Special Collection: Top Stories for Teaching Mood

Our top stories, videos, lesson plans, and activities for exploring mood

Hunting a Snake-Headed Monster

A thrilling play based on the Greek myth of Perseus and Medusa

 

Learning objective: to consider the mood of a single scene in a drama

Read the Play
Video
An interactive and fun approach to mood
Skills Activity
A text-marking activity for exploring mood
Download
Mood Words
A bank of words to help students describe the mood of a piece of writing
Download

The Nothing

Whatever you do, don’t look behind you.

 

Learning objective: to identify the mood in a work of fiction and explore how the author creates that mood, then write a sequel staying true to the mood of the story

Read the Story
Author Read Aloud
Lewis reads her story aloud and talks about mood.
Slide Deck
An interactive exploration of mood with story planner
Open

Frankenstein

This thrilling adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic horror story is paired with an editorial about the possible ramifications of developing super-smart artificial intelligence.

Learning objective: to consider the mood of a single scene in a drama

Read the Play
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide for teaching this play
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Higher Level Skills Activity
A text-marking activity for identifying and exploring mood
Download
Lower Level Skills Activity
A scaffolded text-marking activity for exploring mood
Download

Lost in the Woods

Two kids are lost in a terrifying forest. Can a golden retriever find them before it’s too late?

 

Learning objective: to explore how author Lauren Tarshis creates mood in the introduction of a narrative nonfiction article

Read the Article
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide for teaching this article
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Skills Activity
Students analyze imagery, word choice, and setting
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Mood Words
A bank of words to help students describe the mood of a piece of writing
Download

Mountain of Doom

Journey 2,000 years into the past, to the day Mount Vesuvius erupted.

 

Learning objective: to explore how author Lauren Tarshis creates mood in 2 sections of a narrative nonfiction article

Read the Paired Texts
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide for teaching this article
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Skills Activity
Students analyze point of view and sensory details
Download
Mood Words
A bank of words to help students describe the mood of a piece of writing
Download

Bearing Up

A boy comes face to face with his worst nightmare.

 

Learning objective: to consider the mood of a passage from a work of fiction

Read the Story
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide for teaching this story
Download
Higher Level Skills Activity
A text-marking activity for identifying and exploring mood
Download
Lower Level Skills Activity
A scaffolded text-marking activity for exploring mood
Download

Hunting a Snake-Headed Monster: Allan Davey; The Nothing: Mimadeo/Shutterstock.com (background); JETACOM AUTOFOCUS/Shutterstock.com (branch); Jean du Boisberranger/Getty Images (tree trunk); Frankenstein: Allan Davey; Lost in the Woods:Stone36/Shutterstock.com (woods); Jeka/Shutterstock.com (girls) ; Mountain of Doom: Gary Hanna; Bearing Up: Gary Hanna