Creating Suspense Lesson 1: Analyzing Literary Devices in Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death"

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  General Lesson Plan

• Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • cite appropriate and thorough textual evidence from "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe to support their answers to questions about the story, including questions that require them to make inferences about the text.
  • determine a theme of "The Masque of the Red Death" and support their determination of the theme and how it is shaped using specific details from the story.
  • determine the meaning of words and phrases from "The Masque of the Red Death," including figurative meanings, and they will analyze the impact as to how specific word choices establish a sense of time and place for the story.
  • come to discussions prepared, having carefully read the assigned portions of Poe's story in order to refer to evidence from the text to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas with their peers and the teacher.
  • determine the meaning of unknown words in "The Masque of the Red Death" using context clues, and through consulting reference materials to clarify a word's precise meaning or to verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word.

• Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?

  
  

  A review of the literary devices used in Poe's story (ones that are a part of the guiding questions for this lesson) is incorporated into the teaching phase below. In addition: 

  • If students need a review on understanding the difference between tone and mood, teachers might want to utilize this link that includes a handout for student practice.
  • If students need more assistance with understanding theme, teachers might find this resource from ReadWriteThink.org helpful.
  • Teachers may want to review different strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words in a text. Some teacher modeling on utilizing context clues in the story are included in the teaching phase below.
  • Teachers may want to review the procedures students should follow during class or small group discussions.

• Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?

  
  
  • How does Poe create suspense in Masque of the Red Death?
  • What theme(s) can we determine from Poe's Masque of the Red Death?
  • How does Poe utilize imagery, foreshadowing, simile, personification, symbolism, and characterization in Masque of the Red Death?
  • How does Poe utilize specific word choices to evoke a sense of time and place for the setting of his story?
  • What strategies can we use to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in the story?

• Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?

  
  
  1. Tell students that in this lesson we will be reading a short story, "The Masque of the Red Death" by author Edgar Allan Poe. Review the guiding questions for the lesson with students. For visual learners, you might want to keep these guiding questions posted on the board for students to refer to throughout the lesson.
  2. Before beginning the story, review with students the literary devices they will analyze in Poe's story. To accomplish this, teachers can use the attached Literary Devices PowerPoint. It is encouraged that students take notes while the teacher presents these slides. If students need further review of some of the more challenging devices, like mood, symbolism, and theme, please utilize the links in the notes sections of the PowerPoint (these are also provided in the Prior Knowledge section above).
  3. Pass out a copy of the story as well as a copy of the vocabulary handout to each student. Tell students that words that are in bold in the story are words that they will work to determine the meanings of as they read the story. Make sure that students have access to dictionaries, either print or online. (Note- the definitions for these words and comments about the words in the context of the story are provided in a teacher vocabulary handout.) Point out to the students that the paragraphs in the story have been numbered.
  4. To model fluency and strategies that a reader uses to make sense of a new text as they read, conduct a read aloud/think aloud to get students started with this story. Read the first paragraph aloud. Use the comment notes in the teacher handout of the text to help you with aspects of the text to point out in your think aloud.
  5. Model for students through thinking aloud how you might determine the meaning of the words in bold in the first paragraph.
     
