Wicked! (single Volume Containing All Six Parts)
Gleitzman Morris/Jennings Paul
WONDERFUL WAYS WITH WICKED!
Inspiring ideas for classroom activities devised and compiled by Andrea Blake
INSIDE INSIGHT: Interview one of the characters from Wicked! – from the side of 'good' (eg.
Gramps, Dawn's Mum) or the side of 'evil' (eg. the appleman, a killer sheep). Skim back over parts
of the story where they feature so you can plan a list of ten appropriate questions. You might
prepare and ask:
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straightforward questions about who they are and where they fit in the story; OR
probing questions about reasons behind their behaviour and how they feel about other
characters; OR
you might be provocative and challenge the interviewee about his/her actions and effects
on others.
'WICKED NEWSFLASH!': Prepare for presentation a piece about one of the terrifying scenes from
the story (eg: Bk. 2 Ch. 10 – Frightening Frenzy of Giant Frogs! Or Bk.5 Ch.5 – Mysterious Mouldy
Creature Spotted: Disappears down Drain! Or Bk. 4 Ch.6 – Raging Root Traps Terrified Tourists!)
You could write about it as a newspaper or magazine article, or dramatise it as a TV newsflash. Try
to incorporate some of the descriptive language and relevant dialogue from the incident selected
from the story.
ENTICING ADVERTISMENT: Create an ad for Wicked! – for a magazine, a book shop, a poster or for
TV. Consider how to entice an audience – avid or reluctant readers. What does the story offer?
(eg: Endless excitement and scintillating suspense!) Why read it? (Scare yourself silly!) Who would
read it? (Not a book for blubbering babes!) Use descriptive language and eye-catching artwork that
would really make someone stop and look – and at least think about reading such a fascinating
book!
DASTARDLY DILEMMAS: Select chapters or excerpts from Wicked! which place the characters in
some sort of dilemma or sees them facing a big problem. Students can discuss in small groups
some alternatives for handling the situation. Share ideas and think about the pros and cons of
people's suggestions. Report back to the class explaining the situation and offering a group
consensus about one way of solving the problem.
ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS: How do the authors establish the mood or atmosphere in each
chapter? Assign a chapter to each small group to read and discuss, focussing on the language and
techniques used to give the reader 'that' feeling – of suspense, horror, relief, fear. Students can
collate examples of descriptive or evocative text to create a class display – write and illustrate the
text in 'clouds' reminiscent of atmospheric conditions!
AUTHORS OF ATMOSPHERE: Build on the previous activity of having students write their own
short pieces – the key task being to create a certain mood or atmosphere. Drafts can be
conferenced with a friend, teacher or group for helpful suggestions regarding vocabulary or
structure. Final pieces can be shared, displayed, or put together as a short story collection. Work
could be read aloud encouraging class discussion about how successful the author was in creating
atmosphere, or what techniques could have been used to develop the work further.
THESAURUS THINKING: Choose three different moods – either from Wicked! or for pieces you
might write. Use a thesaurus to make a list of ten or more words appropriate to the mood your
piece is trying to create (eg. Mood is Fear – words are anxiety, terror, dread, etc). This vocabulary
list can be used to expand your writing and make it more interesting.
MONSTROUS THINGS: Wicked! is full of monsters – 'Flickering tongues, evil eyes, pulsing veins...'
(p.23) 'A foul, mouldy fiend. Strong like a snake. Rotten. Rotting...' (p.277) – unusual ones
emerging from everyday things like apples, frogs, worms and plants! Create your own monster
from something unexpected (eg: looming lunchbox, strangling singlet, gangrenous glasses!). Think
about how it emerges, how it moves, what its target is. Write as descriptively as you can. You
might like to introduce your creation to the class – expressive and dramatic use of your voice and
face should terrify your listeners if you try hard enough!
DARING DECISIONS: Dawn and Rory are constantly challenged to make decisions – usually in
danger and under pressure. Choose a situation where you believe the character made the RIGHT
choice, or a situation where the character made the WRONG choice. (Eg. Book 5. Chapter 5. Dawn
decides to follow Howard – 'I stood there torn. I couldn't be with them both.') Using the book,
explain your chosen situation. Argue your case using persuasive language to encourage listeners to
see your point of view. Can you 'counter' other's arguments? Support your opinion with examples
from Wicked!.
