing, in order to organize and connect the topics relating to horror.
Students will look back at The Tell-Tale Heart and compare it to The Black Cat.
Students will take all three charts and work in groups for completion.
Goals:
Compare and contrast Poes two short stories.
Provide details of motifs and/or symbols in The Black Cat.
Work together to complete all three charts in its entirety.
Lesson Outline:
Create new chart for The Black Cat
The chart will consist of three topics: Suspenseful Moment, Dangerous Action, and
Foreshadowing.
A.) Students will work together on this chart and ask the teacher for any
questions or assistance.
B.) This chart is going to be graded and used to ensure student
understanding of the horror genre.
C.) The chart must include details and supporting information that was
discussed in class.
In addition to this current chart, the students may get out their last two charts , one from
The Tell-Tale Heart and the other from The Raven. Students can collaborate and add to
their chart if they want to.
The teacher should inform the students that their charts will be helpful to study for the
final assessment.
Comparing The Black Cat and The Tell-Tale Heart
After students fill in their charts, the teacher will direct them to the whiteboard and create
a compare and contrast diagram.
The teacher should include subtopics such as motifs/symbols, personification, etc.
The students will be asked to come up one at a time and add to the diagram. The students
should add things such as the tone of the narrators, Poes techniques/style, elements of
horror, etc.

 This activity will be very beneficial for the final assessment and will allow for informal
assessment.
Journal
Students will spend the remainder of class completing this journal entry: After reading
three pieces of Poes works, why do you think he chose three certain objects for each
one? (The eye, the raven, and the black cat) How do the objects add to the overall
genre of horror?
Homework
The students should finish their journal entry if they did not have time in class. In
addition, students should review their three charts and notes/ journals for the final
assessment.

Self Evaluation

How does your unit plan address the criteria from our rubric (Be specific)?
My unit plan does address our rubric because I made sure to include all the criteria within each
lesson. My standards and objectives are particularly written for each lesson which relate
specifically to the text and big question. As for my resources, accommodations, assessments,
activities, etc., they have been incorporated throughout my lessons. Content was key as well
because I have learned from my field placement of how important reading, language, and writing
instruction are for non-English speaking students. When doing my unit plan, I kept thinking
about those students and geared my lessons in a way that fulfilled the rubric, but stressed more
importance at times on content for that very fact. I think it is very important to keep in mind the
criteria when doing a unit plan because that brings the unit plan to full circle. Without aligning
the criteria to the big question, then I think the big picture may get lost to some students too.
What has our work on the collaborative unit taught you about your unit plan?
Doing the collaborative unit was very helpful when doing my own unit plan because I was able
to learn from reality and transfer that knowledge to my own unit. The act of teaching in itself
helps tremendously because you learn more about your methods of teaching and get feedback
from your peers. Another beneficial aspect of doing the collaborative unit was that I learned
more about diversity and different activities teachers can do. Therefore, when doing my own
lessons, I was able to think back to our collaborative unit and ask what worked best and what did
not. That was really important to me because as teachers we all want to create engaging lessons,
but those lessons actually being effective and possible is a whole different story. In addition to
possibilities, I think the collaborative unit helped me focus more on time management and how a
teacher needs to think about time and take risks with devoting more time for one thing rather
than another. Overall, the collaborative unit was very helpful because we were continuously
learning from each others strong and weak points and transferring that knowledge to our own
unit plan.