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Year 7

'The Twisted Tree': expressing my ideas about the novel

I can express my ideas about 'The Twisted Tree' with well-structured writing.

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Year 7

'The Twisted Tree': expressing my ideas about the novel

I can express my ideas about 'The Twisted Tree' with well-structured writing.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Our writing should be structured in a clear and logical way with our reader in mind.
  2. Effective writing will include an introduction, main body and conclusion.
  3. Conclusions can follow a three part structure moving from the specific to the general.
  4. Our writing should consider the choices a writer makes, and evaluate their intention.

Keywords

  • Thesis - an idea you develop and maintain throughout an essay

  • Evaluation - making a judgement or comment about something

  • Conclusion - the final idea left with the reader at the end of an essay

  • Specific - clearly defined or identified

  • Writer's intentions - what a writer wants to achieve or explore in their work

Common misconception

Pupils may believe that the conclusion should introduce new ideas or quotes.

Explain that a conclusion should summarise the main points and restate the thesis in a new way, rather than introducing new evidence or arguments. Its purpose is to reinforce what has already been discussed, reinforcing the main arguments.


To help you plan your year 7 english lesson on: 'The Twisted Tree': expressing my ideas about the novel, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage pupils to practice writing conclusions by summarising their main points in one sentence each before they write their full conclusion. This helps them focus on the essence of their argument and ensures they don't introduce new information.
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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

copyright

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.
The thesis statement of an essay or response will come ...
Correct answer: at the beginning.
at the end.
in the middle.
throughout the entire answer as a whole.
Q2.
When writing about 'The Twisted Tree', what might your final paragraph do?
introduce your thesis
review the story
summarise the plot of the novel
Correct answer: conclude the essay
Q3.
'Burge uses Norse mythology to add depth and intrigue to the story, weaving ancient myths into the narrative to heighten the sense of unease.' This is Izzy's overarching idea. As such it is a ...
Correct answer: thesis.
topic sentence.
quote.
summary.
main quotation.
Q4.
'The Twisted Tree' is a Gothic story. Most Gothic stories will have a supernatural enemy of some kind. Who is this in 'The Twisted Tree'?
Hel
Stig
Mormor
Correct answer: The draugr
Gandalf
Q5.
Many essay questions will start with the word 'How'. What does the 'How' in a question often refer to?
themes
Correct answer: methods
annotations
the writer
Q6.
What type of quotations are being described here 'quotations which support your topic sentence, and that require analysis'?
Correct Answer: main

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a thesis statement?
a summary of the conclusion
Correct answer: an idea developed and maintained throughout an essay
a list of quotes from the text
an evaluation of the writer's style
Q2.
What should the first sentence of a conclusion include?
a new quote
a summary of the introduction
Correct answer: a specific response to the thesis
a list of main points
Q3.
Which of the following is NOT a benefit of writing a conclusion?
Correct answer: it introduces new evidence
it reminds readers of the thesis
it shows off evaluative skills
it sums up ideas
Q4.
Why is it important to avoid new information in a conclusion?
it adds further evaluation
Correct answer: it can confuse the reader
it helps with the introduction
it supports the thesis
Q5.
What is the purpose of an evaluative comment in a conclusion?
to describe the plot
to provide quotes
Correct answer: to explain the writer's intentions
to introduce characters
Q6.
What does moving from the specific to the general mean in a conclusion?
Correct answer: starting with details and ending with a broader comment
starting with a quote and ending with the thesis
starting with a general comment and ending with details
starting with the writer's name and ending with a quote