If you are looking for an engaging Halloween activity to use with middle school students, then check out my Halloween reader’s theater script activity packet. Depending on the level of your readers, this script can be used for grades 4 through 8. It offers an easy way to incorporate common core standards while also enjoying some Halloween fun!
The Happy Halloween That Almost Wasn’t tells the story about the characters of Parkersburg Elementary School and how their Halloween celebration was cancelled but then reconsidered due to some thoughtful 6th grade brain power!
In addition to the 5-page, 11-character story script, the lesson plans include reader response questions with prompts to cite evidence from the text. There is also a context clue worksheet for vocabulary words within the text and journal prompts you can use for writing or classroom discussions. You can utilize this as a whole-class activity or break your students into smaller groups and assign them separate spaces to perform concurrently.
If you haven’t yet tried reader’s theater with your middle school students, this is the perfect resource to give it a try! Halloween themes are usually “easy wins” with big kids, and this resource will help you tie some seasonal fun back to purposeful reading and writing work.
One thing teachers love about my scripts and toolkits is how flexible they are. You won’t need any additional books or resources. Everything required for the lesson is included in a single printable PDF download. You don’t even need to read these scripts aloud as a group. Use them as emergency sub plans and simply have your students read the story and complete the comprehension questions.
As a bonus, I have included a short, close reading passage about pumpkins, which also includes reader response questions and a context clue worksheet that uses vocabulary from the reading passages.
Finally, if you are looking to connect the story to a craft activity, the lesson plans include a Halloween T-Shirt Making Craftivity and a recipe for a “Spooky Snack Sack.” This craftivity came from the story, where the characters come up with an alternative to buying expensive costumes. They decide that repurposing old t-shirts and turning them into Halloween wear is a better alternative.
Using an old pajama shirt, fabric scraps, ribbon, and steam-a-seam, I came up with what I think looks like a fairly recognizable Frankenstein.
If you are looking for a fun way to celebrate Halloween while also staying on task, this reader’s theater fun pack is the way to go! Your week of instruction will be planned, and students will have a blast working on this together.
You can find more of my favorite October activities to use with middle school students in this post:
