The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

Lesson 1 Introduction to witches- Research Project

By the end of this lesson:
Pupils will have gained some insight into the role of a witch.

Resources: Witch wear, witch facts, high jinks (worksheets)

Starter:
Introduce the book Witches and explain the scheme of work for the next
term. Before reading begins, pupils need to know all about witches.

Main:
Each table/group or pair has information (a worksheet), describing a
various aspect of a witch’s life:
• Witch wear
• Witch facts
• High Jinks
Each group has to write down 10 interesting ideas they can find on the
worksheet.

Plenary:
Pupils then share the information they have gathered with the rest of
the class and predict what kind of witches will be in the novel. Teacher
must focus on the witch stereotype, broomsticks, Halloween, black cats,
etc.

Extension:
Pupils can draw and label a stereotypical witch in their books.

AFL:
This will be done during class discussion of witches.

Homework:
Draw and label a ‘typical’ witch in your book if you have not finished it in
class.

Teacher Notes:
This research can be done like this or on the internet, having pupils find
out facts about witches such as clothes, Halloween, etc. However, there
are many modern sights that do not adhere to the stereotype focused in
this lesson.

Lesson 2 Chapter 1: A note about witches

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS
The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7
By the end of this lesson:
Pupils will have practiced their dictionary skills.
Pupils will have further knowledge of the characters in the novel.

Resources: Copies of the book, Chapter 1 question sheet, dictionaries

Starter:

Main:
Read Chapter 1
• Discuss how their perceptions of witches are not like that of the
book.
• Answer the questions from activity sheet; Witches Chapter 1.

Plenary:
Gather feedback from pupils and check that they have the right answers.

Extension:
This is on the question sheet.

AFL:
Whilst pupils answer the questions in their books and then through class
discussion.
Homework:
None

Teacher Notes:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

The WitchesChapter 1
Using the book, answer these questions in full sentences, don’t
forget capital letters, full stops and correct spellings:

a. What is a motto?
b. What is the motto of all witches?
c. What happens when a witch ‘swoops’ to get a child?
d. What does a witch look like?
e. Look up these words in the dictionary and write down their
meanings in your books:
• Scheming
• Plotting
• Churning
• Burning
• Whizzing
• Fizzing
f. Now write sentences that include each of the words that you
have just looked up in the dictionary. This will show your
understanding of them.
g. What might be some of the strange/unusual habits or
appearances that a witch might have as she tries to keep a
disguise in public? You can draw a picture and label it if you like.
h.Once you have completed the questions, get out your own
reading book and do some quiet reading.

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

Lesson 3 Chapter 2: My Grandmother

By the end of this lesson:
Pupils will have further knowledge of the characters in the novel.
Pupils will begin to have some awareness of the author’s craft.
Resources: Copies of the book,
Starter:

Main:
Read Chapter 2
• Discuss how you would normally expect a grandma to act, how is Roald
Dahl’s version different?
• Then discuss the strange way in which the children disappear, explain
how Dahl has chosen to describe these events for the audience to be
fearful of the witches.
Complete the activities below:
• Draw a picture of Grandma and label her distinguishing features.
• Model a missing poster for one of the children who are taken by the
witches. Teacher is to show how they need to read the chapter to get
facts and ideas.
Plenary:
Pupils can stand up and present their posters to the rest of the class.

Extension:
Pupils can complete another wanted poster based on another of the
missing children.
AFL:
During class discussion and teacher can circulate during main task to
ensure pupils are inserting the correct information into their wanted
posters.
Homework:

Teacher Notes:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7
Lesson 3 The Grand High Witch
By the end of this lesson:
Pupils will have further knowledge of the characters in the novel.
Pupils will be able to write for a purpose.
Resources:
Starter:

Main:
1. Complete the following activities:
a. Pupils are to create a character profile of a witch, draw and label
the distinguishing features of a witch.
b.Prepare for homework: Writing a diary of grandma, when I lost
my thumb. Hand out Homework sheet.
• Brainstorm how Grandma might have lost her thumb
• Pupils are to then recap the rules they have previously learned
upon diary writing:
o First person pronoun
o Past tense
o Feelings, thoughts and worries
o What time of day did it happen? What was the date?
o Descriptive language
• Remember that Grandma is from Norway, so the weather may
be different and there obviously wouldn’t be PlayStations or
mobiles!
• Remember that Grandma would not have called this when they
are writing the diary; she would have been a little girl! And
she wouldn’t smoke cigars!
• Paragraphing, SPG.
Plenary:
Ensure that all pupils have there homework written in their diaries.
Extension:
Pupils can begin to plan their homework, and decide how Grandma has lost
her thumb.
AFL:
Pupils will show their knowledge and understanding through class
discussion and by referring back to their previous work.
Homework:
Complete the diary of Grandma.
Teacher Notes:
If you have not introduced diary writing to your pupils yet, you may want
to introduce the five rules above as a starter.

