CREATE-a-MONSTER WRITING A HORROR STORY. Written by Eleanor W. Hoomes, Ph.D. Cover Design and Text Illustration by Karen Sigler

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1 CREATE-a-MONSTER WRITING A HORROR STORY Written by Eleanor W. Hoomes, Ph.D. Cover Design and Text Illustration by Karen Sigler

2 Contents INTRODUCTION TO THE TEACHER LEARN ABOUT MONSTERS Activity No. 1 Monster I.Q. Test Activity No. 2 Defining and Identifying Fantasy Activity No. 3 American Monsters Activity No. 4 Mythological and Legendary Monsters Activity No. 5 The Undead Activity No. 6 Wereanimals Activity No. 7 Maybe-They-Exist Monsters Activity No. 8 Man-Made Monsters Activity No. 9 Movie Monsters Activity No. 10 Benevolent Monsters CREATING A MONSTER AND WRITING A HORROR STORY Activity No. 11 Create a Monster No. 11, A Appearance and Origin...35 No. 11, B Illustration...36 No. 11, C Living Conditions...37 No. 11, D Personality and Values...38 No. 11, E Strengths and Weaknesses...39 No. 11, F Adventures...40 No. 11, G Create an Opponent...41 Activity No. 12 Writing a Horror Story OTHER WAYS TO USE A MONSTER Activity No. 13 Other Ways to Use a Monster No. 13, A Suggested Products...47 No. 13, B Group-Created Stories...48 No. 13, C I Was Kidnapped by Monsters...49 No 13, D A Ready-to-Use Monster...50 No. 13, E A Grab Bag of More Suggestions SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY...53 TEAR-OUT REPRODUCIBLE STUDENT WORK SHEETS

3 Introduction to the Teacher Students like to create, write, and share stories; however, they can be baffled and become resentful when told to write a short story without being shown how to write one. Not knowing where nor how to begin, much less how to develop and end, they often write one skimpy paragraph and call it a short story. Conversely, when they are led through the structure of a story step by step, they often surprise themselves with the results. Wise teachers capitalize on popular culture in the classroom. They begin with what is already familiar and interesting to students and use that knowledge and interest as springboards to introduce new knowledge. Create-a-Monster: Writing a Horror Story builds on the existing knowledge of and interest in monsters and monster lore. Although monsters may change, monsters themselves never go out of style. Monsters are universal and timeless, having developed all over the world and in all cultures. They exist in history, legend, and myth. They are found in fiction set in the past, present, or future on this planet and in other worlds. Monsters reflect the people and cultures who create them. Older civilizations really feared monsters and used them to explain the tragedies and catastrophes which plagued them. Today primitive cultures in remote areas of the world cling to their superstitious beliefs in evil monsters. For most people, however, they are simply fun. They are useful in horror films, fantasies, games, and science fiction. In children s stories the monsters are often tame and humorous. Monsters make an excellent springboard to the study of a variety of subjects folklore, mythology, sociology, history, and biology; however, Create-a-Monster uses monsters to encourage students to be creative, especially in writing. Children can write some better than others, of course, but they all have the raw materials needed for creative writing floating around in their lives. Create-a-Monster is designed to bring order to those raw materials, help students sort and arrange that which is already familiar, and use the results to create stories. In the process of creating their stories, students will examine, discuss, and learn many new concepts. The by-products can be as rewarding as the finished stories. Create-a-Monster may be used as a creative writing unit, or it may be used in conjunction with a unit on monsters. With only a few modifications, it can be used with grades 4 through twelve. Create-a-Monster will help develop students abilities in observing, concluding, recalling, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, divergent thinking, and convergent thinking. At the same time it will contribute to the development of their oral, written, and imaginative skills, with the additional advantage of being fun. Finally, it can give students a final product of which they can be proud! This unit is designed to save thinking and preparation time for teachers and to encourage planned creativity. Some teachers neither need nor want minute descriptions of teaching approaches and objectives while other teachers, because of time limitations, need more detailed instructions. All are capable of modifying an idea to suit their own purposes and most prefer Educational Impressions, Inc. 7 Create-a-Monster

