8 Differentiated Classical Gothic Literature Study Guides for High School Students

This bundle provides strong value for high school ELA and gives teachers eight complete, classroom-ready Gothic literature study guides built for mixed reading levels in Grades 9–12. Each resource includes two differentiated versions—the complete original text and the corresponding adapted text version—so you can run one coherent unit without splitting your class into separate tracks.

Problem: Many teachers want to teach foundational Gothic literature (fear, ambiguity, doubles, secrecy, obsession, and moral consequence), but the original texts can be long, stylistically demanding, and difficult to fit into real pacing guides—especially when reading levels vary widely in one class.

Here’s the solution: This Differentiated Gothic Literature Bundle for Grades 9–12 gives you eight complete mini-units built on a dual-track model: the complete original text plus a streamlined adapted text aligned to the same Part 1–5 sequence. Students can read different versions while completing the same aligned discussions and assessments, keeping whole-class instruction unified, rigorous, and manageable.

Use these as one-week units, literature circle mini-units, intervention + extension pairings, or “drop-in” Gothic literature lessons when you want serious theme/character/symbolism thinking without spending weeks on a single long text.

What’s Included

• 8 differentiated study guides (each title includes original text + adapted text aligned to Parts 1–5).
• Unified assessment system (the same Discussion Questions, quizzes, and final worksheet work across both reading tracks).
• Flexible pacing (run the adapted track as a predictable Part 1–5 schedule; extend the original track over more days per Part as needed).
• Grades 9–12 ELA-ready skills (evidence-based analysis, theme development, character motivation/change, craft/structure, symbolism, and accountable discussion routines).

Included titles

• [FREE DOWNLOAD] Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
• The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
• Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
• The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
• The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers

This bundle includes a zip file for each title containing:
NOTE: All files are editable and include (PDF, DOCX, PPTX, Google Docs/Slides/Forms)
Texts (two tracks per title)

• Full Original Text: included for each work (best for advanced readers, extension groups, and longer-text study).
• Adapted Text (Parts 1–5): a streamlined version aligned to the same core plot/events/ideas so the class stays on one storyline.

Student assessments (per title)

• 10 Vocabulary Words
• 10 Short Answer Recall/Comprehension
• 5 Challenge Questions (analysis, synthesis, theme connection)
• 5 Multiple Choice Quizzes (one per Part)

Teacher materials (per title)

• 5 sets of Daily Discussion Questions (one per Part)
• Self-graded quiz versions (one per Part)
• Answer keys for Vocabulary, Short Answer, and Challenge Questions
• Key Figures & Places reference sheets (when applicable to the text)

Quick Guide for Teachers
Adapted-Only Track (Fastest: Part 1–5 Model)

• Best when you want a predictable mini-unit structure and manageable daily reading load.
• Students read Part 1–5 and complete the matching discussion prompts and quizzes.
• Wrap with the final worksheet sequence (Vocabulary, Short Answer, Challenge Questions).

Original-Only Track (Longer: Multi-Day Per Part)

• Ideal for stronger readers or classes ready for full-length syntax and original structure.
• Students read the original text sections aligned to each Part.
• Use the same discussions and assessments so the unit stays consistent.

Dual-Track Differentiation (Mixed Readers)

• Assign adapted Parts to supported readers and original text sections to advanced readers.
• Everyone completes the same Part-level prompts, quizzes, and final worksheet tasks.
• This keeps pacing and whole-class discussion unified without building two separate units.

What’s the tradeoff of using the adapted version?
Pros:

• Reduces reading volume and increases accessibility while keeping the same core storyline/ideas.
• Makes it realistic to teach major classical works within normal pacing constraints.
• Supports whole-class discussion routines even with mixed reading levels.

Cons:

• Some original language, side episodes, and extended passages are reduced for brevity.
• The adapted version is not designed for deep line-by-line stylistic analysis of every passage.

If you have unlimited time and uniform reading levels, a full-length, single-track unit is ideal. But when time and mixed readiness are real constraints, these dual-track study guides let you teach major works with one coherent plan and one assessment system.