Twisting Expectations: Horror Short Stories

Lesson 12
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ELA

Unit 16

8th Grade

Lesson 12 of 20

Objective


Analyze the impact of Shane Hawk's resolution in "Behind Colin's Eyes".

Readings and Materials


  • Short Story: “Behind Colin's Eyes” by Shane Hawk  — paragraph 72–end

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

How does Hawk end "Behind Colin's Eyes"? Why does he end the story this way?

Sample Response

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Key Questions


  • What do Dad and Colin encounter as they are chasing after Sergeant Rock? What does this signal to the reader?

  • Reread paragraphs 100–118. How is Colin feeling in these paragraphs? Provide specific evidence from these paragraphs to support your thinking. 

  • How does paragraph 120 develop the plot of "Behind Colin's Eyes"? Provide evidence from this paragraph and carefully explain your thinking. 

  • How does Colin's speech change? What does this reveal about what has happened to Colin?

Homework


To ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson, have students complete the following reading for homework. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text.

  • Short Story: “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe 

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • Who is the narrator of this story?

  • What is the setting?

  • Why did the narrator decide to kill the old man?

  • Why does the narrator initially struggle to kill the old man?

  • Why do the police come to the house?

  • How do the police figure out what has happened?

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Common Core Standards


  • RL.8.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • RL.8.3 — Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

Supporting Standards

L.8.6
RL.8.1
RL.8.4
RL.8.10
SL.8.1
SL.8.6
W.8.1
W.8.1.a
W.8.1.b
W.8.4
W.8.9
W.8.9.a
W.8.10

Next

Analyze how Poe develops the character of the narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart" and determine whether the narrator is reliable or unreliable.

Lesson 13
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