4 to innovate rather than copy. Therefore, teachers may use Create-a-Monster any way they wish, with only their imaginations limiting the various possibilities. Create-a-Monster is divided into three major parts. The first section, Learn about Monsters, Activity Nos. 1 through 10, covers the major types of monsters and gives some interesting information about them. This first section can be used as it is written, or the writing assignments may be omitted and only the information given about monsters used. The second section, Creating a Monster and Writing a Horror Story, Activity No. 11, A G, and Activity No. 12, leads students through the creation of a monster and the writing of a horror story. The third section, Other Ways to Use a Monster, Activity No. 13, A E, provides additional writing choices. Behavioral objectives are not included as they are too precise and lengthy to include in a teaching unit of this type. A selected bibliography is included; a quick trip to the library will yield additional information to supplement this list. I sincerely hope that Create-a-Monster will be as educational and as much fun for other teachers and students as it has been for my students and me. If you and your students enjoy using Create-a-Monster, you might also like to examine other books in the Create-a-Story series: Create-a-Sleuth, Create Heroes and Villains, Create-a-Comedy, Create-a-Utopia, Create-an-Autobiography, Create-a-Future, and Create-a-Fantasy. Good luck! 8 Create-a-Monster Educational Impressions, Inc.

5 Monster I.Q. Test Activity No. 1 Teacher Directions Objectives: To introduce students to a variety of monster types To ascertain the amount of information students already possess about monsters and monster lore To generate interest in studying about monsters, creating monsters, and writing monster stories Thinking Skills: Recall Application Analysis Evaluation Directions: Direct students to match the monsters listed on the left with their descriptions on the right. After students have finished, give the answers orally and instruct the students to score their own papers. When the exercise is finished, give the students the following interpretation of their scores: 25 Correct Answers = Monster Master Correct Answers = Monster Maven Correct Answers = Monster Marvel 0 14 Correct Answers = Monster Middling Discuss and/or answer any questions which may arise concerning the matching exercise. Options: Assign each student one of the twenty-five monsters used in Monster I.Q. Match for more in-depth study. Answers: 1. I 6. P 11. E 16. T 21. G 2. J 7. B 12. L 17. N 22. S 3. H 8. U 13. V 18. W 23. M 4. K 9. C 14. Y 19. X 24. A 5. O 10. D 15. R 20. Q 25. F 12 Create-a-Monster Educational Impressions, Inc.

6 Monster I.Q. Test Activity No. 1 Student Work Sheet To learn how much you know about fantasy, match the identifying statement in the right column with the correct response in the left column. 1. Goofus A. The Magic Dragon 2. Hodag B. In Irish folklore, its wail announces death 3. Ogopogo C. Mass of human-absorbing ectoplasm 4. Werewolf D. Benevolent man-horse combination 5. Vampire E. Gigantic 3-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades 6. Zombie F. One-eyed giant 7. Banshee G. Has hair of snakes; those who look at her turn to stone 8. Basilisk H. Monster living in Lake Okanogan in British Columbia 9. Blob I. This bird flies backwards and builds its nest upside down 10. Centaur J. A man-eating creature of the Wisconsin swamps 11. Cerberus K. This changing monster can be killed by a silver bullet 12. Chimera L. Fire-breathing monster: part lion, part goat, part serpent 13. Cybermen M. Abominable Snowman 14. Dracula N. In Jewish lore, man of stone who can crush anything 15. Frankenstein s Monster O. An undead monster who feeds on the blood of the living 16. Godzilla P. Living dead 17. Golem Q. Fifty-foot gorilla 18. Grendel R. Made from many human parts 19. Hydra S. Half man, half bull 20. King Kong T. 500-foot radioactive, fire-breathing, green lizard-dragon 21. Medusa U. Cockatrice; king of serpents 22. Minotaur V. Men-machines from the planet Telos 23. Yeti W. Semi-human giant at bottom of the Dark Lake 24. Puff X. When one of its heads is cut, two grow back 25. Cyclops Y. Famous vampire Educational Impressions, Inc. Create-a-Monster 13