"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorite short stories to teach in October. It generates some fantastic classroom discussions and is the perfect way to add a spooky touch to the class for Halloween.
WHO IS POE?
One of first things I do is introduce Edgar Allan Poe to students; you can find some great resources at The Poe Museum. I think it's important to explain who he was, where he lived, his writing (The Raven is a great preview piece to use!), and the elements of gothic literature.
The Tell-Tale Heart is full of figurative language, vocabulary, and ideas that make it a fabulous short story to include in a short story unit.
PRE-READING IDEA
To set the scene for "The Tell-Tale Heart" for students I like to ask them a few pre-reading questions and encourage students to start thinking about some of the themes of the story. Also, these questions are almost guaranteed to pique the interest of teenagers!
THE TELL-TALE HEART TIMES
After reading and discussing the elements of the short story I like to follow up with a small project... in this case, I have students create a Tell-Tale Heart Newspaper from the period that reports on the events of the story. It's a great way to review how stories can change depending on who is telling the story and to review what a newspaper is. In the newspaper article, students will have to write in the third person and tell the story from an outside point of view. My students have always had fun with this creative activity. This resource comes in both print and digital versions for ease of use!
I show students some fabulous examples of newspapers written in the 1800s before beginning this activity.
WATCH AND LEARN
It's always fun to watch and listen to a reading of the story - here are two to check out:
- The Tell-Tale Heart - 1953 animated version. This one is my favorite as it's the original text and the narrator's voice is perfectly creepy and the old music and animation make it particularly spooky.
MORE IDEAS
Check out more ideas for teaching short stories in October from teachers of the
Secondary English Coffee Shop!
Tracee Orman - Ed Sheeran or Edgar Allan Poe? Interactive Bulletin Board
Room 213 - Teaching Suspense & Tension
The Daring English Teacher - Edgar Allan Poe Bellringers