Description
Have your students dive into Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting short story The Fall of the House of Usher with Character Collabs, a fun, engaging, and collaborative character analysis project that brings this gothic classic to life.
In this activity, students analyze the Narrator, Roderick Usher, and Madeline Usher using multiple methods of characterization to explore psychological complexity, relationships, and symbolism. Through close reading, inference, and textual evidence, students develop a deeper understanding of Poe’s use of atmosphere, mental decay, and interconnected character dynamics.
Students present their analysis on a collaborative poster, blending literary analysis with creativity to make learning both memorable and meaningful. This hands-on approach boosts comprehension and retention while strengthening critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills. The completed posters also serve as striking classroom displays that reinforce key ideas from the story.
This project is ideal for teaching short story analysis, characterization, gothic elements, and Edgar Allan Poe, helping students engage with complex themes in an accessible and creative way.
Everything you need for smooth implementation is included, featuring a comprehensive teacher guide, clear student directions, a holistic rubric, and a brainstorm character analysis worksheet to support thoughtful planning. You’ll also receive blank coloring pages for each character, answer keys, examples of completed projects for each character, and digitally colored sample posters. Editable versions of the directions, rubric, and brainstorm worksheet are provided for easy customization.
Each poster is made up of six pieces of paper that can be printed on standard copy paper or cardstock and assembled into a final display measuring 28” x 15” once completed.
Perfect for middle school and high school ELA, this Poe character analysis project transforms The Fall of the House of Usher into an engaging, collaborative learning experience students won’t forget.