Description
Have your students dive into Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum with Character Collabs, a fun, engaging, and collaborative character analysis project that brings one of Poe’s most intense and suspenseful short stories to life.
In this activity, students closely analyze the Narrator as he endures extreme psychological and physical torment. Using multiple methods of characterization, students explore fear, resilience, perception, and inner conflict while demonstrating a deeper understanding of Poe’s use of suspense and internal narration.
Students present their analysis on a collaborative poster, transforming literary analysis into a creative and memorable experience. This hands-on approach strengthens comprehension and retention while encouraging critical thinking, collaboration, and clear communication. The completed poster also serves as a powerful classroom display that reinforces key ideas from the text.
This project is ideal for teaching short story analysis, characterization, mood, and Edgar Allan Poe, making abstract psychological concepts more concrete and engaging for students.
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 focused on the Narrator. You’ll also receive blank coloring pages for the poster, an answer key, an example of a completed project, and a digitally colored sample poster. Editable versions of the directions, rubric, and brainstorm worksheet are included for easy customization.
Each poster is composed 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 turns The Pit and the Pendulum into an immersive, collaborative learning experience students won’t forget.