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Year 7

'The Twisted Tree': making impressive inferences about the tree

I can use my knowledge of the Gothic to make impressive inferences about the tree.

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Year 7

'The Twisted Tree': making impressive inferences about the tree

I can use my knowledge of the Gothic to make impressive inferences about the tree.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Inferences usually rely on things that haven’t been explicitly stated, but rather, hinted at or suggested.
  2. We can use connotations to help us make inferences about a particular word or phrase.
  3. Making links to the Gothic can make our inferences about 'The Twisted Tree' stronger.
  4. Effective analysis is developed and can include an additional inference.

Keywords

  • Inference - a conclusion you reach by applying logic to the evidence you are given.

  • Connotation - a feeling or idea that a word makes you think about, in addition to its basic meaning.

  • The Gothic - a style of writing that involves dark, mysterious, and supernatural themes.

  • Macabre - related to death and things that are creepy or horrifying.

Common misconception

Students might think that making an inference is the same as guessing randomly without any evidence.

Inferences are not random guesses. They are logical conclusions drawn from clues or evidence presented in the text or context.


To help you plan your year 7 english lesson on: 'The Twisted Tree': making impressive inferences about the tree, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

To reinforce the concept of making inferences, encourage students to identify specific clues or details in the text that led them to their conclusions. Emphasise the importance of using evidence and reasoning to support their inferences rather than relying solely on intuition or guesses.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

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

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is being described here: 'a phrase or short piece of writing taken directly from a longer work of literature'?
Correct Answer: quotation, quote, a quote, a quotation
Q2.
The Gothic first appeared in the century.
Correct Answer: 18th, eighteenth, 18
Q3.
A recurring theme, idea, or symbol in a text is known as a ...
Correct answer: motif.
metaphor.
simile.
flashback.
Q4.
Which character tells Martha how to kill the draugr in 'The Twisted Tree'?
Odin
Stig
Correct answer: Hel
Mormor
Q5.
Starting at the beginning, put these parts of the narrative arc into the correct order.
1 - exposition
2 - rising action
3 - climax
4 - falling action
5 - resolution
Q6.
Which definition best describes the resolution in the structure of a story?
where the problems are introduced and tension rises
where the writer describes the setting and characters
the high point of the action and tension
Correct answer: where the problems are resolved

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which word best describes the overall tone of the Gothic genre?
cheerful
Correct answer: mysterious
humorous
lighthearted
Q2.
What is a connotation?
the basic meaning of a word
Correct answer: a feeling or idea a word suggests
an aspect of a character
a literary device
Q3.
What is an inference?
a guess without any evidence
a direct statement from a text
Correct answer: a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning
a summary of a text
Q4.
Which of the following is an example of making an inference about the 'Twisted Tree'?
Correct answer: suggesting the tree is alive because it is described as 'swaying' and 'jumping'
summarising the plot of 'The Twisted Tree'
defining the word 'macabre'
highlighting the story's stormy setting and including a quote which shows it
Q5.
Why is the description of the tree's roots as 'veins' considered Gothic in 'The Twisted Tree'?
It creates a beautiful image.
Correct answer: It evokes a macabre and disturbing image.
It suggests the tree is normal.
It links to fog and hidden appearances.
Q6.
In 'The Twisted Tree', the tree is described as 'swaying' and 'jumping'. What are reasonable connotations of these words?
Correct answer: energy
Correct answer: the supernatural
normality
hope
Correct answer: power