Free “The Tell-Tale Heart” Study Guide (Differentiated): 3 Reading Levels + Exit Quiz

Free differentiated “The Tell-Tale Heart” study guide for Grades 6–10 with 3 text levels (Accessible/HILO, Leveled, Original) so every student can join the same discussion and exit quiz.

If you’ve ever taught Edgar Allan Poe and watched your lesson split into two different classes (strong readers vs. students who need support), this post is built for you. Below is a free, classroom-ready way to teach The Tell-Tale Heart with one coherent plan—while students read at the level that fits.

What’s Included in the Free Tell-Tale Heart Study Guide

Free download: The Tell-Tale Heart Differentiated Study Guide (FREE)

• 3 aligned text levels: Accessible (HILO), Leveled, and Original
• Shared Discussion Questions that work across all text versions
• Student work: Vocabulary, Short Answer, and Challenge Questions
• Assessment: Cross-version Multiple Choice Exit Quiz (10 questions)

Common teacher searches this supports: Tell-Tale Heart questions, lesson plan, differentiated text, HILO reading passage, Poe short story unit, exit quiz.

Why This Works for Mixed Reading Levels

Many “free Tell-Tale Heart” resources online are a single set of questions or a guided reading packet. Those can be helpful, but they often assume everyone can access the same version of the text.

This differentiated model solves the real classroom problem: students can read the version that supports comprehension today, and you still run one discussion and one assessment routine. The class stays on the same storyline, the same evidence, and the same learning targets.

A Simple 1–2 Day Lesson Plan

Option A: 1-Day Mini-Unit

• Read: Assign Accessible (HILO), Leveled, or Original (same story, different access points)
• Discuss: Use the shared Discussion Questions as a whole class
• Assess: Use the 10-question Exit Quiz (printable or self-graded)
• Finish: Vocabulary → Short Answer → 1 Challenge Question (as time allows)

Option B: 2-Day Version (Recommended for Deeper Discussion)

• Day 1: Read + Discussion Questions
• Day 2: Revisit key evidence + Exit Quiz + Challenge Question

Teacher Moves That Pair Well With Poe

• Prediction stop points: Pause at key moments and have students predict what the narrator will do next. Then require one line of evidence from the text version they read.
• Tone tracking: Have students label 3 moments as “calm,” “controlled,” or “panicked” and explain how word choice shifts mood.
• Narrator reliability check: Create a two-column chart: “What the narrator claims” vs. “What the actions show.”

More Differentiated Edgar Allan Poe Study Guides

If this free resource works well for your students, you can use the same routine across more Poe stories:

• The Black Cat (guilt, escalation, unreliable narration)
• The Cask of Amontillado (irony, revenge structure)
• The Masque of the Red Death (symbolism)
• The Pit and the Pendulum (suspense and sensory imagery)
• The Fall of the House of Usher (Gothic setting, mood)

Common Core State Standards

• RL.8.1 / RL.9-10.1 / RL.CCR.1 — Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.8.2 / RL.9-10.2 / RL.CCR.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
• RL.8.3 / RL.9-10.3 / RL.CCR.3 — Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
• RL.8.4 / RL.9-10.4 / RL.CCR.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of word choice on meaning and tone.
• RL.8.5 / RL.9-10.5 / RL.CCR.5 — Analyze how an author’s choices about structure and sequencing create effects such as mystery, tension, or surprise and contribute to meaning and style.
• RL.8.6 / RL.9-10.6 / RL.CCR.6 — Analyze how point of view and perspective shape what the reader knows and how the text creates effects such as suspense or irony.
• RL.8.10 / RL.9-10.10 / RL.CCR.10 — Read and comprehend literature at the appropriate grade-level text complexity band independently and proficiently.
• W.8.1 / W.9-10.1 / W.CCR.1 — Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
• W.8.2 / W.9-10.2 / W.CCR.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas clearly through selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
• W.8.9 / W.9-10.9 / W.CCR.9 — Draw evidence from literary texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
• SL.8.1 / SL.9-10.1 / SL.CCR.1 — Engage effectively in collaborative discussions, building on others’ ideas and expressing one’s own clearly.
• L.8.4 / L.9-10.4 / L.CCR.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases using context and a range of strategies.

Next Step: Teach Poe as a Full Short Story Unit

When you’re ready, you can teach Poe as a sequence of 1–2 day mini-units with consistent routines. Start with this free resource and then expand into additional titles as your class spirals skills like theme, point of view, symbolism, and suspense.

Start here: Free Tell-Tale Heart Differentiated Study Guide