Overview

Lesson Procedure

60-65 minutes of class time across 5 phases.

1. Warm-Up5-10 minutes
2. Direct Instruction20 minutes
3. Guided Practice15 minutes
4. Independent Practice15 minutes
5. Closure5 minutes

1. Warm-Up5-10 minutes

   Warm-Up Prompt

   "Think of a time someone told you a fact that made you less sure of an opinion, but did not change it completely. What part of your opinion did you keep, and what part did you change?"

   Give students three minutes to write, then hear three or four answers. For each one, ask: "So what is your opinion now, in one sentence?" Point out that the new sentences are usually narrower than the old ones, with words like mostly, sometimes or at first. Tell the class that this is what SL.8.1 calls qualifying a view, and that today they will practice it along with three other grade 8 moves. Show Diagram 1.

2. Direct Instruction20 minutes

   Part 1: What grade 8 adds. Walk through Diagram 1 and the table below. Define each key word as it comes up. Collegial means respectful and cooperative, the way good teammates act. Decision-making is the way a group reaches a choice, and a decision rule says how it will choose, for example "try to agree, then vote at the checkpoint." To connect the ideas of several speakers is to ask how two or more classmates' points fit together, clash or build on each other. Relevant evidence is a quotation or fact that bears directly on the question. To qualify a view is to narrow or limit it so it fits the evidence ("mostly," "only at first"); to justify a view is to show, with reasons and evidence, why it still holds.

   SL.8.1 moves with sentence starters

   Move	Part	Starter
   Use your preparation	a	"In excerpt __, paragraph __, it says ..."
   Follow the decision rule	b	"Our rule says we vote at __, so ..."
   Check progress	b	"It's __. The goal is __, and we have __."
   Connect several speakers	c	"__ said ... and __ said .... How do those fit together?"
   Answer with evidence	c	"The line that shows it is ..."
   Build on an idea	main	"I'll add to what __ said ..."
   Acknowledge new information	d	"I didn't notice that. It means ..."
   Qualify a view	d	"I still think ..., but only ..."
   Justify a view	d	"I'm keeping my view because the evidence ..."

   Part 2: The text under study. Students read the three excerpts of Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" (first published in 1843) the night before and mark one line in each. Explain that the narrator is the character who tells the story, and that this narrator speaks straight to "you," the reader, to argue that he is not mad (the story's old word for mentally ill). The paragraphs of each excerpt are numbered so that speakers can cite them. Explain a few words: hearken means listen, a vulture is a large bird that feeds on dead animals, and to be acute is to be sharp or keen.

   1True!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

   2It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.

   Summarize the next part of the story in your own words. For seven nights, at midnight, the narrator slowly opens the old man's door and shines a thin ray from a covered lantern onto the eye, but the eye is always closed. On the eighth night his thumb slips on the lantern, and the old man sits up in bed, awake and afraid. Excerpt 2 begins after the narrator has waited a long time in the dark.

   1When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little—a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it—you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily—until, at length a single dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye.

   2It was open—wide, wide open—and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness—all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man’s face or person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot.

   3And have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the sense?—now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old man’s heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.

   Then summarize the middle of the story without the details: the narrator kills the old man and hides the body under the floorboards of the bedroom. At four in the morning three police officers arrive, because a neighbor heard a shriek. The narrator says the shriek was his own, in a dream, and that the old man is away in the country. He brings chairs into the bedroom and sets his own chair right over the hidden body. Excerpt 3 is the end of the story.

   1The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct:—it continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness—until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears.

   2No doubt I now grew very pale;—but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased—and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound—much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath—and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly—more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men—but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed—I raved—I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder—louder—louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God!—no, no! They heard!—they suspected!—they knew!—they were making a mockery of my horror!—this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! and now—again!—hark! louder! louder! louder! louder!

   3“Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks!—here, here!—It is the beating of his hideous heart!”

   Part 3: A model teacher-led discussion. Volunteers read the transcript below aloud. It was written for this page. After each worked example, ask, "Which move from the table did that speaker make, and how can you tell?"

