Reading ‘The Twisted Tree’: Mormor’s letter
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore the importance of letters; how they relay important information and affect the characters emotionally.
Key learning points
- Stig and Martha have dinner, but are interrupted by a guttural howl outside.
- Martha finds a letter from Mormor that tells her she also can feel emotions through clothes.
- Mormor tells Martha that she must continue to water the tree in the garden.
- Letters are an effective method to relay important information in a novel and explore a character's feelings.
Keywords
Putrid - a foul smell from rotting matter
Devouring - eating food or prey hungrily and quickly
Emanating - emitting or spreading from something
Superstition - a widely held but irrational belief in a supernatural influence or practice
Sacred - connected with god or regarded with great respect
Common misconception
Letters are only used in novels to drive the plot forward.
Letters can also give a reader an insight into a character's thoughts and feelings, as well as background information. They can also be used as an effective way to create dramatic irony.
Teacher tip
An interesting way to complete Task B would be to allow pupils to swap letters and use their skills of prediction to answer the questions.
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
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What country is 'The Twisted Tree' mostly set in?
Q2.Which type of weather does the writer use in 'The Twisted Tree' to symbolise secrecy and mystery?
Q3.What is the name of the island in 'The Twisted Tree'?
Q4.In 'The Twisted Tree', what is the name of the character who Martha discovers living in her Mormor's cabin?
Q5.In 'The Twisted Tree', what "strange" thing does Mormor ask Yrsa to do before she dies?
Q6.'The Twisted Tree' could be considered a Nordic thriller. Which of the following, would not be considered conventional for this genre?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In 'The Twisted Tree' what sound coming from outside does Martha hear in the dark?
Q2.In 'The Twisted Tree' what do Martha and Stig discover moving on its own in the house?
Q3.In 'The Twisted Tree', which word does the writer use to describe the smell coming from the tree?
Q4.In 'The Twisted Tree' Martha discovers a letter from her Mormor. What does it tell her she needs to do?
Q5.When writing a letter that is speaking about yourself, you will often use person.
Q6.Which answer offers the best description of the word 'sacred'?
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Reading ‘The Twisted Tree’: Mormor’s letter, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Reading ‘The Twisted Tree’: Mormor’s letter, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the 'The Twisted Tree': fiction reading unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.