The Tell Tale Heart

Introduction

For the classic short story, "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, this WebQuest will address short story elements, a unique rewrite of the story, multi-modal assignments, and a presentation.

For this project you will be reading the story "The Tell-Tale Heart" and interacting with this text. You will also be discussing the video that you watched prior to this Webquest. Please do not hesitate to ask questions at any time and be prepared to work!

"The Tell-Tale Heart" follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye". The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by dismembering it and hiding it under the floorboards. Ultimately the narrator's guilt manifests itself in the hallucination that the man's heart is still beating under the floorboards.

It is unclear what relationship, if any, the old man and his murderer share. It has been suggested that the old man is a father figure, or that the narrator works for the old man as a servant, and that perhaps his vulture eye represents some sort of veiled secret, or power. The ambiguity and lack of details about the two main characters stand in stark contrast to the specific plot details leading up to the murder.

"The Tell-Tale Heart" was first published in 1843 and is widely considered a classic of the Gothic fiction genre and one of Poe's most famous short stories.

Task

Task

Your general tasks will include the following.  You will:

  1. watch a "The Tell-Tale Heart" video and apply short story elements to it
  2. read the classical short story and revisit your short story applications
  3. rewrite and publish the classic while applying short story elements
  4. review and create an accompanying cartoon

Process

Process

Phase 1

1.  Watch "The Tell-Tale Heart" Youtube Video. (This is done with the class!)

2.  On your own, recreate the first chart below.  This may be handwritten or typed on a Google Doc and shared.

3.  As you watch the video, complete the chart with the following questions as a guide.

  • Who are the characters? 
  • What is the setting? 
  • What is the plot?
  • What are the conflicts?  Name an external conflict AND an internal conflict.
  • List a complication of the story? 
  • What is the climax?
  • What is the theme?
  • How is suspense used in the story ?
  • What is the resolution? 
  • From which point of the view is the story told?    

Short Story Elements

Response  (Please provide specific examples from the story.)

character(s) 

 

setting/tone/mood

 

plot 

 

--external conflict

________________________________

--internal conflict

 

________________________________ 

irony

 

motivation

 

theme  

 

suspense  

 

resolution  

 

point of view  

 

   

____________________________________________________________ 

 

 

Phase 2

4. Now read the entire short story at Actively Learn, and answer all questions that are in the story.  

5.  After reading the story in its entirety, recheck your chart and fill in any missing short story elements. 

Phase 3

6.  In a group of three, please pick one of the following to write. This means, you will have 3 DIFFERENT perspectives from the options chosen below! These MUST be at LEAST 2 pages, written Times New Roman sized 12 font, and double spaced!

--from the old man's perspective

--from the policemen's perspective

--offer an alternative ending (presumed events that happen after the original story ends)

--another creative approach (Please consult your teacher for prior approval.)

In your rewrite make sure that you include the following short story elements:character(s), setting/tone/mood, conflict,motivations, irony, suspense, resolution, and point of view. 

_________________________________________________________________


 

Phase 4

7. Now, independently create a cartoon for your rewritten story.  Instructions are below.  

         
                                                        

Log in to:        http://www.comicshead.com

  • Create an account through your school email address.
  • Make sure that your comic summarizes the story in AT LEAST 4 panels.
  • There should be dialogue in EVERY panel, even if the dialogue is all thoughts and never spoken.
  • When you are finished, please raise your hands so I can show you how to save and publish!
  • Email completed comic books to me at Rachel.Barlow@wilsonschoolsnc.net

 

 

Evaluation

The following is the rubric by which you will be graded. If you have questions, please feel free to ask.

Requirement Description Points Possible Points Earned
Completed Chart You must have 100% of your Short Story Elements Chart filled in. There should be details from the text in your chart. 35
Rewritten Story You must have a well-written rewrite of the story "The Tell Tale Heart." You should have included necessary short story elements and the story must be true to the original text. This should be two pages, Times New Roman, size 12 font, double spaced. 35
Cartoon You should have a cartoon done for your rewritten story. There should be details and dialogue that follow the original text. This should be appealing and easy to follow. 20
Presentation You must present all necessary elements and tell how your group participated in the rewriting of the story. 10
Total Points
Conclusion

Congratulations! You have now completed the "Tell-Tale Heart" Webquest! Once you have finished, please see your teacher for the handout regarding your Short Story Test! You will work on this until everyone has completed and will then present with your group!

Credits

Webquest created by: A'Kena LongBenton, MA, PMC, Central Michigan University 

Google Images  WebQuest Images

Toondoo  Cartoon Creation Link

YouTube  "The Tell-Tale Heart" Video Link