   1Mr. Okafor: Today's question is: why does the narrator confess? Last night you each wrote an answer with a line to back it up. Our goal is one class answer that fits all the evidence we bring, and we have until 11:15. Rosa, will you start?

   2Rosa: I think he confesses because he feels guilty. In excerpt 3, paragraph 3, he shrieks, "I admit the deed!" Nobody forces him; the officers are just chatting. His conscience is what breaks him.

   3Devin: I see it differently. He never says he feels bad. In paragraph 2 of excerpt 3 he says they were "making a mockery of my horror." He confesses because he thinks the officers already know, and he can't stand being laughed at.

   4Amara: I think it's the sound. In paragraph 1 of excerpt 3 he says he "found that the noise was not within my ears." He believes the old man's heart is really beating under the floor, and he confesses to make it stop.

   5Mr. Okafor: So we have three answers: guilt from Rosa, the officers from Devin, and the sound from Amara. Question for anyone: how could Amara's sound and Devin's officers fit together?

   6Lucas: I think they're one chain. The sound comes first. It's so loud that he decides the officers must hear it too. He even says "they knew!" So Amara's sound is what leads to Devin's idea.

   7Mr. Okafor: Devin, does that chain fit what you said?

   8Devin: Mostly. I'm keeping my answer, but I'll qualify it: the sound starts it, and the reason he screams is that he thinks they know. So my idea is the last link in the chain, not the whole reason.

   9Nadia: Can I add something about the sound? It's described the same way twice. In excerpt 2, paragraph 3, it's "a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton." At the end it's "much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton." The old man is alive in excerpt 2 and dead in excerpt 3, but the narrator hears the same thing.

   10Amara: Oh, I didn't notice that. So it probably isn't the old man's heart at the end; he's dead. It could be the narrator's own heart pounding, which would fit with "I gasped for breath." I still think the sound makes him confess, but now I'd say he only believes it's the old man's heart.

   11Rosa: That helps my side. If the sound is his own heart, his body is giving him away. That's what guilt feels like.

   12Mr. Okafor: Rosa, is there evidence in the words that it's guilt, or is that your reading of it?

   13Rosa: Fair question. He never uses the word guilt, and in excerpt 1 he says "I loved the old man" in the same paragraph where he decides to kill him. So I'll qualify it: the narrator never admits feeling guilty, but his body acts like a guilty person's. I'm keeping guilt as my reading of what the sound means, because nothing else in the excerpts explains why a calm man suddenly falls apart.

   14Mr. Okafor: It's 11:10. Lucas, can you try a class answer that uses all three ideas?

   15Lucas: The narrator hears a sound that is probably his own heart, believes it is the old man's, decides the officers must hear it too, and confesses to end the agony. Whether the sound means guilt is still open.

   16Mr. Okafor: That leaves five minutes to spare. Write Lucas's answer down with one line from any excerpt that supports it.

   • Coming prepared and stating a view clearly (Transcript 1, paragraph 2)

     Mr. Okafor asks Rosa to start, and she answers with the line she marked the night before: "I admit the deed!"

     Result: Rosa states her view in one sentence (he confesses because he feels guilty), then names where her evidence is (excerpt 3, paragraph 3) and quotes it exactly. Her preparation is what lets her open with evidence instead of a feeling.

   • A question that connects the ideas of several speakers (Transcript 1, paragraph 5)

     Mr. Okafor: "So we have three answers: guilt from Rosa, the officers from Devin, and the sound from Amara. Question for anyone: how could Amara's sound and Devin's officers fit together?"

     Result: The teacher names three speakers' ideas and asks how two of them relate. A connecting question does not ask one person to repeat a point; it asks the group to link points. Lucas answers by joining them into one chain: the sound comes first, then the belief that the officers know.

   • Qualifying a view in light of the evidence (Transcript 1, paragraph 8)

     Devin: "Mostly. I'm keeping my answer, but I'll qualify it: the sound starts it, and the reason he screams is that he thinks they know."

