Stephen King – The Body

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• Leerjaar 6

Stephen King?

Write down three things you associate with the name Stephen King.

They can be:

books

films

characters

genres

images

feelings

You have 60 seconds.

Six statements about Stephen King: True or False?

Stephen King is mainly known for writing horror stories.

A

True

B

False

Before becoming a full-time writer, King worked as a high-school English teacher.

A

True

B

False

All of Stephen King’s stories contain supernatural monsters.

A

True

B

False

The Body was first published in the 1980s.

A

True

B

False

The Body was made into a successful film.

1. 
   

A

True

B

False

Many of King’s stories are set in the American state of Maine.

A

True

B

False

1. Born in Portland, Maine, in 1947

2. Studied English and later worked as an English teacher

3. Started teaching at Hampden Academy in 1971

4. Became a full-time writer after the success of Carrie

5. Published The Body in 1982

6. The Body was one of four novellas in the collection Different Seasons

7. Wrote over 60 novels & 200+ short stories

Stephen King is one of the most successful American storytellers of the last fifty years.

Most people immediately associate him with horror, and books such as It, Carrie and The Shining certainly made him famous.

But King does not only write horror. He also writes about childhood, friendship, crime, ordinary people and difficult choices.

Before becoming a professional writer, he studied English and worked as a high-school English teacher.

The Body is a good example of the other Stephen King. It is not mainly a supernatural horror story. It is a coming-of-age story about four boys and a journey they make together.

Class Reading *The Body*

Open with the idea that students are about to read a real, authentic English novella independently. Emphasise curiosity rather than pressure.

Objectives

I can start reading The Body independently, using effective reading strategies, basic knowledge about Stephen King, and a clear understanding of what I need to do during the reading project.

Why read an actual English novel?

• You are not reading a simplified text, but an authentic story.

• That is more challenging, but also more genuine and richer.

• You do not need to understand every single word perfectly to follow the story.

• The goal is to read with confidence, not to analyse every detail.

This slide anchors the reading-project mindset: enjoyment, confidence, and strategy use. It helps prevent students from expecting chapter-by-chapter testing.

Relevante doelen uit SC3

Leesvaardigheid / receptie - leerlingen begrijpen authentieke geschreven teksten op aangepast niveau.

Relevante informatie selecteren - leerlingen halen hoofdgedachten en belangrijke details uit een tekst.

Leesstrategieën gebruiken - leerlingen zetten strategieën in bij moeilijke passages en onbekende woorden.

Persoonlijk reageren - leerlingen verwoorden een onderbouwde persoonlijke reactie op wat ze lezen.

Briefly explain that this lesson contributes to SC3 by preparing students to read, understand, and respond to an authentic English literary text without overload.

What kind of story is 'The Body'?

• A coming-of-age story

• Four boys set out on a journey.

• Along the way, their friendship and courage are put to the test.

• The story blends adventure, suspense and emotion.

Keep this spoiler-free. Students need just enough context to feel oriented and curious.

Context without spoiling

1. The story is set in small-town America in the late 1950s.

2. There are no smartphones, social media or constant parental supervision.

3. The boys have more freedom, but they also have to deal with risks on their own.

4. The Body is both an adventure story and a coming-of-age story.

5. While reading, pay attention to:

   • what the boys experience during their journey;

   • what these experiences reveal about friendship, loyalty, fear, family and growing up.

6. Part of the story is discovering how the journey changes the boys.

Underline the historical/social distance only insofar as it helps comprehension. Do not drift into broader literary history.

How to read...

• The most important rule:

  READ THE STORY.

  You do not have to:

  • translate every sentence;

  • understand every single word;

  • write a summary after every chapter;

  • answer ten questions every time you read;

  • analyse every page.

  You do have to:

  • read regularly;

  • follow the main events;

  • get to know the characters;

  • think occasionally about what you are reading;

  • ask for help when you really get stuck.

This slide gives explicit independent reading guidance, aligned with the main pedagogical aim: confidence and continuity over interruption.