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

The Witches
Homework
“When I lost my Thumb…”
Before completing this homework, you will need to make notes
about the things that we know about Grandma already, like where
she lived; these notes will be made in class. If you have any more
questions about this work ask your teacher as there are no
excuses for it not to be done!

The task:
Using the skills you have learned from previous lessons, you are
going to write a diary of Grandma; the title of your work will be
“When I lost my Thumb…”

Remember the five rules of diary writing:

o What time of day did it happen? What was the date?

o First person pronoun
o Past tense
o Feelings, thoughts and worries
o Descriptive language

You will have to do at least one page in your English book!

No less.

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

The Witches
Homework
“When I lost my Thumb…”
Before completing this homework, you will need to make notes
about the things that we know about Grandma already, like where
she lived; these notes will be made in class. If you have any more
questions about this work ask your teacher as there are no
excuses for it not to be done!

The task:
Using the skills you have learned from previous lessons, you are
going to write a diary of Grandma; the title of your work will be
“When I lost my Thumb…”

Remember the five rules of diary writing:

o What time of day did it happen? What was the date?

o First person pronoun (I, me, us, we)
o Past tense (I did this, she said that)
o Feelings, thoughts and worries
o Descriptive language

You will do at least one page of writing in your English book!

Use the writing guide on the other side of this page to write your
diary.

Please turn over

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

Date:
Today, I went outside to play with my friend_________ and something happened
that changed my life forever. When we were__________ down the street, we
came across a __________ lady who asked us what the __________ was. As she
said this, she ___________ out her hand and __________ my arm to look at my
__________. When this happened, I felt a ________ feeling run all over my
body. My _______ stood up on the back of my neck like the cat next door that
arches its back and ________ when a dog goes near it.

walking pretty time reached grabbed watch hisses Joe hair

strange

Feeling really ________, I looked at her hand to see that she had _______ on! It
was _________, I just knew she was an evil, cruel _________ who was ready to
do anything to get rid of me! Her big, _________feet moved in closer towards me
and Joe. With all my ________, I pulled back my arm and she lost her grip on me.
My _________ was beating so fast that I felt like it was going to _________
inside my chest!

frightened gloves shocked awful witch ugly strength heart

burst

Joe, who is a little _________ than me, was just standing there in shock. Her
mouth was wide open, like the dead _________ that you see on display at the
__________. I was ready to run, but she just wouldn’t move. I ________ and
_______ on her arm to get her going but there was nothing I could do as she was
frozen, like a statue.

Smaller fish market pulled tugged

By this time, the _______ had her gloved ________ on my friend. I saw the evil
creature’s eyes turn ________ as she called out some kind of spell. Her tongue
was ________ as she spat those horrid, disgusting words. All of a sudden, a white
spark come flying from her ________; my friend had disappeared, so had my
________ as I had been holding her arm when it happened. For a second, I looked
at the space where it had been on my hand, then I turned and ________as fast I
could. I never even looked back once, all I wanted to do was get home and see my
_______and ______.
M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS
 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

witch hands purple blue eyes thumb ran mum dad

Lesson 4
By the end of this lesson:
Pupils will understand the term Acronym and use it as a spelling aid.
Pupils will be able to practice their thesaurus skills.
Resources:
Starter:
Acronyms
Main:
1. Read Chapter 4
2. Looking at the NSPCC:
• What does NSPCC stand for?
• What is the job of the NSPCC?
• (Note the similar name of the NSPCC with that of the RSPCC)
What do you think the ladies will be like? Use your thesaurus to
find at least eight different words to describe them.
• Answer the questions of events so far.

Plenary:
Ask pupils if they can create spelling acronyms for the following words in
pairs: ceiling, beautiful, special, knee, friend, diary.

