Films, Novels and Stories for Halloween Lesson Plans

Halloween was first celebrated as “All-Hallows-Eve” in the Sixteenth Century, yet its traditions date back even further. Over time, Halloween has attained the jack-o-lantern symbol, the concept of guising oneself and the reception of candy have worked their way into the traditions of people all around the world. The spirit of Halloween is constantly being re-bolstered through novels, short stories, films and even classroom lectures. Students can learn about haunted houses in particular by reading or watching the following books and movies. 

Haunted Houses in the United States

• 112 Ocean Avenue – This New York home is perhaps one of the most famous haunted houses of all time. It is the location of the legendary Amityville Horror.

• Ashmore Estates – These Illinois Estates were once an insane asylum. Now they are the location of various paranormal mists and the ghost of a doctor who had reportedly committed suicide by jumping from a window.

• Crescent Hotel – Even though it is a hotel, the Eureka Springs facility has also served as a dormitory and a hospital. There are ghost doctors and nurses, and even a gentleman in Victorian attire who haunts the lobby. One of the rooms in this hotel is said to have a ghostly tenant who traumatizes guests.

• Dead Women Crossing – In July, 1905, Katie DeWitt James and her baby disappeared. Her baby was found unharmed, but covered in blood. Over a month later, Katie was found decapitated near the creek. To this day, people claim they can hear a woman crying for her baby near Deer Creek.

• Eastern State Penitentiary – In Pennsylvania, this prison is said to house dozens if not hundreds of ghosts. Even TAPS, the investigators from Sci Fi’s Ghost Hunters found evidence that is hard to deny.

• Goldfield Hotel – There is rumor of the ghost of a pregnant prostitute chained to the radiator of room 109 in this Nevada facility. George Winfield, the man who chained her, is also said to still lurk the halls. The inexplicable smell of cigar smoke is a sign.

• Harpers Ferry – The ghost of John Brown, an abolitionist, still walks the streets of this West Virginia town. His apparition is said to be very solid and he is often mistaken for a living person and asked to pose for photos by tourists.  

• The Houghton Mansion – This former home to the first mayor of North Adams, Massachusetts is the location of some serious paranormal activity. Appliances turn on and off at will and there are sounds of footsteps, whispers and loud banging noises.

• The McPike Mansion – There have been several reports of paranormal activity in this Alton, Illinois mansion including the apparition of former owner Paul Laichinger, the feeling of being hugged, the sound of children playing and the site of strange mist.

• The Moore House – Also known as the Villisca Axe Murder House is the location of a still unsolved axe murder that occurred in 1912. Eight people were killed and their spirits still linger, triggered by the noise of passing trains.

• The Mordechai House – This Raleigh, North Carolina home is where many workers and visitors have spotted the ghost of Mary Willis Mordechai Turk in a white blouse, black skirt and black tie.

• Myrtle’s Plantation – The ghosts of a former slave, two children she is said to have murdered, and of a lawyer named William Winter are among the spirits that still roam this Louisiana plantation.

• OK Corral – The ghosts in this Arizona corral are said to have been individuals who died during the famous Gunfight at the OK Corral in 1881.

• Prospect Place – This 29-room Ohio mansion is said to have a history where residents performed satanic rituals. There are also said to have been killings related to its involvement in the Underground Railroad.

• Queen Mary – This retired ocean liner is now a hotel with significant reported paranormal activity. One of the ghosts, nicknamed Pinky for its pink aura, is said to have warned electricians of a collapse.

• The Riddle House – Located in West Palm Beach, Florida, The Riddle House is home to the ghost of a former employee who hanged himself in the attic.

• Sloss Furnaces – Although it is said hundreds of men died here, two of the workers who had fallen into the furnace flames are said to haunt the facility. The ghosts of Theophilus Jowers and James Wormwood have been identified.

• St. Augustine Lighthouse – This Florida tower is said to house several ghosts including a few children and a man who had committed suicide after the Stock Market Crash in 1929. The ghost of the original lighthouse keeper is also said to wander the grounds.

• The Stanley Hotel – Located in Estes Park, Colorado, The Stanley Hotel is famously the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining.

• Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum – Formerly a psychiatric hospital, this West Virginia asylum now offers paranormal tours for people hoping to catch a glimpse of the ghosts of former patients.

• Union Cemetery – There is much documentation of paranormal occurrences in this Connecticut cemetery including photos of light rods, orbs and strange mists. There is also said to be a spirit known as the White Lady who wanders the grounds and has on multiple occasions been driven through.

• USS Salem – This former battleship is now a Quincy, Massachusetts museum haunted by the spirits of its former crews.

• West Virginia State Penitentiary – Voted one of the most haunted places in America, this former prison is reported to house phantom inmates, shadow people and other paranormal evidence such as noises, disembodied voices and cold spots.

• The Winchester Mystery House – This mansion is called a “mystery house” because of its maze like design. The former owner, Sarah Winchester, was told that if she stopped building, the curse placed on her family would kill her. She lived a full life, dying at 83, but it is said she lives on along with a number of other ghosts in the manor.

• The Whaley House – This San Diego residence is said to be haunted by its builder Thomas Whaley and his wife Anna. Even Regis Philbin has claimed to see Anna’s ghost during a stay. Also said to haunt the premises is the ghost of “Yankee Jim” who had been killed on the property prior to Thomas Whaley owning it.

