---
title: Dark and Stormy
description: Get students familiarized with Pixton by asking them to imagine a spooky story about being alone in a house on a dark and stormy night.
image: https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/dark_and_stormy-001.png
---

**Subject: ELA (English Language Arts)**

**Lesson Length: 45 mins - 1 hour**

**Topic: Narrative Writing**

**Grade Level: 3, 4, 5**

**Standards / Framework: **

- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)
- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)
- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)

**Brief Description:**  Get students familiarized with Pixton by asking them to imagine a spooky story about being alone in a house on a dark and stormy night.

**Know Before You Start:** This lesson can be used to introduce students to the genre of horror stories.

**Hook:**

- Read an age-appropriate scary story. Engage students in a discussion about the text. 
    - What type of story is this?
    - What are some of the characteristics of scary stories?
- Responses might include suspenseful, surprise endings, spooky setting, etc.

**Activity:**

- Have students create a three-to-five panel comic telling a creepy story with monsters, real or imagined. 
    - How did the main character find themselves in this situation? What is the danger? What did they do, think, or feel?
    - What type of monster is it--a mummy, zombie, creature from space, or other type of monster?
    - Describe the monster. How does it look, act, and smell?
    - How does the main character resolve the problem?
    - What is the surprise ending?

**Closure:**

- Showcase finished comics in a gallery walk.

**Differentiation:**

- Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
- Provide a short scary story that students can retell.

**Resources:**

- Comic to print or display: [Comic](https://share.pixton.com/quiih1b).
- Music: [Spooky and Creepy Music Mix #2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjvjbriIDvs)

**Suggested Content:**

- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1629219271265656832/thumbnail.png) Horror ](https://content.pixton.com/horror)

**Suggested Story Starters:**

- [ Weird Neighbors ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/suspicious-neighbors)
- [ The Mysterious Sound ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/the-mysterious-sound)
- [ Something Unexpected ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/rainy-walk-to-school)

Assign Activity

## Related Ideas

[![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/comparing_characters-001.png)](https://ideas.pixton.com/comparing-characters)

### [Comparing Characters](https://ideas.pixton.com/comparing-characters)

Students will compare and contrast two characters in a story.

[![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/the_plot_thickens_-001.png)](https://ideas.pixton.com/the-plot-thickens)

### [The Plot Thickens!](https://ideas.pixton.com/the-plot-thickens)

Students will examine a story to determine how the plot unfolds and how the characters change based on the plot.

[![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/dinosaurs-001-1.png)](https://ideas.pixton.com/dinosaurs)

### [Dinosaurs](https://ideas.pixton.com/dinosaurs)

Students will create a comic based on the fossil record.