If you teach high school English, chances are The Most Dangerous Game is somewhere on your syllabus. And let’s be real. It’s a story students actually get into. Suspense? Check. Creepy island? Check. A villain you love to hate? Double check.
But even with a text this good, it can be tricky to keep students engaged beyond the initial “wow” factor. That’s why I love pairing it with interactive, movement-based, and creative activities. They get kids talking, thinking, and (dare I say) even excited about analysis.
Here are five of my favorite ways to make The Most Dangerous Game a hit in your classroom.
1. Pre-Reading Anticipation Debate
I love starting this story with a little drama. I ask students 10 big, debatable questions tied to the story’s themes – survival, morality, and human nature. Then they literally take a stand by moving to Yes, No, or Maybe signs around the room.
The best part? Students are already debating Zaroff’s worldview before they even meet him.
To try it out in your classroom, check it out here!
2. Ship-Tap Island Plot Mapping
This one is a student favorite because it mixes art and analysis. As we move through the story, studets track events and character choices while creating colorful maps of Zaroff’s island. You can do this on paper or digitally.
It’s a creative way to help students organize the plot and see how setting and suspense work hand-in-hand.
3. Quote Quest | Kinesthetic Close Reading
Instead of handing students a worksheet with quotes, I post six around the room and turn it into a “Quote Quest.” They rotate in groups, analyzing context, meaning, and real-world connections. Once they’ve discussed plot, suspense, and character choices, each student chooses one quote for a deeper dive into symbolism, figurative language, or author’s purpose. The movement keeps the energy up, and the analysis gets surprisingly rich.
Try this out in your classroom here!
4. Literary Devices Through Song Lyrics
Students light up when they see song lyrics in an English class. I hang lyrics around the room and let them identify literary devices—metaphors, imagery, irony, you name it. Then we connect those devices back to the story. It’s such a simple bridge between what they already love and the skills we need them to practice.
Here’s the activity if you want to try it out!
5. Literary Device Bingo
Nothing ends a unit quite like a little competition. For this two-day review, students first gather examples of literary devices from the story to build their own Bingo cards. Then we play as a class! It’s fun, and best of all, it reinforces the terms they’ll need for future texts.
Here’s the activity if you want to try it out!
The Most Dangerous Game has been around forever, but it still grabs students’ attention if you give them the right entry points. These activities keep the energy high while sneaking in all that critical thinking and analysis we need to hit.
And if you want to save yourself the planning time, I’ve bundled all of these lessons into a ready-to-use resource you can grab right here!
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