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R. L. Stine's All Day Nightmare (Goosebumps, 42) is an interactive book that requires the reader to choose which way the plot will go at the end of each chapter. This book is a good fit for a reluctant reader because the story is spooky, the reading level is not overly challenging, and it is fun for students to feel like they have control over the story. |
Enrichment Activities
Internet Resources
Books
Enrichment Activities
Create a Twister
Challenge your students to read books with a plot twist at the end during the month of October. Create a bulletin board with a drawing of a giant twister/tornado on it. As students finish each book have them cut out the shape of an object related to their book and put the title of the book on it. Place the object on the bulletin board as if it is caught up in the twister. The goal is to see how many books the entire class reads during the month, not to keep track of individual students' progress. By the end of the month there should be many, many objects caught up in your twister. Some suggested books to get you started: Goosebumps books, Babysitters Club Mysteries, the Encyclopedia Brown series, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, or the Boxcar Children series. For more advanced readers try the following: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected, Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories.
Guess Which Monster I'm Describing
Generate a list of famous monsters, ghosts, witches, etc. (Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wicked Witch of the West). Ask your students to write a one paragraph description of one of these spooky characters from the character's point of view. (i.e. If a student describes himself as Frankenstein: "I am very tall and I have green skin. I was created by a mad scientist and I have bolts coming out of my neck. Who am I?"). Once the descriptions are written, have students share their paragraphs aloud one at a time and allow the rest of the class to guess the identity of the character. Tell students that the object of the game is to make the character obvious, not mysterious.
The following ideas are excerpted from The Complete Teacher's Almanack: A Daily Guide to All 12 Months of the Year by Dana Newman:
Finish an Open-Ended Story
Open-ended stories provide excellent motivation for creative writing. Here are two eerie Halloween story starters. Pass out paper to each student. Read one of these open-ended stories aloud to the group, instructing the students to finish the story.
Open-Ended Story 1: Just as I was turning to see where the voice came from, I heard the door behind me slam shut! I ran to it and tried to push it open but, of course, it was locked. Now we had to go on; we could not turn back . . . . Chris and Megan called softly to me and I groped my way toward them in the dark. "I think we can still make it if we just stick together and don't panic," Megan cautioned. "Here, let's use my belt to keep us together. We can each hold onto part of it as we walk along and even if we can't see, we can at least know where . . . ." The belt flew out of my hands as Megan's voice fell away beneath us! I fumbled in the dark for a second and then said, "Darn it! Why didn't I think of this before?" Right then and there I produced . . .
Open-Ended Story 2: The hunchbacked figure beckoned to us to follow him, and we entered the castle, our teeth chattering. The hunchback turned and looked at us. He laughed softly and said, "Don't fall behind. People have gotten lost in these hallways and starved to death before they were found . . . hee-hee-hee!" He led us into a huge room where a whole tree was blazing in the fireplace. I noticed some golden eyes glowing in the far-off corner. "Don't be worried, my dear," our host assured me, "that is just Fiona and she's not one bit hungry. She ate an entire piglet just this morning." At the sound of the hunchback's voice, Fiona growled sweetly. "I will be back shortly with some hot chocolate. You warm yourselves by the fire until I return." He turned sharply, and with narrowed eyes, warned us: "But do not attempt to leave this room, my dears" . . . .
Write a "Choose Your Own Adventure" Story
Teach your students how to write a story just like some of the Goosebumps books. Share the "Choose Your Own Adventure Stories handout with the students and give them time to write this type of story on their own.
Write an "Instant Story"
Make copies of the Halloween People, Places, and Things handout. Cut the chart into slips of paper, making separate piles for each category. Use three paper bags and put the "people" strips in one, the "places" strips in the second, and the "things" strips in the third bag. Ask each student to take one slip from each sack and write a story based on the three slips drawn. Alternately, you can suggest that students trade some of their slips with friends to secure a story outline that especially interests them. Once the students have the strips they want, tell them to write a story about the people, places, and things on their strips.
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