     • "This word pestilence is an odd sounding word. With how it is placed in the sentence, it seems like it is a thing. So, I am going to guess that the word is a noun. The narrator says the 'pestilence' had never been so fatal or hideous. I know fatal means deadly. I know hideous means horrible or frightful. So the pestilence is deadly and horrible. The pestilence can kill people and it sounds like the dying process is pretty awful. Perhaps this word means illness. [Give students time to write some of your thoughts down on their vocabulary handout under the side labeled "preliminary definition of the word."] When I look up the definition it says this is a deadly epidemic or disease." [Have students write down the final definition.]
     • "Part of this disease causes people to feel sharp pains, then they get dizzy, and then they experience profuse bleeding at the pores. If I read a little farther, the narrator describes scarlet stains, which I think come from blood, all over the victims' bodies and especially on their faces. In the sentences before this, the narrator says the disease is characterized by redness and the horror of blood. It sounds like there is lots of blood everywhere on these victims when they get sick. Perhaps profuse bleeding means lots of bleeding. [Give students time to write some of your thoughts down on their vocabulary handout under the side labeled 'preliminary definition of the word.'] When I look up the definition, it says profuse means abundant or a great amount. So this disease must make its victims bleed a lot all over their body." [Have students write down the final definition.]
     • "I know the prefix 'dis' is Latin for apart or away. I know using context clues that this dissolution is a part of what victims are experiencing when they contract this disease because it says they experience sharp pains, dizziness, they bleed a lot at the pores, 'with' dissolution. The word 'with' makes it seem this is part of the disease. Something might be happening to each victim's body because of this disease that is pulling it apart. [Give students time to write some of your thoughts down on their vocabulary handout under the side labeled "preliminary definition of the word."] When I look up the definition in the dictionary, it says dissolution means breaking up or disintegrating. This might mean that their skin or their body parts start to break up or decay as part of this disease." [Have students write down the final definition.]
  6. Tell students that as you read the second paragraph aloud, they should circle or highlight any words that evoke a time and place for the setting of the story. To assist the teacher, these words are highlighted in green on the teacher handout of the text. Continue to use the notes on the teacher handout to help with aspects of the text to include in your think aloud as you work to show students how to make sense of the story.
  • After reading this paragraph aloud, ask students what words they circled or highlighted that evoke a sense of time or place. Help them with any additional words or terms they missed. Provide corrective feedback where needed.
  7. Note - On the teacher handout of the text, words highlighted in yellow are words or phrases the teacher may want to directly explain the meaning of to students and have them write the meanings in the margin of their story. For the word "improvisatori" this means someone that is doing an improvisation or is acting.
  8. Conduct a think-aloud using a similar strategy as modeled above for the words in bold in paragraph two. Make sure to give students time to write notes on their vocabulary handout for the preliminary definition of the word and the final meaning. Use the vocabulary teacher handout to help you with the definitions and meanings in context.
  9. To help students with some of the more unfamiliar terms, so that they can picture these objects or items more accurately, you can use this Images PowerPoint with students. Show students the second slide to help them picture the "castellated abbey" that the Prince lives in.
  10. Follow the same procedures for paragraph three and four.
  • Have students circle or highlight any words that evoke a sense of time or place as the paragraphs are read aloud.
  • Read the paragraph aloud (or have a strong student reader help), and conduct a think aloud using the notes in the teacher handout for the text.
  • Ask students what words they circled or highlighted that evoke a sense of time or place. Provide clarification or correction where needed (these are highlighted in green on the teacher handout of the text).
  • Then model a think aloud for determining the meanings of any words in bold, providing time for students to take notes on their vocabulary handout.
  • Show students slides 3-8 on the Images PowerPoint to help them visualize some of the more unfamiliar terms they just read about.

• Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?

  
  

  Put students into partners or small groups and have them work through paragraphs #5-8. Pass out the student handout for the story to use during part of this activity (they will do questions #1-7). Students will need to have out their copy of the story and their vocabulary handout as well. Students should have access to print or online dictionaries. Review the first item on the student handout and make sure that students continue to highlight or circle any words that evoke a sense of time or place for the story. Directions:

  1. Have students take turns reading aloud one paragraph. At the conclusion of each paragraph, students should work together, using similar strategies the teacher modeled in the teaching phase, to determine the meaning of any words in bold. Students should fill out the vocabulary handout for these words and make sure to utilize a dictionary to form their final definition of the word.
  2. Then, students will work together to answer the questions on the student handout that pertain to the paragraph they just read. They should answer these questions on their own notebook paper.
  3. Students will repeat this process until they have completed the story through paragraph #8. As students work, the teacher should circulate and provide assistance where needed.
  4. When students are ready, bring them back together to go over their vocabulary handout and the answers to questions #1-7. Use the teacher copy of the vocabulary handout and the teacher copy of the text to help with this discussion. Allow students to correct their work as needed. (Note- on the teacher copy of the text, examples of figurative language, simile and personification, have been highlighted in red.)

• Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the lesson?

