13 Halloween Horror Short Stories and Quizzes for High School ELA (Vol. 2)
Engage high school readers during the fall season with this Halloween short story quiz bundle, a collection of 13 editable reading comprehension quizzes covering works of fiction that feature everything from madmen to mummies and goblins to graveyards. Featured authors include Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Washington Irving, the Brothers Grimm, and several other talented (though obscure) writers. Each quiz is crafted to assess students' understanding of setting, characters, and conflicts. Answer keys and public domain copies of the short stories are included.
The featured stories bring eerie fun and a few chills to the classroom in September and October:
"In a Graveyard" by Eando Binder – A writer visits a cemetery for inspiration and encounters a seemingly friendly stranger whose life is strangely similar to that of a legendarily dark literary figure – the vampire
"It Walks by Night" by Henry Kuttner – A widower visits a cemetery to defend his wife's corpse from "a horror that walks by night," only to face a horror he never could have imagined.
"Mother of Toads" by Clark Ashton Smith – A young apprentice is hexed by a "repellently fat and lumpish" witch, causing him to find her "pale, warty body" attractive. When reason returns to him, the apprentice faces a series of disturbing consequences.
"Mummy" by Kelsey Percival Kitchel – A man defiles an ancient burial ground by stealing what does not belong to him (a mummy's head), leading to a series of life-threatening paranormal events.
"Some Words with a Mummy" by Edgar Allan Poe – Edgar Allan Poe emphasizes Egyptology and mummy lore, poking fun at the perception that 19th century society mastered knowledge as a result of scientific and industrial advancements.
"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving – A miserly man strikes a deal with the Devil for wealth, and develops greed in the process.
"The Evil Doll" by Hannes Bok – A woman becomes the subject of an artist's vengeful witchcraft and struggles to overcome the dire complications that ensue.
"The Goblins Will Get You" by Hugh Raymond – A man is enlisted to help earnest goblins learn all there is to know about human psychology and culture before they proceed with a plan to conquer the earth. Thwarting the goblins' plan will require both skill and luck, and despite the protagonist's cleverness, saving the world is not guaranteed.
"The Godfather" by the Brothers Grimm – A poor man receives help that turns his life around, only to discover that the source of the help is far from benign.
"The Hound" by H.P. Lovecraft – Two grave-robbers steal a jade amulet from a buried corpse, unleashing a supernatural hound that relentlessly hunts them.
"The Séance" by Ronal Kayser – A reporter attends a séance that conjures the spirit of a woman betrayed and maimed by her jealous husband.
"The Silver Coffin" by Robert Barbour Johnson – The guardian of a legendary casket helps the narrator combat the threat posed by the evil that lies within.
"The Werewolf's Howl" by Brooke Byrne – A dying man recounts a disturbing experience that plagued him for most of his life.
Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. (Alternatively, a self-grading Google option is available.)
Ideal for:
Engaging students during the Halloween season
Reinforcing student accountability during independent reading
Introducing Gothic literature or Dark Romanticism in a unit on genre
Pairing with celebrated works of horror fiction by the likes of Nathaniel Hawthorne, H.P. Lovecraft, and Edgar Allan Poe
Resources are available for teaching short stories of various genres:
Engage high school readers during the fall season with this Halloween short story quiz bundle, a collection of 13 editable reading comprehension quizzes covering works of fiction that feature everything from madmen to mummies and goblins to graveyards. Featured authors include Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Washington Irving, the Brothers Grimm, and several other talented (though obscure) writers. Each quiz is crafted to assess students' understanding of setting, characters, and conflicts. Answer keys and public domain copies of the short stories are included.
The featured stories bring eerie fun and a few chills to the classroom in September and October:
"In a Graveyard" by Eando Binder – A writer visits a cemetery for inspiration and encounters a seemingly friendly stranger whose life is strangely similar to that of a legendarily dark literary figure – the vampire
"It Walks by Night" by Henry Kuttner – A widower visits a cemetery to defend his wife's corpse from "a horror that walks by night," only to face a horror he never could have imagined.
"Mother of Toads" by Clark Ashton Smith – A young apprentice is hexed by a "repellently fat and lumpish" witch, causing him to find her "pale, warty body" attractive. When reason returns to him, the apprentice faces a series of disturbing consequences.
"Mummy" by Kelsey Percival Kitchel – A man defiles an ancient burial ground by stealing what does not belong to him (a mummy's head), leading to a series of life-threatening paranormal events.
"Some Words with a Mummy" by Edgar Allan Poe – Edgar Allan Poe emphasizes Egyptology and mummy lore, poking fun at the perception that 19th century society mastered knowledge as a result of scientific and industrial advancements.
"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving – A miserly man strikes a deal with the Devil for wealth, and develops greed in the process.
"The Evil Doll" by Hannes Bok – A woman becomes the subject of an artist's vengeful witchcraft and struggles to overcome the dire complications that ensue.
