1

Unit 2: Reading Edgar Allan Poe

Day 3 (The Tell Tale Heart Themes & Motifs)
Subject:
ELA 7th Grade

nd College Ready Standards, ISTE Standards apply to this lesson

rt analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. (7.RL.1)

analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. (7.RL.2)

nd formula

le Heart and briefly explain why said themes exist in the story
ell Tale Heart to themes of books, TV shows, movies, plays, or video games the student has read/ watched/or played recently

product /How are you going to grade? (Rubric, checklist, etc.)

f completion of activities and annotations in the Writers Notebook just before the unit exam will show evidence of mastery. (If s
he end of the unit for full credit. Students will turn in class notes and assigned activities in their Writers Notebook just before th
ame).

c to complex): Content and Language objectives action verbs such as write, list, highlight, etc.)

and motifs found in Edgar Allan Poes, The Tell Tale Heart.
ghlight key words, phrases, or entire thoughts that are evidence supporting themes and motifs in the story.
ete sentence) explanation that themes and motifs exist in the story and provide specific evidence supporting my claim.
emes and motifs from Tell Tale Heart to those of modern books, TV shows, movies, plays, or video games I have read/watch
am chart.

conversation, mediation, or composition; a topic (Theme, n.).

Ego, The Power of the Dead Over the Living)

for imaginative treatment, esp. an incident, situation, ethical problem,

ork; a recurrent theme, subject or image (Motif, n.).
)
ns a theme

dual, dissimulation, sufficient, vex, profound, sagacity, stifled, dreadful,

y, hideous, stimulate, refrain, concealment, hastily, cunningly, wary,
ion, mockery, derision, hypocritical, dissemble

Materials/Technology Resources to be Used:

Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation for Bell Work & P

The Tell Tale Heart Handout (Poe)
Pencil or black/blue pen
2 additional colored pencils/pens/highlighters
Writers Notebook for Bell Work, Themes in The Te
Tale Heart Activity
Exit Ticket Handout
S-fl message on white board:
Materials Needed Today:
The Tell Tale Heart Handout
Pencil or black/blue ink pen
2 additional colored pencils/pens/highlighters
Writers Notebook

earning, and make RELEVENT to real life) ENGAGE/ hook the students

biography; yesterday we read through The Tell Tale Heart as a class first without stopping, then again, breaking down the
ry. Today, students will now take their overall understanding of the author, plot, and characters and scaffold those concepts in or
claims.

wn at their desks quietly, get out their Writers Notebooks, and respond to the following bell work question on the board.

oom projector when class begins:

Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe and answer the following questions with a paragraph (4-6 complete sentences) response or by c
on).

d why? Have you read any books, seen TV shows, movies, plays, or video games recently that have similar or opposite themes?

ge in the story (EXAMPLE: Some themes in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins include: the Inequality Between Rich and

enough time to write down sufficient responses.

can still write down themes if they have not seen or read something
the same theme.
make sure students are on task, as well as clarify any questions students
rk.
ypes of themes that occur in Tell Tale Heart and if they relate to
read recently.
what themes they believe are in the story and relate to present day
teacher will write the definition of a theme once again and all of the
ponding works on the board for the class to easily view during the next
e to write down this list.
dents that if a theme he/she thought of is different than his/her peers
d theme is wrong, so students should open and excited to share, even if
wers. The point of this exercise is to introduce the idea of themes not

Student Will:

Need a pencil or a black or blue ink pen, The Tel

Notebooks.
Answer questions about themes in the short story
the previous day.
Explain how those themes relate to modern young
their Writers Notebook with a paragraph (4-6 com
Diagram (proper title & labeling, minimum 2 bull
Listen carefully to their peers responses to see if t
ideas that the student did not think of before (Venn
section, paragraph response should have a bulleted

iation How will your instruction look different for those students who need differentiation or accommodations?

n example was intentionally placed on the board for students who may need more guidance in answering the bell work question (
students are always able to raise their hand and ask the teacher for assistance if they are stuck.

ncept quicker than expected, then the teacher can introduce the difference between themes and motifs in stories/poetry and ask th
ered during bell work, then it will be introduced toward the end of the class period.

ble sharing what they wrote in front of the class, they will still receive full credit for completing the bell work to the best of their a

students are more comfortable sharing their ideas in partners or small groups as opposed to the entire class. If they are, then the
or more collaborated responses to the bell work after a few minutes of the students sharing their work with each other (if time pe

k for the lesson.)

will be reading the story again, but this time we are looking for key
eas that support any of the themes we have brainstormed during bell

