🕯️Draw a character, a setting, a problem and a mystery item, and a spooky story is already taking shape. Students plan, draft, revise and publish kid-friendly Halloween stories, then share them around a pretend campfire.
You'll check out and download on Teachers Pay Teachers. Prices there may include a sale.
Write a Spooky Story is a Halloween narrative writing unit for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade that walks students through the full writing process. Stories are spooky in a fun, kid-friendly way, which keeps the focus on storytelling craft rather than scares.
Planning starts with 48 illustrated story cards in four groups: characters, settings, problems and mystery items. Students choose one from each group or roll the dice chart, and the combinations give every writer a fresh starting point. A story elements choice sheet records the picks.
Eight anchor charts teach the moves that make narratives work: building a story mountain, hooking the reader, describing a setting with the five senses, showing instead of telling, punctuating dialogue, choosing a point of view and writing strong titles and endings. An original mentor text, "The Night the Pumpkins Hummed," comes with a craft analysis so students can see each move in action.
Graphic organizers with completed models guide planning for the story, the setting, the character and the plot. Word banks supply vivid verbs, transitions, sound words, feeling words, character traits and sensory details. Students draft on wide or standard lines, revise with the ARMS & CUPS checklist and give each other feedback with a peer form.
Publishing pages, a writing checklist, a 4-level rubric and a Campfire Story Share round out the 47 pages. Lesson options cover a one-day quick write, a three-day project, a full week of writing workshop, a writing center, sub plans and round-robin writing.
📖 Teaching guide · 11 min readHow to Run a Spooky Story Narrative Writing Workshop in 2nd–5th GradeRead the guide →The story cards remove the blank-page problem, so students spend their energy on plot, description and dialogue. Anchor charts, a mentor text and completed planner models show exactly what good narrative writing looks like before students try it.
It is designed for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade, with wide and standard lined draft paper for different writers.
No. The stories are spooky but kid-friendly, and the mentor text and story cards keep the tone playful.
You can choose a one-day quick write, a three-day project or a full week workshop. It also works as a writing center, sub plans or round-robin writing.
A 4-level rubric, a student writing checklist, the ARMS & CUPS checklist and a peer feedback form are included.
👾
Created byActivity ExpressA free Halloween roll and draw for K–5: two leveled charts, a monster drawing mat, descriptive and persuasive writing, a partner game and a class graph.
🎃
Created byActivity ExpressHalloween figurative language for grades 3–5: 7 types, anchor posters, 28 practice pages, 28 task cards, an original poem, flip book and quiz.
🏁
Created byActivity ExpressA 6-week RACES constructed response unit for grades 3–5: 30 original passages, mini-lessons, organizers, rubrics and model answers for every lesson.
💛
Created byActivity ExpressA collaborative K–5 Thanksgiving wreath: 2 wreath sizes, 8 card designs, thankful and kindness writing cards, 24 kindness ideas and a family mini-wreath.