Settings:Where the main action takes place

Ancient buildings such as castles

Conventions

of Gothic

Horror

Using the grid, place each of the gothic horror conventions

into the correct box.For example:

What gothic

horror IS

NOT!

Gothic Horror does NOT mean characters being shot to pieces or stabbed to a gruesome death in a dark alley.

Gothic Horror focuses instead on the unexplainable. Things that go bump in the night and noises that can’t be explained.

Gothic horror looks at what characters are afraid of and is more psychological than pure, unnecessary violence!

Write down some interesting descriptive words to paint a picture of this setting

What makes

a good

gothic horror

story??

2. A link to

the senses

What might you hear, see, smell, touch or

taste in this forest?

Write one sentence for

each sense... More will

win points for your team!

Spooky

opening

sentences....Mini Task:Think about what makes a good opening sentence to a gothic horror story.

L.O: To understand what makes a good story opening

Now that we have a good idea what gothic horror is all about we are going to look at 3 story openings.

Who would like to read…. You’ll win 5 points for your team

Story Opening

s

Choose which story opening, 1,2 or 3 is the best and justify your choice.

For example: I think that story opening 1 is the best because the first sentence grips you to find out what has happened.

Which story has the best opening?

Which story has the best opening?

Using your senses sentences and your descriptive language from last

week AND your knowledge of opening sentences, write 100 words

describing a character entering the forest.

Reviewin

g short

storiesThroughout this topic we

are going to look at a number of different

short stories and poems.

Using the chart you will keep a record of the

stories and poems we read along with a personal review!

Reviewin

g The

Red

Room.

I liked the Red Room because…

I didn’t like the Red Room because…

What

happene

d?!? Task: Write a short summary of the Red Room. This must be at least 5 lines long and include a sentence about:

- The characters.- The legend (why is the red room famous)- What happens at the end.- Any supernatural elements.

Extension: What do YOU think happened in The Red Room?

Gothic

Horror

Conventi

ons.Recap: Who can tell me ONE of the conventions of Gothic Horror?

Task:Looking at ‘The Red Room’ write down a list of quotes that show us that the story follows the conventions of gothic horror.For example: ‘The man with the withered arm’ : this is a typical ‘strange’ character found in gothic horror stories.

First person

narrative. Mini Task:

Write down 2 things you remember about ‘The Red Room’ without looking in

your book.

L.O: To understand first person narrative.

First

person

narrative

.

When a story is told in the first person, it means that the narrator telling the story is also a character in the story.

The reader sees, feels and hears all that the narrator experiences.

Mini Task:What effects does a story written in the first person have on the reader? What type information do they get access to? Whose viewpoint do they see events through?

First

person

narrative

. When a story is told in ‘first person narrative’ this means that the story is told using I.

This means that the story is written and told in first hand terms… I did this… I saw/heard… the next thing I knew…

Quick Question: What do you think this ADDS to the narrative (story)?

Intention

s…Mini Tasks:

1. What effect does gothic horror intend to have on the reader?Think about how gothic horror stories try to make you feel and how they do this…

2. Relating to Red Room:Do you think that Red Room is a successful Gothic Horror? (remember to justify your answer!)

So… you

didn’t think

it scary

huh? When Gothic Horror novels first became popular in the 1800’s

people were scared of anything new, different or unexplainable.

Science was becoming more advanced meaning religion was questioned, people didn’t know what to believe.

Health was a huge issue and death was all around, this saw people becoming fascinated and terrified with what happened after we die.

Psychiatrists saw people who had angry outbursts or were a little different as being mad and therefore they were institutionalised as people feared them!

What do YOU find scary?

• Write down something you are really scared of and explain briefly why this scares you.

Scary

beginnings

…Task:

Using your chosen ‘feared item’ and the techniques found in ‘The Red Room’

write your very own terrifying opening

paragraph to a gothic horror story.

For example: The night was dark and cold

and I was once again walking home alone….. I heard a noise behind me

and couldn’t quite work out what it was… it sounded

like…

Using the picture below write your own story….

“As she looked up at the terrifying beasts in front of her…

Edgar Allen

Poe

L.O: To study an Edgar Allan Poe

poem.Mini Task:

What does the Raven symbolise?Write your ideas

down in full sentences in your

books.

Edgar Allen

PoeEdgar Allen Poe, born in 1809 is one of the most well known poets in the gothic horror genre.

Poe’s short stories and poems focused on gloomy characters surrounded by dreary darkness.

The main focus of his works always saw rich broken characters who didn’t seem to work and instead remained in dark castles alone to brood over the loss of a loved one.

Very happy indeed!

Dreary, Bleak, Ghost, Lost,

Sorrow, Terrors,

Darkness, Melancholy,

Stern, Dirges, Grave,

Stillness

The RAVEN

Looking at the words opposite taken directly

from ‘The Raven’ predict what you think will

happen in the poem.

Think about: • Atmosphere • Setting

• Time of day • Time of year • Characters

The Raven

The RAVEN

Now that you have read the poem look back at your predictions. Were they accurate?

Read through the poem and underline words that reinforce the theme of bleakness and helplessness. E.g ‘filled me with fantastic terror’ and ‘deep into the darkness peering’

Extension: Reading through the poem decide what the characters chambers (his room) would look like. You can either draw a picture with labels or write a paragraph to describe the room

Gothic Horror

L.O: To read and understand “The Tell Tale Heart”.

