BFA SCHOOL OF ENGLISH: mayo 2013

lunes, 20 de mayo de 2013

WEBQUEST: HALLOWEEN

This spookily-themed webquest by Belen Fa includes activities on the history of Halloween, popular traditions, global celebrations and terrifying tales. It is free to all Webquest users.

Warmer

What do you know about Halloween?

Activity 1: Halloween’s history

Visit http://www.history.com/topics/halloween and read the first section entitled Ancient origins of Halloween. Look for the answers to these 13 (unlucky for some) questions. Share your answers with your classmates.

Where is the celebration of Halloween thought to have come from?
The Celts occupied an area of land covering six modern day countries. Name at least four of them.
Why did the Celts celebrate ’Samhain’ on the night of 31st October?
What did the Celts believe the ghosts of the dead would cause damage and trouble to?
To commemorate the event, what did the Druids build?
What costumes did they wear?
What did they re-light to help protect them from the coming winter?
By 43 AD, who had conquered the Celts?
What two other festivals were combined with ’Samhain’?
After many changes due to the spread of Christianity, what new celebration was created in 1000 AD?
What were the similarities between this day and ’Samhain’?
What was another name given to this celebration?
What was the night before called and what did this finally become?

Discussion

Are you surprised by the history of Halloween?
Do you know any other stories about its origins?
Are there any celebrations in your country that have a strange and uncertain history?
Do you agree with this type of celebration?
Do you believe in ghosts and the supernatural?

Activity 2: Popular Halloween traditions

Jack O’Lantern

Read the introductory paragraph taken from http://www.history.com/topics/jack-olantern-historyand then describe the Jack O’Lantern tradition to your partner. Then, read the full article entitled ’The Legend of Stingy Jack’. Look for the answers to the following questions. Share your answers with your classmates.

The Jack O’Lantern tradition originated from which Irish myth?
What did Jack do with the coin instead? Why?
Under what condition did Jack free the devil?
What trick did Jack play the following year and how did he prevent the devil coming down from the tree?
What happened soon after?
What problem did Jack then face?
What did the Irish call Jack’s ghost?
What did the Irish then begin to make and place in their windows and doorways and why?
What did the vegetable become in America?

Apple-bobbing

Read the first paragraph of this website link about the rules of apple-bobbing:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_bobbing. Answer the following questions and share your answers with a partner.

How is the game played?
Why are apples used?
What do players use to catch the apples?
What part of your body are you prevented from using?

Trick-or-treating

Read the first paragraph of this website link about the tradition of ’trick-or-treating’:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating and answer the following questions, sharing your answers with a partner.

What do children ask for when they travel from house to house? (Note: the answer is an American word, do you know the British English equivalent?)
What question do the children ask?
What is usually the ’trick’?
Since when has this tradition been practised in North America?
What do homeowners who wish to participate usually do to their houses?
In what countries did two traditions similar to trick-or-treating already exist?
What were these traditions called?
What was different about these to current trick-or-treating traditions?
Trick-or-treating has become prevalent in countries outside of America - what do the children ask for in Mexico?

Discussion

Have you ever practised any of these traditions? If your answer is yes, which is your favourite? If your answer is no, what do you think would be your favourite?
Have you ever seen a real carved-out Jack O’Lantern? Have you ever designed one yourself? Would you like to make one with your classmates?
Do you think you would be good at apple-bobbing? Would you like to have an apple-bobbing competition with your classmates? Who do you think would win?
Would you be interested in going ’trick-or-treating’? If yes, what would be your costume of choice? What trick would you play?
If you had some children knocking on your door would you opt for giving them a treat or accept the trick?
How do you think people from your country would respond to trick-or-treaters?

Activity 3: Halloween around the world

Although Halloween is often seen as a predominantly American celebration, you’ll be surprised to know that many countries around the world also celebrate Halloween. Many have their own unique traditions.
a. Tell your classmates if and how your country celebrates Halloween.
b. Your teacher will give you a country to research from this website link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_around_the_world. Before you begin your research, consider the following questions:

How long has your chosen country been celebrating Halloween?
What unique traditions does it have?
What costumes do people dress up in?
Why has Halloween become popular there?