     Result: Devin does not drop his view or repeat it unchanged. He narrows it to fit Lucas's chain: the officers are "the last link in the chain, not the whole reason." To qualify is to keep the part the evidence supports and limit the rest.

   • Acknowledging new information (Transcript 1, paragraphs 9-10)

     Nadia points out that the sound in excerpt 2 and the sound at the end are both like "a watch ... enveloped in cotton," though the old man is alive in one and dead in the other. Amara: "Oh, I didn't notice that."

     Result: Amara names what is new to her and says what it means: the sound at the end is probably not the old man's heart. Then she qualifies her own view: the sound still makes him confess, but "he only believes it's the old man's heart." The new information changed part of her view, not all of it.

   • Justifying a view under a probing question (Transcript 1, paragraphs 12-13)

     Mr. Okafor: "Rosa, is there evidence in the words that it's guilt, or is that your reading of it?"

     Result: Rosa admits the narrator never uses the word guilt and qualifies her view. Then she justifies what she keeps: she cites "I loved the old man" from excerpt 1 and argues that nothing else in the excerpts explains why a calm man falls apart. Justifying means giving the evidence and reasons that show a view still holds.

   Point out the progress check in paragraph 14 ("It's 11:10") and Lucas's answer in paragraph 15, which joins all three views. The class finished with a better answer than any one speaker started with, and one question is still open. That is a good result for a discussion.

3. Guided Practice15 minutes

   Groups of four read Transcript 2 aloud, one part each. In it, four eighth graders must choose one line for the class evidence wall that shows the narrator cannot be fully trusted. A narrator the reader cannot fully trust is called an unreliable narrator. Groups mark every place where a speaker sets or uses the decision rule, gives out a role, checks progress, connects two speakers' ideas, answers with evidence, or keeps or changes a view. Then show Diagram 2.

   1Sofia: Our job is to pick the one line for the class evidence wall that best shows we can't fully trust the narrator's version, plus one sentence explaining why. We have 20 minutes, from 1:05 to 1:25. Our decision rule from the class chart: we try to agree first, and if we haven't agreed by 1:15, we vote. The majority wins, and the other side adds one sentence to the explanation. I'll lead, Grace keeps time, Isaiah records and Kenji presents.

   2Isaiah: I'll write the choices down as we go. My pick is the first line of the story: "why will you say that I am mad?" He's arguing with the reader before the story even starts.

   3Grace: Mine is from excerpt 1, too: "I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell." Nobody can hear things in heaven and hell. If he believes that, we can't trust what he says he hears later.

   4Kenji: I looked up a word from the ending last night. To dissemble means to hide what you really think or feel, to pretend. So when he shrieks "dissemble no more!" he's calling the officers pretenders. But he's the one who pretended. In paragraph 1 of excerpt 3, he "answered cheerily" while the body was under the floor. My pick is "dissemble no more!"

   5Sofia: So we have three picks. Isaiah and Grace, yours are both from the opening. How do they connect?

   6Isaiah: They go together. He asks why we say he's mad, and then his proof that he's fine is that he can hear hell. His proof is exactly what makes us doubt him.

   7Grace: Checkpoint. It's 1:12. We have three picks and no decision, and the vote is at 1:15.

   8Sofia: Kenji, answer Isaiah with evidence: why is the ending stronger than the opening?

   9Kenji: The opening only shows he's strange. The ending shows him accusing other people of what he did himself. In excerpt 3 he "answered cheerily" and "talked more fluently" to fool the officers, and then he calls them the pretenders. That's the least trustworthy thing he says.

   10Grace: I didn't know what dissemble meant, so I missed that. It changes my vote: I'm with Kenji now. But I'd keep my line in the explanation, because it shows the problem starts on the first page.

   11Isaiah: I'm keeping the opening line. Kenji's point is good, but his line only makes sense if you already know the plot. A reader can see from the first sentence that he's arguing with us, and the wall is for people who read it in ten seconds.

   12Grace: It's 1:15. Time to vote.

