_edited.png)
6 Scary Short Stories to Read on Halloween in Secondary ELA
A good scary story is all it takes to get your middle and high students invested in their reading. Here are six scary short stories your secondary ELA students will love on Halloween.
Lamb to the Slaughter
In “Lamb to the Slaughter,” poor Mary loses her husband. Will police ever be able to find out what happened? This story is great to discuss character motivation and irony.
The Most Dangerous Game
In “The Most Dangerous Game,” students will be shocked when they realize what General Zaroff is hunting. This story works well for teaching mood, imagery, and descriptive language. Click here for a free story unit for “The Most Dangerous Game.”
The Landlady
In “The Landlady,” Billy leaves home for work and stays at a nice boarding house. What could possibly go wrong? Students love the twist in this story, and it’s a great story to use when discussing foreshadowing.
The Cask of Amontillado
In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Montressor vows to get revenge. Secondary students love revenge stories, and the end is always shocking. This short story is full of irony, and you can also use it to discuss unreliable narrators.
The Pedestrian
In “The Pedestrian,” Leonard goes for an evening stroll, and students can’t believe what happens to him. This story has beautiful imagery and descriptive language, and it lends itself well to discussions on mood.
The Lottery
Before reading “The Lottery,” students always see a lottery as a prize. They never see the twist coming. Skimming through the story after their first read, students will see foreshadowing throughout the whole story.
I hope you’re inspired to teach some spooky short stories this Halloween. Middle and high school students love a good scary story, especially one with a twist at the end. Happy Halloween!
Short Story Units
The Most Dangerous Game (Free Story Unit)