Many teachers want to build empathy in the classroom, but most activities feel forced or moralistic.
Students shut down.
They roll their eyes.
They know when they are being “taught a lesson.”
Horror fiction does something different:
It grabs attention
It makes students feel
It encourages imagination
It lets them explore fear safely
And when students feel, empathy can finally grow.
Below are three classroom-ready exercises that use horror and folklore to develop compassion, emotional literacy, and perspective-taking — without preaching.
1. “Walk in Their Shadow”
Goal: Teach students to empathize with the monster / outsider
Skills: perspective-taking, critical thinking, emotional intelligence
How it works:
1. Choose a horror short story, folklore character, ghost, or “monster”
(Frankenstein’s creature, the witch in the woods, etc.)
2. Students read (or listen) to the story
3. Then they rewrite a scene from the monster’s point of view
Guiding questions:
· What does the monster want?
· What pain are they carrying?
· Who hurt them first?
· What do humans look like from their eyes?
· What would their last words be?
Why it builds empathy:
When students stop seeing the monster as “evil” and start seeing it as hurt, rejected, or lonely, they learn:
prejudice is often a misunderstanding
the “villain” might be the victim
people fear what they don’t know
This exercise has been used in psychology and literature courses for decades —
because understanding the Other is the foundation of empathy.
2. “Fear Map”
Goal: Show students that fear is universal across cultures
Skills: emotional literacy, group discussion, cultural respect
How it works:
1. Give every student a blank sheet of paper
2. Ask them to write:
oWhat scares them in real life
oWhat frightens them in stories
3. In small groups, students compare:
oWhat is similar?
oWhat is different?
oWhy do some fears exist only in certain cultures?
Then:
Have groups share a short reflection with the class.
What always happens:
Students discover everyone is afraid of something
They realize fear is human, not personal weakness
They start to understand each other emotionally
Fear becomes a connection — not a divide.
3. “Folklore Fusion”
Goal: Turn cultural diversity into creativity
Skills: storytelling, collaboration, respect for cultural differences
How it works:
1. Pair or group students from different backgrounds
2. Each brings a monster, spirit, or myth from their culture
3. Together, they create a new monster that combines both traditions
4. They choose:
oWhat it looks like
oWhat it protects or punishes
oWhere it lives
oWhat lesson it teaches society
5. Groups present the new creature to the class
Why it works:
Students learn that:
different cultures share similar lessons
every tradition has value
storytelling is a universal human language
creativity can unite us emotionally
This activity transforms multicultural classrooms into collaborative spaces — not separate social groups.
Why Horror Works Better Than Conventional Empathy Lessons
Because horror:
· activates emotions
· makes learning memorable
· creates a safe space to talk about pain, exclusion, morality, death, and fear
· removes social barriers
· motivates even reluctant readers
As the research shows:
students become more empathetic after reading emotionally engaging fiction.
Horror is emotionally engaging.
That’s why it works.
Want these activities as a full workshop?
I run workshops for:
Schools
After-school programs
Libraries
Youth groups
Adult training
Students don’t just read horror — they analyze it, rewrite it, and use it to understand themselves and others.
If you’d like a custom session for your school or group:
Contact me for dates, pricing, or a free introductory call.
