The Halloween radio show that scared a nation

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Elementary A2

PDF: The Halloween radio show that scared a nation

Warm-up

Do you know what happened on Halloween in 1938? (No, what happened?)

Vocabulary Match

flee -   - visitors from space
aliens -   - attack
terrified -   - journalists
invasion -   - frightened
reporters -   - well-known
famous -   - run away

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

On Halloween in 1938, a radio play caused a big scare in America. Orson Welles and his theater group told a story about ________ attacking New Jersey. They made it sound like real news, and many people believed it.

People were ________. Some called the police, thinking the ________ was real. Others tried to ________ their homes to find safety. The next day, newspapers were full of stories about the "alien invasion" panic.

Welles became ________ overnight. He was surprised and didn't intend to scare everyone. He told ________ that he just wanted to share an exciting story. The play was based on an old story called "The War of the Worlds". After that night, it became even more famous.

Quiz

  1. What did Orson Welles and his theater group tell a story about?
  2. Why did some people call the police?
  3. What did Orson Welles tell reporters?

True or False

  1. Orson Welles intended to scare everyone.  T  |  F
  2. People tried to flee their homes to find safety.  T  |  F
  3. The play was based on a new story called "The War of the Worlds".  T  |  F

Conversation

A: Did you hear the radio? They said aliens are attacking New Jersey!
B: Really? Are you sure it's not just a story or a play?
A: I don't know. It sounded real. Should we do something?
B: Let's ask the neighbors if they heard the same news.
A: Good idea. Maybe they know what's going on.
B: Yeah. Until we know more, let's stay calm and not panic.

Discussion

  1. Have you ever heard a story that made you feel scared?
  2. Do you believe in aliens or other supernatural beings?
  3. What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?
  4. Have you ever played a prank on someone on Halloween?
  5. Do you enjoy listening to radio plays or podcasts?

True Story Answers

On Halloween in 1938, a radio play caused a big scare in America. Orson Welles and his theater group told a story about aliens attacking New Jersey. They made it sound like real news, and many people believed it.

People were terrified. Some called the police, thinking the invasion was real. Others tried to flee their homes to find safety. The next day, newspapers were full of stories about the "alien invasion" panic.

Welles became famous overnight. He was surprised and didn't intend to scare everyone. He told reporters that he just wanted to share an exciting story. The play was based on an old story called "The War of the Worlds". After that night, it became even more famous.

Vocabulary Answers

aliens → visitors from space
invasion → attack
reporters → journalists
terrified → frightened
famous → well-known
flee → run away

Quiz Answers

  1. It was about aliens attacking New Jersey.
  2. Because they thought the invasion was real.
  3. He told them that he just wanted to share an exciting story.

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. True
  3. False

Further Reading

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/infamous-war-worlds-radio-broadcast-was-magnificent-fluke-180955180/

More "True Story" Lessons

ESL Lessons: True Stories