"The Goblins Will Get You" by Hugh Raymond – A man is enlisted to help earnest goblins learn all there is to know about human psychology and culture before they proceed with a plan to conquer the earth. Thwarting the goblins' plan will require both skill and luck, and despite the protagonist's cleverness, saving the world is not guaranteed.
"The Godfather" by the Brothers Grimm – A poor man receives help that turns his life around, only to discover that the source of the help is far from benign.
"The Hound" by H.P. Lovecraft – Two grave-robbers steal a jade amulet from a buried corpse, unleashing a supernatural hound that relentlessly hunts them.
"The Séance" by Ronal Kayser – A reporter attends a séance that conjures the spirit of a woman betrayed and maimed by her jealous husband.
"The Silver Coffin" by Robert Barbour Johnson – The guardian of a legendary casket helps the narrator combat the threat posed by the evil that lies within.
"The Werewolf's Howl" by Brooke Byrne – A dying man recounts a disturbing experience that plagued him for most of his life.
Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. (Alternatively, a self-grading Google option is available.)
Ideal for:
Engaging students during the Halloween season
Reinforcing student accountability during independent reading
Introducing Gothic literature or Dark Romanticism in a unit on genre
Pairing with celebrated works of horror fiction by the likes of Nathaniel Hawthorne, H.P. Lovecraft, and Edgar Allan Poe
Resources are available for teaching short stories of various genres:
Engage high school readers during the fall season with this Halloween short story quiz bundle, a collection of 13 editable reading comprehension quizzes covering works of fiction that feature everything from madmen to mummies and goblins to graveyards. Featured authors include Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Washington Irving, the Brothers Grimm, and several other talented (though obscure) writers. Each quiz is crafted to assess students' understanding of setting, characters, and conflicts. Answer keys and public domain copies of the short stories are included.
The featured stories bring eerie fun and a few chills to the classroom in September and October:
"In a Graveyard" by Eando Binder – A writer visits a cemetery for inspiration and encounters a seemingly friendly stranger whose life is strangely similar to that of a legendarily dark literary figure – the vampire
"It Walks by Night" by Henry Kuttner – A widower visits a cemetery to defend his wife's corpse from "a horror that walks by night," only to face a horror he never could have imagined.
"Mother of Toads" by Clark Ashton Smith – A young apprentice is hexed by a "repellently fat and lumpish" witch, causing him to find her "pale, warty body" attractive. When reason returns to him, the apprentice faces a series of disturbing consequences.
"Mummy" by Kelsey Percival Kitchel – A man defiles an ancient burial ground by stealing what does not belong to him (a mummy's head), leading to a series of life-threatening paranormal events.
"Some Words with a Mummy" by Edgar Allan Poe – Edgar Allan Poe emphasizes Egyptology and mummy lore, poking fun at the perception that 19th century society mastered knowledge as a result of scientific and industrial advancements.
"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving – A miserly man strikes a deal with the Devil for wealth, and develops greed in the process.
"The Evil Doll" by Hannes Bok – A woman becomes the subject of an artist's vengeful witchcraft and struggles to overcome the dire complications that ensue.
"The Goblins Will Get You" by Hugh Raymond – A man is enlisted to help earnest goblins learn all there is to know about human psychology and culture before they proceed with a plan to conquer the earth. Thwarting the goblins' plan will require both skill and luck, and despite the protagonist's cleverness, saving the world is not guaranteed.
"The Godfather" by the Brothers Grimm – A poor man receives help that turns his life around, only to discover that the source of the help is far from benign.
"The Hound" by H.P. Lovecraft – Two grave-robbers steal a jade amulet from a buried corpse, unleashing a supernatural hound that relentlessly hunts them.
"The Séance" by Ronal Kayser – A reporter attends a séance that conjures the spirit of a woman betrayed and maimed by her jealous husband.
"The Silver Coffin" by Robert Barbour Johnson – The guardian of a legendary casket helps the narrator combat the threat posed by the evil that lies within.
"The Werewolf's Howl" by Brooke Byrne – A dying man recounts a disturbing experience that plagued him for most of his life.
Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. (Alternatively, a self-grading Google option is available.)
Ideal for:
Engaging students during the Halloween season
Reinforcing student accountability during independent reading
Introducing Gothic literature or Dark Romanticism in a unit on genre
Pairing with celebrated works of horror fiction by the likes of Nathaniel Hawthorne, H.P. Lovecraft, and Edgar Allan Poe
Resources are available for teaching short stories of various genres:
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Engage high school readers during the fall season with this Halloween short story quiz bundle, a collection of 13 editable reading comprehension quizzes covering works of fiction that feature everything from madmen to mummies and goblins to graveyards. Featured authors include Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Washington Irving, the Brothers Grimm, and several other talented (though obscure) writers. Each quiz is crafted to assess students' understanding of setting, characters, and conflicts. Answer keys and public domain copies of the short stories are included.