Extension:
Questions of events so far should cover the rest of the lesson

AFL:
Pupils will show their knowledge and understanding during discussion
throughout the lesson and then during the plenary.
Homework:

Teacher Notes:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

The WitchesChapter 4,
5 and 6
Using the book, answer these questions in full sentences, don’t
forget capital letters, full stops and correct spellings:

1. What were the boy and his gran’s plans for the summer?
2. Why do Norwegians use mussels for bait?
3. How do you eat shrimps?
4. Why was pneumonia dangerous for the grandmother?
5. Who was Mrs Spring?
6. What did the doctor suggest for their holiday?
7. Where did they go to stay?
8. Who were William and Mary?
9. What upset the chambermaid?
10. How did grandmother convince Mr Stringer to let the mice stay?
11. Why did the boy go into the ballroom?
12.Who was holding a meeting in the hotel?
13.What trick was the boy going to teach William and Mary?
14.How was he going to do this?
15.What was the boy’s “blinding ambition”?
16.What interrupted his training?

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

Lesson 5 Chapter 6: Frizzled like a fritter and

Chapter 7: Formula 86 Delayed Action Mouse-Maker
By the end of this lesson:
Pupils will have further knowledge of the characters in the novel.
Pupils will be able to use similes to describe.
Resources:
Starter:
Similes

Main:
• Read chapter 6
• Grand High Witch character profiles.
Ask pupils to look at both pictures of the Grand High Witch, when she
is in disguise and went she isn’t. Brainstorm some descriptions of her
before completing the activity sheet on her.

Plenary:
Get feedback from pupils; share some of the similes within the class
group.
Extension:
This is on the activity sheet.

AFL:
During class discussion and teacher can circulate during main task to
ensure pupils are creating similes for the Grand High Witch.
Homework:
Grand High Witch character profile.

Teacher Notes:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

The Witches Chapter 6

The Grand High Witch
The Grand High Witch is so ugly that she has to disguise herself when she
goes outside in public. Look at the descriptions of the Grand High Witch,
before and after she takes off her disguise.

They are very different, almost opposites of each other, so this will mean
that you will have to do two character profiles of the Grand High Witch!

Copy out the table into your book; do not write on the sheet! You will need a
thesaurus to complete the table, and I do not want any old words! For each
description you must think of a simile to describe that part of her body. Try
to be as original as possible and I would like full sentences for each one.
Look at mine to get you started:

Body Part Disguised Witch Normal witch

Hair As long and as shiny as a (She has none!) Her scalp is
river, that flows as rough as sandpaper,
effortlessly and sparkles covered in rotten scabs that
when the sun hits the she picks off and crunches
surface. like crisp in her mouth when
no one else is around.
Eyes
Nose
Mouth
Hands
Feet
Voice
Personality

Extension Activity/Homework:
Once you have finished the table, you will be able to create a character
profile of the Grand High Witch when she is disguised. You can label your

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7
drawing to show what she is hiding, like her wig hides her bald head. This will
be completed as homework.

Lesson 6 Chapter 8: The Recipe

By the end of this lesson:

Resources:
Starter:
Verbs (doing words)
Main:
Read chapter 8
Mixing up words: think of an animal like a horse, what does it do? Trot,
neigh, snorts, gallops.
Now mix up two words from your list: Example: trot+gallop= trotalop.
Writing instructions, what do we need when writing instructions? Look at
recipe cards, etc. EAL pupils have verb and object on different cards.
They put them together and then write them out in full sentences.
Others: copy recipe from book.
Read poem jabberwocky
Homework: Then they can make their own ingredients for a potion that
makes you escape from bullies. What type of things would you need?
Run faster (cheetah run sprint leg), be able to smell out danger (elephant
dogs sniff nose), fight back (kangaroo), taller (giraffe), heavier (pig)
Warning leaflet?

Plenary:

Extension:

AFL:

Homework:

Teacher Notes:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

The Witches Chapter

8
The Recipe
You are going to write your own magic recipe that gives you super powers to
escape from bullies. In order to complete this task, you will need three
things:
1. To know how to write recipe instructions.
2. Magic ingredients like the witch’s.
3. An imagination!
Writing instructions:
The Grand High Witch gives the witches the recipe for the Formula 86
Delayed Action Mouse-Maker. You must write it out in easy to follow
instructions. I have started them for you:

1. kj
2. klpk
3. l;l;ll
You must complete the rest of the instructions, this can be done by

pupils have verb and object on different cards. They put them together and
then write them out in full sentences. Others: copy recipe from book.
Have you noticed how Roald Dahl sometimes uses words that don’t even
exist? Can you find any in the recipe he uses?
Roald Dahl doesn’t just make any words up! Look at the ‘nonsense’ words that
you have found, what other things or words do they remind you of and why?
Read poem jabberwocky Mixing up words: think of an animal like a horse,
what does it do? Trot, neigh, snorts, gallops. Now mix up two words from
your list: trotalop. Run faster (cheetah run sprint leg), be able to smell out

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7
danger (elephant dogs sniff nose), fight back (kangaroo), taller (giraffe),
heavier (pig)

Homework: Then they can make their own ingredients for a potion that
makes you escape from bullies. What type of things would you need?

