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 Of Plymouth Plantation, students can depict, explain, and discuss Bradford’s voice and purpose, along with his tone, to determine his sincerity. The more sincere Bradford seems to be, the more reliable he should be regarded, as a narrator.
In these hard and difficult beginnings, they found some discontents and murmurings arise amongst some, and mutinous speeches and carriages in others, but they were soon quelled and overcome by the wisdom, patience, and just and equal carriage of things by the Governor and better part, which cleaved faithfully together in the main. But that which was most sad and lamentable was that in two or three months’ time, half of their company died, especially in January and February, being the depth of winter, and wanting houses and other comforts…
| T | TONE | Bradford’s tone is neutral like a reporter, until he comes to the part where he must report that over half of the company died in the first winter. |
|---|---|---|
| W | WORD CHOICE |
difficult, discontents, murmurings, wisdom, patience, faithfully, sad, lamentable |
| I | IMAGERY |
"... in two or three months’ time, half of their company died, especially in January and February, being the depth of winter…” |
| S | STYLE |
Bradford uses third person to impart a sense of community, focusing a level of admiration on Governor Carver as someone who was able to quell rebellion and maintain control. |
| T | THEME |
This passage highlights the many struggles that the settlers faced in the first winter, including the initial rumbles of rebellion, the deaths of friends and loved ones, and the depths of winter which are cold and harsh without such simple things as a house. To know that despite all of this, they survived, is admirable. |
(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 Of Plymouth Plantation. Remember that TWIST stands for Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, Theme.