#3544. Tell Tale Heart

Reading/Writing, level: Senior
Posted Sat Nov 5 21:24:45 PST 2005 by Brandi McWilliams & Kristin Mitchell (not in Fort Lupton) (brandiwyne21@msn.com).
Fort Lupton Middle School, Fort Lupton, USA
Materials Required: reading, overhead, graphic organizer, dictionary, markers
Activity Time: class period maybe two
Concepts Taught: analyze and interpret story

Grade/Class/Subject: 9/LA/Reading

Objectives: To analyze and interpret the story, work on comprehension, respond to literature, recognize analogies, make connections, read story aloud (oral fluency), use prediction skills

State Standards: Standard 1-Students read and understand a variety of materials. Standard 4-Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. Standard 5-Students read to locate, select, and make use of relevant information from a variety of media, reference, and technological sources.
Standard 6- Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.

NCTE Standards Addressed

NL-ENG.K-12.1 Reading for Perspective
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying Strategies
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills

Lesson Sequence
1. This is a long reading and somewhat difficult so I want to get them motivate and build the anticipation so that they can better understand the reading. As a class we will first discuss the title of "The Tell-Tale Heart." We will discuss what we think this title means (predicting and activating prior knowledge).
2. Then we will discuss the different meanings of tale. For example: I told a tall tale vs. The dog has a long tale. I will ask them which tale are we talking about.
3. The story is 6 pages so for the first day we will only focus on the first three. Before we start reading we will also discuss the author. I will ask the students if they know who he is (Edgar Allan Poe) and if so what they know about him or have read of his. I then will tell them a little about the author. This will help them recognize his style of writing. I will put this info on overhead (his picture and short biography).
4. Also, before reading I will ask the students to review the reading and highlight the words they do not know or recognize. This will be apart of their individual assessment.
5. I then will hand out a graphic organizer. They will need to write the word, define it, write a sentence and draw a picture that helps them remember the words. I will do a practice example with them using the graphic organizer printed on the overhead. I will gather the words they do not know from both days and use them throughout the week they will get extra points if they catch me using one of the words.

For example:

There will be four of these boxes per sheet front and back.

6. After they have filled out this chart they may begin reading. They will only read three pages and I will provide them with comprehension questions and also to analyze the reading after they have read the first three pages.
Example Questions: What is the narrators motive for killing the old man?
What does the first sentence mean ". . ..but why will you say that I am mad?" (Interpreting)

Assessments: One of my assessments will be the discussion and the comprehension questions. The other assessment will be individual. They will study the graphic organizer and at the end of the next reading lesson they will draw a picture and write a sentence along with that picture. Also, at the end of the lesson we will share the pictures and see if the students can guess from the picture and the sentence which word we are presenting (group assessment). We will also be discussing these words throughout.

Accommodations: For the gifted and talented students I would have them draw the pictures and write sentences about the words without looking them up. I also would give an interpretation worksheet, which they then word interpret the text on their own. There would be discussion on it afterward. Also, for the students who are having a hard time with the reading we will re-read the story as a class and stop and discuss parts. I may have them go back and recall different passages. Throughout the reading as a class I will stop and have the students stop to ask them connection questions.