Halloween as rich content for PBL Curriculum

Shakespeare's 3 witches

Using Halloween as a jumping-off place you can find many excellent ways to make the curriculum relevant, rigorous and real world - and all connected to themes that really engage your students!  From ancient mythology and religion to modern movies, from the deep seas to outer space, an interdisciplinary unit designed from among the following themes can carry your curriculum standards:  incorporate literature, history, geography, philosophy, ethics, medicine, media culture, economics, advertising and marketing and law. 

This page will take you to excellent project ideas and resources on the following fun themes!  You will find connections to all the disciplines, to content standards, integration of multiple literacies, 21st century skills.  Going above and beyond the Common Core - relevant, rigorous and real world curriculum that is project-based, interdisciplinary, 21st century, connected to the community (local to global) . . . see our 3 compass roses for designing a 21st century curriculum!

See the 21st Century Schools Curriculum site for resources related to Frankenstein, War of the Worlds, Ghosts, Witches, Zombies, Halloween, Day of the Dead as well as links to popular culture, from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! to Dracula! or Jekyll and Hyde, the Musical!

Students can conduct a mock trial of Victor Frankenstein, conduct a deep analysis of a story in various media and through time (Jekyll and Hyde;  War of the Worlds), produce and market a community theater (Young Frankenstein;  Shakespeare)!  Take a look at the content standards, skills and literacies and you will be amazed at how many are integrated at high levels.  So much better than textbooks, worksheets and plowing through the list of basic skills! 

Get a colleague or two to brainstorm the possibilities with you.  Do a little, or do a lot!  Let Halloween Day be the culmination of a brief curricular experience, or let Halloween Day be the exciting entry event into a deeper learning, PBL unit!

Find inspiration on the following pages of our 21st Century Curriculum web site:

*     History of Halloween     *     Halloween and Day of the Dead     *     Frankenstein   *   
*     Zombie Apocalypse     *      War of the Worlds    *   Witches     *      *     Ghosts     *       Monsters    *   
*    Misc. Projects, Lesson Plans & Activities    *   More Connections to Popular Culture