Nevermore: Gothic Lit & Halloween ELA Projects (Grades 7–12)

Project pack · Grades 7–12 · PowerPoint (20 slides) + PDF (40 pages), ZIP · $8

Turn October into real ELA. Students carve symbols from any text into a jack-o'-lantern, then curate a museum-style Omen Exhibit paired with Poe's "The Raven." They can investigate a legend like La Llorona or the Marfa Lights as an essay, poster or presentation. Or they can design their own haunted attraction under one strict rule: they can't name the fear, they have to make readers feel it.

The pack ends with the Midnight Quill, a class ghost story contest with official rules, peer judge scorecards and four award certificates to hand out with the lights low.

There is also a full ELL-friendly reading week for "The Fall of the House of Usher." It includes bilingual English and Spanish color-code bookmarks, picture vocabulary, a four-part plain-English retelling with questions, bell work that builds past-tense verbs in context every day and a Friday check-in. A 20-slide deck runs the week with daily bell work and agendas.

What's included

• Carve the Meaning symbolism organizer (any text) + finished "Raven" model + symbol cheat sheet
• The Omen Exhibit: Raven stanza tracker, research planner, exhibit cards, model poem, rubric
• Legend Lab: legend menu, organizer, Fact or Folklore sort, S.C.A.R.E. source check, rubric
• Design a Haunt: 7-part checklist, room planner, blueprint grid, poster page, rubric
• The Midnight Quill contest: rules, story planner, judge scorecards, 4 award certificates
• House of Usher ELL week: bilingual bookmarks, picture vocab, 4-part retelling, bell work log, Cozy vs. Creepy, Friday check-in
• 20-slide daily bell work + agenda deck
• Teacher guide, week plan and answer keys

How teachers use it

• October and Halloween week
• Poe and gothic literature units
• ELL and newcomer classes
• Project-based learning and choice boards