Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Lesson 4: Creating Suspense - PowerPoint

In Lesson Four of the 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' series, the objective is to delve into the literary techniques Roald Dahl uses to create suspense, particularly in chapters 2 and 3 of the novel. The session begins with an engaging activity where students examine a series of tall tales told by Grandpa Joe to Charlie. They must discern which of these fanciful stories are true and which are false, such as Willy Wonka having the largest chocolate factory in the world, inventing ice cream that doesn't melt, and employing monkeys in his factory. This sets the stage for exploring the concept of suspense.

The lesson continues with a discussion about suspense, asking students to reflect on different scenarios that might evoke this feeling, such as waiting for an injection or sitting outside the head teacher's office. By comparing these situations to chatting with friends or playing football, students can identify which experiences are more suspenseful and why. The definition of suspense as a state of tense excitement about an uncertain outcome is then linked to Dahl's storytelling. Students are encouraged to consider how Dahl's use of sentence types, imagery, punctuation, word choices, and dialogue contribute to the suspenseful atmosphere in the story. The plenary task challenges them to write a paragraph analysing how Dahl effectively maintains the reader's attention through these suspense-building techniques.