GHOSTS
The idea of ghosts has been around for thousands
of years. Many people who believe ghosts think
that ghosts are the spirits of people who have
died. They believe the spirits stay in this world
because they may not know how to leave
or may have chosen to stay. Some people
believe ghosts are confused spirits that do
not known how to move on from this world.
Many ghosts are thought to be angry spirits.
HAUNTINGS
According to stories, ghosts haunt the places they
know. Spirits stay in places that were important to them during
their lives. Many ghosts reportedly haunt their former homes or
the places where they died. Some people believe spirits protect them.
TYPES
Most people do not believe ghosts have bodies. They can be invisible or
transparent. Several types of ghosts have been reported by people.
An apparition is a ghost that appears in human form. A fetch is
the visible spirit of a person who is still alive. A poltergeist is a
ghost that moves objects. They sometimes make loud noises or push
people. The word is German for “noisy ghost.” An atmospheric or
residual is a ghost that appears only in one place and repeats the
same action over and over. A demon is an evil spirit. A phantom is a
ghost that looks like a living, breathing human being. A messenger
ghost tries to contact their loved ones. A mist is a cloudy swirl, while
an orb is a small ball of light. A shadow is a dark cloud where a
normal shadow would not be.
FAMOUS GHOSTS
There have been many famous ghosts throughout history. The
ancient Aztecs believed women who died in childbirth returned as
©Teaching to the Middle
ghosts called Cihuateteo. They are said to wander the streets to
steal children. In 1817, a ghost called the Bell Witch haunted the Bell
family in Tennessee. It made noises and even pulled blankets off all
the beds. A poltergeist said to be the spirit of a dead nun is said to
haunt Borley Rectory in England. The Brown Lady haunted a
country house called Raynham Hall in 1936. A photographer took a
famous photo of the ghost on the building’s stairs. Several ghosts,
including the ghost of a girl who drowned in a pool, are said to haunt a
beached ocean liner named the Queen Mary in California. Former
Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson are said to
roam the halls of the White House in Washington, D.C. In
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the ghosts of dead
soldiers are said to haunt the Civil War battlefield.
Ghosts are blamed for moving coffins in the Chase
family vault in Barbados.
GHOST HUNTING
It is difficult to prove that ghosts exist, so ghost hunters look for
clues. They try to record the whispers of ghosts. The recorded
sounds of ghosts are called electronic voice phenomena (EVP).
Ghost hunters think that some audio recording devices can capture
ghost sounds that human ears cannot hear. Special cameras search
dark places for ghostly shapes. Ghost hunters often measure the
temperature in a room. They believe sudden drops in temperature
may come from ghosts. A thermal camera that detects and
shows differences in temperature can help hunters locate ghosts.
Hunters sometimes hold a séance ceremony, believing it will allow
them to communicate with ghosts and other spirits.
SKEPTICS
Nobody has proven that ghosts exist, but people continue to tell scary
ghost stories. Skeptics try to prove that ghosts do not exist. They
go to haunted places to look for other explanations. Strange sounds
may come old pipes or squeaky floorboards. A cold
chill might come from a drafty window. A ghostly
photo may be a hoax, or an attempt to trick
people into believing something. Photographers
have used tricks to make it look like
their pictures are of ghosts.
Experts are able to detect these tricks.
©Teaching to the Middle
GHOSTS
Name__________________________________________
IDENTIFY: Use the word bank to identify each description.
poltergeist ghost hunters skeptics transparent
séance demon EVP hoax
1. Ceremony to communicate with ghosts and spirits
2. People who do not believe certain ideas
3. See through
4. An evil spirit
5. Ghost who moves objects
6. Used to record the sounds of ghosts
7. An attempt to trick people
8. Search for ghosts using thermal cameras
TRUE OR FALSE?: Identify each statement as true or false.
9. Ghosts have been proven to be real.
10. There are many famous ghosts in history.
11. All ghosts are thought to be bad.
12. Abraham Lincoln is thought to haunt the White House.
13. Soldiers are thought to haunt Gettysburg.
14. Skeptics attempt to prove that ghosts are real.
15. An apparition is a ghost that appears in human form.
16. Many people believe ghosts are real.
©Teaching to the Middle
MULTIPLE CHOICE: Choose the best answer.