   13Sofia: Following our rule, hands up for "dissemble no more!" That's Kenji, Grace and me, so three. The opening line gets one. The wall gets "dissemble no more!" and Isaiah writes the extra sentence.

   14Isaiah: Here's my sentence: "From his first line, 'why will you say that I am mad?', the narrator argues with the reader instead of simply telling the story."

   15Kenji: That works. I'll present both. Isaiah, can you read back what we have?

   16Isaiah: The line is "dissemble no more!" The explanation: he calls the officers pretenders after pretending himself. Then my extra sentence about the opening. It's 1:18, so we have seven minutes to practice.

   Debrief with four questions. (1) What is the group's decision rule, and does it follow it? Sofia states it in paragraph 1 (try to agree; vote at 1:15 if not; the majority wins and the other side adds a sentence). At 1:15 the group votes three to one (paragraph 13), and Isaiah, on the losing side, writes the extra sentence (paragraph 14). (2) Which question connects the ideas of several speakers? Sofia's question in paragraph 5 asks how Isaiah's and Grace's picks connect, and Isaiah links them in paragraph 6. (3) What new information changes a vote? Kenji's definition of dissemble (paragraph 4). Grace acknowledges it and changes her vote in paragraph 10, but keeps her line for the explanation. (4) Does Isaiah have to change his view? No. In paragraph 11 he justifies keeping it with a reason about who reads the wall, and the decision rule still gives the group one answer on time.

4. Independent Practice15 minutes

   Students read Transcript 3, a one-on-one talk between partners Zoe and Mateo (written for this page) about whether the narrator's calm way of telling the story proves his claim. With the transcript and the three excerpts open, they answer quiz questions 1-10 on their own, then questions 11-20, which ask them to use the standard in new situations and to write their own discussion moves.

   1Zoe: We have ten minutes for our question: does the calm way the narrator tells the story prove he isn't mad, as he claims? Each of us needs a final answer in one sentence by the end. Last night I marked two lines. In excerpt 1, paragraph 1, he tells us to "observe how healthily" and "how calmly I can tell you the whole story." But in excerpt 3, paragraph 2, he says, "I raved" and "I swore!" So no, his calm doesn't prove anything, because it doesn't last.

   2Mateo: I see it a little differently. He's telling the story after it's all over. Going wild in front of the officers is something that happened in the story, but the way he tells it now could still be calm.

   3Zoe: What in the words makes you think he's calm now, while he's telling it?

   4Mateo: He explains everything in order, step by step: the officers sitting and chatting, then the ringing in his ears, then the noise getting louder. Someone who is out of control couldn't keep the order straight.

   5Zoe: That's a fair point about the order. But look at how he tells the very end: "louder! louder! louder!" He's not remembering the panic calmly. He's panicking again while he tells it.

   6Mateo: Hmm. I hadn't looked at the exclamation marks. And paragraph 2 has "this I thought, and this I think." Think is present tense. He still believes the officers knew, right now, while he's telling us.

   7Zoe: So that's new evidence for my side. Does it change your answer?

   8Mateo: Partly. The order of his story looks calm, but his words at the end show he still isn't calm. So I agree the calm telling doesn't prove what he claims. I'm keeping one part, though: the order is real, and he does plan carefully.

   9Zoe: That connects to what Devin and Amara said in class. Devin thought he confesses because he believes the officers know, and Amara thought it was the sound. Your "this I think" line shows he still believes the officers knew. Do you think that's why he's telling us the story at all, to prove he was right about them?

   10Mateo: Maybe, but I'd want a line that shows who he's talking to. He keeps saying "you," like in excerpt 1: "why will you say that I am mad?" So he's answering someone who already thinks he's mad. That fits your idea that he's trying to prove something.

   11Zoe: Can I push back on one thing you said earlier? Planning carefully isn't the same as being well. He plans every step, but the reason he gives in excerpt 1 is the old man's eye: "I think it was his eye!" Careful steps toward a goal like that don't make him more believable. So I'm keeping my view.

