Objectives
:
-
1. To introduce Poe as a master writer.
-
2. To read and discuss
Tell-Tale
Heart
.
-
3. To have students identify opposition and time.
-
4. To have students’ identify conflict and be able to write conflict within a paragraph form.
Materials
:
1. Creative writing book.
2. Copy of poe’s
Tell
-
Tale
Heart
.
3. Biographical sketch of Poe.
Procedure
:
Introduce the short story as a year long unit. Read the biographical sketch of Poe. Explain the popularity and endurance of the short story, especially of those written by Poe. Tell how the short story has been special because of its ability to express a message as no other prose seems to be able to do. Tell how old the short story is. Refer to the map and show where some of the earliest short stories came from. (Myths, parables, fables, etc.).
Show how these first short stories used “opposition” and explain that opposition sets up an important element of the story—conflict.
Hand out Poe’s,
Tell
-
Tale
Heart
. Have students read only the first paragraph, silently.
Small
group
discussion:
In small groups find all the opposites you can in the first paragraph of Poe’s
Tell
-
Tale
Heart
. List all the opposites you can find. Also list those words you find repeated. Recorders write down group’s lists. Include any “time” words you may find.
Large group
discussion
.
Then put three columns on the board: opposites, time words, and repeated words. Have each recorder report to the group at large.
Put the following categories on the blackboard. Call on each group recorder to read off their lists.
|
Opposites
|
Time Words
|
Repetition
|
|
nervous-calm
|
had been and am
|
nervous
|
|
sharpened-destroyed
|
|
very
|
|
dulled-acute
|
|
heard
|
|
heaven-hell
|
|
mad
|
heaven-earth
mad-healthily
As we can see by our list, Poe does many things in his first paragraph. What I want you to remember is that most short stories use these same techniques. Opposites give a sense of conflict. The character must move through these opposites until the conflict is finally solved. Notice how Poe repeats many words. Have you ever seen someone who is nervous. Don‘t their actions repeat themselves? Elicit some examples. Yes, tapping fingers, feet, pacing back and forth!
Time words were not very easy to find. Poe used words of being to express time. This is very important because time words give us a look at the setting of the story. They give us the first hint as to where the action is taking place. Tomorrow,s lesson will spend more time on this, but for now, remember to look for those time words in all the stories you read and eventually write.
Closure:
After the class discussion ask the students to summarize what techniques they have observed in Poe’s first paragraph of
Tell
-
Tale
Heart
. Review definitions of time, setting, conflict, opposition, repetition, mood.
Homework:
Read Poe’s
Tell
-
Tale
Heart
in its entirety. Using the second paragraph only, write a paragraph on the conflict you see. Explain how the first paragraph leads you into this conflict.
