Present a series of spooky situations. Students must choose what they would do and explain why. Questions: 1. You're home alone and hear footsteps upstairs. What do you do? 2. You receive a message from your own phone number saying, "Don't open the door." How do you react? 3. You're walking through a forest at night and hear someone calling your name. Do you investigate or run? 4. You wake up and discover that everyone in your city has disappeared. What's your first move? 5. A stranger offers you $10,000 to spend one night in an abandoned house. Do you accept? Encourage students to challenge each other's decisions. Useful language: If I were in that situation, I'd... / There's no way I'd... / I'd probably... / That depends on...

Discuss common traditions such as trick-or-treating, costume parties, pumpkin carving, haunted houses, and neighborhood decorations. Ask students which traditions they know, which they would enjoy, and how Halloween differs from Día de Muertos in Mexico. Discussion prompts - Why do you think Halloween is so popular in the United States? - Would you rather attend a costume party or visit a haunted house? - What might someone new to the United States need to know about trick-or-treating? - How are Halloween and Día de Muertos different in meaning and traditions? Avoid treating the two celebrations as interchangeable; invite students to explain their distinct cultural significance.

1. Out of nowhere - Suddenly, unexpectedly A strange noise came out of nowhere. 2. Give someone the creeps - Make someone feel uneasy That hallway gives me the creeps. 3. Freak out - Become extremely frightened or upset Everyone freaked out when the lights went off. 4. Turn out - Be discovered to be something It turned out to be a prank. 5. Something doesn't add up - Something seems inconsistent His explanation doesn't add up. 6. Must have + past participle - Strong deduction about the past Someone must have opened the window. 7. Might have + past participle - Possible explanation of the past She might have taken the key. 8. Couldn't have + past participle - Strong belief something was impossible He couldn't have entered through that door. Mini-practice Present three clues: - A window is open. - There are muddy footprints on the floor. - A phone has disappeared. Ask pairs to create three possible explanations using must have, might have, and couldn't have.

Procedure 1. Divide students into groups. 2. Give each group an opening sentence. 3. The first student continues the story for 30–45 seconds. 4. The next student must continue from where the previous speaker stopped. 5. Continue until everyone has contributed. 6. Each group chooses one person to summarize the final story. Story starters: 1. It was almost midnight when someone knocked on the door. The strange thing was that nobody was outside... 2. I received a voicemail from a friend who had disappeared three years earlier... 3. When we arrived at the hotel, the receptionist told us that Room 13 didn't exist... 4. Every night at exactly 3:00 a.m., the same mysterious sound came from the apartment upstairs... Challenge: Every student must use at least one suspense expression or narrative connector, such as suddenly, meanwhile, just as, eventually, or to everyone's surprise.

The case: The Missing Halloween Trophy At 9:15 p.m., during a Halloween party at a community center, the lights went out for two minutes. When they came back on, the golden trophy for the costume competition had disappeared from a locked display case. Four people were nearby. Everyone claims to be innocent. The students are investigators. Their task is to discover who took the trophy, how, and why. Suspect cards: Alex — The Party Organizer Alex had a key to the display case. Alex says they were checking the sound equipment when the lights went out. Morgan — The Photographer Morgan was taking photos near the display case. Morgan says they went outside to answer a phone call just before the blackout. Taylor — The Contestant Taylor was upset about losing the costume competition. Taylor says they were in the bathroom during the blackout. Jordan — The Volunteer Jordan helped decorate the room and knew where the spare keys were stored. Jordan says they were preparing drinks in the kitchen. Evidence cards Distribute these clues gradually. Students should discuss their hypotheses after each new piece of evidence. Clue 1. The display case was not damaged. It was opened with a key. Clue 2. A security photo shows Morgan outside at 9:14 p.m. Clue 3. Taylor appears in a hallway camera recording near the bathroom at 9:16 p.m. Clue 4. The sound system continued working during the blackout. Alex was seen near the equipment at 9:15 p.m. Clue 5. A volunteer's jacket was found near the storage room. Its pocket contained a small gold ribbon matching the trophy. Clue 6. A message sent from Jordan's phone at 9:12 p.m. reads: 'I'll move it before the surprise. Don't tell anyone yet.' Encourage the following expressions: - I suspect that... - The evidence suggests that... - That doesn't explain why... - What if...? - We can't rule out... - Based on the clues, we believe... Teacher-only solution Jordan used the spare key to remove the trophy before the blackout as part of a planned surprise presentation. The message and ribbon connect Jordan to the trophy. Jordan did not intend to steal it, but failed to tell the organizer about the plan. The blackout was coincidental, creating the appearance of a theft. The clues support Jordan as the person who moved the trophy, although the motive is confirmed only in the final reveal.

Reveal the mystery's solution, then ask: - Which clue was the most important? - Did your group change its opinion? - What made it difficult to agree? - Which expressions helped you explain your theories? Finish with delayed feedback on common language errors, effective phrases, and pronunciation.