Lesson plan:

Audience position

This episode, like a number in the second series of Round the Twist, deals with the theme of conservation versus progress. It is useful for teaching the concept of audience position. The episode encourages the audience to support the side of conservation against progress.

As a whole class

After introducing the concept of audience position - the view which the audience is encouraged to adopt in relation to an issue or theme - discuss the techniques used in this episode to encourages the audience to support the concept of conservation.

Points include:

• the fact that sympathetic characters are on the side of conservation and unsympathetic ones on the side of progress
• conservation wins out in the end
• the use of numerous shots showing the beauty of the forest
• those who support progress are punished in various ways or made to look foolish
• the amount of time given to dialogue supporting conservation far outweighs that given to dialogue supporting progress.

Ask students to suggest some of the arguments often used to support progress and oppose total conservation. A starting point could be made with Mr Gribble's comment about the need to provide employment.

In small groups

Now ask students to form discussion groups and suggest changes that could be made to the episode to encourage the audience to adopt a different position to that offered in this episode. What shots and dialogue could be added? How might the audience sympathy with particular characters be used?

A race against time

Additional interest and excitement in this episode is added by making the problem on which it is based not just a matter of defeating Mr Gribble but also a race against time. This is a common technique in many narratives. Drawing attention to it contributes to students' understanding of the way in which narratives can be constructed to enhance excitement and audience involvement.

Individually or in small groups

Ask students to suggest other films, television programs or stories which also use the race against time element to add excitement. Allow students to write or produce dramatically a narrative of their own which uses the race against time convention.

Dramatic irony

Reading and viewing pleasure in this episode also comes from the use of the dramatic irony - a situation where the audience knows something which a character doesn't.

Class discussion

Introduce the term dramatic irony and ask students to identify examples of the situation in the film eg

• knowing that the Yuckles exist before the characters do
• knowing that the Yuckles duplicate things and explode before the characters
• knowing that when young Gribble grabs Linda he is really grabbing a Yuckle.