Reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the overarching plot of the 'Tell Tale Heart'.
Key learning points
- ’The Tell-Tale Heart’ is the story about the murder of an old man.
- The narrator did not murder for money but for fear of the man's blue eyes.
- The narrator kills the man as he worries a neighbour may hear the loud beating of his heart.
- The narrator dismembers the body and hides it under the floorboards.
- The narrator continues to hear the beating heart of the dead man, which leads him to confess.
Keywords
Paranoia - suspicion and mistrust of other people or their actions that is not rational
Methodical - taking a systematic and organised approach to something
Dissimulation - pretence - hiding one’s true thoughts or feelings
Sane - being of sound and sensible mind
Delusional - holding irrational or untrue beliefs - in this context, as a result of mental illness
Common misconception
Students might not recognise that there is a possibility that the sound of the old man's heart beating, may be the sound of the narrator's own heart beating.
Some may interpret the sound of the old man's heart beating as the sound of the narrator's own heart beating, with anticipation and excitement at the prospect of the imminent murder.
Teacher tip
There are some fantastic cartoon adaptations of this text that might be worth showing to students whilst they read, or after they have read the text.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart' for this lesson. It's available in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Gothic protagonists are usually egotistical and ....
Q2.What can the colour yellow symbolise?
Q3.Which century was 1843 in?
Q4.Which of the following statements is true about the 19th century?
Q5.Which of the following words might mean 'to take a systematic and organised approach to something'?
Q6.Which of the following explains the effect of this quotation: "He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it."
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who wrote 'The Tell-Tale Heart'?
Q2.Which of the following statements is true about short stories?
Q3.What nationality was Edgar Allan Poe?
Q4.What drives the narrator in Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart' to commit murder?
Q5.Why does the narrator in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' confess to his crimes?
Q6.Starting with the first, put the events of 'The Tell-Tale Heart' in chronological order.
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the A monster within: reading and writing Gothic fiction unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.