LESSON OBJECTIVES: Write a satisfying story resolution (TLW 5) Use a range of narrative devices to involve the reader (TLW 7) RESOURCES Mini-whiteboards, thin pens & erasers OHP and OHTs (or enlargements) Starter Hand out criteria for a good ending (see sheet for cutting up) and ask pairs to arrange these into a rank order: most important at the top, least at the bottom Hand out the sheet of 3 alternative endings to label them with their criteria strips. Did they have to change the order of their strips much? Why/not? Take feedback by asking individuals to come forward and annotate a projected (or enlarged) version of the 3 texts using enlarged criteria strips. Use OHT for this. Main Direct attention to the objectives and secure the key terms Explain the idea of an ending that belongs to or is predicted by the opening Read out to the class the opening of The Night of the Stick Insects, but first tell the class you are going to ask them (a) what do we know from the story opening? (b) what can we deduce (work out)? (c) what do we expect will happen at the end? Now take feedback on the three questions, giving pupils thinking time. Read out the ending. Does the ending echo the beginning? How? (See guide sheet) Show the beginning and ending on the board and get volunteers to come out and draw arrows to link the related bits (See guide sheet) Review learning and then remind class of the opening to The Secret of Trencher s Hill that was looked at in a previous lesson (show OHT) Tell class you want them to help you to write an ending to the story, but first you want them to carry out the three question (above) analysis of the opening. Start the exercise off FOR them, take one more suggestion (model and share) and then.. Development Ask pairs to continue the three question analysis. You may need to give each pair a copy of the Trencher s Hill opening to annotate During this time you should work with one group of 6-8, each of whom will have their own whiteboard. With an able group you should prompt them quickly through the prediction task and then get them individually to try writing an ending that echoes the opening. Watch as they write, review briefly after three minutes. Scan the rest of the class! Plenary/Review Ask students: what have we learnt today? Ask three pairs to explain to the class what they did during the development above Get one pupil to read out their possible ending. Ask the pupil to explain how they have tried to make their ending echo the opening Make final points, returning explicitly to the learning objectives Copyright 2001 www.teachit.co.uk 1
Good Endings Criteria Copy and slice into strips for each pair & I set of acetate strips (or enlarged strips) The ending ought to refer back to the beginning in some way Everything should be sorted out in the ending The ending should be exciting There should be a twist something unexpected should happen The ending should hang we should be left to work it all out for ourselves The ending should be a cliff-hanger ; it should feel like the beginning of a new story Copyright 2001 www.teachit.co.uk 2
One A4 copy per pair Three possible endings for a story called The Heroes 1. Sarah and Tom looked back at the smoke rising from the cave. It was over. They were safe; their families were safe; and so was their whole town. Never again would they be called cowards. The Snapper was dead and it was they who had killed him. Throbbing with pride the pair walked arm-in-arm down their street towards their homes where they would surely be greeted as heroes. Or would they? 2. Sarah and Tom looked back at the smoke rising from the cave. It was over. They were safe; their families were safe; and so was their whole town. The Snapper was dead at last. They turned away and walked proudly down their street. But they hadn t gone more than ten metres before they were frozen in their tracks by an angry wailing roar. The Snapper was back! And this time he was ten times larger, and ten times fiercer. 3. Sarah and Tom looked back at the smoke rising from the cave. It was over. They were safe; their families were safe; and so was their whole town. Never again would they be called cowards. Throbbing with pride the pair walked arm-in-arm down their street towards their homes where everybody greeted them as heroes. John and Sam apologised to them for calling them cowards and never again were they made to feel miserable at school. In fact, they were very happy. Eventually they got married and had three children, and started their own dragon-taming business. Copyright 2001 www.teachit.co.uk 3
