Use supplemental materials for Stephen King's short stories that are appropriate for classroom use.
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Before Reading
- Introduce the genre of horror and suspense with a film, such as The Haunting, The Phantom of the Opera, or Psycho. Have students identify and analyze the elements of suspense and horror in the film.
- Orally read a horror story, such as Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" to the class. Discuss why it is so horrifying.
- Compile a collection of horror and/or suspense stories with which the students are familiar.
While Reading
As an introduction to a unit on horror and suspense, small groups of students can each read a different Stephen King selected short story, and discuss and write about the stories using the questions and activities below. After reading, discussing, and writing about the King stories, students can read one or more of the classic works suggested in the bibliography. Students can utilize their knowledge of the genres of horror and suspense learned from reading the King stories to analyze the classic fiction.
- Students can keep a response journal, recording their reactions to the stories. They can select their own topics or respond to the questions below.
- The response journal might be followed up with students working in reading groups. Students who have read the same story can share their ideas and, thereby gain other insights into the story.
- These questions are appropriate to discuss or write about after reading any of the suggested short stories:
- What is the nature of evil?
- What is the embodiment of evil in the story?
- How does King develop the suspense in the story?
- What elements of surprise are built into the story?
- Who is the protagonist? Is she or he a victim? How does King make you empathize with the protagonist?
- Who or what is the antagonist? When do you discover who the antagonist is? How do you feel after you discover this?