Note: you may not find information on all these questions, but as you read, write down any other interesting facts you discover about your chosen country to share with your classmates. Write your answers in note form and share them with your classmates.

Activity 4: Terrifying tales

Go to the following website and find a list of titles to scary ghost stories:http://www.americanfolklore.net/spooky-stories.html. Scroll down and click on ’Hairy toe’ and ready the story. Answer the following 13 (unlucky for some) questions below.

What was the woman digging up to cook for dinner?
What did she uncover?
Why did she put ’the hairy toe’ in her basket?
What did she cook with ’the hairy toe’?
Later that night, what did the voice coming from the woods say?
Was the voice heard in the same place or was it getting closer?
Where was the voice coming from when the old lady woke up?
What did she do when she jumped out of bed?
Where was the old lady when she saw the massive figure in her doorway?
How did the old lady respond to the figure?
What finally happened to the old lady?
What was the only clue of her disappearance?
What was distinct about the footprint?

Go back to the list of stories and choose one that interests you. Read it and make notes in your own language. You may need to use a dictionary or ask your teacher for help with the vocabulary. Once you’ve completed your notes, share the story with your classmates. Did you manage to scare them with your tale?

domingo, 19 de mayo de 2013

READING HUMAN'S CAN LICK TOO

My great-grandmother lived alone up in the mountains at her cabin. Her husband had died, so she was there all alone. She only had one companion, and that was her loving dog. T hey both loved each other very much and the dog loved her and comforted her. Every night when she went to bed, the dog would lick her hand to let her know that he was there to protect her.

One night, she had gone to bed and the dog had licked her hand like he had done routinely every night since her husband died. But this night was different. She had woken up in the middle of the night because she heard her dog whimpering. She wanted to comfort him and let her know she was there for him, so she stuck her hand out by the bed and she felt the dog gently lick her hand like always. She figured he was just cold so she went back to sleep.

The dog's whimpering had woken her up a second time in the night so she stuck her hand out, the dog licked it and she went back to sleep. This happened a third time, and she stuck her hand out and the dog stopped whimpering and came and licked her hand. She stayed awake a few moments afterward and the dog had stopped whimpering. She went back to sleep again.

In the morning, she woke up and stuck her hand out by the bed, but nothing licked her hand. She thought that the dog had already awaken and was just in the front room. She rolled over and got out of bed and heard a drip......drip.....drip.....drip, so she walked into the kitchen and turned the handles on the sink faucet, but it wasn't dripping.

She continued into her bathroom to take a shower. As she walked in, the drips got louder! She turned and looked above the bathtub and SCREAMED! There, hanging from the light by his tail, was her loving companion, with his blood dripping into the bathtub. She screamed and began to cry. Wiping her eyes and sobbing, she turned around and looked at the mirror. In the mirror she saw the dog hanging and written on the mirror with a finger, in her dog's blood with drips and streaks hanging down from each letter, were the words... HUMAN'S CAN LICK TOO!

Study the following vocabulary related to Halloween.

Bobbing for apples
Noun (game) - This is a traditional Halloween game. You put apples in a barrel of water and people try to take the floating apples out of the water using only their mouths.
Cackling
Adjective - An evil, wild, otherworldly laughing sound
Carve
Verb - (regular: carve - carved - carved) to cut with a knive, in the context of a pumpkin to cut a face into the pumpkin.
Evil
Very bad behaviour with cruel intent.
Haunted
Location containing evil spirits or ghosts, usually a house or castle.
Ghost
Noun - the spirit of a dead person which appears again. Ghosts at Halloween are usually dressed in white sheets.
Hideous
Adjective - Something so ugly you cannot look at it.
Horrified
Adjective - very frightened, afraid or scared.
Jack-o-lantern
Noun - A carved pumpkin usually with a candle burning inside to illuminate the pumpkin.
Pumpkin
Noun - A large, orange vegetable in the squash family associated with Halloween.
Skeleton
Noun - The bone structre of a body without the flesh.
"Trick or Treat"
Saying - Used by children when going from house to house asking for candy. The phrase also means that if you don't give me a treat I will play a trick on you!
Wicked
Adjective - the same as evil.
Witch
Noun - A woman with magic powers (usually evil).

Should Muslims celebrate Halloween?