Reading strategies

• Context!

  1. Who's talking?

  2. What just happened?

  3. Try to infer meaning.

• What if I don't know a word?

  • You don't know the word, but you still understand the sentence.

    • Keep reading

  • The word seems important.

    • Look at the words around it.
      ➡ Look at the words around it.
      ➡ What kind of word is it?
      ➡ What meaning would make sense?

      • Make a guess

  • You cannot understand what is happening without the word.

    • Use a dictionary and write the translation in your book (pencil)

      • Look it up!

        
        

        
        

DON'T LOOK UP EVERY WORD.

Stress that strategic guessing is not lazy reading; it is a core reading skill for authentic texts.

Gebruik eerst de context. Kijk naar wie spreekt, wat er net gebeurde en welke sfeer de passage heeft. Vaak kun je de betekenis van een onbekend woord al ongeveer raden zonder woordenboek. Alleen woorden die echt cruciaal zijn voor begrip, zoek je op.

First close encounter...

Read the opening pages silently.

While reading:

1. Keep reading even when you don't understand every word.

2. Mark no more than THREE unfamiliar words.

3. At the end, complete this sentence:

My first impression of the narrator/story is …

This slide prepares the short first encounter with the book or opening pages without adding worksheet-style pressure.

Make sure to pay attention to... (take notes/mark)

• Who's telling the story (the narrator)

• Names and relationships

• Location and atmosphere

• Signs of tension or uncertainty

These are lightweight reading anchors for the opening pages. They support comprehension without becoming full literary analysis.

Het leesproject: haalbaar plannen

• Verdeel de novelle in enkele leesblokken

• Lees liever regelmatig dan alles op één moment

• Korte checkpoints helpen je bijblijven

• De begeleiding blijft beperkt en zinvol, zodat het verhaal centraal blijft

Bridge from lesson to project structure. Students should leave knowing the reading load is manageable.

Must do en could do

• Enkele voorspellingen bij de start

• Af en toe één betekenisvol citaat kiezen

• Kort reageren op een personage of gebeurtenis

• Eén relatie in het verhaal volgen

• Meedoen aan enkele leescheckpoints

• Extra citaat met uitleg

• Een thema verder volgen

• Vrijwillige verdieping in stijl of sfeer

• Extra reflectie over verschillen met de film Stand by Me

Must do

Could do

Keep the distinction clear: required tasks stay light and infrequent; optional tasks offer challenge without burdening all readers.

Hoe ziet de eindtoets eruit?

De leestoets controleert vooral echt tekstbegrip. De vragen moeten daarom niet alleen losse feiten bevragen, maar ook inzicht in personages, verbanden, impliciete betekenis, thema’s en interpretatie. Zo wordt lezen beloond, niet alleen onthouden.

This slide reassures students and frames assessment as comprehension-focused rather than memory-based.

Wat moet die toets meten?

• Plotbegrip van belangrijke gebeurtenissen

• Inzicht in personages en relaties

• Inferentie: lezen tussen de regels

• Thema’s en ontwikkeling

• Interpretatie met tekststeun

A suitable final MC test might contain roughly 18–24 questions with a balanced spread across these categories.

One thing I now know about Stephen King...

Laat leerlingen kort benoemen wat ze meenemen uit de les. Mogelijke elementen: Stephen King, coming-of-age, leesstrategieën, context gebruiken, zelfstandig lezen.

One thing I expect from the story?

Richt de reflectie op didactische bruikbaarheid: strategieën, thema-overzicht, projectuitleg, opening van de tekst, bespreking van verwachtingen.

At the moment, reading this book feels:

A

very difficult

B

I think I can manage

C

not easy

D

piece of cake

HOW THIS READING PROJECT WORKS

You will read The Body in five parts.

After each part, you will complete one very short activity.

These activities are there to help you:

• keep track of the story;

• think about the characters;

• prepare for class discussion;

• check whether you understand what you are reading.

• complete a final reading test.