Student Will:

he class reads paragraph by paragraph, the teacher will start a new list of
e evidence from the story next to the discovered themes as students

y should be creating a similar list in their Writers Notebooks titled

eart and in addition highlight, underline, or circle the evidence for each

y will need to create a key at the top of their handout that will show what
ence to support themes throughout the story.

more than one theme can be identified through one piece of evidence, and
of evidence to support a theme.
will need to turn in their work at the end of the unit so they need to attach
Notebook by exam day by either taping or stapling it to the next blank
legible.
to read paragraphs of The Tell Tale Heart.
mes have come up, and let students know that they can raise their hand
pon if they would like to share themes they find at any time point in the

Need their Writers Notebook, Tell Tale Heart Ha

colored highlighters/pens/pencils to point out spec
Take turns reading paragraphs of The Tell Tale H
in their Writers Notebooks titled Themes in The
Create a key at the top of their handout that will sh
support themes throughout the story (i.e. __ = The
Read along in the story with the teacher and stude
Search for key words, phrases, or whole ideas in t
by raising ones hand quietly if one would like to
for a possible theme. Once the student is called up
class and wait for the teachers instructions to ann
On the Themes in The Tell Tale Heart activity p
the teacher has just created on the board as the cla
chart that was created during bell work). As the te
to theirs in their notebook.

ound while reading, add it and the corresponding modern day piece to
h from the original list made during bell work.
iation/Check for Understanding before independent practice

ead, the teacher will choose randomly but allow students to pass if they do not feel comfortable reading in front of the class.

ering the themes the class came up with, they can look to the board for the definition of a theme and all the themes we have writ
having trouble remembering what to look for.

mmodations can be provided annotated and summarized areas of the reading, although each annotation and summary may vary

ften to do a quick thumbs up, sideways, or down check to see how comfortable students feel with the concept of finding themes

et it
a what is going on

sion comparing the themes students suggested during bell work and the
hile analyzing the text together, following with an introduction to

re all of these ideas on this list (referring to the new list) themes?
ere surprised to see as the class searched together?
k were themes when you came to class today that you realize are not

Student Will:

Participate in the class discussion by being prepared t

What a theme is and what makes the ideas we ca

Themes that the student was surprised to see as th
What ideas the student thought were themes at fi
themes. Explain what literary device/figurative la

arent themes, what are they?

er what a motif is during the bell work time, the teacher can ask the
e class did go over what a motif is, then the teacher can review the topic
Can you think of any examples of motifs in The Tell Tale Heart or in
movie, play, or video game you have read/watched/played recently?
page in their Writers Notebooks titled, Motifs in The Tell Tale Heart
p of the students handout that will show what color corresponds with

work on the first motif found in The Tell Tale Heart together as a
one individually, in partners, or groups of three this will be up to the

er they do not finish for their motif page in class will become homework
day, so they should spend their time wisely by working as efficiently as
tions if they have any.

What a motif is and provide examples of motifs i

show, movie, play, or video game.

Add to the key at the top of the students handout tha

evidence to support motifs throughout the story (i.e. _

Create new page in Writers Notebook titled, Motifs i

steps the class took when finding themes in the story:

Highlight, underline, or circle key words, phrases

motifs in handout using correct colored pen/penc
Work on first motif example with teacher and ent
story aloud paragraph by paragraph anymore. Stu
and raise their hand quietly if they believe they h
After the class has worked on one example togeth
Tell Tale Heart with evidence next to motifs. Th
of three. Students choice

iation How will your instruction look different for those students who need differentiation or accommodations?

participate in the entire class discussion but should be able to give input for at least one question the teacher asks at the end of t
o answer, as long as there is a variety of answers and questions chosen.

odations can use their already annotated copy of the handout to see what is evidence of motifs and use that to help create the list

moved on from the assignment will be asked to help/tutor students still working on their motifs page or they will be asked to help
sson and reflection.

ns: What connections will students make to their real lives? What essential questions will they reflect on in their closure of the l

they used to search for themes in real life. There are themes in almost every subject in school and in life. If students can use the
cs better and make better, more educated decisions in life. This exit ticket asks students to think about why the themes were chose
ow to find themes in literature, but they are also discovering why these themes were created. In addition, the exit ticket also gives
days ago about the same subject. These connections will help students retain the information better and put them on the right tra

ween a theme and a motif? Why do you think the author wrote with such dark themes? What do you remember from recent lesson

Students Toward End of Period. Students must turn in an exit ticket before leaving my classroom if they would like to rec

n Poe and answer two (2) of the following questions with a one-paragraph (4-6 complete sentences) response.

a motif?
nd one (1) motif, why do you think Poe chose such dark themes and motifs when writing stories like The Tell Tale Heart?
member from Poes biography that possibly contributed to his haunted ideas.