Trying to figure out the perfect lesson plan for Halloween? I know, it’s tough. You want to do something fun with your students, but at the same time, you don’t want to waste a day of instruction, right? The good news is, you don’t have to choose! You can totally teach suspense in short stories and still keep it engaging for Halloween. Imagine diving into eerie stories with your class, where they get to analyze suspense and even create their own spooky narratives. It’s the perfect way to bring some Halloween excitement into the classroom without sacrificing any real learning time. Let me walk you through how I make it work!
To make this lesson even easier, I’ve got the perfect resource for you: my Halloween Lesson Plan. This ready-to-use resource is designed to pair perfectly with your Halloween lesson plan, so you don’t have to worry about creating materials from scratch. It includes everything from a breakdown of suspense elements to creative writing prompts, graphic organizers, and guided activities for students to analyze and craft their own spooky stories. With this resource, all the prep work is done for you—you just open it up, and your students are ready to dive into the eerie world of suspenseful writing. It’s the ultimate timesaver and guarantees a productive, engaging Halloween lesson!
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Step-by-Step Lesson Plan for Halloween
Step 1: Elements of Suspense
Kick off the lesson by guiding your students through the essential elements of suspense. I use a “Elements of Suspense” handout, where students will learn what suspense really means and the key elements that make it work. This handout will become their go-to reference as they analyze and create their own suspenseful narratives throughout the lesson.
Step 2: Suspense Examples
Next, let’s dive into the examples! Have your students explore suspense examples, where they’ll review classic and modern examples of suspense in action. These examples will help them recognize how suspense builds tension in a narrative, whether in literature or film.
Step 3: Finding Suspense in Short Stories
Once students understand the basics, it’s time to put them to work! They’ll read a short story of their choice from the list provided and identify each element of suspense, citing specific examples from the text. This activity will reinforce their analytical skills while preparing them for their own creative writing.
For your convenience, I’ve curated a list of chilling tales that are perfect for this lesson:
Step 4: Creative Writing: Crafting Suspenseful Stories
Now, for the fun part! Students will use a graphic organizer to brainstorm characters, settings, and plot points, all infused with spooky suspense. They’ll plan at least three elements of suspense before writing their final creative piece. This process encourages both creativity and structure, helping them craft a story that grips readers from start to finish.
More Amazing Lesson Plans for Halloween
The Ultimate Halloween Lesson Plan: How to Dive into Spooky Suspense!
Spooky Stories for Literary Analysis
Spooktacular Ways to Teach Suspense in Your High School English Curriculum
8 Ways to Bring Halloween into the Classroom
By the time you’ve completed this lesson, your students will have mastered the art of creating suspense and will have crafted their own spine-tingling stories. They’ll be able to identify key elements of suspense in literature and apply them to their own writing in a way that engages and captivates. If this blog post gave you some great ideas for your classroom, be sure to check out the rest of my posts at www.theteacherrewrite.com for even more tips and resources! You can also follow me on Instagram @theteacherrewrite where I share tons of ELA strategies, resources, and tricks to help make your teaching life easier.
Ready to make this Halloween extra special for your students? Download the Halloween Lesson Plan activity today and give your students an experience they’ll never forget with this lesson plan for Halloween!
