Scary Story Narrative Writing Unit- Spooky Writer's Workshop Unit

This writing unit is one of the most fun units I've ever done! Students will go zany for this 3-week, activity packed writing unit that will get their scary stories sounding terrifyingly terrific!

Here's the breakdown:

This is a Writer's Workshop style unit that includes 15 lessons (3-weeks) that allow students to publish a scary story. There is an option to extend to 4 weeks if you have time in your plans. This unit is best in October, but it can be taught at any time of the year! Each lesson includes materials, teaching point, mini-lesson, conferencing, and share time. Here's what they'll learn:

Session 1: Studying Scary Stories Authors read a variety of scary stories to think about how authors create those scary stories.

Session 2: Batty Brainnzzzstorming Students will ask themselves, “What is scary?” and brainstorm several ideas to choose for their story.

Session 3: Scary Story Elements Authors plan their stories before writing. They plan the story elements from beginning to end to keep their writing on track.

Session 4: Haunting Hooks Authors learn how to hooks their readers, especially when writing a scary story.

Session 5: Ghoulish Descriptors Authors paint a picture for their readers by providing sensory language and descriptive adjectives.

Session 6: A Monster Ending Authors learn how to reveal their mystery and provide a ”monster” ending for their readers.

Session 7: Daunting Dialogue Authors add dialogue to their scary narratives to bring their stories to life.

Session 8: Said is DEAD Authors learn to replace boring words with sizzling words to keep their readers interested and engaged.

Session 9: Frightful Figurative Language Authors choose from a variety of figurative language to take their story to the next level.

Session 10: Terrifying Transitions Authors look at their transitions and think about how they can make them meaningful for their readers.

Session 11: Puzzling Punctuation Authors think about where their sentences begin and end. They think about where commas go, to make sure their story flows naturally.

Session 12: Skeleton Spelling & Capturing Capitals Authors edit their stories, looking for correct spelling and ensuring capitals are in place.

Session 13: Paragraphing Pivots Students start their final drafts, looking for places to start new paragraphs.

Session 14: Mysterious Reflections Authors reflect on their writing, thinking about what went well and what goals they will make for the future.

Session 15: Scary Stories by the Fire Students celebrate their writing by sharing with and enjoying others, pretending they are at camp sitting around a fire.

Lessons come with anchor chart worksheets for interactive writing. Also included are extras such as a conferencing sheet, book suggestions for mentor texts, a rubric, and final writing paper.

Dare to have a spooky, thrilling time!