Curriculum / ELA / 8th Grade / Unit 16: Twisting Expectations: Horror Short Stories / Lesson 18
ELA
Unit 16
8th Grade
Lesson 18 of 20
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Lesson Notes
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Complete a draft of your horror story and add linking words.
Short Story: “Click-Clack the Rattlebag” by Neil Gaiman
Short Story: “The Wife's Story” by Ursula K. le Guin
Short Story: “Behind Colin's Eyes” by Shane Hawk
Short Story: “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe
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Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved.
In this unit, we have explored the genre of horror fiction and the many literary techniques that authors of horror use to engage the reader and build suspense. One way that authors can do this is by writing from the perspective of a first-person narrator. Commonly, first-person horror stories are written from the perspective of a character who is in danger, and the reader experiences suspense, uncertainty, and fear along with that narrator. However, some horror stories are written from the perspective of the "villain"—the character or entity who is dangerous.
In this task, you will select one of the following stories from our unit and rewrite one scene from the perspective of the story's villain:
Your story must:
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W.8.3 — Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
W.8.3.c — Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.8.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.8.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.8.2.c — Spell correctly.
L.8.3 — Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
L.8.6 — Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
SL.8.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.8.6 — Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
W.8.3.a — Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
W.8.3.b — Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
W.8.3.d — Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
W.8.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.8.6 — Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
W.8.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Next
Provide and incorporate peer feedback, and self-assess using a rubric.
Explain the science behind why many people enjoy scary stories, experiences, and movies.
Standards
RI.8.2
Analyze the development and impact of the twist ending in "Click-Clack the Rattlebag."
RL.8.2RL.8.3
Explain how author Neil Gaiman develops suspense in "Click-Clack the Rattlebag."
RL.8.3RL.8.4RL.8.6
Analyze the impact of the lottery tradition on the mood and actions of townspeople in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery."
RL.8.3RL.8.4
Identify examples of foreshadowing and analyze the message Shirley Jackson is trying to convey about human nature in her short story, "The Lottery."
Explain how characters' perspectives differ in "The Monkey's Paw."
Unpack a prompt, study a Mentor Text, and gather evidence in preparation for writing a paragraph response.
W.8.1W.8.5
Outline and draft a paragraph response, including a strong claim statement, quoted textual evidence, and a concluding statement.
W.8.1W.8.1.aW.8.1.cW.8.1.e
Draft and revise a paragraph response, focusing on writing strong analysis.
W.8.1W.8.1.aW.8.1.b
Analyze Ursula K. Le Guin's use of foreshadowing, perspective, and situational irony to create meaning in "The Wife's Story."
RL.8.3RL.8.6
Explain how Shane Hawk develops suspense in "Behind Colin's Eyes."
RL.8.4RL.8.6
Analyze the impact of Shane Hawk's resolution in "Behind Colin's Eyes".
Analyze how Poe develops the character of the narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart" and determine whether the narrator is reliable or unreliable.
Engage in a Socratic Seminar with peers, responding directly to others by rephrasing and delineating arguments, determining the strength of evidence, and posing clarifying questions.
SL.8.1SL.8.1.aSL.8.1.bSL.8.4
Unpack a prompt, study a Mentor Text, and begin a plan for rewriting a scene from a horror story.
W.8.3W.8.5
Brainstorm and create an outline for a scene from a horror story rewritten from the perspective of the villain.
W.8.3W.8.3.aW.8.3.bW.8.5
Draft the first part of a horror story rewritten from the perspective of the villain and include sensory details.
W.8.3W.8.3.aW.8.3.bW.8.3.d
W.8.3W.8.3.c
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