This mini lesson includes a slide deck overviewing what suspense is and how authors build it in their writing. Included in the slide deck is a link to a (<2 min) clip from Spongebob showing how they built suspense in the show to increase engagement as well as understanding of the concept. The theme of the slide deck is haunted house/Halloween making it perfect to teach as part of a fictional narrative unit or as a stand alone writing lesson during the spookiest part of the year.

By downloading this mini lesson, you will gain access to an editable mini lesson slide deck (PPT), an anchor chart (PDF), as well as a blank template (PDF) for students to use to brainstorm how to build suspense in their own stories.

Please note: if the YouTube video is removed for any reason, the scene that is linked in the slide deck is the final scene from the "Graveyard Shift" episode of Spongebob, featuring the "Hash-slinging Slasher".