Novels that Feature Haunted Houses

• Albert, Susan Wittig. Witches’ Bane, 1993. – The second book in the China Bayles Mysteries series.

• Anson, Jay. The Amityville Horror, 1977. – A supposed documentation of real events that occurred with the Lutz family thirteen months after a murder took place in their new house.

• Bradbury, Ray. From the Dust Returned, 2001. – This short story collection turned novel follows a family of ghosts.

• Bulwer-Lytton, Edward. The Haunted and the Haunters, 1857. – A curious individual investigates a supposed haunting.

• Burley, W.J. Wycliffe and the Scapegoat, 1978. – The eighth book in the Wycliffe series.

• Christie, Agatha. Hallowe’en Party, 1969. – This novel is the 36^th in the Hercule Poirot mystery series. There is also a 2008 graphic novel adaptation.

• Danielewski, Mark Z. House of Leaves, 2000. – This more recent novel explores point of view with unusual page layouts to create a unique reading experience.

• Dickens, Charles (with others). “The Haunted House,” 1859. – While only three of the eight parts of this story were written by Dickens, the many voices of ghosts work together fluidly.

• Glaister, Lesley. Trick or Treat, 1990. – Halloween antics erupt into violence in this novel told through the eyes of an eight-year-old.

• Hill, Susan. The Woman in Black, 1983. – Solicitor Arthur Kipps experiences hauntings in the home and town of a recently deceased woman.

• Jackson, Shirley. The Haunting of Hill House, 1959. – This horror classic follows four characters staying at an old, and very haunted, mansion.

• James, Henry. The Turn of the Screw, 1898. – This ghost story was the inspiration for many of the novels and films produced since its creation.

• King, Stephen. Salem’s Lot, 1975. – While researching an old mansion, Ben Mears discovers it has recently been purchased. Soon after, the townspeople start becoming vampires.

• King, Stephen. The Shining, 1977. – When a family of three moves into a hotel, the young son experiences the paranormal. When he proves difficult to possess, the spirits take over his father.

• Lovecraft, H.P. “The Rats in the Walls,” 1924. – When Delapore inherits his family’s estate, he and his cats hear scratching in the walls. He then discovers his family’s frightening history.

• Matheson, Richard. Hell House, 1971. – When investigating life after death, a party of four finds themselves in a very haunted mansion that degrades them mentally and physically.

• McBain, Ed. Tricks, 1985. – This book was part of the 87^th Precinct series.

• Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Fall of the House of Usher,” 1845. – When the narrator is asked to care for a sick friend, he visits their home and discovers a strange glow in certain areas.

• Radcliffe, Ann. The Mysteries of Udolpho, 1794. – Arguably the first traditional horror novel. In it, a young orphan is trapped in a castle.

• Stoker, Bram. Dracula, 1897. – This vampire-centric book is uniquely written through the eyes of several narrators and includes mock newspaper clippings.

Some Films that Feature Haunted Houses (note that these are not all horror films, nor were they all well-received)

• The Cat and the Canary (1927)
• Scared Stiff (1953)
• House on Haunted Hill (1959, remade 1999)
• 13 Ghosts (1960, remade 2001)
• The Innocents (1961 – based on The Turn of the Screw)
• The Haunting (1963, remade 1999 – based on The Haunting of Hill House)
• The Amityville Horror (1979, remade 2005)
• The Shining (1980)
• The Changeling (1980)
• Poltergeist (1982)
• Ghostbusters (1984)
• Beetlejuice (1988)
• The People Under the Stairs (1991)
• Casper (1995)
• Michael Jackson’s Ghosts (1996)
• Ju-on: The Grudge (2003)
• House of Wax (2005)
• 1408 (2007)
• Paranormal Activity (2007)
• The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

Halloween Lesson Plans

• Halloween Lessons and Teacher Resources: Halloween lessons for language arts, math and more.

• TeacherVision: Listing of different Halloween lesson plans by class subject.

• TeAchnology: Extensive listing of Halloween lesson plans.

• Halloween Lessons & Games: Halloween resources for both kids and educators.

• Halloween Crafts: Different Halloween craft ideas for kids.

• Halloween Art Lessons: Different ideas for Halloween themed art lessons and other fun crafts.

• Pumpkins & Halloween: Tons of resources on fun pumpkin activities and other Halloween stuff.

• Halloween Music: Downloadable spooky Halloween music.

• Kidz Page: Pages of different fun activities for kids.

• Halloween Games: Crosswords, puzzles, and other fun Halloween games and activities.

• Halloween Costume Data - Intended for First Grade students to teach how numbers can be organized into charts.

• Halloween Tales - Intended for grades 4-6, this project will teach kids how to integrate specific words into their writing.

• Harrowing Halloween - These are more for high schoolers as they are companions to reading classic literature such as Sleepy Hollow, Macbeth and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

• Learning Through Listening - This site features a series of lesson plans for teachers of students all the way through middle school.

• Maskmaking - Here is a series of lesson plans about masks and their relevance in different cultures. Since Halloween is also a popular time for masks, it is a great opportunity for some crossover learning.

• Tides for Teachers - This is a project for elementary students to help teach them the similarities and differences between cultures by comparing Halloween with the Day of the Dead.

• Trick or Treat for UNICEF - As interest in trick-or-treating is phasing out by fifth grade, this project will encourage students to do more productive, charity work on Halloween.

Article written by Janice D. McDonald