Character text messages:  Have students create conversations between the characters at http://iphonefaketext.com/.

Fate or Coincidence Debate:  Students debate whether things happen in life because of fate or coincidence and use examples from their own lives to support their beliefs.  Here is a great lesson plan for this activity.

Have students find another of W.W. Jacobs' short stories, read it, and write a brief analysis comparing and contrasting it to The Monkey's Paw.

Watch "The Monkey’s Paw" Reenactment. Students will write a comparative analysis in which they discuss the similarities and differences that exist in how the film and text develop the tone, events in the plot, complex characters, and setting.  Students should take a position in their responses about how the film causes them to interpret the actual events in the short story.

The Monkey's Paw Escape Room Use your knowledge of the story to escape the room before the 45 minutes have elapsed.

Watch an adaptation. This is not a full list, as there are several adaptions that appear even in sitcoms (like Gilligan's Island) that are not listed, but it's a good start.

Research Monkeys in India:  Use this website  and this news article to research monkeys common to India. Then, answer the questions in this Google Doc.  

More Activities and Ideas

For more ideas on The Monkey's Paw activities, including writing tie-ins, bulletin board ideas, art projects and more, visit our Monkey's Paw Pinterest board.