A great way to engage your students in a text is through the creation of storyboards that examine Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, and Theme. This activity is referred to with the acronym “TWIST”. In a TWIST analysis, students focus on a particular paragraph or a few pages, to look deeper at the author’s meaning. This can be used for poems, short stories, and even ideas for graphic novels!
Using an excerpt, students can depict, explain, and discuss the story using a TWIST analysis. To scaffold or tailor this activity, teachers can choose to create images or add text and have students fill in the blanks. They may also choose to select the passage for students to analyze, or provide a word bank to guide students.
| T | TONE |
Mysterious: Sleepy Hollow is subject to many supernatural happenings |
|---|---|---|
| W | WORD CHOICE |
listless, drowsy, dreamy, sequestered, dreamy, bewitched, witching power, spells, reverie, trances, visions, nightmare |
| I | IMAGERY |
"A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere"; "...spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie"; "...and the nightmare, with her whole ninefold, seems to make it the favorite scene of her gambols" |
| S | STYLE |
Irving takes great care to set the scene of Sleepy Hollow as a spot for supernatural occurrences. He mentions many inexplicable things, from the easily recognizable shooting star, to the nightmare spirit. By providing a wide variety of examples, Irving persuades the reader to be more accepting of the supernatural. |
| T | THEME |
Sleepy Hollow has long been a hotbed for ghosts, spirits, and otherworldly forces. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Complete a TWIST analysis of the story. Remember that TWIST stands for Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, Theme.
Student Instructions:
Begin the lesson by introducing the concept of literary styles to students. Explain how authors use different types of writing styles in order to convey their message and how certain genres require specific types of styles to keep the attention of the readers. Depending on the understanding level of students, teachers can determine the level of detail to be discussed in class.
Once the students are more familiar with the idea of literary styles, teachers can list different types of literary styles such as expository, descriptive, argumentative, journalistic, formal, narrative, informal, etc. Explain each style in detail to students and also tell the students which style is more popular within different genres.
Teachers can conduct an activity in class where students have to connect the given text with the type of literary style it portrays. This can be done in the form of a worksheet or any other type of graphic organizer. Teachers can also ask the students to give their own examples considering all the literature they are familiar with.
Analyze and contrast various literary styles within the same genre or between genres using comparative analysis. Students may benefit from seeing the variety of literary genres through this. Teachers can assign each student a specific literary style and ask them to perform research to collect information and, in the end, all the students can share their insights and conduct a collective comparative analysis.
Encourage the students to consider their own preferences and the ways in which the style of an author influences their reading. This can spark intelligent conversations on personal preferences and interpretations.
Yes, TWIST analysis is flexible and works with a range of literary forms, such as poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. The key is to modify the analysis to fit the particular traits of the genre. Conducting this analysis on different genres will help students gain different insights and also help their comparative analysis.
Ask your students to scan the text for reoccurring themes or concepts using TWIST Analysis. Character growth, story development, and symbolism are common ways that themes are revealed. Their comprehension can be improved by debating and contrasting interpretations.
Using colorful and evocative language to conjure up mental images is known as imagery. While performing TWIST Analysis, students can talk about the ways that imagery supports themes, adds to the atmosphere, and improves the reader's sensory experience.