Dive into the world of Edgar Allan Poe with this no-prep, Halloween-themed activity resource designed for middle and high school students. This unit focuses on Poe’s Gothic masterpieces, The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven. Students will analyze these stories' themes of madness, death, and the supernatural, all while exploring 19th-century American history. Ideal for building critical thinking, literary analysis, and engaging students during the Halloween season. This lesson plan provides everything you need to connect Poe’s dark themes to the broader cultural anxieties of his time.

What's Included:

• Text Analysis Worksheet for The Tell-Tale Heart extract
• Text Analysis Worksheet for The Raven extract
• Class Discussion Questions

Skills Developed Through This Activity:

• Literary Analysis: Strengthens students' ability to identify themes, symbolism, and literary devices.
• Historical Understanding: Links literature to societal and cultural developments in 19th-century America.
• Critical Thinking: Encourages students to analyze how Poe's works reflect the anxieties of his time.
• Creative Writing: Provides opportunities for students to craft their own Gothic-inspired pieces.

How to Use the Activity in Your Classroom:

1. Use the slide deck to introduce Edgar Allan Poe and 19th-century America.
2. Assign extract The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven for reading and use the analysis worksheets to guide discussion.
3. Facilitate a Venn diagram activity comparing the themes of death, madness, and fear across both works.
4. Lead a class discussion on Poe’s works and their reflection of 19th-century anxieties.
5. Use the creative writing prompts for a fun extension activity where students write their own Gothic short stories.

Common Core Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Outcomes:

• ELA.9.4(A): Analyze the use of literary devices such as irony and figurative language.
• ELA.9.8(B): Analyze the cultural significance of Gothic literature in Poe’s time.