Lesson 6 Chapter 9: Bruno Jenkins disappears and Chapter 10: The

Ancient Ones

By the end of this lesson:

Resources:
Starter:

1. Hodders
2. Read chapter 9 and chapter 10
3. Character profile Bruno Jenkins.
4. Introduce alliteration with examples from the text.
5. Perspective: seeing things from a different point of view.
6. Complete the table:

Main:

Plenary:

Extension:

AFL:

Homework:

Teacher Notes:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

The WitchesChapters
9 and 10
We have a new character in the witches; Bruno Jenkins, so you will
need to create a character profile for him. However, there are
some things that you must consider before you start.

Think about how he is seen by other characters in the book. We know what
the witch and the boy think of Bruno, do you think Bruno’s parents will think
this way to or will they have a different perspective?

What is perspective or perception, as it is also know as?

Perspective is when we see things from a different point of view.

Complete this table, it will help you build your character profile of Bruno:

Description Who said it? What does this say about Bruno?
“…Rrree-pulsive little
brrrute gobbling up
the sqvishy bar of
chocolate…”
“…six bars!… I’ll be
there! You bet I’ll be
there!”
“…I like watching
them burn…”

“…they owned three

cars…”

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

“My father is going

to get you for this!”

“Will one of you

crazy punks kindly
tell me what all this
is about?”

Please turn over

Homework:
Perspective
Now that Bruno has been turned into a mouse by the Grand High Witch, he
will have a new perspective on life, or he will see things differently.

Homework Preparation:
Brainstorm as many things that you can think of that remind you of or that
you associate with mice:

Use a thesaurus to look up some interesting words that you may want to use
in your diary:
Word to look up: Other words found in the thesaurus
Small
Frightened
Scared
fast

The task:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7
Your homework will be to write a diary from the perspective of Bruno the
mouse. Imagine that it is a week after the Grand High witch turned you into
a mouse and that you now live in the hotel.

As part of your task, you will also have to include at least three similes. This
will make your writing interesting and descriptive. It will also give you higher
marks!

Don’t forget the five rules of diary writing! Look back at your previous work
if you cannot remember.

REMEMBER! AT LEAST THREE SIMILES!

Homework: Perspective
Now that Bruno has been turned into a mouse by the Grand High Witch, he
will have a new perspective on life, or he will see things differently.

Homework Preparation:
Brainstorm as many things that you can think of that remind you of or that
you associate with mice, I have included some questions to help you:

How do things look around you? What happens when people see you?

Are there any dangers that you have

to look out for? What do your parents think of you?
Do you have any friends?
How do you get to different
places?

How would you feel if you were kept as a

Where do you live? pet and was locked up in a cage?

Use a thesaurus to look up some interesting words that you may want to use
in your diary:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7
Word to look up: Other words found in the thesaurus
Small
Frightened
Scared
fast
The task:
Your homework will be to write a diary from the perspective of Bruno the
mouse. Imagine that it is a week after the Grand High witch turned you into
a mouse and that you now live in the hotel.

Don’t forget the five rules of diary writing! Look back at your previous work
if you cannot remember.

OHT

The diary of Bruno the

Mouse…
Date: Monday 11th July

Today, I was woken up by the smell of fresh bread cooking in the

kitchens. As I was curled up inside the matchbox that I use for a bed,
my long whiskers started twitching as the aroma drifted past my little
pink nose. I was so hungry that I got up out of bed, and ran straight
from the hole in the wall (where I live) into the kitchen. I didn’t have a
wash of course, as they don’t have mouse baths in the hotel and I no
longer have my parents nagging me about how mush dirt I have behind
my ears. Besides, my ears are now as big as an elephants, can you
imagine how long they would take to clean? Anyway, there I was, stood
in the middle of the kitchen and thinking of a way to get up on the
table (which was as high as the skyscrapers you find in America) when
I realised that someone was watching me…

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

Year group: Topic: Lesson:

By the end of this lesson:

Resources:
Starter: Activity 12:
Chapter 11: Metamorphosis
1. Hodders paragraphs/metamorphosis, how many words can you get from
that word?
2. Read chapter 11
3. What is metamorphosis? Before the reading.
4. List as many things as possible that go through metamorphosis:
Butterfly, People, birds, swan? Trees, flowers,

We have got a problem! How do we turn the mouse back into a boy?
You are going to create a recipe for a magic potion that will turn the boy
back into his original state.

