Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven

A lesson that I have observed of is a literature lesson on “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe. The lesson began the day before with a brief introduction of Edgar Allen Poe as a person and a poet. She gave students background information on the poem then instructed them to read and highlight any passages that were difficult for them to understand for homework. She instructed students to pay attention to the rhythm, stanzas, and the mood while previewing the poem. She wanted the students to begin thinking about the plot, setting, characters and perspective.
On the day that I was there observing the teacher began the lesson by going over the objective of the lesson. Which was to summarize the story’s elements, identify the emotions shown in the poem and to write a narrative of a personal experience that reveals similar emotions. As an introduction students watched a video of “The Raven” on YouTube. Next the teacher led the class in reading and discussing the poem. At the end of each stanza they would stop and discuss the meaning, plot setting, narrator’s emotions and his perspective. The teacher pointed out the

Before reading, they discussed Edgar Allen Poe and background knowledge on the poem. They also watched the video of the poem. During reading, the teacher conducted a whole class discussion while she wrote important points on the board for students to refer to later. After reading, students formed their literature circles where they discussed the text and how it relates to their own experiences. She made a good point of engaging students in a sustained, substantial discussion about the poem’s ideas “...” and about the forces that shape their identities and ways of thinking about and viewing the world (Burke, 2013, p. 161). They engaged in authentic discussions as a whole class and in small