When three 6th graders at Sleepy Hollow Middle School stumble upon a real-life ghost story, they find themselves on the trail of the Headless Horseman himself. Is he truly a terrifying ghoul, or has he been misunderstood for all these years?
- Genres
-
- Mystery
- Supernatural
- Themes
-
- Jealousy
- Episodes
- 8
- Avg. length
- 10-15 minutes
- Total
- 2 hours
Synopsis
Commemorating the recent 200th anniversary of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Hollow is a modern take on the timeless tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman by American author Washington Irving. Among the earliest examples of American fiction, the gothic story was first published in 1819 along with Irving’s famous companion piece Rip Van Winkle.
Set in Sleepy Hollow Middle School, three 6th graders stumble upon a real-life ghost story, leading them to the Headless Horseman himself. A character whose presence in Washington Irving’s story was much felt but less seen, The Horseman takes center stage in the reimagining. Is he truly a terrifying ghoul, or has he been misunderstood for all these years?
Regardless of the time of year, introduce your 6th to 8th grade classroom to this modern spin on one of the original ghost stories and earliest examples of American fiction as part of the ELA and Comparative Literature curriculum.
Read along with the script of episode one here.
Buy the scripts for the entire series here.
PDF of Standards associated with The Hollow classroom engagement.
Classroom Resources
Hey Educators! You’re excited to use The Hollow in class, and maybe you’re asking yourself where do I start or what’s the best way to listen? The answer is that thousands of teachers across North America use GZM Shows podcasts in dozens of different ways for multiple grade levels, classroom-wide, for breakout groups, to reward learning, and as homework. Below, you’ll find customizable materials that support a flexible and powerful staged approach to engaging with The Hollow. And they’re free!
The Listening Guide offers a simple and effective way to guide your students through the themes of the story and the characters’ development, help lead their search for clues and evidence, and encourage their development of bigger ideas.
The Explore Board is a resource for students both before they start listening to the podcast and while listening. The Explore Board resource introduces students to concepts, themes and topics of the podcast and helps them hone skills for deeper learning engagement with the podcast. Customizable for your classroom with Workflow Instructions in video and PDF format.
The Choice Board is a resource for students to use after they have finished listening to the podcast. The Choice Board takes a deeper dive into major themes, concepts and topics introduced in the podcast. The Choice Board features a combination of anchor assignments and lighter exercises, so you’ll find helpful direction and support for every student. Customizable for your classroom with Workflow Instructions in video and PDF format.