17. Which best describes a poltergeist?
A. A ghost that appears in human form
B. An evil spirit
C. A ghost that moves objects
D. A cloudy swirl
18. What were Cihuateteo?
A. Ghosts that haunted war cemeteries
B. Ghosts blamed for moving coffins in the Chase family vault
C. Ghosts who haunted a beached ocean liner named Queen Mary
D. Ghosts said to die during childbirth and haunt the street stealing
babies
19. Why do ghost hunters often use thermal cameras?
A. They believe ghosts are around when the temperature increases.
B. They believe ghosts are around when the temperature decreases.
C. They believe they detect the sounds of ghosts.
D. They believe they will detect the movements of ghosts.
20. What was the author’s main purpose in writing this passage?
A. To persuade the reader to learn more about ghosts.
B. To explain how ghosts haunt people.
C. To inform the reader of the history and characteristics of
ghosts.
D. To entertain the reader with an interesting story about ghosts.
21. Which of the following best completes the analogy?
Queen Mary : California :: _______________ : Tennessee
A. Andrew Jackson
B. Chase family vault
C. Brown Lady
D. Bell Witch
©Teaching to the Middle
GHOSTS
The idea of ghosts has been around for thousands
of years. Many people who believe ghosts think
that ghosts are the spirits of people who have
died. They believe the spirits stay in this world
because they may not know how to leave
or may have chosen to stay. Some people
believe ghosts are confused spirits that do
not known how to move on from this world.
Many ghosts are thought to be angry spirits.
HAUNTINGS
According to stories, ghosts haunt the places they
know. Spirits stay in places that were important to them during
their lives. Many ghosts reportedly haunt their former homes or
the places where they died. Some people believe spirits protect them.
TYPES
Most people do not believe ghosts have bodies. They can be invisible or
transparent. Several types of ghosts have been reported by people.
An apparition is a ghost that appears in human form. A fetch is
the visible spirit of a person who is still alive. A poltergeist is a
ghost that moves objects. They sometimes make loud noises or push
people. The word is German for “noisy ghost.” An atmospheric or
residual is a ghost that appears only in one place and repeats the
same action over and over. A demon is an evil spirit. A phantom is a
ghost that looks like a living, breathing human being. A messenger
ghost tries to contact their loved ones. A mist is a cloudy swirl, while
an orb is a small ball of light. A shadow is a dark cloud where a
normal shadow would not be.
FAMOUS GHOSTS
There have been many famous ghosts throughout history. The
ancient Aztecs believed women who died in childbirth returned as
©Teaching to the Middle
ghosts called Cihuateteo. They are said to wander the streets to
steal children. In 1817, a ghost called the Bell Witch haunted the Bell
family in Tennessee. It made noises and even pulled blankets off all
the beds. A poltergeist said to be the spirit of a dead nun is said to
haunt Borley Rectory in England. The Brown Lady haunted a
country house called Raynham Hall in 1936. A photographer took a
famous photo of the ghost on the building’s stairs. Several ghosts,
including the ghost of a girl who drowned in a pool, are said to haunt a
beached ocean liner named the Queen Mary in California. Former
Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson are said to
roam the halls of the White House in Washington, D.C. In
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the ghosts of dead
soldiers are said to haunt the Civil War battlefield.
Ghosts are blamed for moving coffins in the Chase
family vault in Barbados.
GHOST HUNTING
It is difficult to prove that ghosts exist, so ghost hunters look for
clues. They try to record the whispers of ghosts. The recorded
sounds of ghosts are called electronic voice phenomena (EVP).
Ghost hunters think that some audio recording devices can capture
ghost sounds that human ears cannot hear. Special cameras search
dark places for ghostly shapes. Ghost hunters often measure the
temperature in a room. They believe sudden drops in temperature
may come from ghosts. A thermal camera that detects and
shows differences in temperature can help hunters locate ghosts.
Hunters sometimes hold a séance ceremony, believing it will allow
them to communicate with ghosts and other spirits.
SKEPTICS
Nobody has proven that ghosts exist, but people continue to tell scary
ghost stories. Skeptics try to prove that ghosts do not exist. They
go to haunted places to look for other explanations. Strange sounds
may come old pipes or squeaky floorboards. A cold
chill might come from a drafty window. A ghostly
photo may be a hoax, or an attempt to trick
people into believing something. Photographers
have used tricks to make it look like
their pictures are of ghosts.
Experts are able to detect these tricks.
