Year 8 - English
Planning a cohesive argument about 'The Tell-Tale Heart'
A monster within: reading and writing Gothic fiction
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils explore the Gothic. They start by learning what the Gothic is, before reading extracts from 'Frankenstein' and 'Jane Eyre', practising descriptive writing and reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. They finally learn how to write opinion articles and then write their own.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to confidently plan a cohesive argument analysing Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart'.
Key Notes
- Poe shows us how guilt drives the narrator further into insanity and delusion.
- Single paragraph outlines are useful for organising your ideas into a coherent structure.
- Single paragraph outlines contain a topic sentence, supporting detail and a summary sentence.
- Quotations will be needed to support each topic sentence.
- A cohesive argument aims to prove one 'big idea'. All your ideas and evidence should work together to prove one idea.
Vocabulary To Learn
- delusional: holding irrational or untrue beliefs - in this context, as a result of mental illness.
- deranged: unable to think clearly or behave with self-control
- heinous: wicked and appalling
- irrational: not thinking with logic or reason
- cohesive: united and working together effectively to achieve a common goal
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Students often think of methods exclusively as 'similes/metaphors' etc.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Poe shows us how guilt drives the narrator further into insanity and delusion. Single paragraph outlines are useful for organising your ideas into a coherent structure.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'delusional'
holding irrational or untrue beliefs - in this context, as a result of mental illness.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Students often think of methods exclusively as 'similes/metaphors' etc. Correction: The writer's method is anything they do consciously. This could be choosing one, single word over another.
More Lessons In This Unit
- 'Frankenstein' and the Gothic context Study Guide
- A written analysis of 'Frankenstein' Study Guide
- A written analysis of 'The Tell-Tale Heart' Study Guide
- An introduction to 'Jane Eyre': Analysing an unseen extract Study Guide
- Analysing effective opinion articles Study Guide
- Analysing the atmosphere at Thornfield Hall in 'Jane Eyre' Study Guide
- Context for Gothic literature: science and religion in the 19th century Study Guide
- Editing descriptive writing based on 'A monster within' Study Guide
- Exploring the character of Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' Study Guide
- Frankenstein's reaction to his creation Study Guide
- Frankenstein's regret and the scientific revolution Study Guide
- Identifying features of the Gothic genre in the plot of 'Frankenstein' Study Guide
- Improving your opinion article on Gothic literature Study Guide
- Lowood Institution: Gothic settings in 'Jane Eyre' Study Guide
- Organising our gothic writing to build tension Study Guide
- Planning a Gothic description inspired by 'A monster within' Study Guide
- Planning a written analysis of 'Frankenstein' Study Guide
- Planning an opinion article about Gothic literature Study Guide
- Reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart' Study Guide
- Reading an extract from 'Frankenstein': A fateful night Study Guide
- Reading an extract from Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre' Study Guide
- Regret in Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' Study Guide
- Symbolism in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' Study Guide
- The creation of suspense in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' Study Guide
- The structure of an opinion article Study Guide
- Using 'Jane Eyre' to inspire our use of gothic vocabulary Study Guide
- Using description in functional writing Study Guide
- Using figurative language to create a gothic atmosphere Study Guide
- Using semantic fields to create a gothic atmosphere Study Guide
- Writing a gothic description Study Guide
- Writing an opinion article on Gothic literature Study Guide
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