   12Mateo: I can accept that. We've used seven minutes, so let's each write our sentence.

   13Zoe: Mine: "The narrator's calm telling does not prove his claim, because he panics again in the telling itself."

   14Mateo: Mine: "His story is told in careful order, but the present-tense 'this I think' and the repeated 'louder!' show he is still not calm, so the telling does not prove his claim."

5. Closure5 minutes

   Exit ticket: "Write your view on why the narrator confesses in one sentence. Then write it again, qualified or justified by one piece of evidence you heard from a classmate or a transcript today." Use the tickets to pair students with different views for Activity 1.

   Teacher note on the text. The excerpts come from the 1903 Raven Edition of Poe's works and keep his words exactly, including "damned spot" in excerpt 2 and the exclamations "Oh God!" and "Almighty God!" in excerpt 3. The story is about a murder. The excerpts leave out the paragraphs that describe the killing and the hiding of the body, and the summaries above give only what students need to follow the plot. "Mad" is the story's 1843 word; keep the discussion on this invented character's claims and on the evidence in the text, not on real people with mental illness, and let students know where to go if the topic is hard for them.

   Homework. Tonight students research two words from the excerpts, hold a one-on-one discussion at home or by phone, and plan a group decision. Go over the directions and rubric before they leave.

Differentiation Strategies

Assessment Guidance

1. Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In paragraph 1 of Transcript 3, how does Zoe show that she came to the discussion prepared?

   AShe sets a time limit for each partner before either one speaks BShe quotes two lines she marked, from excerpt 1 and excerpt 3 CShe asks Mateo to answer the question first so she can respond DShe retells the plot of the whole story before giving any view

2. Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In paragraph 3, Zoe asks, "What in the words makes you think he's calm now, while he's telling it?" What does the question ask Mateo to do?

   ADrop his idea and accept Zoe's answer to the question instead BMove the talk from the narrator to the officers in the story CDecide how much time is left before they write their answers DSupport his idea with evidence from the way the story is told

3. Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   What new information does Zoe bring in paragraph 5?

   AThe repeated "louder!" that shows panic in the telling BA fact about how the police found the body under the floorboards CThe narrator's age and the name of the city where the story is set DA line in which the officers say that they heard the heartbeat

4. Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   How does Mateo respond to that new information in paragraphs 6 and 8?

   AHe ignores it and repeats that the story is told in careful order BHe says Zoe misread the ending and asks her to reread paragraph 2 CHe acknowledges it, adds a line of his own and qualifies his view DHe drops his whole view and agrees with everything Zoe has said

5. Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which words from paragraph 8 show that Mateo qualifies his view instead of giving it up completely?

   A"I can accept that." B"I'm keeping one part, though: the order is real" C"I hadn't looked at the exclamation marks." D"But I'd want a line that shows who he's talking to."

6. Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In paragraph 9, how does Zoe connect the ideas of several speakers?

   AShe asks Mateo to agree that Devin was right and Amara was wrong BShe repeats Mateo's line and asks him to find a different one CShe tells Mateo that the class has already settled the question DShe ties Mateo's line to Devin's and Amara's ideas in one question

7. Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In paragraph 10, how does Mateo respond to Zoe's question?

   AHe asks for a line to settle it and points to the word "you" BHe agrees right away that the narrator wants to prove he was right CHe changes the subject to the vulture eye in excerpt 1, paragraph 2 DHe says the question is off topic and should wait until the end

8. Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In paragraph 11, Zoe keeps her view. How does she justify it?

   AShe says her view came first, so it should count for more BShe points out that the teacher agreed with her in class CShe uses the eye line to show careful plans do not prove he is well DShe says that Mateo's point about the order is not in the story

9. Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Collegial means respectful and cooperative. Which moment shows the partners following a rule for collegial discussion?

   AZoe tells Mateo his first idea is wrong and moves on at once BZoe asks to "push back on one thing" before she disagrees CMateo cuts Zoe off to add the present-tense line in paragraph 6 DMateo writes his final answer before Zoe has finished speaking

10. Question 10 of 20 · Short Answer

    How do Zoe and Mateo track progress toward their goal? Name the goal and the deadline, the progress check, and the paragraphs where each appears, and say whether they meet the goal.

