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🐰 Forms & Features
🐰 Wonderland — Ch.2: Forms & Features
🟦 Falling Down
🟪 Hall of Doors
🟩 The Trial
1
⏱ 3 min
📖 Your Story Begins…
You have rather thoughtlessly dived down a rabbit-hole, chasing a Rabbit in a waistcoat. Now you are falling… falling… falling… Whirling around you are many texts, with pages flying everywhere. It is all very confusing. You try to put the pieces together. After all, what else is there to do when falling down a deep, deep hole?
🧑🏫 Tutor:
Last lesson, we met genre — the type of story (fantasy, romance, adventure…). Today we'll meet its cousin: form. Different forms look and are built differently — even when they tell the same story.
Last lesson, we met genre — the type of story (fantasy, romance, adventure…). Today we'll meet its cousin: form. Different forms look and are built differently — even when they tell the same story.
🧠 Quick recall: What is a genre?
1 sentence. Think back to the Sultan's tales!
Click to speak
2
⏱ 5 min
🧑🏫 Tutor:
The same story — Alice on the riverbank — can be told in different forms. Look at how different they look on the page!
The same story — Alice on the riverbank — can be told in different forms. Look at how different they look on the page!
A Novel
CHAPTER I. — Down the Rabbit-Hole
Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice "without pictures or conversations?"
A Poem
Down the Rabbit-Hole
Alice gave her sister a look
And peeped once or twice in her book
But there was nothing to see
And she longed to break free —
"What use is a book with no hook?"
A Play
Act 1, Scene 1
ALICE — a curious young girl
SISTER — quietly reading
[A sunny riverbank. The SISTER reads. ALICE sits beside her, restless.]
ALICE (sighing): I'm so very tired of sitting here… and doing nothing.
[She leans over to peek into the book.]
ALICE (puzzled): No pictures…?
Each one looks different. Each one is built differently. These are different forms.
Form
the type of text and how it is presented.
A novel, poem, and play can all share the same genre, but be different forms.
Form is about the shape of the writing on the page.
A novel, poem, and play can all share the same genre, but be different forms.
Form is about the shape of the writing on the page.
Quick check: What's the difference between genre and form?
3
⏱ 2 min
📖 Down, Down, Down…
Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end! You can hear the Rabbit muttering, "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!" Suddenly, thump! thump! down you came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves. The fall was over. Where could you possibly be?
🎯 Today You Will…
Define form and tell it apart from genre
Spot the features of small forms (short story, limerick)
Spot the features of big forms (novel, epic poem)
Tell apart fiction and non-fiction forms (autobiography, biography)
Explain the purpose of different forms
4
⏱ 2 min
📖 The Hall of Doors…
You find yourself in a long, low hall, lit by a row of lamps hanging from the roof. Through one little door you glimpse a beautiful garden, filled with bright flowers and cool fountains. But — oh dear! — you are far too big to get through.
On a glass table, you spot two curious things: a small bottle marked "Drink Me", and a cake marked "Eat Me". What will you try first?
On a glass table, you spot two curious things: a small bottle marked "Drink Me", and a cake marked "Eat Me". What will you try first?
🧑🏫 Tutor:
To reach the garden, you'll need to shrink (and learn small forms), grow (and learn big forms), and find the golden key. The order is up to you — but you must do all three before the door will open.
To reach the garden, you'll need to shrink (and learn small forms), grow (and learn big forms), and find the golden key. The order is up to you — but you must do all three before the door will open.
Drink Me — sip from the bottle and shrink
Eat Me — bite the cake and grow tall
5
⏱ 6 min
📖 Shrinking…
"What a curious feeling!" said Alice; "I must be shutting up like a telescope." And so it was indeed: she was now only ten inches high. Now you are the right size to learn about small forms of texts!
🧑🏫 Tutor:
Some forms are tiny. Knock on the door below to read one of the shortest stories ever written…
Some forms are tiny. Knock on the door below to read one of the shortest stories ever written…
"Knock" by Frederic Brown
The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.
