New
New
Year 7

'The Twisted Tree': Consolidating knowledge of the plot

I can identify and compare all the major plot points of ‘The Twisted Tree’ and write a clear summary.

New
New
Year 7

'The Twisted Tree': Consolidating knowledge of the plot

I can identify and compare all the major plot points of ‘The Twisted Tree’ and write a clear summary.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Summaries are important revision tools for understanding the plot.
  2. A summary should be concise, chronological and only include the most important moments.
  3. Using time connectives allows you to write a clear, chronological summary.
  4. Using comparative connectives allows you to compare the significance of key moments.

Keywords

  • Chronological - arranged in the order that events happen over time, from earliest to latest

  • Summary - a concise version of a longer text, capturing the most important information and main ideas

  • Connective - a word or phrase that connects other words or sentences

  • Plot - the main events of a story

Common misconception

Pupils might believe that writing a summary means including all details from the story.

Explain that a summary should only include the most important events and main ideas in a concise manner. Remind them that the goal is to capture the essence of the story, not every detail.

Encourage students to use a 'summary frame', where they list key events in bullet points before writing their summary. This helps them focus on the most important parts and organise their thoughts effectively. Additionally, you could provide examples of well-written summaries for comparison.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to the text 'The Twisted Tree' by Rachel Burge, published by Hot Key Books, 2019.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
'The Twisted Tree' was written by Rachel ...
Correct Answer: Burge
Q2.
What is a 'connective'?
a type of narrative style
Correct answer: a word or phrase that connects other words or sentences
a character in a story
a plot device
Q3.
'The Twisted Tree' was heavily influenced by ...
Correct answer: Norse mythology.
Greek mythology.
Roman mythology.
Japanese mythology.
Q4.
What is the purpose of a plot in a story?
to describe the setting in detail
to showcase the author's vocabulary
Correct answer: to outline the sequence of events and actions in the story
to introduce all characters at once
Q5.
What does 'characterisation' mean in literature?
the sequence of events in a story
Correct answer: the way a writer develops and describes characters
the setting of the story
the conflict within the plot
Q6.
What is an example of a comparative connective?
moreover
because
Correct answer: whereas
finally

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the purpose of a summary?
to include every detail of a story
Correct answer: to capture the most important information and main ideas concisely
to analyse the characters in-depth
to provide a critique of the writer's style
Q2.
What word means 'arranged in the order that events happen over time'?
narrative
sequential
Correct answer: chronological
logical
Q3.
Which character tells Martha how to kill the draugr in 'The Twisted Tree'?
Odin
Correct answer: Hel
Stig
Mormor
Q4.
Which connective is best used to indicate a difference?
similarly
Correct answer: contrastingly
additionally
consequently
Q5.
What type of word is 'initially'?
adjective
noun
verb
Correct answer: adverb
Q6.
Which of these is a time connective?
because of
Correct answer: after that
but
whereas

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