In the midst of the Halloween season, scary short stories are my go-to for teaching fun, rigorous, and engaging literature! I do NOT want to sacrifice learning for the sake of entertainment, but I love the idea of killing two birds with one stone.
I mean who really doesn’t like being scared a little in the month of October? Frightening experiences kind of go with the “monthly” territory; am I right?
So if you enjoy reading scary short stories and helping your students grow in their knowledge of literature, consider adding some horror into the mix!
Keep reading below for “9 Scary Short Stories for Middle and High School English!”
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9 Scary Short Stories for Middle and High School English
1. “The Tell-Tale Heart”
The ultimate horror-filled story, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” literally has it all! We have physical gruesomeness and psychological mania all wrapped up in a perfect package only Edgar Allan Poe could create! This infamous tale is the most taught short story in secondary classrooms!
QUICK SYNOPSIS: The narrator, a young man, lives with an old man. Over the course of the story, he plans the old man’s murder because of his “vulture eye.” After scheming for a while, he commits the murder and hides the body underneath the floor. Racked with guilt, the narrator ultimately confesses to the old man’s murder when police officers stop by to investigate after hearing about a neighbor’s concern.
If you need help with teaching character traits, character development, and/or literary analysis, check out this lesson bundle!
2. “Click Clack the Rattle Bag”
Although “Click Clack the Rattle Bag” by Neil Gaiman is typically taught in middle school, your high schoolers will love this short story as well. It is a quick, easy read for most students, and it is a fun addition to any Halloween-based literature unit!
QUICK SYNOPSIS: A young male is watching his girlfriend’s younger brother at their home when the little boy tells the tale of the Click Clacks. Let’s just say that by the end of the story, the young man who was supposed to watch the younger boy, has not REALLY paid attention to the boy and the story he relates during the time at the house…
Standards-based reading comprehension questions will help to make teaching this short story, like most scary short stories, well worth your while!
3. “The Veldt”
I absolutely love anything dystopian. From 1984 to Brave New World to The Matrix, I am a sucker for futuristic worlds bent on their own destruction! When considering scary short stories, I try to include stories that go beyond the typical horror genre. That is where Ray Bradbury’s “The Veldt” comes in.
QUICK SYNOPSIS: A pair of siblings become consumed with technology. Their parents attempt to gain back control over their own children, which leads to the parents’ demise.
Visualization, characterization, and writing activities have never been easier while teaching scary short stories with “The Veldt” Lesson BUNDLE!
If you teach 9th graders, check out this post for short story ideas throughout the year!
4. “A Vendetta”
Vengeance is truly sweet for some people, although I am not a proponent of it 😉 Guy de Maupassant’s “A Vendetta” relays a tale of revenge that makes it a perfect complement to any scary short stories unit!
QUICK SYNOPSIS: After her son is murdered, an aged mother trains her dog over many months to attack at her command. In the end, she fulfills her objective unbeknownst to others who would never suspect her of committing a foul deed.
Trust me! Your students will LOVE this short story! See it HERE!
5. “The Monkey’s Paw”
This story by W.W. Jacobs personifies the saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” Everyone who loves scary short stories will NOT want to miss out on this spooky tale!
QUICK SYNOPSIS: When a family receives the chance to make three wishes, they encounter a series of awful events they could not have foreseen and later on cannot escape. By the end of this horrific tale, the mother and father realize they cannot escape their son’s inevitable death.
“The Monkey’s Paw” BUNDLE contains lessons and activities focused on reading comprehension, characterization, visualization, writing, and more!
Click below to read about more ideas for teaching “The Monkey’s Paw!”
6. “The Cask of Amontillado”
Edgar Allan Poe shows he is once again THE epitome of a short story master with the classic “The Cask of Amontillado!” Your students will find the characters, themes, and language engaging, right from the start! (Because of the higher level language, you may want to read it with them.)
QUICK SYNOPSIS: During a carnival celebration, a man bent on revenge for some unknown reason lures his unsuspecting victim into the catacombs. He then seals his victim’s fate without any real explanation! The reader as well as the victim is left wondering “Why?”
To teach irony within “The Cask of Amontillado,” check out this activity HERE!
7. “Lamb to the Slaughter”
Alfred Hitchcock’s episode “Lamb to the Slaughter” beautifully captures the essence of Roald Dahl’s short story of the same name! Middle and high school students alike will gleefully read and watch this story for many reasons: the plot, the characters, and the quite humorous twist!
QUICK SYNOPSIS: When a husband returns home from work after a long day, he tells his pregnant wife that he wants a divorce. His wife kills him in response and cleverly gets rid of the evidence!
You can help your students examine the evidence and write about it in this ACTIVITY BUNDLE for “Lamb to the Slaughter!”
8. “The Most Dangerous Game”
“The Most Dangerous Game” personifies scary short stories, purely for the story’s psychological horror! It is one of my favorite short stories to teach because of its setting, two main characters, and well-developed plot!
QUICK SYNOPSIS: Marooned on an island, an infamous hunter becomes the hunted. He shrewdly plays the game and eventually overcomes his adversary!
If you need easy-to-teach plot activities, click this LINK!
Want help with teaching reading? Go here—> 19 Reading Intervention Strategies that WORK in Middle and High School Classrooms
9. “The Masque of the Red Death”
In this current era, teaching Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” is VITAL! Everyone, to some degree, fears death, which makes this story a perfect addition to your scary short stories unit!
QUICK SYNOPSIS: During a rampant plague, the wealthy hide out in a fortress in an attempt to avoid death. Clearly, one cannot escape a ubiquitous plague, and these upper-crust partygoers succumb like everyone else in the land!
As you prepare to teach setting, imagery, characterization, and summarizing for this short story, check out this lesson BUNDLE or quiz pack!
Why Teach Scary Short Stories?
- They are engaging from the start!
- They utilize interesting language and vocabulary!
- They connect to themes in other texts!
- They link perfectly to the month of October!
- They usually contain fantastic characterization!
Don’t forget to incorporate these short stories this year!!
This Short Story ULTIMATE BUNDLE with Lessons, Quizzes, and Activities uses the Common Core standards with reading comprehension QUESTIONS and ANSWERS for 18 short stories such as “The Most Dangerous Game,” “The Monkey’s Paw,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “After Twenty Years,” “The Gift of the Magi,” “The Veldt,” “The Lottery,” “The Pedestrian,” etc. modeled after various state reading exams.
Make teaching short stories SIMPLE & EASY!
Just PRINT & TEACH!!
Want more ideas for teaching scary short stories and other interesting tales? Check out my store Kristin Menke-Integrated ELA Test Prep!
