Hello and welcome to today's lesson.

My name is Ms. Watson and I am delighted that you have decided to join me today for another lesson about "The Twisted Tree".

We are going to be looking at how you write thesis statements when you are beginning your essays about texts.

You will need a copy of "The Twisted Tree" and you should get the 2019 edition.

It is published by Hot Key Books.

It is really helpful if you have that edition when I'm giving you page references.

So when you have your book and your ready, we'll make a start.

So by the end of today's lesson, you will be able to write a clear thesis statement about "The Twisted Tree".

As ever, we will begin with the key words.

There are four key words today, all really useful for unlocking your learning.

The first one is thesis.

Now that is the overarching argument to an essay that is then supported by the entire text.

Overarching that means the most important thing, the thing that affects all the others.

To annotate means to make or add notes or short explanations to text or images, and methods, they are the tools that a writer uses to create drama or any other effect, and that includes a language choices.

Now if you would like a little bit of time to familiarise yourself with the key words, you can do that now.

Just pause the video and then join the lesson when you are ready.

So we have two learning cycles today.

We are going to start by annotating essay questions and then we are going to move on and you are going to write thesis statements.

Now reading and annotating an essay question is an important part of the planning process.

That is because the essay question will always include key words, which will direct your thinking.

So let's look at that in action.

This is the essay title.

How does Burge create an increasingly frightening atmosphere in "The Twisted Tree"? And the Oak pupils discuss which words they thought were key for this essay question.

And Andeep says, "I think the key words are Burge, create, and "The Twisted Tree'".

And Jacob says, "I think the key words are how, frightening, and atmosphere." And I would like you to have a discussion.

Who do you agree with? Andeep or Jacob? And I would like you to explain why.

Pause the video while you have that discussion.

If you are working by yourself, please pause the video and just make a few notes.

So here is the essay question again, how does Burge create an increasingly frightening atmosphere in "The Twisted Tree"? And Jacob thought that the key words are how, frightening, and atmosphere.

And this is why he's right.

He's right because each of those words direct your thinking.

So the word how, it directs you to explore Burge's methods.

Doesn't just mention the writer's name as in Andeep's explanation.

It asks you to look at methods.

And the word frightening, well, it directs you to a specific adjective to focus your work.

We are looking for methods that create that particular feeling.

And atmosphere, that directs you to explore a specific effect to analyse.

And this is where annotations are useful.

So this is the question and I'm going to share with you Jacob's annotations.

So he underlined the word how and noted explore Burge's methods.

And he underlined increasingly frightening and noted explore with this idea in mind.

And then he underlined atmosphere and noted explore this effect in detail.

And now I would like to have a check for understanding.

Here, you have a different question.

How does Burge create a fearsome villain in the draugr in "The Twisted Tree"? So what I would like you to do is to tell me what are the key words that you would underline here and what might you say in your annotations about those key words? Pause a video while you think about that.

Welcome back.

Let me share with you what you should have written.

That you should have underlined how, that's exploring Burge's methods, and underlining fearsome villain because that is exploring with this focus in mind.

And then draugr, you're exploring this specific character.

Very well done.

Let's move on.

And one more check for understanding about what essay questions are telling you to do.

The how in an essay question refers to, is it A, methods, B, annotations, or C, themes? Have a think.

Make your choice.

Did you say methods? That's 100% right.

Well done.

Let's move on.

Now here is another essay question.

How does Burge create a heroic protagonist in the character of Martha in "The Twisted Tree"? And you're going to start by annotating the keywords with your initial ideas.

But you are going to develop that by including quotes, plot points, and links to other characters and themes.

So you're going to need to pause the video while you do that.

So when you're ready, pause the video and off you go.

Welcome back.

What excellent focus you showed there.

Well done.

So here is what you might have noted.

That the how is explore Burge's methods.

The heroic protagonist is to explore with this focus in mind.

And the name of Martha is directing you to explore that particular character.

And you might, at this point, have asked yourself some questions, like which methods best helped me understand the character of Martha? And said, well, it's the links to Norse mythology.

Remember, she is associated with Odin who also lost the sight in one eye and was extremely wise.

And Martha's bravery the way Burton Burge shows Martha to be so brave.

For example, when she saved Stig and Gandalf.

And what are the key points in the story that portray Martha as heroic? The defeat of the draugr, the way she travels to Norway alone, and she faces danger alone.

For example, when she faces Hel and when she enters the tree.

And good questions to ask about Martha would be, where else do we see Martha as heroic? And does she develop throughout the story in any way? And you might have said that she journeys from troubled teenager to saviour of the tree and that she shows great respect for her ancestors.

For example, in the way she returns Mormor to the underworld and she embraces the supernatural.

If you would like to take some time to borrow some of those ideas and add them to your notes, please do that now.

Just pause the video and then rejoin me for the second half of the lesson.

We've made really good progress today.

You've learned about annotating essay questions and now we are going to look at writing thesis statements.

And a really good way to explain to you about thesis statements is if I compare them to topic sentences.

So have a look at this grid.

We might say that a thesis statement looks at the overarching argument of the entire essay.

Whereas the topic sentence explains the purpose of an individual paragraph.

