Teaching the Horror Genre
Horror is an exciting, High Interest genre. Ask your students how many of them watch
horror movies. You'll probably find that
it is one of the most popular genres. Stephen
King is the most popular living author, and R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books are a perennial hit. Savvy teachers can harness the students' love
of the genre to engage them in meaningful lessons that will get them excited
about learning (yes, even those reluctant readers). You will find that horror is not all immature
blood and guts; there are some excellent materials (appropriate for whatever
level you teach). So, what are you
waiting for?
Horror Author
Interview Questions
Horror Genre
Discussion Questions
A Teacher's Horror
Reading List
Author Visits
Are you thinking about getting a local horror writer to come in and speak to your students? Make sure to read the following links before you do:
An Author's Wish List (mirror)
Author Visits at Your Library!
Other WebQuests
Edgar Allan Poe: Father of Horror (mirror)
Writing the Horror Genre (Poe)
Writing Horror
Writing Tips – from the Horror Writers Association
How to Write Your Own Give Yourself Goosebumps Books
How to Write Your Own Scary Story
Lesson Plans and Unit
Plans
The
Only Thing We Have to Fear... Exploring Beliefs in the Paranormal and the Appeal
of the Horror Genre
Ghosts
and Fear in Language Arts: Exploring the Ways Writers Scare Readers
Modern
Fear and Suspense Unit Plan
Selected Horror Stories of Stephen King Lesson Plans
A Teacher's Guide to Stephen King's Short Stories
Classic Tales of Horror from W.W. Jacobs and Edgar Allan Poe
TeachIt.co.uk – Explore this site, there is a ton of good stuff
Thrills and Chills! Using Scary Stories to Motivate Students to Read – also has a good horror themed writer's workshop
Halloween Activities and Lesson Plans
Ghosts and Fear in Language Arts: Exploring the Ways Writers Scare Readers
Modeling Reading and Analysis Processes with the Works of Edgar Allan Poe
Dissecting the Dark Side: Dragons, Demons and Dark Lords
Elizabethan & Jacobean Horror – Shakespeare and his contemporaries
Lesson Plans for
Individual Stories
The Lottery – Shirley Jackson
The Interlopers – Saki
The Monkey's Paw – W.W. Jacobs
The
Cask of Amontillado – Edgar Allen Poe
The
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Lois Stevenson
Pet Sematary
– Stephen King
Articles on the Genre
A Few Thoughts on the Horror Genre a good overview of the horror genre
A Short History of Horror Literature
What
is the Difference between Horror and Dark Fantasy?
What is Dark Fantasy?
Giving
Rein to Horror - Darren Shan
With Reluctant Readers, Try Horror - Edel Wignell
Sculpting Horror - A horror fan and author's look at the often shunned genre
Horror Reading Lists
American
Library Association - Horror page
Spooky &
Scary Books – PreK-8th Grade
Readers Advisory - Horror Fiction
Public Domain Horror
Stories
Arthur's Classic Novels - Gothic Tales from the Past (despite the title, is mostly short stories)
Works Referenced in Supernatural Horror in Literature
Somnlioguy's Classic Horror & Fantasy
Edgar Allen Poe audio
Other horror audio
The
Monkey's Paw, written
by W.W. Jacobs
The National Audio Theatre - Blue Ridge Radio Players (14MB,
29 min)
Frankenstein 1931 full-cast radio production. $12 for the entire radio production. (first chapter free)
OTRCAT.com Mystery/Horror CD’s – all of your Old Time Radio favorites
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