©Teaching to the Middle
GHOSTS
Name__________________________________________
IDENTIFY: Use the word bank to identify each description.
poltergeist ghost hunters skeptics transparent
séance demon EVP hoax
1. Ceremony to communicate with ghosts and spirits
2. People who do not believe certain ideas
3. See through
4. An evil spirit
5. Ghost who moves objects
6. Used to record the sounds of ghosts
7. An attempt to trick people
8. Search for ghosts using thermal cameras
TRUE OR FALSE?: Identify each statement as true or false.
9. Ghosts have been proven to be real.
10. There are many famous ghosts in history.
11. All ghosts are thought to be bad.
12. Abraham Lincoln is thought to haunt the White House.
13. Soldiers are thought to haunt Gettysburg.
14. Skeptics attempt to prove that ghosts are real.
15. An apparition is a ghost that appears in human form.
16. Many people believe ghosts are real.
©Teaching to the Middle
MULTIPLE CHOICE: Choose the best answer.
17. Which best describes a poltergeist?
A. A ghost that appears in human form
B. An evil spirit
C. A ghost that moves objects
D. A cloudy swirl
18. What were Cihuateteo?
A. Ghosts that haunted war cemeteries
B. Ghosts blamed for moving coffins in the Chase family vault
C. Ghosts who haunted a beached ocean liner named Queen Mary
D. Ghosts said to die during childbirth and haunt the street stealing
babies
19. Why do ghost hunters often use thermal cameras?
A. They believe ghosts are around when the temperature increases.
B. They believe ghosts are around when the temperature decreases.
C. They believe they detect the sounds of ghosts.
D. They believe they will detect the movements of ghosts.
20. What was the author’s main purpose in writing this passage?
A. To persuade the reader to learn more about ghosts.
B. To explain how ghosts haunt people.
C. To inform the reader of the history and characteristics of
ghosts.
D. To entertain the reader with an interesting story about ghosts.
21. Which of the following best completes the analogy?
Queen Mary : California :: _______________ : Tennessee
A. Andrew Jackson
B. Chase family vault
C. Brown Lady
D. Bell Witch
©Teaching to the Middle
GHOSTS
Name___KEY_______________________________________
IDENTIFY: Use the word bank to identify each description.
poltergeist ghost hunters skeptics transparent
séance demon EVP hoax
séance 1. Ceremony to communicate with ghosts and spirits
skeptics 2. People who do not believe certain ideas
transparent 3. See through
demon 4. An evil spirit
poltergeist 5. Ghost who moves objects
EVP 6. Used to record the sounds of ghosts
hoax 7. An attempt to trick people
ghost hunters 8. Search for ghosts using thermal cameras
TRUE OR FALSE?: Identify each statement as true or false.
FALSE 9. Ghosts have been proven to be real.
TRUE 10. There are many famous ghosts in history.
FALSE 11. All ghosts are thought to be bad.
TRUE 12. Abraham Lincoln is thought to haunt the White House.
TRUE 13. Soldiers are thought to haunt Gettysburg.
FALSE 14. Skeptics attempt to prove that ghosts are real.
TRUE 15. An apparition is a ghost that appears in human form.
TRUE 16. Many people believe ghosts are real.
©Teaching to the Middle
MULTIPLE CHOICE: Choose the best answer.
17. Which best describes a poltergeist?
A. A ghost that appears in human form
B. An evil spirit
C. A ghost that moves objects
D. A cloudy swirl
18. What were Cihuateteo?
A. Ghosts that haunted war cemeteries
B. Ghosts blamed for moving coffins in the Chase family vault
C. Ghosts who haunted a beached ocean liner named Queen Mary
D. Ghosts said to die during childbirth and haunt the street stealing
babies
19. Why do ghost hunters often use thermal cameras?
A. They believe ghosts are around when the temperature increases.
B. They believe ghosts are around when the temperature decreases.
C. They believe they detect the sounds of ghosts.
D. They believe they will detect the movements of ghosts.
20. What was the author’s main purpose in writing this passage?
A. To persuade the reader to learn more about ghosts.
B. To explain how ghosts haunt people.
C. To inform the reader of the history and characteristics of
ghosts.
D. To entertain the reader with an interesting story about ghosts.
21. Which of the following best completes the analogy?
Queen Mary : California :: _______________ : Tennessee
A. Andrew Jackson
B. Chase family vault
C. Brown Lady
D. Bell Witch
©Teaching to the Middle
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