  
  
  1. Students will repeat the same process as in the guided practice activity, but for the remainder of the story (paragraphs #9-14) students will read the last of the text independently. They should answer questions #8-17 on the student handout for the story and complete the vocabulary handout.
  2. The teacher can either collect students' work for questions #8-17 and for the remainder of the vocabulary handout and provide written feedback or they can have students share out their responses and provide verbal corrective feedback where needed. Allow students to correct their work. The teacher can continue to use the teacher copy of the story and the teacher vocabulary handout for this discussion, feedback and correction.
  3. Show students slides #9-10 on the Images PowerPoint.
  4. Students will now independently complete the 2-part summative assessment. Please see the summative assessment section for details.

• Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?

  
  

  At the end of the lesson, display the first slide on the Images PowerPoint (you may want to copy and paste the painting onto its own slide so you can enlarge it). Ask students to carefully examine this painting. Have them respond in writing on an exit slip to the following question:

  How does this painting symbolize the story "The Masque of the Red Death"? Use details from the story to support your response.

  Note: Teachers could also use the two paintings in slide #10 on the Literary Devices PowerPoint.

• Summative Assessment

  
  

  Students will independently complete a 2-part summative assessment for this lesson.

  1. Students will use the story and their notes (answers to the questions on the student handout and vocabulary handout) to complete this handout on how Poe creates suspense in "The Masque of the Red Death" using setting, diction, imagery, and foreshadowing. A teacher handout has been provided as a possible key.
  2. Students will write an extended paragraph on the following prompt: Determine one theme of "The Masque of the Red Death" and explain how it is shaped by details in the story. Teachers might wish to use this rubric to assess students' writing.

  There are a number of possible themes that students might determine, but here are a few ideas to assist teachers with their assessment (again, students would need to support these themes with evidence from the story):

  • Death cannot be avoided or kept at bay. Death will come when it wants. It holds ultimate power over everyone and everything. Death wins.
  • Not even the rich have power over death; they will be taken too. The Prince's arrogance in thinking he could keep out death by using his money to seclude himself, leaving the poor to fend for themselves, did not give him the power he thought he had.

• Formative Assessment

  
  

  Before the lesson begins, teachers may wish to assess students' prior knowledge and understanding of the following terms:

  • foreshadowing
  • simile
  • personification
  • symbolism
  • characterization
  • theme
  • mood

  In the prior knowledge section of the lesson, several links have been provided for teachers to use with students if they find that students need to review and/or practice theme, mood, and symbolism before the lesson begins. In addition, built into the start of the Teaching Phase, a Literary Devices PowerPoint has been included to help teachers review all of these devices above with students before beginning Poe's story.

  During the lesson:

  • After students have read in partners or small groups paragraphs #5-8, answered questions #1-7 on the student handout, and filled in the vocabulary handout for the words from that section of the story, the teacher will have the students come back together as a whole group. Through discussion and having students share their answers, the teacher will be able to determine if students are able to use various strategies to correctly determine the meanings of selected vocabulary words from the story, as well as if they are able to identify words that evoke a sense of time or place. Through their responses to the first seven questions from the handout, teachers will be able to assess if students are able to identify, analyze, and interpret personification, mood, characterization, and symbolism for the first part of the story. This will help teachers determine if more modeling or think-alouds need to be conducted as students begin the final section of the story on their own.
  • After students have independently read the remainder of the story, answered questions #8-17, and completed the vocabulary handout, the teacher will check in with students through a class discussion as before. By having students report out their answers, teachers will be able to determine if students need correction or any additional modeling before they begin the 2-part summative assessment.

• Feedback to Students

  
  

  Students will receive verbal corrective feedback from the teacher on their ability to identify and analyze Poe's use of foreshadowing, simile, personification, symbolism, characterization, theme, and mood (in particular- suspense) through the questions on the student handout, as well as feedback on their use of various strategies to determine the meanings of selected words from the story (found on the vocabulary student handout).

  • Teachers will stop and provide verbal corrective feedback on these skills and concepts after students have read paragraphs #5-8. Students can apply this feedback as they complete the remainder of the story on their own.
  • Teachers will provide verbal corrective feedback on students' work after they have completed the story. Teachers have the option to collect students' independent work on questions #8-17 and the remainder of the vocabulary handout and provide written feedback and a grade. Students can apply this feedback to their work on the 2-part summative assessment.