That's the whole story — only two sentences! Short stories often have twists and a simple plot. They get straight to the point.
✍️ Your turn: Write a two-sentence short story.
Try a twist! The first sentence sets the scene; the second turns it on its head.
Click to speak
6
⏱ 5 min
🧑🏫 Tutor:
A limerick is a small, funny poem. Its rules:
• It has five lines
• Lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme with each other
• Lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other
A limerick is a small, funny poem. Its rules:
• It has five lines
• Lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme with each other
• Lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other
🎲 Memory Game
Can you remember the limerick from earlier? Tap each line in the right order to add it to the poem. Get them all in order to pass!
Reorder the Limerick
Tap the lines in the pool in the correct order — they will fly to the poem.
📜 Lines (tap in order):
🔀And she longed to break free —
🔀Alice gave her sister a look
🔀"What use is a book with no hook?"
🔀But there was nothing to see
🔀And peeped once or twice in her book
✨ Your reordered limerick:
📖 What Next?
After a while, finding that nothing more happened, she decided on going into the garden at once…
Did you remember to pick up the key? If not… you may need to eat the cake.
Did you remember to pick up the key? If not… you may need to eat the cake.
7
⏱ 6 min
📖 Growing Enormous…
"Good-bye, feet!" said Alice (for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to be almost out of sight, they were getting so far off). You have grown enormous! Your head bumps the roof of the hall. Now you are big enough to learn about big forms of texts!
🧑🏫 Tutor:
Some forms are HUGE. Look at the features of these two giants of literature.
Some forms are HUGE. Look at the features of these two giants of literature.
📕 The Novel
Charles Dickens. Jane Austen. Roald Dahl. These authors all wrote novels — long stories told in chapters, with paragraphs and ordinary sentences (called prose).
Charles Dickens. Jane Austen. Roald Dahl. These authors all wrote novels — long stories told in chapters, with paragraphs and ordinary sentences (called prose).
Which of these are features of a novel? (Choose 3)
It's multi-select — tick all that apply.
📜 The Epic Poem
Homer's Odyssey. Virgil's Aeneid. Beowulf. Epic poems are vast — sometimes thousands of lines long! They are written in poetry, and often begin in media res (in the middle of the action).
Homer's Odyssey. Virgil's Aeneid. Beowulf. Epic poems are vast — sometimes thousands of lines long! They are written in poetry, and often begin in media res (in the middle of the action).
Which of these are features of an epic poem? (Choose 3)
📖 The Golden Key
Just then her head struck against the roof of the hall: in fact she was now more than nine feet high, and she at once took up the little golden key.
You are now much too big to enter the door to the garden… You will need to shrink down again!
You are now much too big to enter the door to the garden… You will need to shrink down again!
8
⏱ 2 min
📖 Just the Right Size…
🗝️ You hold the Golden Key in your hand. Form Spotter ability earned!
🧑🏫 Tutor:
You can now spot small forms (short story, limerick) and big forms (novel, epic poem). Time to meet the strange creatures of Wonderland.
You can now spot small forms (short story, limerick) and big forms (novel, epic poem). Time to meet the strange creatures of Wonderland.
9
⏱ 6 min
🐛 A Languid Voice…
Through the garden you go, until your eyes meet those of a large blue Caterpillar, sitting with its arms folded, quietly smoking a long hookah. It takes the hookah from its mouth and addresses Alice in a languid, sleepy voice:
"Who are you?" said the Caterpillar.
Alice replied, rather shyly, "I—I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then."
"Who are you?" said the Caterpillar.
Alice replied, rather shyly, "I—I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then."
🧑🏫 Tutor:
Imagine the Caterpillar asked you to write a book about your own life — your story, in your own words. That special form is called an autobiography.
Imagine the Caterpillar asked you to write a book about your own life — your story, in your own words. That special form is called an autobiography.
🔤 The prefix auto- means "self":
• automatic = works by itself
• autograph = your own signature
• autobiography = the story of your own life
• automatic = works by itself
• autograph = your own signature
• autobiography = the story of your own life
1) So what do you think autopilot means?
