Video Blog

Video on Youtube

I could not get the video to upload to the blog without linking it. I didn't mind filming myself talking about this lesson, but I don't know that it actually added anything to the understanding of the context. That being said, doing this for students would be helpful if there is a day that I am absent and want to explain directions for a certain assignment (providing the sub can access the computer).

For the video blog, I decided to focus on stories/poems that have been read aloud and put into movie form.

In this lesson, students are introduced to The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe.  There is an adaptation of the poem that includes a clip from the Simpsons, 

The lesson will start off by watching the video (it's less than 5 minutes). The images below are pulled from two different lesson plans of the poem using the video.  I would merge the two lessons by:

• Discussing books vs. movies (i.e. Harry Potter, Hunger Games, etc.) and how they are different and what happens to the movies that are adapted from books (change, scenes left out, etc.)
• How does the process change when you read something versus watching and hearing something?
• Give some background about Poe and introduce the poem with the Simpsons video
• Recall and take notes of what you watched and observed during the video (this can connect to the background knowledge of Poe)
• Give students a copy of the poem and "tear it apart" line for line (Shmoop gives a guide, link below)
• There are lines missing in the video- play it again for students and have them work in groups to find the missing lines (the missing verses are numbers 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16.)
• Why are the lines missing? Also talk about things that students may have missed in the first viewing (what is in the background, actions of the characters, etc.)
• Complete C-E in image below

Links needed for this lesson:
The Raven- poem
The Simpsons- The Raven
The Raven Stanza Analysis
Lesson Plan 1
Lesson Plan 2


I believe that the viewing of the Simpsons movie will help to lighten The Raven for students to understand the meaning behind the poem. It's also neat that James Earl Jones' voice meshed with the Simpsons' characters makes a nice comparison analysis for the students- what is different about his voice? Then you can analyze the actions of Homer which also aids in understanding of what is going on. Also analyzing why the video decided to cut certain lines is important to show "author's purpose"- did the video still get the message of the poem across to you? How?

It's also fun to pair a creepy text with comical characters, especially well known ones. How neat is it to say, "yeah, we analyzed Homer Simpson's actions of the Raven today in class..." :)