Dark Romanticism & American Gothic Unit; Poe, Hawthorne, Dickinson, The Village

In this sublime unit, your students will explore American Romanticism and Gothic in works of fiction, poetry, art, and film. Your students will first learn about conditions that influenced American Romanticism and Gothic and study concepts and elements that characterize Romantic and Gothic literature and art. They will then apply these concepts to short stories (The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and The Pendulum, Rappaccini’s Daughter), poems (The Raven, A Bird Came Down The Walk, I Died For Beauty But Was Scarce), art (American Progress, Romantic Landscape with Ruined Tower, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog), and film (The Village, The Simpsons). They will furthermore analyze the use of literary devices such as hyperbole, foreshadowing, anaphora, and imagery to create effects and explore elements of short stories such as setting, plot, point of view, and characters in the works above.

Works of Literature, Poetry, Art, and Film:

Short Stories: The Cask of Amontillado (E. A. Poe), The Tell-Tale Heart (E. A. Poe), The Pit and The Pendulum (E. A. Poe), Rappaccini’s Daughter (Nathaniel Hawthorne)

Poetry: The Raven (E. A. Poe), A Bird Came Down The Walk (Emily Dickinson), I Died For Beauty But Was Scarce (Emily Dickinson)

Art: American Progress (John Gast), Romantic Landscape with Ruined Tower (Thomas Cole), Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (Caspar David Friedrich)

Film: The Village (M. Night Shyamalan), The Simpsons

If you're pressed for time and can't complete all texts and activities, you can choose to adjust by omitting certain lessons and materials. The test is provided as a DOC file, so that you can make modifications as needed.

This unit packet includes complete lessons, texts, worksheets with keys, vocabulary words, reading comprehension and discussion questions, assessments, and many useful links to media.

All worksheets have been turned into Easel activities that your students can complete and submit on their devices. Please see below for more information on Easel activities and assessments.

This unit is for high school and advanced middle school students.

Part 1: Frontloading

Introduction to terms and characteristics of American Romanticism; analysis of Romantic paintings; introduction to terms and characteristics of American Gothic; introduction to short story elements and literary devices; includes text on American Romanticism and American Gothic, Romantic paintings presentation (ppt) and analysis, American Gothic Overview presentation (ppt), American Gothic Vocabulary, text on short story elements and literary devices, reading comprehension and discussion questions, YouTube clip (American Romanticism)

Part 2: The Cask of Amontillado – E. A. Poe

Introduction to E. A. Poe, short story analysis with focus on Gothic setting, plot (storytelling arc), hyperbole, and foreshadowing; includes text, worksheets and keys, pictures of The Cask of Amontillado presentation (ppt), reading comprehension and discussion questions, YouTube links (E. A. Poe mini bio, audio book of story)

Part 3: The Tell-Tale Heart – E. A. Poe

Short story analysis with focus on Gothic setting, point of view (first person effect, is narrator reliable/mad), hyperbole, anaphora; includes text, worksheets and keys, reading comprehension and discussion questions, media suggestion (The Simpsons)

Part 4: The Pit and The Pendulum – E. A. Poe

Short story analysis with focus on Gothic setting, imagery, plot, hyperbole, anaphora; includes text, worksheet and key, reading comprehension and discussion questions, YouTube link (Spanish inquisition)

Part 5: American Gothic Essay

Students write essay about Gothic elements in E.A. Poe’s short stories; includes essay prompt (ppt), essay rubric worksheet, essay planner worksheet, peer review worksheet

Part 6: Rappaccini’s Daughter – Nathanial Hawthorne

Short story analysis with focus on Romantic/Gothic setting, character, foreshadowing, anaphora; includes text, character cards for students and board, worksheet and key, reading comprehension and discussion questions, YouTube link (Padua)

Part 7: The Raven – E. A. Poe

Analysis with focus on Gothic setting, alliteration, assonance, internal rhyme, and symbolism; includes text, analysis prompts (ppt), reading comprehension and discussion questions, media links (The Simpsons, Wisecrack)

Part 8: Emily Dickinson’s Poems

Introduction to Emily Dickinson; analysis of A Bird Came Down The Walk & I Died For Beauty But Was Scarce with focus on Romantic/Gothic setting; includes text, worksheet and key, reading comprehension and discussion questions, YouTube link (John Green)

Part 9: The Village – M. Night Shyamalan (Movie)

Movie analysis of Gothic elements, setting, characters, plot and production design; includes worksheet and key

Dark Romanticism, American Gothic Assessments

1. Unit Test (works, vocabulary words, foreshadowing, hyperbole, anaphora, and Gothic elements; analysis of “The Fall of the House of Usher”) with key and a modified test for students with accommodations; DOC file
2. American Gothic Bingo: game for review
3. American Gothic crossword puzzle: unit vocabulary words, with key
4. Assessments: 3 multiple choice quizzes on The Tell-Tale Heart (20 questions), The Cask of Amontillado (20 questions), and The Pit and the Pendulum (20 questions), includes keys (PDF) or assign online as self-grading Easel assessments
5. Assessment: Rappaccini's Daughter, includes key (PDF) or assign online as self-grading Easel assessments

EASEL BY Teachers Pay Teachers – Assign Online

You can assign texts and worksheets from this resource online using Easel in one of three ways:

(1) Through Google Classroom,

(2) By generating a unique URL and pasting it into the learning management system (LMS) of your choice, or

(3) By emailing the URL to your students.

Your students will get a code that allows them to complete the activity and turn it in to you for review — all online.

Click here for more information on how to use Easel: https://blog.teacherspayteachers.com/how-to-use-easel-by-tpt/

Thank you so much and enjoy,

Charlotte

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