Do Muslims celebrate Halloween? How is Halloween perceived in Islam? To make an informed decision, we need to understand the history and traditions of this festival.

Religious Festivals

Muslims have two celebrations each year, 'Eid al-Fitr and 'Eid al-Adha. The celebrations are based in the Islamic faith and religious way of life. There are some who argue that Halloween, at least, is a cultural holiday, with no religious significance. To understand the issues, we need to look at the origins and history of Halloween.

Pagan Origins of Halloween

Halloween originated as the Eve of Samhain, a celebration marking the beginning of winter and the first day of the New Year among ancient pagans of the British Isles. On this occasion, it was believed that supernatural forces gathered together, that the barriers between the supernatural and human worlds were broken. They believed that spirits from other worlds (such as the souls of the dead) were able to visit earth during this time and roam about. At this time, they celebrated a joint festival for the sun god and the lord of the dead. The sun was thanked for the harvest and given moral support for the upcoming "battle" with winter. In ancient times, the pagans made sacrifices of animals and crops in order to please the gods.

They also believed that on October 31st, the lord of the dead gathered all the souls of the people who had died that year. The souls upon death would dwell in the body of an animal, then on this day the lord would announce what form they were to take for the next year.

Christian Influence

When Christianity came to the British Isles, the church tried to take attention away from these pagan rituals by placing a Christian holiday on the same day. The Christian festival, the Feast of All Saints, acknowledges the saints of the Christian faith in much the same way that Samhain had paid tribute to the pagan gods. The customs of Samhain survived anyway, and eventually became intertwined with the Christian holiday. These traditions were brought to the United States by immigrants from Ireland and Scotland.

Halloween Customs and Traditions

"Trick or Treating": It is widely believed that during the Feast of All Saints, peasants went from house to house asking for money to buy food for the upcoming feast. Additionally, people dressed in costumes would often play tricks on their neighbors. Blame for the resulting chaos was placed on the "spirits and goblins."

Images of bats, black cats, etc.: These animals were believed to communicate with the spirits of the dead. Black cats especially were believed to house the souls of witches.

Games such as bobbing for apples: The ancient pagans used divination techniques to foresee the future. There were various methods of doing this, and many have continued through traditional games, often played at children's parties.

Jack-O'-Lantern: The Irish brought the Jack-O'-Lantern to America. The tradition is based on a legend about a stingy, drunken man named Jack. Jack played a trick on the devil, then made the devil promise not to take his soul. The devil, upset, promised to leave Jack alone. When Jack died, he was turned away from Heaven because he was a stingy, mean drunk. Desperate for a resting place, he went to the devil but the devil also turned him away. Stuck on earth on a dark night, Jack was lost. The devil tossed him a lighted coal from the fire of Hell, which Jack placed inside a turnip as a lamp to light his way. Since that day, he has traveled the world over with his Jack-O'-Lantern in search of a resting place. Irish children carved out turnips and potatoes to light the night on Halloween. When the Irish came to America in great numbers in the 1840's, they found that a pumpkin made an even better lantern, and this "American tradition" came to be.

Islamic Teachings

Virtually all Halloween traditions are based either in ancient pagan culture, or in Christianity. From an Islamic point of view, they all are forms of idolatry (shirk). As Muslims, our celebrations should be ones that honor and uphold our faith and beliefs. How can we worship only Allah, the Creator, if we participate in activities that are based in pagan rituals, divination, and the spirit world? Many people participate in these celebrations without even understanding the history and the pagan connections, just because their friends are doing it, their parents did it ("it's a tradition!"), and because "it's fun!"

So what can we do, when our children see others dressed up, eating candy, and going to parties? While it may be tempting to join in, we must be careful to preserve our own traditions and not allow our children to be corrupted by this seemingly "innocent" fun. When tempted, remember the pagan origins of these traditions, and ask Allah to give you strength. Save the celebration, the fun and games, for our 'Eid festivals. Children can still have their fun, and most importantly, should learn that we only acknowledge holidays that have a religious significance to us as Muslims. Holidays are not just excuses to binge and be reckless. In Islam, our holidays retain their religious importance, while allowing proper time for rejoicing, fun and games.