The thesis statement is supported by the entire text.

The whole text is evidence for that argument.

Whereas with a topic sentence, it is supported by individual moments in the text or individual characters in the text.

And you find the thesis statement in your introduction.

That's where you write the thesis statement.

And the topic sentences are found at the start of each main body paragraph.

So let's see this in practise.

Here's the grid again.

So we have the thesis statement.

Burge presents Martha as a character who is caught between two worlds.

And then the topic sentence.

At the beginning of the novel, Burge highlights Martha's isolation as she runs away from home.

And here's another thesis statement.

Burge presents the draugr as the embodiment of fear and the supernatural exemplifying a mysterious world beyond our own.

And the topic sentence.

The first description of the draugr focuses on its putrid stench and undead appearance.

So look more closely at these examples and discuss and then we will share what are the differences that you see.

So let me share some ideas with you.

Let's look at the first thesis statement.

That Burge presents Martha as a character who is caught between two worlds and that is supported by the whole text.

That statement is true for the whole of the novel.

And at the beginning of the novel, Burge highlights Martha's isolation as she runs away from home.

And that is a specific moment in the text, the very beginning where we are introduced to Martha leaving places where she feels safe and going to somewhere more dangerous.

And then the other thesis statement.

That Burge presents the draw as the embodiment of fear and the supernatural exemplifying a mysterious world beyond our own.

Again, that is supported by the whole text.

The draugr is always frightening and always supernatural.

And then we have this topic sentence.

The first description of the draugr focuses on its putrid stench and undead appearance.

And you might see that it's focused on this specific element of the draugr.

Its appearance, how it comes over to people, and also the first time you meet it.

Some really good ideas here.

Let's move on.

Now we're going to have a check for understanding.

Is it true or false that a thesis statement should be linked to a specific moment in the text? Have a think.

Make your choice.

It's false, but why is it false? Have a think about why it's false.

Well, you might say this, that the thesis statement should be supported by a reading of the whole text.

It's the topic sentence that should be linked to a specific moment in the text.

Let's move on.

Now we're going to look at a thesis statement.

And the thesis statement answers this question.

How does Burge create an ominous atmosphere through the novel setting in "The Twisted Tree"? Here's the thesis statement.

Burge creates an ominous atmosphere through the supernatural tree in order to foreshadow the danger and threat when the draugr appears from the tree towards the end.

And now what I would like you to do is discuss why is this a powerful thesis statement? Pause the video while you have that discussion or if you are working by yourself, pause the video and make a few notes.

Welcome back, what excellent focus.

I was really impressed with the way you really looked closely at the thesis statement.

And let's look at what you might have said.

That at the beginning, there is a focus, the writer's name is mentioned, and the word creates suggest a crafting that is happening.

So right from the start, we're establishing how Burge crafted the atmosphere.

And then it gives an example of a method, which is through the supernatural tree, the description, the creation of the supernatural tree.

And it links to the question and the writer's intention.

It picks up key words like ominous and atmosphere and it explains why the writer wants to create an ominous atmosphere.

It's part of the way that Burge's foreshadows the danger and threat.

If you wanna just take any notes from there, you can do that before we move on.

So now it is time for you to practise writing a thesis statement.

This is the question you are going to be working with.

How does Burge create a heroic protagonist in the character of Martha in "The Twisted Tree"? And in the box, I have put a reminder of what a thesis statement should do.

It should look at the overarching argument of the entire essay, and it should be supported by the entire text.

So gather your thoughts and any notes that you have made, you will need to pause the video while you do that.

So pause the video now and off you go.

Welcome back.

I would like to share with you Jacob's thesis statement.

He wrote, "Burge presents Martha as a character.

She is depicted as heroic in many ways, but mainly when she defeats the draugr at the end." Now it does not meet the checklist.

This is the checklist.

The overarching argument of the entire essay and supported by the entire text.

Doesn't do the first one and it doesn't do the second one.

It isn't supported by the entire text because it talks specifically about the end and it's not very clear in its argument.

But that's okay because Jacob got the chance to redraft, and this is what he wrote the second time.

"Burge presents Martha as a heroic character who develops from an anguish teenager into a powerful champion capably defeating the fearsome draugr." Now it does meet the checklist.

We have that overarching argument about Martha being heroic character who develops from anguish teenager, at the beginning when she's running away, to the powerful champion at the end.

So we have the whole text there supporting that argument.

So now what I would like you to do is be like Jacob and self-assess your own thesis using the checklist.

You'll need to pause the video while you do that.

So pause the video now and then return to me for the end of the lesson.

So before we say goodbye, I would like to summarise what you have been learning today.

You have been learning that an introduction to an analytical essay should include a clear thesis statement, and you have been learning that a clear thesis statement should introduce your overarching argument for the essay and clearly answer the question.

A clear thesis statement should deal with the whole of the novel and how the theme or the character develops and a thoughtful thesis statement should consider the writer's intentions.

Now it's time for me to say goodbye and thank you for coming to today's lesson.

I wish you a brilliant rest of the day and I look forward to seeing you again in another lesson on "The Twisted Tree".

Bye for now.