Classroom Resource

"The Tell-Tale Heart" | Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

6, 7, 8

Overview

Explore Edgar Allan Poe’s famous short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart,“ in this video from the American Masters film Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive. Discussion questions, teaching tips, and a student handout ask students to analyze the work while also learning more about the art of writing a short story. Students are asked to consider why the story remains popular today, its connections to music, and how Poe hooks readers from the very first sentence. Students are also asked to identify the theme of the work. Students also analyze the author's word choice or diction.

Content Standards

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 6

ELA21.6.1
Identify and explain an author’s rhetorical choices, including point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings, to develop central and supporting ideas.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Rhetorical choices
Point of view
Purpose
Anecdotes
Figurative word meaning
Connotative word meaning
Technical word meaning
Central idea
Supporting idea

Knowledge

Students know:

Authors make specific rhetorical choices in their writing to convey meaning.
Rhetorical devices include point of view, purpose, personal anecdotes, and word choice.
Authors develop the main idea of the text by including supporting details to further elaborate on the text's central meaning.

Skills

Students are able to:

Identify an author's rhetorical choices related to point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings.
Explain why an author made particular rhetorical choices related to point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings.
Explain how an author's rhetorical choices developed the central and supporting ideas of the text.

Understanding

Students understand that:

When writing a text, authors make specific decisions about the structure, format, and vocabulary to accurately convey their central idea.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 7

ELA21.7.17
Identify the conventions of standard English grammar and usage in writing.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Conventions
Standard English grammar
Standard English usage

Knowledge

Students know:

The conventions of standard English grammar and usage.

Skills

Students are able to:

Identify conventions of standard English grammar and usage in texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Writing should demonstrate the appropriate use of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 8

ELA21.8.3
Analyze how authors use key literary elements, including setting, plot, theme, characters, internal and external conflict, dialogue, and point of view, to contribute to the meaning and purpose of a text, using text evidence as support.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Literary elements
Setting
Plot
Theme
Characters
Internal conflict
External conflict
Dialogue
Points of view
Text evidence

Knowledge

Students know:

Authors of prose and poetry use literary elements, such as setting, plot, characters, theme, conflict, dialogue, and point of view, throughout a text to develop and/or enhance the meaning of the text.
An author's use of literary elements can indicate the author's purpose for writing the text.
Analysis of a text should be supported with text evidence from the writing.

Skills

Students are able to:

Identify the setting, plot, characters, theme, internal and external conflict, dialogue, and point of view in literary text.
Analyze how literary elements contribute to the meaning and purpose of literary text.
Support their analysis of literary elements with textual evidence.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Prose and poetry contain common literary elements, such as setting, plot, characters, theme, conflict, dialogue, and point of view.
Literary elements contribute to the meaning and purpose of literary text.
When they analyze a text, they should include text evidence to support their claims.

Interdisciplinary Connection(s)

Link to Resource

https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/poe17-ela-heart/the-tell-tale-heart-…

Content Type / Source

CR Resource Type

Audio/Video

Resource Provider

PBS

Accessibility

License

License Type

CUSTOM

Custom License Type (URL)

https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/help/terms-of-use

Comments or Notes

A Close Reading

After watching the video, ask students to complete “The Tell-Tale Heart” A Close Reading handout to help students analyze how Poe’s use of diction, repetition, and punctuation help to establish the narrator’s state of mind.

Literary Salon

Create a literary salon like the gatherings held during Poe's time for a dramatic reading of the short story. Rearrange desks, add mood lighting, wear costumes – brainstorm other ideas. Ask students to take turns reading the story “in character.” Have fun!

Literary Tableau

Ask students to dramatize the story by creating a tableau of a scene in the story. In pairs or small groups, ask students to create a still-life representation of a key scene in the story.

The Soundtrack of Madness

Ask students to select a song they think would work well as a soundtrack for the story. Have them share a short clip of the song with the class and explain why they think the piece of music works well with the story.

Vocabulary

diction | (n.) word choice.

repetition |(n.) in literature, the recurrence of a word or phrase that reinforces meaning

style |(n.) a way of using language, including word choice, punctuation, etc.

unequivocal |(n.) leaving no doubt; unambiguous.

Approved Date

2022-08-23

Curated by

"The Tell-Tale Heart" | Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive

Subject Area

Grade(s)

Overview

ELA21.6.1
Identify and explain an author’s rhetorical choices, including point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings, to develop central and supporting ideas.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.6.1

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.7.17
Identify the conventions of standard English grammar and usage in writing.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.7.17

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.8.3
Analyze how authors use key literary elements, including setting, plot, theme, characters, internal and external conflict, dialogue, and point of view, to contribute to the meaning and purpose of a text, using text evidence as support.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.8.3

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

CR Resource Type

Resource Provider

License Type

Custom License Type (URL)

Comments or Notes

Approved Date

Learning Resource Type

"The Tell-Tale Heart" | Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive

Subject Area

Grade(s)

Overview

ELA21.6.1 Identify and explain an author’s rhetorical choices, including point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings, to develop central and supporting ideas.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.7.17 Identify the conventions of standard English grammar and usage in writing.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.8.3 Analyze how authors use key literary elements, including setting, plot, theme, characters, internal and external conflict, dialogue, and point of view, to contribute to the meaning and purpose of a text, using text evidence as support.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

URL (web address)

CR Resource Type

Resource Provider

License Type

Custom License Type (URL)

Comments or Notes

Approved Date

ELA21.6.1
Identify and explain an author’s rhetorical choices, including point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings, to develop central and supporting ideas.

ELA21.7.17
Identify the conventions of standard English grammar and usage in writing.

ELA21.8.3
Analyze how authors use key literary elements, including setting, plot, theme, characters, internal and external conflict, dialogue, and point of view, to contribute to the meaning and purpose of a text, using text evidence as support.