Howling Lodge Scheme of Work

(ages 11-12)

Howling Lodge is a six-lesson classroom scheme that uses a classic ghost story and a teacher-in-role character, Mrs (Miss) Screech, to guide students through devised scenes about a haunted house. The unit builds suspense with explicit focus on tension levels, hot-seating and flashback techniques, and concludes with a devised movement performance set to a spooky piece of music. Lessons are practical and ensemble-focused, supporting teachers who want a clear short unit that foregrounds character, narrative and atmosphere.

What Students Will Learn

Across the unit students explore creating and sustaining dramatic tension, develop character through hot-seating and teacher-in-role interaction, and practise narrative devices such as flashbacks and narration. They will rehearse prepared improvisations, structure short scenes (for example an estate-agent scenario), and create an ensemble movement piece that tells the full story, using a supplied ghost story and a spooky musical mood as stimulus.

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This page shows the scheme outline. The detailed teaching material stays in your account after purchase.

6 detailed lesson plansA complete, practical teaching sequence for the unit.
Lesson-by-lesson activity guidanceUse the unit structure, skills focus and classroom tasks without starting from scratch.
Linked classroom resourcesResources, Props, Music are included where they support the lesson sequence.

Week 1: Ghost Story
The teacher reads a ghost story and the class discusses how the text can create suspense and tension. Students focus on identifying techniques that build atmosphere and discussing how to use them in drama.
Resources Include
Resources
Ghost Story - A Grammaatical Ghost
Week 2: Howling Lodge
Students are welcomed to a church hall meeting via Mrs Screech as teacher-in-role and introduced to the 'No Turning Back' activity. The lesson introduces the seven levels of tension and uses role-play to set the haunted-house scene.
Resources Include
Resources
7 Levels of Tension Monologue
Props
Sign for Classroom Door
Week 3: The Villagers Talk
Using flashbacks, narration and dramatic pauses students develop the tale as reluctant villagers begin to open up. The lesson focuses on structuring short narrated scenes and practising timed dramatic pauses.
Week 4: Lodge for Sale
Students learn to structure a scene featuring an estate agent trying to sell an obviously haunted house to a buyer. The class works on scene structure and character choices to communicate the house's haunted nature.
Week 5: Miss Howling on Trial
The class performs a prepared improvisation as the truth about Mrs Screech is revealed and she is interviewed for a trial. The lesson centres on improvisation and interviewing to gather character information.
Week 6: Assessment
Students warm up by discussing the mood of a spooky piece of music and then devise a movement piece to tell the full story of Howling Lodge. The lesson culminates in an assessed ensemble movement performance based on the unit narrative.
Resources Include
Music
Classic Horror