Lesson Series: Exploring ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ by Edgar Allan Poe Learning Objectives: Understand how Edgar Allan Poe explores Gothic literature, the concept of madness, and macabre themes in “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Lesson 1: Introduction to Gothic Literature and "The Tell-Tale Heart" Discuss and write down initial thoughts on how “The Tell-Tale Heart” might fit into the Gothic genre based on these features. Lesson 2: The Concept of Madness in "The Tell-Tale Heart" Number key events in the story to arrange the plot in chronological order. Using these events, create a “Madness Progression” graph, plotting the narrator’s descent into madness on a scale of 1 to 10. Lesson 3: Symbolism and Atmosphere in "The Tell-Tale Heart" Students create a movie poster that captures the story’s themes, focusing on madness, obsession, and Gothic elements. Encourage use of dark colours, shadowy figures, and symbolic imagery (like the eye or heart) to convey the atmosphere.

This captivating two-day lesson on Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” guides students through an in-depth exploration of the poem’s context, symbolism, and mood shifts. On the first day, students engage with the dark background that influenced Poe’s writing, gaining insight into the haunting atmosphere and themes of loss, loneliness, and madness. They analyse the arrival of the mysterious raven and its symbolic perch on the bust of Pallas. On the second day, students dive into the text’s biblical and symbolic references, such as “Is there balm in Gilead?”, exploring how these deepen the poem’s emotional impact. They practice analytical skills through PEE paragraphs, tracking the narrator’s changing moods to understand how Poe crafts suspense and despair. Buy this lesson to immerse students in Gothic literature and teach them to master mood analysis through one of Poe’s finest works! SEE ALSO: TRUE CRIME: Solving the Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe’s Death - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13152942 The “Tell-Tale Heart” Lessons: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13152809 The Black Cat Lessons: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13153003

This immersive lesson offers students a deep dive into Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic short story “The Black Cat.” By examining Poe’s use of symbolism, themes, and narrative style, students uncover the psychological and moral complexities of the narrator’s descent into madness. Engaging activities include analysing imagery, discussing the symbolism of the black cats and the wall, and exploring how alcohol influences the narrator’s unraveling psyche. Students analyze key themes like guilt, violence, and unreliable narration, using textual evidence to support their interpretations. Through a blend of individual, pair, and visual storytelling tasks, students also plan and create their own comic adaptation of the story, making complex literary elements accessible and memorable. Buy this lesson to captivate your students with the dark intricacies of Poe’s Gothic world while enhancing their analytical, creative, and interpretative skills! SEE ALSO: TRUE CRIME: Solving the Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe’s Death - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13152942 The “Tell-Tale Heart” Lessons: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13152809 “The Raven” Lessons: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13152971

A lesson I made for my Y9 class which focuses on Sylvia Plath’s poem, ‘Mad Girl’s Love Song’, focuses on how people can become victims of relationships. The Unit this originates from is a People and Relationships Poetry SOW Can be used to practise English GCSE Poetry analysis skills, I taught to KS3 Y9, but can be adapted.

A Scheme of Work (SOW) that I made for my KS3 Year 9 English class, it is focused on GCSE English Language Paper 2 Skills. It uses ‘relevant’ topics such as whether or not Barbie is a feminist masterpiece, whether or not guns should be banned in the US and also focuses on things such as compulsory voting (there is a whole lesson dedicated to the recent UK General Election of 2024 for this) and issues such as capital punishment. My class really got on quite well with this last year, you can easily adapt it too! Not all lessons have powerpoints, but most do.

FREE FIRST LESSON - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13149689 FREE SECOND LESSON - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13152951 PLANNING AND RESEARCH SHEETS -https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13153398 A whole unit of lessons (ten lessons - although some lessons may take longer!) which uses Bill Bryson’s Travelogue/Travel Writing style as inspiration to write an English Language GCSE Paper 1 Section B style response! The focus of these lessons is to help students write engaging travelogues inspired by Bill Bryson’s style. The lessons emphasise the use of humor, vivid descriptions, character observations, cultural engagement, and personal reflections to create compelling travel narratives. Students are guided through drafting, editing, and refining their work with practical exercises, planning tools, and peer feedback to enhance their storytelling. I have previously uploaded an earlier version of this SOW, but it was made when I was teaching the class I made it for once a week, so I have heavily edited it, expanded it and made it much more substantial! Travel Writing Scheme of Work which can be used for Mixed ability Y7 and Y8 groups, or a lower ability Y9. Could even be adapted for GCSE or “flip”/step-up lower ability KS4 English groups.