Tell-Tale Heart Lesson Plan

1. Teacher Candidate	Arik Reyes	Date Taught	Nov. 30th, 2016
Cooperating Teacher		School/District
2. Subject	English	Field Supervisor
3. Lesson Title/Focus	Symbolism in The Tell-Tale Heart	5. Length of Lesson	30 min
4. Grade Level	10th (Sophomore)

6. Academic & Content Standards (Common Core/National)	CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
7. Learning Objective(s)	After defining the term ‘symbolism’ and its relationship to figurative language (as part of CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.5) students will be able to recognize symbolism used in literature by completing the symbolism worksheet. After having completed reading Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart, students will be able to dissect and identify other forms of symbolism within the text.  This aligns with CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1.
8. Academic Language demands (vocabulary, function, syntax, discourse)	Discourse:  Students will be using language appropriate to the course and reading level such as the vocabulary found below. Vocabulary -        Symbolism -        Imagery -        Allegory -        Metaphor -        Tone Function:  Students will use the vocab in conjunction with the selected reading in order to identify the various ways Poe uses symbolism in his work The Tell-Tale Heart. Syntax:  By understanding the tone and the order in which the words are phrased in Poe’s story, students will be able to better grasp the subject of symbolism.

9. Assessment

Formative: -        Students will be given the Symbolism Worksheet to complete on their own (5 minutes).  I will be doing a walk through to see how students are progressing on their individual worksheets.  After the 5 minutes are up, I will ask for volunteers to share what they’ve written down on their worksheets.  Rather than turn in their worksheets, students will keep them for future reference on what symbolism is.  (Symbolism Worksheet Attached). -        After assessing that students understand what symbolism is from the previous worksheet activity, I will place students into groups of 2 or 3.  Each group will be responsible for identifying symbolism in The Tell-Tale Heart, which the students have already read.  (5 minutes.)  I will walk around and check on each group and assist them if they feel they need it.  After five minutes is up, each group will provide one example of symbolism they found while providing textual evidence to support their claim.

10. Lesson Connections

-        This lesson of teaching symbolism is supported by Chris Tovani’s I Read It, But I Don’t Get It.  Tovani’s book contains various reading strategies for struggling or reluctant readers who have a difficult time decoding and understanding literary texts.  Tovani’s pedagogical book also contains various reading strategies and learning instructions that benefit this lesson such as small group discussions and whole class comprehension strategies. -        Students will use their prior knowledge from the reading of Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart in order to fully participate in this lesson.  This lesson will also require students to use prior knowledge and understanding of literary elements such as allegory and metaphors.  These literary elements will be used to enforce a deeper understanding of symbolism and its connection to Poe’s story. -        The requisite skills required in order for students to access the lesson are an understanding of the handed out vocabulary and knowledge of the story this lesson is centered on. -        Based on what students already know prior to this lesson, this lesson will build on student’s vocabulary and their knowledge of tone and word association within literary texts.  Students will be able to identify symbolism in various genres of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. -        While students will be working individually as well as in groups, students will build upon each other’s responses either based on textual evidence or their own cultural experiences outside the classroom.

11. Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks to Support Learning
Learning Tasks and Strategies Upon finishing Edgar Allan Poe’s story The Tell-Tale Heart, the learning tasks performed in today’s lesson will help students to understand how Poe’s use of word choice and tone allude to images of symbolism in his story.  Today’s lesson will not only help students understand symbolism in Poe’s literary works but also in future literary texts. Sequenced Instruction Intro/Text Review – 5 min Symbolism (Definition & Characteristics) – 5 min Activity(s) – 10 min Closing discussion –  5 min
Teacher’s Role I, the teacher, will welcome the students and introduce today’s lesson. I will ask the students if they have any questions regarding the reading assignment of The Tell-Tale Heart. I will go over any questions they may have regarding the text. I will begin the lesson by asking students if they know the meaning or definition of symbolism in regards to literature. I will provide a definition of symbolism on the white board. I will also add the definition of an allegory. I will pass out the symbolism worksheet to each student. I will instruct each student to individually work on their own worksheet and have them complete as much of it as possible. (3 min.) I will ask students to volunteer to share their answers out loud. I will break students up into groups of 2 or 3. I will instruct each group to find at least one or two examples of symbolism in The Tell-Tale Heart. (5 minutes.) I will walk around the room to make sure that students are not struggling to find examples of symbolism. I will point out an example of symbolism to help struggling groups and their job is to find textual evidence to support its relevance to symbolism. I will bring students together again as a whole class. I will conclude the lesson of symbolism and take a brief Q&A session to fill in any gaps students may have missed.	Students’ Role Students will arrive to class on time and take their seats in a timely manner. Students will have finished the previous night’s reading assignment: The Tell Tale Heart. Students will ask questions before the lesson begins should they have any regarding the reading. Students will be observant of what the teacher conveys in front of the class. Students will answer the teacher’s question, “What is the definition of symbolism?” Students will participate in the symbolism worksheet. Students will work individually on the worksheet until the teacher tells them to stop. Students will voluntarily present what they wrote down on their worksheets. Students will not turn in their worksheets. Students will keep their worksheets for the purpose of understanding symbolism in the future. Students will gather in groups assigned by the teacher to participate in the group activity. Students will work together to find at least 1 or 2 examples of symbolism in The Tell-Tale Heart.  Students will ask questions if having a difficult time locating textual evidence of symbolism. Students will stop after the teacher says to stop (bringing together the class as a whole). Students will share their evidence and examples with the class. Students will ask any questions pertaining to the lesson should they not understand something.  ·       ·       ·
Student Voice to Gather Student voice will be gathered throughout the lesson.  Even before the lesson begins, students have a chance to ask questions pertaining to the text.  After the initial review and answering questions, students will learn by observing and participating in the activities.  The question to kick off the lesson “What is the definition of symbolism?” will prompt students to answer the question and think about how symbolism is used in the Tell-Tale Heart.  During the lesson, each student will have a chance to have their voice heard by volunteering to answer questions or share their answers from the worksheet.  During group work, I will be performing a walk-through of the class to make sure that each group understands the assignment and answer any questions they have for me.  This gives me a chance to hear from each group how the students are doing and if they’re having any trouble understanding the lesson so far.  To ensure that each group has found examples with sufficient textual evidence, I will ask if students need more time.  They will be asked to hold up their fingers to show a numerical amount of time (in minutes) they still need to finish their activity.  After the lesson is over, I will hold a Q&A to make sure that the students not only understand symbolism in Poe’s work but also understand how to find symbolism in other works of literature.

12. Differentiated Instruction

The lesson Symbolism in The Tell-Tale Heart is a lesson that can be adapted to fit the learning styles of various students.  Even students who are reluctant readers or too timid to talk will be able to become engaged in the activities of this lesson.  The accessibility of this lesson if can be as malleable as needed in order to give all students an equal opportunity to participate; by that I will have extra copies of the worksheet for the individual activity and each group will have at least one member with access to the text.  Each student will be given oral instruction as well as written instruction in order to prevent any blocks in communication during the activities.  Using the white board to write down definitions as well as saying them out loud ensures that students are learning what symbolism – the main vocab word – means and how we identify it.

13. Resources and Materials

While I used Tovani’s book I Read It, But I Don’t Get It as a guide to help with the teaching strategies for this lesson, the idea to center this lesson on symbolism using Edgar Allan Poe’s story The Tell-Tale Heart as the vehicle to traverse this lesson was an idea I wanted to work on which incorporated literary elements such as tone, allegory, and metaphors. Teacher will need… Whiteboard Dry erase markers & eraser Symbolism Worksheet (designed and put together myself) Students will need… Pens/pencils A copy of The Tell-Tale Heart (either a bound copy or a photo-copies handout the teacher will provide) Tovani, Cris. I Read It, But I Don’t Get It. Portland: Stenhouse, 2000. Print.

14. Management and Safety Issues

While Edgar Allan Poe is a horror/gothic style writer, sometimes it is not enough to use death and bodily dismemberment to get sophomores interested in a story let alone get them to settle down if they’re being a little disruptive.  Class management is my only major concern due to the fact that some of the students have a hard time focusing and are therefore more prone to be disruptive or drift off.  In order to counter this, I plan to move the lesson forward on a timed schedule in order to keep students moving.  I find that the more students are active the more they become engaged with what everyone else is working on.  Another tactic to combat distracted students is to place them in groups where the other student is someone who participates in class. Safety is not an issue regarding this lesson.

15. Parent & Community Connections

Students will be encouraged to share their worksheets with their parents, guardians, or siblings as proof of their understanding of symbolism.  Moving forward from this lesson, students will continue to gather more evidence which merits their learning abilities and shows their mastery of literary elements required for a high school education. Outside of the home and classroom, students will be able to use what they’ve learned about symbolism in non-traditional writings; possibly by finding the allegorical meaning behind stories or journal articles they read about on social media.  This skill can benefit them to understand social injustice and politics.