Have a look at the recipe you made for the bully and the witches’ recipe;
what kind of ingredients will you need to change from a mouse into a boy?

First brainstorm some of the activities or features of a young boy and

then play around with words to create a recipe.
Main:

Extension activity:

Plenary:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

AFL:

Homework:

Further Notes:

Year group: Topic: Lesson:

By the end of this lesson:

Resources:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7
Starter:
Activity 13:
1. Hodders connecives
2. Read: Chapter 12: Bruno
Connectives, the positives and negatives of being a mouse-boy.

Create a table: one side positive, the other negative. We are going to
debate mouse or boy?
You will need an opening paragraph that stands out. Then we will use
connectives:
Being a mouse is good because… However, a mouse cannot….. where as a
boy can….
Mice can also…. But then again….
Final paragraph: would you like to be a mouse or boy? Why?
Main:
Extension activity:
Plenary:

AFL:

Homework:

Further Notes:

Year group: Topic: Lesson:

By the end of this lesson:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

Resources:
Starter:

Chapter 13: Hello, Grandmamma

Activity 14:
Chapter 14: The Mouse-Burglar
1. Hodders
2. Read chapter 14

Onomatopoeia and alliteration

Main:

Extension activity:

Plenary:

AFL:

Homework:

Further Notes:

Year group: Topic: Lesson:

By the end of this lesson:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

Resources:
Starter:
Activity 15:
Chapter 15: Mr and Mrs Jenkins meet Bruno
Script: Mr and Mrs Jenkins
Character Profiles: What do we know about them already? What sort of
parents are they with a son like Bruno?

Hot seating: I am going to play the character of Mr and Mrs Jenkins,

When I put on the moustache, I am Mr Jenkins. Looking at what I know
about the book already, I am going to play his part and pretend that I am
him. Your job is to ask me any questions to find out info on his background
and why his son is a certain way. Once you have spent five minutes
thinking of questions, I will give you the opportunity to think of Mrs
Jenkins and create your own character profile for her.

The table will help you to decide the questions you will need to ask:

How did he get rich>

What does he think of Bruno? Be careful here, you don’t want to offend
him.
What have they been doing whilst on holiday?
Main:
Extension activity:

Plenary:

AFL:

Homework:

Further Notes:

Year group: Topic: Lesson:

By the end of this lesson:
M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS
The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

Resources:
Starter:
Activity 16:
Chapter 16: The Plan
Chapter 17: In the Kitchen
Writing skills, spelling, punctuation and grammar

Main:
Extension activity:
Plenary:

AFL:

Homework:

Further Notes:

Year group: Topic: Lesson:

By the end of this lesson:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

Resources:
Starter:
Activity 18:
Chapter 18: Mr Jenkins and His son
Chapter 19: The Triumph

Main:

Extension activity:

Plenary:

AFL:

Homework:

Further Notes:

What a shocking series of events! Can you imagine if this were real life what
a
newspaper story it would make: screaming headlines, lurid reporting and

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

 The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7
sensational photographs?! You can imagine it? That’s just as well, because
that is
your next assignment.
What do you know about newspaper articles? Brainstorm your ideas onto the
board.
Unlike a lot of other exercises for English, you have to consider the layout as
well
as the content of your work. Be absolutely sure you understand the format of
a
newspaper before you start to write.

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS

The Witches by Roald Dahl Scheme of work for year 7

Year group: Topic: Lesson:

By the end of this lesson:

Resources:
Starter:
Activity 20:
Chapter 20: The Heart of a Mouse
Chapter 21: It’s Off to Work We Go!

Book review
Prep for witches magazine project
Horoscopes
Adverts: wigs and gloves shop, what will it be called? Witches wear
Contents page
An article on the next meeting and a list of things that will be happening.
Agony aunt page
Spells and products
Front page
An article on the witches death.

Editor
Main:

Extension activity:

Plenary:

AFL:

Homework:

Further Notes:

M Mulligan September 2006 FPHS