Another great way to engage your students 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, students focus on a particular paragraph or a few pages, to look deeper at the author’s meaning.
Using an excerpt from the story, students can depict, explain, and discuss the initial description of the setting of Sleepy Hollow.
From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW, and its rustic lads are called the Sleepy Hollow Boys throughout all the neighboring country. A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. Some say that the place was bewitched by a high German doctor, during the early days of the settlement; others, that an old Indian chief, the prophet or wizard of his tribe, held his powwows there before the country was discovered by Master Hendrick Hudson. Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvellous beliefs; are subject to trances and visions; and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air. The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions: stars shoot and meteors glare oftener across the valley than in any other part of the country, and the nightmare, with her whole nine fold, seems to make it the favorite scene of her gambols.
| 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.)
Student Instructions
Perform a TWIST analysis of a selection from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". Remember that TWIST stands for Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, Theme.