Teaching Mood and Tone

Teaching tweens the nuances of mood and tone can be a challenge.  The terms are often interchangeable i.e., misused, and in a middle schooler's mind, they are sort of formless and abstract.  Yet, mood and tone are a very powerful literary concept.  They are literally what give text its "texture."

Enter my go-to visual Mood/Tone guy:

As the little guy above illustrates, the drive-through version of tone is the author's attitude toward the subject, and mood is the feeling of the reader.

Specifically, to teach tone, I refer to the anti-phony Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye:

• "All morons hate it when you call them a moron.
• “If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she’s late? Nobody.”
• “Catholics are always trying to find out if you’re Catholic.”

Holden’s tone is bitterly sarcastic and critical as he ruminates on the nature of things and the hypocrisy of people.  Salinger's tone is achieved through word choice.

Some words used to identify tone could be:

1. Anxious
2. Bold
3. Confrontational
4. Curious
5. Dismissive
6. Encouraging
7. Hip
8. Hopeful
9. Open
10. Overbearing
11. Passionate
12. Sarcastic
13. Smarmy
14. Suspicious
15. Uncouth
16. Upbeat
17. Urbane
18. Wisecracking

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

To teach mood, I present Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken":

“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

The gloomy, somber mood belies a voice and feeling of regret.  The speaker took the road less traveled, but wishes he could have traveled both.  The reader is left with the grave, somewhat melancholic fact that we only have one life to live, and choice is everything.

Some words used to identify mood could be:

1. Alarming
2. Brooding
3. Buoyant
4. Comical
5. Confining
6. Cool
7. Dark
8. Fantastical
9. Hopeful
10. Light
11. Melancholy
12. Ominous
13. Oppressive
14. Relaxed
15. Sexy
16. Spooky
17. Suspenseful
18. Warm

So forge ahead.  Demystify mood and tone, and teach author's style with aplomb.  Your students will catch on in no time, hopefully eager to hone their own writing style.

For more classroom activities and lessons on mood/tone and other literary concepts, visit my store at TeachersPayTeachers:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mood-and-Tone-Teach-and-Reach-Bundle-2444398

Six-Word Scary Story Starters

Spooky Season is upon us and six-word stories are all the rage!  Here are (32) Six-Word Scary Story Starters to keep the spooky in your writing.  

Six-Word Scary Story Starters

1) Three people enter cave.  Two leave.

2) Babysitter needs job.  Loves kids.  Kinda.

3) Looks in the mirror.  No mouth.

4) Beautiful house.  Backyard cemetery.  For sale.

5) App downloads virus - in its users.

6) Mechanical pencil erases mistakes.  And memory.

7) Neighborhood has party.  Hosts are vampires.

8) Creepy basement.  Rickety staircase.  No escape.

9) Circus clowns revolt.  No one laughs.

10) Wife wakes up.  Husband does not.

11) Adorable puppy turns into demonic dog.

12) Selfie pics sent by unknown user.

13) Found: Mason jar with unknown species

14) Girl keeps swinging.  She’s not alive.

15) Grieving scientist clones deceased wife.  Oops.

16) They entered the elevator.  That’s all.

17) Purchased antique painting.  Haunted.  Buyer’s remorse.

18) Couple has nightmares.  They come true.

19) Museum coffin won’t open.  Pounding inside.

20) Peaceful ocean swim.  Dorsal fin.  Ouch!

21) Clock runs backwards.  Time does too.

22) Tour guide loses group.  On purpose.

23) Locked doors and windows.  Forgot one.

24) Perfect suburban neighborhood.  Until freak accidents.

25) Doorbell rings.  Gift.  Worst present ever!

26) New boyfriend.  Neither boy or friend.

27) Office coffee maker brews deadly decaf.

28) Children’s voices fill park.  No kids.

29) Vacationers open their suitcase.  It bites.

30) Quiet road.  Abandoned car.  Open door.

31) Feeling the creepy crawlies.  Spiders everywhere!

32) Voices heard upstairs.  Everyone is downstairs.


Teach English?  Teens and tweens love to be scared! Now your students can apply the six-word writing prompt and create their own scary stories with engaging (32) Six-Word Scary Story Starter Task Cards. These task cards are sure to generate rich narratives from your students as they combine story elements (setting, dialogue, conflict, etc.) with their own innate creativity. Perfect for Halloween, Creative Writing class, or any other time!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Six-Word-Scary-Story-Starter-Task-Cards-4813107