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Spooky Story Starters

Lesson Plan

Spooky Story Starters

Students will collaboratively generate elements of a spooky story using creative prompts and integrate these into a shared narrative.

This lesson leverages the excitement of Halloween to foster creative writing, teamwork, and imaginative thinking in a fun, engaging way. It helps students practice narrative development and collaborative skills.

Audience

7th Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Collaborative Storytelling

Materials

Prep

Prepare for Spooky Stories

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Spooky Word Association

5 minutes

  • Begin with the Halloween Warm-Up activity.
    - Have students quickly jot down spooky words or phrases that come to mind. Share a few aloud to get into the Halloween spirit.

Step 2

Introduce Spooky Story Starters

5 minutes

  • Present the Spooky Story Starters Slide Deck.
    - Explain the concept of collaborative storytelling, where groups will build a story together using prompts.
    - Go over the instructions for the activity clearly, emphasizing creativity and collaboration.

Step 3

Collaborative Storytelling Activity

15 minutes

  • Distribute the Collaborative Spooky Story Activity worksheet to each group.
    - Instruct groups to work together to fill in the story elements based on the prompts provided.
    - Circulate among groups, providing support and encouraging imaginative ideas. Remind them they are building one continuous story.

Step 4

Share & Cool Down

5 minutes

  • Have 1-2 groups briefly share a favorite part or a particularly spooky sentence from their story.
    - Conclude the lesson with the Spooky Story Cool Down by asking students to reflect on the most creative element they came up with.
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Slide Deck

Welcome, Spooky Storytellers!

Get ready to unleash your creativity and dive into the world of haunted tales!

Welcome students and get them excited for a fun, creative lesson. Briefly introduce the idea of Halloween storytelling.

What's Collaborative Storytelling?

Working together, each person adds a piece to create one amazing, spooky story!

Explain the concept of collaborative storytelling. Emphasize that each group will create one story together, building on each other's ideas.

Your Mission: Create a Spooky Tale!

We'll use special 'story starter' prompts to build a unique Halloween narrative in your groups.

Introduce the main activity. Let them know they'll be using prompts to guide their story creation.

Let Your Imagination Run Wild!

There are no wrong answers when it comes to spooky stories. Be creative, be daring, and have fun!

Encourage creativity and remind them to have fun. Set a positive tone for the activity.

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Warm Up

Halloween Word Association

Instructions: In the space below, quickly write down all the words, phrases, or images that come to mind when you think of Halloween. Don't overthink it, just write!













Share: Be ready to share a few of your spookiest words with the class!

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Activity

Collaborative Spooky Story Activity

Group Name: _________________________

Instructions: Work together as a group to create a spine-chilling Halloween story! Each person will contribute to different parts of the story, building on what the previous person wrote. Be creative and make it as spooky as possible!

Part 1: The Spooky Setting (Contributor 1)

Describe the place where your story begins. Where is it? What time of day is it? What eerie details can you add to make it feel spooky?












Part 2: The Mysterious Character (Contributor 2)

Introduce a mysterious character who enters the scene. Who are they? What do they look like? What are they doing or carrying?












Part 3: The Unexplained Event (Contributor 3)

Something strange and unexplainable happens. What is it? How does it affect the character or the setting?












Part 4: The Chilling Climax (Contributor 4 - if applicable, or group effort)

How does the story reach its most suspenseful or scary point? What is the peak of the horror or mystery? (If your group has fewer than 4, work together on this part!)












Part 5: The Eerie Ending (Group Effort)

How does the story conclude? Does it have a resolution, or does it leave the reader with a lingering sense of unease or mystery?












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Cool Down

Spooky Story Cool Down

Instructions: Take a moment to reflect on the spooky story your group created today.

  1. What was the most creative or imaginative element your group came up with for your story?







  2. If you had more time, what would you add or change to make your story even spookier?







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