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Responding to key images in an unseen extract from Akala's 'The Dark Lady'

Lesson details

Learning outcome

I can make inferences about an unseen extract from Akala's 'The Dark Lady' and respond to the use of imagery.

Key learning points

  1. Making predictions about a text is useful because it allows you to consider the impact of a writer’s choices.
  2. You should use the first read through of an unseen text to establish information about plot and characters.
  3. You should use the second read through of an unseen text to consider the writer’s choices.
  4. When we read, we must make inferences about a text to help us understand what the author is really saying.

Keywords

  • Predict - to say what you think will happen in the future

  • Infer - to form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information that you have

  • Translate - to change words into a different language

  • Connotation - a feeling or idea that is suggested by a word in addition to its basic meaning

  • Summary - a brief, clear statement giving the most important facts about something

Common misconception

That it's impossible to guess what will happen in a text.

While we can't know for certain, we can pick up on clues that the writer gives us to make predictions about what will happen in a text.

Teacher tip

You might like to explore some of the quotations in more detail to show how Akala presents Henry's excitement at the prospect of using his magic.

Equipment

You will need a copy of the 2021 Hodder Children's Book edition of 'The Dark Lady' by Akala for this lesson.

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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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Prior knowledge starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which time period was Elizabethan England?

Correct answer: Mostly 16th century
Mostly 12th century
Mostly 20th century
Mostly 18th century

Q2.
What does 'unseen text' mean?

a text you are familiar with
Correct answer: a text you have not seen before
a text you are partially familiar with
a text you do not enjoy

Q3.
What does predict mean?

to know what will happen in the future
Correct answer: to say what you think will happen in the future
to analyse a writer's use of structure

Q4.
To form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information that you have is to .

Correct Answer: infer

Q5.
A feeling or idea that is suggested by a word in addition to its basic meaning is a .

Correct Answer: connotation

Q6.
What does symbolise mean?

Correct answer: where something represents something else
where something is said to be something else
where something is said to be like something else

6 Questions

Q1.
In Akala's 'The Dark Lady', Henry is forced to steal to survive. From this, we can infer that his life is ...

safe
Correct answer: dangerous
mundane

Q2.
In Akala's 'The Dark Lady', we find out that Henry has the ability to ...

Correct answer: read or translate anything in front of him
turn invisible at will
make people trust him implicitly

Q3.
A summary is ...

the introduction to your argument
when you use evidence from the text
Correct answer: a statement of the most important facts
a statement giving your opinion of a text

Q4.
To change words into a different language means to .

Correct Answer: translate

Q5.
In Akala's 'The Dark Lady', the image of a __________ is used before Henry uses his magic.

Correct answer: butterfly
unicorn
rose
lion

Q6.
In Akala's 'The Dark Lady', Henry describes the process of using his magic as seeing different "colours" and images. What are the connotations of this?

Correct answer: using his magic is a positive experience
using his magic is a negative experience
he doesn't feel anything when using his magic

To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Responding to key images in an unseen extract from Akala's 'The Dark Lady', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...