Special occasions provide a great opportunity to build community in the classroom and to break from the norm and do something a little different. In this case, Learners Edge staff chose to build community around favorite horror movies, books and shows! Ask your students about their favorite books or movies, then group them accordingly- perhaps do some rhetorical analysis or literary analysis around a specific genre for a high-level English lesson. Use math word problems to compare box office revenue and DVD revenue versus the movie budget to determine movie success (here is a great site to find these box office numbers). Take this chance to engage your students in a valuable lesson based on a topic they enjoy!
Here is the Learners Edge list:
Movies
- Friday the 13th: Classic scary movie! It still scares me every time I watch it on TV – Katie R
- Halloweentown (1998): Best date night with my boys…not sure they’d feel the same now that they’ve reached the teen years! – Tracy S
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966): It’s my kind of horror movie! – Niki N
- Kiss the Girls: It taught me to be physically and mentally strong- Susie L
- Nightmare on Elm Street: It’s so wild, it becomes comical – Jeff Z
- The Breakfast Club: Because my high school was exactly like that – Karin K
- The Poltergeist: The little girls stuck in the TV just really creeps me out to this day! And when her head turns all the way around…YIKES! – Katie S
- The Shining (1980)
- Watching someone lose their mind is terrifying especially since this time its Jack Nicholson. No one does crazy like him- Dawn B
- The house, the maze, what’s not to love? – Julie Y
- A 1980- oldie, but forever a goodie. There are images & lines I can never forget. – Barb I
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
- Anthony Hopkins is so creepy in that movie! – Jenny O
- I think that it is the only one I have watched without a pillow in front of my face. I’m a chicken! – Deb S
Shows
- Homeland with Claire Danes: More intense than scary. Carrie is brilliant and flawed – Susie L
- The Following (2013-2015): Based on a fictitious very creepy cult. Graphic violence gripped my attention, which also scared me! – Barb I
- Stranger Things: Tons of great 80s references – Dawn B
- Stranger Things: The suspense, the 80s! – Jill R
- The Walking Dead: Love the unpredictability! – Tracey S
Books
- Ghost Stories of Minnesota: This book includes short stories from a little too close to “home!” Nothing murderous- mostly mysterious! This is just spooky, not horrific- and kind of kid-friendly- Barb I
- Pet Sematary: This was my first horror book, and I read it (and too many other early Stephen King) in 4th or 5th I had to put it outside of my room when I finally finished reading under the covers each night because it scared me to have the book in the room- Dawn B
- Anything by Stephen King: He is a master storyteller- Julie Y
You’ve heard our list, but now we’d like to hear from you! What’s your favorite horror movie, show or book and why? Comment with your list below.
***
Learners Edge is passionately committed to providing you with continuing education coursework, materials, and tools that will help you succeed in your classroom and in your career.
Offering more than 100 print-based or online courses for teachers, you can earn the graduate credit you need for salary advancement and meet your professional development needs. Contact us today to get started!