Opening of Night of the Stick Insects by Alan Durant You got any pets? Dog, cat, goldfish maybe? Well, Tommy had lots of pets, jars and tanks of them. Tommy bred stick insects, though I guess it wouldn't be quite right to call them 'pets'. His pet was really the gecko lizard that lived in the big glass tank on his chest-of-drawers. Every now and then he'd get that out and, you know, pet it, stroke it, chat to it, that kind of thing. The stick insects, well they had other uses. Some of them, he sold - and he'd made a fair amount of cash, too. It was amazing how many kids were willing to pay him for the brown stick-like things. At school, there was a craze for them. Tommy thought NOTES Teacher guide Unusual direct address to the reader: a bit challenging, aggressive. Colloquial, chatty tone and vocabulary. What does this suggest about the narrator? Who is the narrator? What are those uses? Sounds sinister. Either Tommy, the narrator, or both sound a bit unpleasant. He exploits the stick insects; he has no concern for their welfare. Sounds like Tommy s dad doesn t trust him. What might Tommy want to do with the mantises? Ending of Night of the Stick Insects by Alan Durant By the dark, dark early hours of the morning, Tommy s room was thick with stick insects, grown to a gigantic size some the size of Alsatian dogs. In the blackness they hissed and clicked, as if in angry conversation, discussing what to do. It was to this that Tommy awoke His first thought was that he was having another nightmare. And even when they lifted him from his bed with their sturdy, tree-trunk limbs, he could not believe it was real, that this was actually happening. It was only when they lifted him towards the huge, open, slimy, tooth-filled mouth of the now monstrous gecko that he understood the full, real horror of the situation. And by then he was half inside and it was too late. Very threatening. Are the stick insects getting their revenge? If so, what for? Is Tommy getting what the opening of the story hints that he deserves? How has the ending of the story changed in tone from the opening? Copyright 2001 www.teachit.co.uk 4
Opening of Night of the Stick Insects by Alan Durant You got any pets? Dog, cat, goldfish maybe? Well, Tommy had lots of pets, jars and tanks of them. Tommy bred stick insects, though I guess it wouldn't be quite right to call them 'pets'. His pet was really the gecko lizard that lived in the big glass tank on his chest-of-drawers. Every now and then he'd get that out and, you know, pet it, stroke it, chat to it, that kind of thing. The stick insects, well they had other uses. Some of them, he sold - and he'd made a fair amount of cash, too. It was amazing how many kids were willing to pay him for the brown stick-like things. At school, there was a craze for them. Tommy thought they were kind of boring himself. They didn t do anything, did they? They just hung about on the wire mesh frame he d put up against their container wall, imitating twigs. Big deal. He much preferred praying mantises. His dad had a whole collection of those, but he wouldn t let Tommy near them. OHT or divided & enlarged into 2 A3 copies Ending of Night of the Stick Insects by Alan Durant By the dark, dark early hours of the morning, Tommy s room was thick with stick insects, grown to a gigantic size some the size of Alsatian dogs. In the blackness they hissed and clicked, as if in angry conversation, discussing what to do. It was to this that Tommy awoke His first thought was that he was having another nightmare. And even when they lifted him from his bed with their sturdy, tree-trunk limbs, he could not believe it was real, that this was actually happening. It was only when they lifted him towards the huge, open, slimy, toothfilled mouth of the now monstrous gecko that he understood the full, real horror of the situation. And by then he was half inside and it was too late. Copyright 2001 www.teachit.co.uk 5
OHT, enlarge to A3 or copy onto board The Secret of Trencher s Hill It heaved up out of the darkness, a darker shape against the darkening sky. If ever there was a time to run, then this was it. But they couldn t run: they couldn t move; they couldn t even breathe. Sarah s fingers dug deeply into David s arm in horror. Slowly but steadily the shape swelled until its ragged outline loomed over them, the light wind brushing and blurring its furry edges. It s alive! Sarah finally gasped. What have we done? But David only shook his head slightly. At last he knew the secret of Trencher s Hill, and now he understood what the old man had meant when he had warned them not to mess with the past. Copyright 2001 www.teachit.co.uk 6
A4 copy for each pair The Secret of Trencher s Hill It heaved up out of the darkness, a darker shape against the darkening sky. If ever there was a time to run, then this was it. But they couldn t run: they couldn t move; they couldn t even breathe. Sarah s fingers dug deeply into David s arm in horror. Slowly but steadily the shape swelled until its ragged outline loomed over them, the light wind brushing and blurring its furry edges. It s alive! Sarah finally gasped. What have we done? But David only shook his head slightly. At last he knew the secret of Trencher s Hill, and now he understood what the old man had meant when he had warned them not to mess with the past. Answer these questions: 1. What do we know from the story opening? 2. What can we deduce (work out)? 3. What do we expect will happen at the end? Now do this: WRITE the last 50 words of the The Secret of Trencher s Hill. Make the ending belong to the opening. Copyright 2001 www.teachit.co.uk 7