The Tell Tale Heart• What can you remember about Edgar Allan Poe?

The Tell Tale Heart was first published in 1843.

It follows the story of a man (though this is never stated only assumed) who is trying to convince the reader of his sanity.

Mini Task:Make a prediction: What do you think ‘The Tell Tale Heart’ will be about? We know that it tells the story of a narrator but what else?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIFrNQSKzk4

The Tell Tale

Heart

TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily --how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees --very gradually --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.

The Tell Tale Heart• How do the opening two paragraphs of the story draw the reader

in?• Did the opening paragraphs make YOU want to read on? Why?

(remember to justify your answer)

Task: • Look at your scare factor chart and give the story a score out of 5.

If you gave a score of:• 1-3: write down how the story could have been even more scary

and gothic horror related• 4-5: write down what you liked best that made the story scary for

you and how it fitted in with the gothic horror genre.

Story Writing:

Mini task:Write down in your books 4 things that YOU think make a story GOOD.

Discuss your ideas with a partner.

Story Hooks:

• Looking at the various story extracts and descriptions of different types of story hooks decide which story matches which extract

Gothic

Horror

Writing L.O: To

write your very own

gothic horror story.

Story Hooks:

• Looking at the various story extracts and descriptions of different types of story hooks decide which story matches which extract

Mini Task:Using the sheet you have been given, match the literary device to its

correct definition. First person to do so will win 5 points for their team.

My Gothic Horror StoryPLANNING:

Now that we have a fabulous understanding of gothic horror and have written brilliant and terrifying poems we are going to begin to write our very own gothic horror short story.

Things you must remember:- There is a word limit of 500 words. (Remember this is a SHORT story)- It must link to gothic horror conventions (no bloody murders or clowns in alleyways, guns and robbery's or anything from Saw movies please!- Stories that are voted as having a scare factor 3 or above will receive prizes.

Story Hooks:

• Looking at the various story extracts and descriptions of different types of story hooks decide which story matches which extract

By the end of the lesson you should have a description of:-A character -A location-A time of year/day/century. -A vague plot outline (this does not have to be a set out plan of what will happen)-An idea of how you may include a story hook.

Making interesting sentences

Mini Task:Looking at the sentence below re-write it to ensure it is as spine chilling and interesting as possible!

The man walked into the dark room.

The semi colon

The Red Room: H.G.WellsThe old man with the cough jerked his head back so suddenly that it startled me, and shot another glance of his red eyes at me from under the shade;but no one answered me.

Copy this example:• Neither of us spoke; we merely waited patiently

in silence to see what would happen.

How do you read a short story:When you read a short story you should ask yourself:

• How important is the title? • How does the story begin? (opening paragraph)• How does the story develop? (development of plot)• How does the story end? (effective ending)• Who tells the story? Narrator?• What sort of language is used? • What are the images used? • What are the characters like?

Write these in a list of what you think is the MOST important to make a good story.

Writing a Gothic Horror

Reviewing your story:

1. Read the story2. Give it a scare factor out

of 53. Complete the sentence ‘I

especially liked….’4. Complete the sentence ‘It

would be even better if…’5. Read a partners story and

repeat steps 2,3 and 4.

Story Openings:• I was walking in the Southern plains of France, in the withered woods as its known. • The fragile man, with his pale, lifeless skin, walked onto the pitch black room, darkness penetrated every corner, no mercy was given to the

squandering light in the corner, the eerie silence was terrifying, excruciating and spine chillingly scary. • The boy always sat there in the middle of his bed, his bag still un-packed. • It was a dark and misty night when Jeff was walking home. • Richard Elyson woke up suddenly in an old abandoned cold supermarket. • The corpse lay there on the floor; pale and cold. • “3,2,1… Happy New Year!” Everyone screams as the fireworks sizzled and the confetti flew on the TV screen. • I was in my house, just another night, but this felt like no ordinary night. • It was a cold, wet, bleak night in December.• Once upon a winters night, far, far away• It all started at 10 o’clock, there was a storm thundering outside. • Red hot iron tore through the body of the boe-fighters, boy those jerries' could flu!• John nearly cried out as he toppled backwards out of the window.• I’m adventurous , that’s why I even bothered to climb the rusty gate. • ‘T was a cold dark night in the ancient village of Myonar. • The small fire lit up the gloomy, musty-aired room.• His trembling hands clenched; tightening round the throat that insisted on muttering gibberish. • “Safety” that is the main concern of a man looking after his daughter. • As the business man saunted down the street the less fortunate homeless made themselves as small as possible. So as not to incur his violence. • I used to be normal. A normal job, normal family, normal kids, normal… wife. • The floorboards creaked beneath his fraudulent leg. • One day on a cold, late December’s evening, as the embers of Christmas fizzle out.• The one eye blinked as the darkness engulfed the room. • The body was cold as ice, pale as a ghost, with blood • As I left his house into the brisk night his scerams could still be heard.

Reviewing Gothic Horror

Reviewing Gothic Horror• Now that we have finished the gothic horror module draw the table

below in your books with your opinions of gothic horror.