Guidance From the Quran

On this point, the Quran says:

"When it is said unto them, 'Come to what Allah has revealed, come to the Messenger,' they say, 'Enough for us are the ways we found our fathers following.' What! Even though their fathers were void of knowledge and guidance?" (Qur'an 5:104)

"Has not the time arrived for the believers, that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed to them? That they should not become like those to whom was given the Book aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors." (Qur'an 57:16)

Matching Halloween creatures

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love the playful nature of the holiday with all its ghosts and goblins, parties, fun traditions and the smell of fall in the air.

Following you will find fun Halloween exercises which will help you improve your vocabulary and understand this holiday. Advanced students will find the classic frightening tale "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe challenging. The reading includes vocabulary reference help for the more difficult words explained following each section of the poem.

Let's begin by identifying some of the classic figures of Halloween lore.

Match the following words to the correct picture.

Haunted House
Devil
Ghost
Carved Pumpkin
Witch
Dracula
Skeleton
Trick-or-Treat
Cemetery

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

The Raven

By Edgar Allan Poe.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore -
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door -
Only this and nothing more."

pondered = thought
lore = story
rapping = knocking
muttered = said

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; -vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow -sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.

bleak = sad, black and cold
ember = burning piece of wood glowing orange
wrought = presented
morrow = the next day
maiden = woman, girl

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me -filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;
This it is and nothing more.

rustling = movement that makes noise
entreating = asking for

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," I said, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you" -here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there and nothing more.

implore = ask for
scarce = hardly

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word "Lenore!"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word "Lenore" -
Merely this and nothing more.

peering = looking into
gave no token = gave no sign

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping something louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what threat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!"

window lattice = frame around the window

Open here I flung a shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not an minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched and sat and nothing more.

flung = threw open
flutter = movement of wings, noise
stately = magnificent
obeisance = gesture of deference, respect
mien = manner of
perched = how a bird sits

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore!"

beguiling = charming
countenance = bearing, manner
crest = head
thou = old English for you
art = are
craven = cowardly, mean-spirited
thy = old English for your

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning -little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such a name as "Nevermore".

marvelled = was surprised
ungainly = ugly
fowl = bird
discourse = speech
bore = contained, had

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered: "Other friends have flown before
- On the morrow he will leave me as my Hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said "Nevermore".

placid = peaceful
uttered = said

Startled at the stilless broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of `Never -nevermore'."

aptly = well
stock and store = repeated phrase
dirges = sad songs

But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust, and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore".

betook = moved myself
fancy = here used as noun meaning imagined story, thought
yore = from the past
croaking = the sound a frog makes, usually a very ugly sound coming from the throat

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

bosom = chest, heart
divinig = guessing

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried "thy God hath lent thee -by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite -respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore".

methought = old English for "I thought"
censer = a container for burning incense
wretch = horrible person
hath = old English for has
thee = old English for you
respite = rest from
nepenthe = a drug providing a way of forgetting something
quaff = drink quickly or recklessly
Quoth = quoted

"Prophet!" said I "thing of evil! -prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted, -tell me truly, I implore -
Is there -is there balm in Gilead? -tell me -tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevmore".

Tempter = Satan
tempest = storm
balm = liquid that eases pain
Gilead = biblical reference

"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting -
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! -quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore".

parting = separation, leaving
fiend = monster
shrieked = shouted, screamed
plume = type of feather
quit = leave

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that is floating on the floor
Shall be lifted -nevermore.

flitting = moving
pallid = pale

viernes, 17 de mayo de 2013

READING ABOUT THE NIGHT VISITOR

Richard was living in a not-so nice neighborhood with his parents. Their house was badly in need of repair and none of the windows or doors ever locked properly. Richard complained to his mom about not being able to sleep because of the "scratching" noises in his room, his mom assumed that it was rats, or that some cat had managed to get in the house again and was in the room somewhere. After turning on the lights and not seeing any sort of animal, she told Richard to go back to bed. So Richard went back to bed and was awakened almost immediately again by the scratching. Insistent, ceaseless. He still couldn't tell WHERE the sound was coming from, but this time, he decided to ignore it. So he fell asleep again.