An autobiography is a non-fiction form. Its building blocks:
📌 Often written from the beginning of life to the end (or by topics)
📌 Written in prose (sentences and paragraphs, not verse)
📌 It is continuous — flowing, not in chunks like a poem
📌 Often written from the beginning of life to the end (or by topics)
📌 Written in prose (sentences and paragraphs, not verse)
📌 It is continuous — flowing, not in chunks like a poem
And if I wrote a book about your life — instead of you writing it yourself — it would be a biography. (Same building blocks, but written about someone else.)
2) Choose the TWO biographies (Tip: A biography is about a real person's life.)
📖
"The Life of Charles Dickens"
by John Forster
🐉
"The Dragon's Tale"
a fantasy novel
👩🔬
"Marie Curie: Her Story"
by Sarah Williams
🍰
"Cakes & Bakes"
a recipe book
🐛 The Caterpillar Again…
Alice felt a little irritated at the Caterpillar's making such very short remarks, and she drew herself up and said, very gravely, "I think, you ought to tell me who you are, first."
"Why?" said the Caterpillar.
Here was another puzzling question; and as Alice could not think of any good reason, and as the Caterpillar seemed to be in a very unpleasant state of mind, she turned away…
"Why?" said the Caterpillar.
Here was another puzzling question; and as Alice could not think of any good reason, and as the Caterpillar seemed to be in a very unpleasant state of mind, she turned away…
10
⏱ 6 min
🍵 No Room! No Room!
Beneath a tree, you find a long table set out for tea. The March Hare and the Hatter are taking tea, with a sleepy Dormouse as a cushion between them. "No room! No room!" they cried out when they saw Alice coming. "There's plenty of room!" said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide: "Do you think you can find the answer to my riddles?"
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide: "Do you think you can find the answer to my riddles?"
🎩 Riddle 1: What has keys but can't open locks?
🐰 Riddle 2: What has hands but cannot clap?
🐭 Riddle 3: Why is a raven like a writing-desk?
🧑🏫 Tutor:
Even riddles are a form of literature! They ask a short question and play with words to create a puzzle.
Even riddles are a form of literature! They ask a short question and play with words to create a puzzle.
✨ Every form has a purpose:
📓 A diary — to think about feelings and memories privately
🎤 A speech — to change minds or inspire a crowd
😄 A limerick — to entertain and make people laugh
📓 A diary — to think about feelings and memories privately
🎤 A speech — to change minds or inspire a crowd
😄 A limerick — to entertain and make people laugh
What is usually the purpose of a speech?
😤 Off in a Huff…
Alice sighed wearily. "I think you might do something better with the time," she said, "than waste it in asking riddles that have no answers." She got up in great disgust, and walked off.
11
⏱ 7 min
👑 "The Queen! The Queen!"
There was a sound of many footsteps, and Alice looked round, eager to see the Queen. First came ten soldiers carrying clubs; then the White Rabbit, talking in a hurried nervous manner; then the Knave of Hearts, carrying the King's crown on a crimson velvet cushion; and, last of all this grand procession, came THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS. When the procession came opposite to Alice, they all stopped and looked at her…
"Off with her head!" screamed the Queen.
The King laid his hand upon her arm, and timidly said, "Consider, my dear: she is only a child!"
It is time for your final trial! Answer 4 of 6 questions correctly to wake from this mad dream…
"Off with her head!" screamed the Queen.
The King laid his hand upon her arm, and timidly said, "Consider, my dear: she is only a child!"
It is time for your final trial! Answer 4 of 6 questions correctly to wake from this mad dream…
⚖️ 1) What do we mean by form?
⚖️ 2) How is form different from genre?
⚖️ 3) Which of these is a feature of a novel?
⚖️ 4) What is often the purpose of a speech?
⚖️ 5) What is an autobiography?
⚖️ 6) Why is a raven like a writing-desk?