Digital Lesson Plan
Step-by-step, whiteboard ready!
Author’s Study
Summary: Poor Poe. He was a great writer, but the guy never had two pennies to rub together. Then there was the drinking, the depression, the tragic death of his beloved wife—and his own mysterious demise. Despite everything, of course, Poe became a literary superstar, famous for his macabre short stories and poems. In this lesson, students will watch our video about Poe’s life and legacy. Then they will read our play, The Tell-Tale Heart.
- The play “The Tell-Tale Heart” in the September 5, 2011, issue of Scope
- The video “The Amazing Life of Edgar Allan Poe”
- The discussion questions, listed below
1. Play our video “The Amazing Life of Edgar Allan Poe.”
2. Ask students:
- Who was the video about?
- What was your favorite part?
- Did any part particularly stand out as being interesting or surprising?
- What was the overall tone of the video?
3. Play the video again. Tell students that this time, they should take notes about what kind of person Poe was, what his life was like, and what he was known for.
4. After showing the video again, ask students the following discussion questions:
- What was Poe’s life like? Provide some examples to support your answer.
- What kind of stories and poems is Poe best known for?
- What was the name of the poem that made Poe famous?
5. Now tell students they are going to read a creepy play based on one of Poe’s most famous short stories, The Tell-Tale Heart, in the September 5, 2011, issue of Scope.
6. Project the play on your whiteboard. Assign roles, and read as a class.
Note: We recommend loading the video before your class begins, to avoid buffering pauses—especially if you have a slow Internet connection.
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