Richard had no idea how long he'd been asleep when he suddenly sat up in bed, crying out, his hands flying to his back. He'd been bitten in the middle of his back while he slept, yet he'd been LYING on his back. Richard decided that things were just too weird and went to get his dad. His dad looked at his back. The spot that hurt certainly didn't look like a bite. It looked more like a puncture wound. So he flipped on the bedroom light and inspected Richard's bed. There was a hole in the fitted sheet and some of the mattress stuffing was showing through the hole. At a loss to explain how it happened, Richard suggested that maybe a spring had come through, so Richard's dad flipped the twin bed over to see if the box springs were the culprit.

What he found was a long knife stuck in the mattress, pointing upwards, towards where a person might lie. He also found mud and dirt under the bed, the exact length of a person. Checking immediately outside the window he found fresh footprints in the mud leading to and then away from the window. Someone had slipped into Richard's room through the unlocked window and lain under his bed. The scratching sound he heard was the person using the knife to dig through the box springs and mattress to kill him!

READING ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT

A sixteen year old boy worked on his grandfather's horse farm. One morning he drove a pickup truck into town on an errand. While he was walking along main street, he saw Death. Death beckoned him.

The boy drove back to the farm as fast as he could and told his grandfather what had happened. "Lend me the truck," he begged. "I'll go to the city. He won't find me there."

His grandfather lent him the truck, and the boy sped away. After he left, his grandfather went into town looking for Death. When he found him, he asked, "Why did you frighten my grandson that way? He is only sixteen. He is too young to die."

"I am sorry about that," said Death. "I did not mean to beckon to him. But I was surprised to see him here. I have an appointment with him this afternoon in the city."

READING ABOUT SOMETHING WENT WRONG

One morning, John Sullivan found himself walking along a street downtown. He could not explain what he was doing there, or how he got there, or where he had been earlier. He didn't even know what time it was.

He saw a woman walking toward him and stopped her. "I'm afraid I forgot my watch," he said, and smiled. "Can you please tell me the time?" When she saw him, she screamed and ran.

The he noticed that other people were afraid of him. When they saw him coming, they flattened themselves against a building, or ran across the street to stay out of his way.
"There must be something wrong with me," John thought. "I'd better go home."

He hailed a taxi, but the driver took one look at him and sped away. "This is crazy!" he said to himself.

John did not understand what was going on, and it scared him. "Maybe someone at home can come and pick me up." he thought. He found a telephone and called home, expecting his wife to answer. Instead, a strange voice answered.

"Is Mrs. Sullivan there?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, she isn't," the voice said. "Her husband died a few days ago in a horrible car crash, she's at his funeral."

READING ABOUT THE LITTLE WHITE DOG

There was an old woman who had no family still living. Her only friend was a little white dog who went everywhere with her - with one exception. The dog loved the fireplace in winter, and after the old woman went to bed he would sometimes go and lie in front of the warm coals. Usually though, the dog slept at the very edge of the bed on a throw rug.

The woman wouldn't allow the dog on the bed with her, but if she became frightened or had a nightmare, she would put her hand down to the little white dog and he would lick it reassuringly.

One night the woman was reading her newspaper just before going to sleep. She shivered and pulled the comforter up around her as she read that a mental patient had wandered off from a nearby hospital. No one knew if the patient was dangerous of not; he was a suspect in the murders of several women who had lived alone.

The woman turned out the lights and tried to sleep, but she was frightened, and tossed and turned fitfully. Finally, she reached down to where the little white dog slept. Sure enough, a warm, wet tongue began to lick her hand. The woman felt reassured and safe, and left her hand dangling off the bed as she turned and settled in comfortably. She opened her eyes for a moment and looked through the open door into the living room.

There in front of the fireplace, sat her little white dog, gazing at the coals and wagging his tail.

Down beside the bed, something was still licking her hand.

READING ABOUT SHADOWS IN THE WINDOW

There was once a woman who lived by herself in a quaint house in the country. Her husband had passed away about 5 years back and she was planning on moving soon. One day, while packing up some of her husbands things, she noticed that the temperature dropped really low. She walked down the hall to check the thermostat, but when she got there it showed no difference in temperature. She thought about it but figured that it must be broken. She decided that she would call someone the next day to fix it. When she passed the mirror on the wall on her way back she thought she saw a movement of shadows in the reflection. Then the temperature suddenly returned to normal and when she looked back at the mirror nothing was there. She shrugged and went back to packing.