INSPIRING IMAGERY: Wicked! uses a great deal of imagery to thrill and fill reader's minds – with
mental pictures of the characters (eg: 'Green eyes were coming. Slimy bodies hissing over the long
dry grass. Tongues slobbering.' p.45); with a sense of the setting (eg: 'The whole refinery was like a
dead rusting monument to wickedness.' p.313); with a feel for the atmosphere (eg: 'It was
completely dark outside. Night noises filled the air. Crickets chirped. Gum leaves rustled gently...'
p.185). Examine the techniques the authors use to build the drama. Students can be assigned one
of the 'books' to review focussing on the imagery used. Compile notes on how character, setting
and atmosphere are described and developed.
INVOLVING EMOTIONS: Fear. Suspense. Danger. Sadness. Anger. These are some of the
dominant emotions as the plot unfolds. Choose a chapter or a scene which you think illustrates an
emotion. Read aloud and discuss why you chose the piece. Or use mime and movement to
illustrate the emotion as it affects a character in Wicked! or as it affects someone in the real world.
ROCKY ROAD OF RELATIONSHIPS: Dawn and Rory's relationship evolves through many ups and
downs. From the disastrous wedding interruption that sets off the chain of events in Wicked!
together they face terrifying challenges as the plot develops. By the time the riveting end is
reached, so much has changed. Students could use the following ideas to 'chart' the relationship of
the two main characters as their feelings towards each other are revealed in thought, action and
dialogue:
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illustrative 'graphs' – eg. a wiggly line showing the peaks and troughs the characters
experience as they get to know each other, annotated with evidence from the relevant
chapter.
Dialogue charts – selecting a comment from each character at different points of the story
to reflect Dawn or Rory's feelings at the time. A good source for discussion about why
changes might be occurring and relating this to personal experience.
'Book' reviews – eg: brief explanatory notes on how the relationship has developed in the
course of each book. Teachers can use guiding questions to draw out more thoughtful
answers in written or spoken form.
SEQUENCES OF SUSPENSE: The plot of Wicked! twists and turns, constantly exciting! Problems
emerge in each book that require action and resolution. Explore the climactic scenes and discuss
the dilemmas faced by the characters. Give pairs or small groups headings such as these (eg:
Problem, Action, Resolution) with which to review and make notes from chapters or books. Pool
the information collected so the class can chart the sequence of these climactic moments – from
the initiating event to the final conclusion. This activity also focuses on Wicked! as a model for
students to write their own well-structured story outlines.
CHARACTER PROFILES: These can be written, illustrated with annotations or dramatised in roleplay form. Use the book to build a profile of a character. Consider descriptive evidence from
Wicked! which reveals aspects of the character's physical, emotional, mental makeup.
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What good or bad traits does he/she/it exhibit?
How would you describe his/her/its personality?
What is your reaction to the character?
How might the character react to you?
The whole class could do one character profile together initially as a model. Offer guiding
questions to encourage use of the book as a reference and to elicit more thoughtful answers.
CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS: The authors of Wicked! write in alternating chapters from the
perspective of Dawn and of Rory. This style reveals similarities and differences in the main
characters' views and feelings about what is going on around them. Work with a partner to either
recall or make up an experience you have shared (eg. trip to the beach, fight over a friend, seeing a
movie star, scary night out...). Talk about it in detail and listen carefully to each other's viewpoint.
Write about this experience from your partner's perspective or even from the perspective of
someone else who may have seen, heard or shared it. (eg: the starfish you collected in a bucket to
take home, the friend you fought over, the movie star who refused you an autograph, the burglar
who saw you in your pink fluffy scuffs!)
INTERESTING ISSUES: Wicked! raises several issues that provide valuable starting points for
discussion or debate. The depth of exploration may depend on the age and experience of the
students as some issues could be handled more seriously than others. Look at the way in which
the story deals with these issues (eg: Gramps' Alzheimers and experiences in the war create a
humorous side to his character and one which enables Gramps to save the day on occasions or
lighten up a gloomy problem!). Small or large group discussion could be stimulated using the book
or going beyond to personal experiences.
