Backward Design Lesson Plan Template

Name
Lesson title

Jack Marshall

Subject _English_____

Edgar Allen Poes The Raven,

Grade level

Part 1

Step 1Desired Results

Standards, benchmarks, other objectives as needed (e.g., IEP)What should students know, understand, and be able to
do as a result of the lesson?
Standard 9.4.5.5 will be used for this lesson. Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure
a text, order events within it (e.g. parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g. pacing, flashbacks) create such
effects as mystery, tension, or suspense. Students will understand the importance of time in literature, and
will be more attentive to it in the future. Poe used time extensively in his works, even though he mostly
wrote poetry and short stories. The Raven uses time effectively; even though the work is short and fast, it
is apparent it takes place over a long period of time. Students will witness the importance of time in
literature, and will see how Poe uses it to create and build suspense. ISTE Standard 2A will be used as well,
as students will collaborate with each other in small groups to do a Kahoot quiz. This will allow students to
use their handheld technology, as well as speak to their peers about their answers. Students will be put into
semi-random groups to ensure one piece of technology is present at the very least.

Step 2Assessment Evidence

Performance taskWhat will students do to show what they have learned?
Students will do the Kahoot quiz at the end of class to show what they have learned. Students will journal
during a quick writing prompt, and will engage in small group discussion as well. Discussion topics will be
heard and Kahoot will show comprehension of students. Journals will not be collected until a later date.
Performance criteriaHow good is good enough to meet standards?
Simply participating in the discussion and journaling will be good enough, but will inform future classes
and will allow teacher to make alterations. Kahoot will not be graded, but a prize will be given out to the
winner to ensure the students active participation.

Step 3Learning Plan

Learning activities (step by step from start to finish, detailed enough for another teacher to follow)
Building on Edgar Allen Poe background from day before, review what was taught about his life and
writing. 5 Minutes
Introducing themes from The Raven, making mention of the topics of mental illness, alcohol, karma, and
hell that are inherent in the story. 5 minutes
Teacher led reading of the text, with stops at hard to comprehend words, allusions to other texts, biblical
references, etc. Third of the way in, have students do a quick, one-minute journal about the topic of despair
and mental illness in the story. Two thirds of the way in, have students get in small groups and have short,
4 minute discussion of the use of time in the story. Prompt them to speak about the use of time in building

suspense, and how this contributes to the overall feel of the story. Ask students to quick journal about what
they think will happen in the following portion of the story, finishing up the reading after the students have
sufficient time. 30 Minutes
Bring class in for large group discussion of major themes of the story, keeping focus on time and the
building of suspense. How does Poe pace his story? What does this tell us about the narrator? The quick
story, along with the speaking raven, does this make us think of hell personified? Or about the narrators
mental illness? 5 minutes
Finish up class with a Kahoot quiz in the students small groups. Groups will be organized in a semirandom manner, to make sure that all groups have a piece of handheld technology present.
Kahoot will be maximum of ten questions, based around simple plot aspects of the story. Included will be;
What does the narrator believe the raven to be?, What about the Raven made the narrator smile?, etc.

Adapted from Tomlinson and McTighe, Integrating Differentiated Instruction + Understanding by Design, ASCD, 2006.