Writing with Suspense: A Google Slideshow
- Grades
- Grades 6–9, High School, Middle School
- File type
- Google Slide
- Subject
- ELA, Writing, Creative Writing
- Topic
- writing activity, Google slideshow
- Resource types
- Teacher Tools, Lesson Plans
- Standards
- CCSS.W.6.3 CCSS.W.7.3 +26
About this resource
What's inside this resource
Writing with suspense is an essential skill for any writer, as it can keep readers engaged and on the edge of their seats. However, teaching students how to incorporate suspense in their writing can be challenging for teachers. Fortunately, Writing with Suspense is an interactive slideshow with 14 slides that provides a step-by-step lesson plan, with objectives and learning targets aligned to the Common Core Standards, that can be used to teach 6th-9th grade students the techniques authors use to create suspense in their writing. It is perfect for both a Creative Writing class and an English Language Arts class as a lead-in or a follow-up to a unit on Horror and Suspense. The slide show is also appropriate for 10th-12 grade as well as GATE, RSP, ELL, and general ed students.
The lesson plan is divided into 14 slides, each providing clear instructions and examples for students. In the first few slides, students are introduced to the concept of suspense and are given opportunities to discuss what suspense is and examples of suspense in movies, books, and TV shows with a partner. The slideshow also includes information on techniques authors use to add suspense to their writing, such as foreshadowing, pacing, and withholding information.
In addition, there are several slides with photos and questions to help students identify and discuss what techniques they would use to create suspense in their own writing. This hands-on approach allows students to apply what they have learned in a practical and engaging way. They will also learn how to incorporate suspense in their own writing, using various techniques such as Finally, students are given sentence starters to help them write their own story, scene, or poem using the suspenseful techniques they have learned.
What's included:
1 pdf of a Google slide show with 12 ready-to-display slides which includes
--2 slides with an introduction and a lesson plan
--2 think, pair, share slides on what is suspense and what are examples of suspense in movies, books, and TV shows with two additional slides with information related to the think, pair, share slides followed by a slide with a definition of suspense
--2 slides detailing techniques writers use to create suspenseful writing
--3 slides with 8 suspenseful photos and question prompts for students to discuss
--1 slide with potential sentence starters
Check out these other Writing Slideshows I have created:
24 Additional Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire Your Students
The Setting Sets the Mood: Teaching Students How to Write an Effective Setting
14 Random Writing Prompts: Character, Situation, Prop, Setting, Phrase
8 Picture Writing Prompts and Lesson Plan: Setting, Character, and Dialogue
If you have any questions, please email me at gruenwaldy1@gmail.com
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In the classroom
Teaching tips & learning objectives
Learning objectives
- Identify techniques writers use to build suspense
- Write a suspenseful story or scene from a story starter
Skills covered
- Collaborative discussion — think-pair-share on photos and on what makes something suspenseful
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Curriculum
Standards, concepts & topics
Standards
Standards
- CCSS.W.6.3 — Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another. d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
- CCSS.W.7.3 — Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another. d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
- CCSS.W.8.3 — Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events. d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
- CCSS.W.9.3 — Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole. d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
- CCSS.L.6.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive). b. Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves). c. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.* d. Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).* e. Recognize variations from standard English in their own and others’ writing and speaking, and identify and use strategies to improve expression in conventional language.*
- CCSS.L.6.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.* b. Spell correctly
- CCSS.L.7.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences. b. Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas. c. Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifier
- CCSS.L.7.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not He wore an old[,] green shirt). b. Spell correctly.
- CCSS.L.8.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences. b. Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice. c. Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood. d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.*
- CCSS.L.8.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. b. Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. c. Spell correctly.
- CCSS.L.9.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Use parallel structure.* b. Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations.
- CCSS.L.9.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses. b. Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation. c. Spell correctly.
- CCSS.W.6.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
- CCSS.W.6.5 — With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 6 on page 53.)
- CCSS.W.6.6 — Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
- CCSS.W.7.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
- CCSS.W.7.5 — With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 7 on page 53.)
- CCSS.W.7.6 — Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.
- CCSS.W.8.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
- CCSS.W.8.5 — With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 8 on page 53.)
- CCSS.W.8.6 — Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
- CCSS.W.9.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
- CCSS.W.9.5 — Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 9–10 on page 55.)
- CCSS.W.9.6 — Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
- CCSS.W.6.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
- CCSS.W.7.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
- CCSS.W.8.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
- CCSS.W.9.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Core concepts
Core concepts
- Suspense
- Foreshadowing
- Imagery
- Pacing
- Setting
Topics
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