HOW THIS READING PROJECT WORKS

You will NOT have to:

• write chapter summaries;

• answer questions after every chapter;

• make long vocabulary lists;

• analyse every part of the book.

You WILL have to:

• read each section by the deadline;

• complete the short checkpoint micro tasks;

• take part in occasional class discussions;

• complete a final reading test.

Micro task evaluation

After each reading deadline, you can earn 5 points.

Micro-task: /3

• 3 — Complete, relevant and clearly based on the reading

• 2 — Complete, but rather basic

• 1 — Incomplete or very limited

• 0 — Not completed

Participation: /2

• 2 — I actively participate and can talk about what I have read

• 1 — I participate a little or need prompting

• 0 — I do not participate or cannot discuss the reading

This will total 25 points in Skore.

Final assessment

30 multiple-choice questions --> 30 points to be gained (or lost) in Skore

The test will mainly check whether you understood:

• the main events;

• the four boys;

• their relationships;

• why characters act in certain ways;

• causes and consequences;

• important moments in the journey;

• what happens after the journey.

Only a small number of questions will ask about specific details.

Important: You do not need to memorise the book. You do need to read it.

Independent reading project

Read Chapters 1-7

While reading

Get to know:

• Gordie

• Chris

• Teddy

• Vern

Teacher's note:

Micro-task

Choose ONE of the four boys.

Complete:

At this point in the story, I would describe __________ as __________ because __________.

Then add:

One thing I still want to know about him is __________.

Example

At this point in the story, I would describe Chris as supportive because he takes Gordie's writing seriously.
One thing I still want to know about him is why he has such a bad reputation.

Maximum: 2 sentences.

Classroom follow-up

Ask four students to share their answers. No written correction needed.

Independent reading project

Read Chapters 8-14

The Journey So Far

The boys have now actually started their journey.

Micro-task:

Choose the event that you think has been the most dangerous, tense or memorable so far.

Teacher's note:

Micro-task

Choose the event that you think has been the most dangerous, tense or memorable so far.

The most memorable moment so far is __________.

Why?

I chose this moment because __________.

Then rate the journey:

So far, their adventure is …

□ mostly fun
□ more dangerous than expected
□ a bad idea
□ difficult to predict

Classroom follow-up

Use a quick show of hands:

Who chose the same moment?

Then ask two or three pupils to explain.

Independent reading project

Read Chapters 15-21

One Moment Matters

By now, you know the four boys much better.

Micro-task:

Choose ONE moment that tells us something important about a character or friendship.

Teacher's note:

Micro-task

Choose ONE moment that tells us something important about a character or friendship.

Complete:

When __________ happens, we learn that __________.

Then choose:

This moment mainly tells us something about …

□ friendship
□ fear
□ loyalty
□ growing up
□ family
□ another idea: __________

Maximum: 2 sentences.

This is particularly useful because students can choose different scenes. Copying becomes harder, but you still have almost nothing to correct.

Independent reading project

Read Chapters 22-28

Decision Check

Important decisions are made in this part of the story.

Micro-task:

Choose ONE important decision made by Gordie, Chris, Teddy or Vern.

Teacher's note:

Micro-task

Choose ONE important decision made by Gordie, Chris, Teddy or Vern.

Complete:

__________ decides to __________.

Do you agree with the decision?

□ Yes
□ No
□ I'm not sure

Give one reason:

Because ____________________________________________.

Pair discussion

Compare with a partner.

Did you choose the same decision?

Did you judge it in the same way?

Again, I would not formally mark this.

Independent reading project

Read Chapters 29-34

Looking Back

You have finished The Body.

Micro-task

Complete all three.

1. The character

2. The story

3. Your reaction

Teacher's note:

Micro-task

Complete all three.

1. The character

The character I understand best now is __________ because __________.

2. The story

Choose one:

The story was mainly about …

□ adventure
□ friendship
□ growing up
□ loss
□ something else: __________

3. Your reaction

Rate the book:

★ 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5

Then complete:

I gave the book this score because __________.

Maximum 3–4 sentences in total.