Intro to Gothic Fiction | Slides, Handouts & Writing Task | Teaching Resource

This Introduction to Gothic Fiction pack includes a classroom-ready slide deck and handouts designed to support students’ understanding of the Gothic genre through clear explanations, guided discussion, close reading, and creative writing tasks.

Ideal for Years 8-10, this teaching resource builds students’ knowledge of Gothic conventions while actively engaging them in analysis and imaginative responses.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

• Learning intentions and success criteria

• Visual discussion prompts to activate prior knowledge

• Clear definition of gothic fiction and the evolution of fear in Gothic texts

• Student handouts exploring key Gothic features, including:

  • Settings

  • Character types

  • Themes and key ideas

  • An adapted excerpt from the gothic novel 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier

• Group brainstorming and discussion task

• Creative writing task in which students incorporate gothic features into their own imaginative writing

This resource is designed to save prep time when teaching Gothic fiction conventions, while maintaining explicit teaching practices. It is ideal for Gothic fiction units, novel or film studies, and short story units, and works particularly well as a lead-in to imaginative writing assessments.