Creepy Tales (Grades 6-7)
- Two literary texts
- 2-3 weeks instruction
- Narrative writing
What is this unit about?
In this unit, students will read two texts: “The Most Important Night of Melanie’s Life” by Richard Peck and “Security Blanket” by Neal Shusterman. Both texts deal with sibling relationships and the mysterious consequences of brothers and sisters not getting along. Through the study of these two literary texts, students build their knowledge about the elements these authors include to make their stories creepy. Additionally, students are supported to use their understanding of these elements to craft their own creepy tales.
What content and concepts will students learn?
Students will learn about the elements authors use to make a story creepy, such as:
- setting the mood through the use of an eerie setting
- dialogue that creates mystery
- an ironic ending
- characterization
- first person point of view
- plot twists to create suspense
- how authors create tension in a story.
What practices will students use?
Students are supported to develop practices and habits such as how to:
- comprehend, analyze, and interpret literary texts with assistance and independently.
- work from moments in texts to analyze elements used by the authors that make their creepy stories effective.
- write like Peck to provide an ending to Peck’s story.
- draft a creepy tale that incorporates elements used by Peck and Shusterman.
- participate in routines such as maintaining a Reader/Writer Notebook, completing quick writes, sharing in pairs/trios, and participating in whole group discussions.
How long will it take to engage students in the unit?
This unit spans approximately 10-14 instructional days, assuming 45- to 60-minute classes. The tasks in the unit are designed to be implemented sequentially in order to support students to achieve the instructional goals. As such, the pacing of the lessons will depend on the time students need to achieve these goals.
Looking for something for Grades 2 or 3? Our Funny Fears unit lets younger learners explore silly yet spooky stories and laugh through the fear!