After my students did so well with my “Cask of Amontillado” lesson plans, I thought I’d reward them with a short “Cask of Amontillado” movie. Unfortunately, the movie was terrible. I now sit in fear, hoping they won’t follow Montresor’s example and exact revenge. I did find a few more. They’re so-so.
If you’re looking to do a Poe Unit but don’t want the suspense of wondering if your lesson plans are Poe-worthy, then check out the Poe bundle, which contains complete teaching units for “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Black Cat,” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” We also threw in a non-Poe unit plan that captures the essence of Poe, “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs.
Don't get walled in by common core standards. Write one of these on the board.
- RL.9-10.7 – Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.
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RL.11-12.7 – Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text.
Perhaps you’re wondering how you could turn this video into a lesson plan involving ELA Common Core standards?
Do it with a chart: Literary Interpretation T-Chart.
- Divide or fold a paper in half, long ways.
- As you’re reading or after you’ve read, list 6-10 things in the left column that are important to the story.
- As you watch the video, Write how those 6-10 things are portrayed in the video.
- If you’re really interested in continuing the learning, do a basic comparison paragraph with a judgment on how accurately the film portrays the short story.
Here's the first one. It's kind of cheesy, but it stays close to the text. I will admit the end is quite chilling. You'll love the shouting match.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoUPJId_AWk
This next one is a terrible movie. In fact, it's so bad they won't even let me show it anymore. It's even cheesier than the first, but if you're looking to kill 15 minutes...errrrr....looking to review the short story with your class, it'll work. Make sure you write one of the common core objectives on the board. You can even teach the lesson. That way your students will be practicing core skills while you enjoy this cheesy adaptation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiynDpoBR30
Our third video won some award at the 2013 Sacramento film festival. I've never been to Sacramento. I didn't realize it was such a film hub. Anyway, this one doesn't follow the story as closely, but it is a fine adaptation. I am wondering about the setting: It's set in New Orleans in 1849--that's 12 years before the Civil War--yet Montresor is a wealthy African-American landowner. Besides that, this is far better than the previous 2 films. The acting is still cheesy, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwQ2fcqe5w0
Last Updated on November 17, 2016 by Trenton Lorcher
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