    Show model answer

11. Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Three classmates have spoken. Ana: "The old man's eye is the narrator's real reason." Ben: "The eye is an excuse; he wanted power over the old man." Cam: "He says 'Object there was none.'" Which question connects the ideas of several speakers?

    A"Ana, can you say your idea again, a little more slowly?" B"Does anyone have a different favorite line in the story?" C"Ben, does Cam's line help your idea or Ana's more, and why?" D"Cam, where exactly in excerpt 1 is that line printed?"

12. Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    In a teacher-led discussion, the teacher asks, "Did the narrator expect to get away with it?" Which response gives relevant evidence?

    A"Yes. In excerpt 3 he says, 'My manner had convinced them.'" B"Yes. People who do something wrong usually expect to get away." C"Maybe. I once saw a movie where the villain confessed at the end." D"No. It is the most exciting ending of any story I read this year."

13. Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Jaden believes, "The narrator stays calm the whole time the officers are there." A classmate points out that in excerpt 3, paragraph 1, the narrator says, "My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears." Which response qualifies Jaden's view?

    A"You're right. I was wrong about everything I said about him." B"I don't care what that line says. He is calm the whole time." C"That line is only about his ears, so it says nothing about calm." D"He is calm at first, but not once the ringing starts."

14. Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    A classmate says the narrator must be well because he waited "a long time, very patiently" before opening the lantern. You disagree. Which reply justifies your view with evidence?

    A"Waiting is boring, so I never could have waited that long myself." B"He was patient, but a few lines later he says he 'grew furious.'" C"I disagree, and I think a lot of the class would agree with me." D"Maybe he was patient. Let's move on to the next question now."

15. Question 15 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    A group's decision rule is: "Try to agree. At 2:10, vote. The majority wins, and the other side adds one sentence." At 2:10, three members want Line A and Jada wants Line B. What should happen next?

    A"Line A goes on the wall, and Jada writes a sentence about Line B." B"Let's keep talking until Jada agrees with the rest of us on Line A." C"Jada's line should win, because she argued for it the loudest." D"We still can't agree, so let's ask the teacher to choose for us."

16. Question 16 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    A group has 15 minutes, from 9:40 to 9:55, to choose a line and write an explanation. At 9:49 the group has chosen its line but has not started the explanation. Which comment tracks progress best?

    A"We're doing fine, so let's talk about the line a little longer." B"Whoever writes the fastest should write the whole thing alone." C"It's 9:49 and the line is chosen. Recorder, draft it by 9:53." D"We probably need to hurry up at some point before the end."

17. Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer

    In a small group, Lena says, "The narrator hears the old man's real heart." Marco says, "He hears his own heart." Priya says, "The sound is his guilt." Write one question that connects the ideas of at least two of these speakers, and explain in one sentence why it connects them instead of asking one person to repeat.

    Show model answer

18. Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer

    You think the narrator confesses only because he feels guilty. A classmate points out that in excerpt 3, paragraph 1, the narrator says he "found that the noise was not within my ears," so he believes the sound is real. Write two or three sentences that acknowledge this evidence and then either qualify or justify your view. Say which one you did.

    Show model answer

19. Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer

    Your group of four has 20 minutes, from 10:20 to 10:40, to agree on a title for a poster about "The Tell-Tale Heart." Write a plan with two class rules, a decision rule that says how and when you will choose, one checkpoint time with what should be done by then, and a role for each member.

    Show model answer

20. Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer

    You are preparing for a teacher-led discussion of the question "Can we believe the narrator's claim that he has 'over-acuteness of the sense'?" Write your answer in one clear sentence. Then write the evidence you would bring: one line from excerpt 1 and one line from excerpt 2, each with its paragraph number and a phrase explaining how it supports your answer. Choose lines that no transcript on this page has already used.

    Show model answer

These standards connect to SL.8.1: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.

Standard text: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.