Poe Mini Lessons

I loved reading all of Poe's stories and poems. Most of these stories and poems, I have read before. I think there are a ton of great teaching ideas that you can do with Poe. I do believe that full class discussions are hugely beneficial when it comes to Poe. Students could also draw out some of Poe's themes. If students are confused with what they have read, they could take the poem or story, line by line and draw out what they think is happening. This would be an interesting way to see Poe portrayed. If students are struggling with themes, they can draw those out as well. It'd also be another interesting teaching idea to have students discuss or draw out the settings within Poe's poems or stories. The setting usually proves to be fairly important in Poe's works. He usually uses the setting to add to the story and I think students should understand this element. They could either talk about or write about how the settings adds to the overall theme of the poem or story. They could also draw out the setting and this would show how it adds to the story. Students could also watch animated cartoons of Poe's works. If students are struggling to understand Poe, they could watch the the cartoons to help develop understanding. I do not think there are many obstacles with Poe. I do think that he can be overdone in schools. I think that with Poe, you just have to be careful to not overdo it. Some of the themes could be scary to some students but if teachers reiterate that he's one of the best writers of all time, and that his works can be somewhat comical if read correctly. All in all, I love Poe and his works, and I think that he should be taught in extremely creative ways.