A couple of days later the temperature dropped again. Again the woman went to the thermostat and again it showed no change. She remembered that she had forgotten to call someone to repair it. She promised herself that she would call after her show on T.V. that she had been watching. When she passed the mirror she again saw the movement of shadows. She stopped. In the reflection she saw a shadow, nothing but a shadow. Slightly translucent but visible. The shape was indescribable. It changed shape, like water flowing, about the size of a tall person. It stepped out from the wall behind the woman, but when she turned around to face it there was nothing there. Now she was scared. She began to tremble. Slowly she turned back to the mirror. The figure was still there, and closer. She screamed out "HEEEEELLPPP!!!" but no one came. Closer and closer IT came...

A few weeks later a friend of the woman's stopped by to say Hi. She knocked and knocked but there was no answer. The next day a police officer came out to investigate, but he found nothing but a few empty boxes and the TV on. It was put down as an unsolved case. The house was soon cleaned out and put out on the market for sale.

For many years the house was empty, what with all of the stories going around about it. But one day a small family consisting of a mother, father and daughter moved from the city into the house.

All was well until one day the temperature dropped in the house. The daughter went to her parents and asked them what happened. They said they didn't know and they went to the thermostat to see. It showed no change in temperature. They decided to call someone. The daughter went back to playing with her dolls in her room. Had she looked up into her mirror she would have seen a shadow peeking from behind the reflection of her bed. But just then her parents came in to tell her that someone was coming the next day to fix the thermostat and that she'll have to deal with it for a while, but when they finished saying this the temperature went back to normal. The parents said never mind.

A few weeks later the temperature dropped again. The girl was brushing her hair at the time, in front of her mirror. She saw the shadow behind the reflection as it started to creep towards her. She screamed. Her parents came in asking what happened. She told them but they didn't believe her. She tried to make them believe her but it was of no use. They took her to a psychologist to get her help.

When she came home she believed it was all a figment of her imagination. She probably would have kept believing that except that about a year later the temperature dropped once again. The girl was by herself because her parents had gone to the theatre and left her alone, since she was 13 years old. She was experimenting with make-up at the time, in front of her mothers mirror. She stared in terror as the THING crept out from behind the bed. She trembled but didn't call out, she knew no one would come. And now, as done before, the THING came closer and closer, closer and closer...

When the girls parents came home they had no one to come home to. The Police report said another unsolved case... The house still stands to this day.

READING ARTICLE ABOUT HALLOWEEN POISONING

ACTIVITIES FOR SINGING IN HALLOWEEN

Creative Writing: Halloween Theme

Lesson Topic: Creative Writing: Halloween Theme
Grade Level: 4th Grade of ESO
Teacher of Lesson: BFA SCHOOL OF ENGLISH
Approximate Time of Lesson: 1 hour

Objectives:

The students will become more acquainted with the Book-making unit by listening to a book about 'authors' (Knowledge).
The students will identify practice incorporating the different aspects of a story (character, setting, plot, etc...) into their own seasonal story after reviewing these aspects(Knowledge).
The students will practice their writing abilities and begin brainstorming for story topics (Application).
The students will create the first story that will go into their books (Synthesis).

Materials:

What Do Authors Do, by Eileen Christelow
Writing paper
Pumpkin diagram
Pencils
Crayons

Procedures:

Read the book What Do Authors Do to the class to further get them acquainted with the book writing unit.
Discuss the role of the author.
Review character, setting, plot, conflict, climax, and resolution.
Have the students create their own 'Pumpkin' story rough draft. Make sure that the story has a name and the students have a name for their pumpkins. Write on the board:
This Halloween I carved a Pumpkin. It was not an ordinary pumpkin, but it was a very special pumpkin because...
Make sure that their 'Pumpkins' is the main character of their story.
When the students are done with their writings, have them start drawing what their pumpkin looks like while you are proofreading their work.
Once the work is proofreaded, conference with the students about their work.
The students can make any changes and write the final draft.
When completed, the stories and pictures can be put into the 'seasonal' chapter of their books.

Assessment:

*The assessment is done while the teacher conferences with the students. Are the students pleased with their writings? Are they capable of making changes (do they make changes)? Have the students incorporated characters, setting, plot, etc...into their stories?