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Families – siblings and step-siblings, parents relationships with children and step-children
Relationships – boyfriend/girlfriend feelings, with separated parents
Loss – death of a parent, separation from family members; loss of pets, of freedom
Fear – reality and fantasy, what scares us
Anger – in the book is very destructive; controlling and channelling strong emotions
Judgements – unfounded gossip (as of Dawn's Mum); giving others a chance
Conflict – of interests; handling and resolving conflict
Truth – telling 'stories' to adults, kids' imaginations vs. adults' realities
Courage – Rory's courage in despair. Dawn's motivation to save her family, Dawn's Mum's
final act
HOT TO HANDLE: Select from the multitude of scenes from Wicked! with potential for some
dramatic action (eg. Ch.3. Bk.3. the attacking frogs. Ch.5 Bk.6. Rory sees his own ghastly
reflection!) Students can work in small groups to create a short role-play to answer the question
'How would you handle it?', dramatising their ideas. The chapters from the book could be read
first and alternative solutions dramatised; or leave the chapter unread and see how close
students' solutions come to the authors' imaginative writing!
TWO-TIMING TITLES: Examine the Contents page. You'll find a great example of clever titles that
make a useful source of discussion. Discuss how the authors used this feature. Think about what
the headings suggest before reading the chapters, then go back and reflect on their meanings after
chapters have been read! Students can then try to conjure up clever headings for their own
personal and imaginative writing.
GOOD vs EVIL!: What are the 'forces for good' in Wicked!? (eg: Dawn's Mum's shoe, controlling
anger) What qualities were associated with good? (eg: determination, positive thinking) On the
other hand, what form did Evil generally take? (eg: always dark, slimy, slobbery) And what were
the 'forces of evil'? Use these questions to encourage students to share their interpretations of the
text. Encourage use of examples either directly from the book or in retelling part of the story to
justify and explain points of view.
THEMATIC THINKING: Loyalty, courage, perseverance... these are recurring themes in Wicked!.
They also make valuable starting points for writing and speaking tasks. Personal or imaginative
tales on a given or chosen theme can be crafted with particular focus on using rich vocabulary to
enhance the reader's or listener's experience.
ARTISTIC ACTION: Activities encouraging artistry abound with Wicked!. Posters, pictures, comic
strips, sketches... many of the more gruesome characters and scary situations are ideal for capture
in creative colour or crazy cartoon! Students could also design illustrations that they feel would
complement the text – black and white, pencilled outlines, full colour pages... whatever their
imaginations inspire!
RAPT IN READING: Choose a chapter of Wicked! which you feel really lends itself to an oral
reading. Rehearse it with a friend or small group. Take on different parts as in Readers' Theatre or
turn it into a script. Whether reading from the book or using story-telling techniques to retell your
chosen excerpt, your job is to captivate the class!
CATEGORIZING: What genre do you think Wicked! would be classified as? List 5 good reasons (and
you can use examples from the book too) to explain your thinking. Or, prepare to ask someone
else 5 questions which would enable you to identify the characteristics of Wicked! and give it a
genre category.
FIRED-UP FABRICATIONS: Wicked! is a wildly imaginative story. Make a selection from the book of
one of the following (or from a list provided by the teacher) to inspire your own imaginative
writing:
1. A title from the contents page (eg: Battering Rams – or make it Nattering Hams or
Splattering Jams!)
2. a phrase, sentence or piece of dialogue (eg: 'Where’s the spy gone?'...'It's disappeared...'
p.263; or 'She had saved my life.' p.333; or 'What a hoot' p.9)
3. A word (eg: Disease! Mould! Desperate!)
FROZEN MOMENTS: Climactic scenes, strong emotions or sticky situations from Wicked! can be
dramatised by small groups using a freeze-frame technique. The audience members close and
open their eyes on a given cue when the actors are ready. The dramatists portray frozen moments
(in sequence, as different moments or as chosen highlights) from the story. Encourage students to
make use of different levels (low, high, crouched, stretched), facial expressions, body gestures and
positions – to evoke a strong sense of the atmosphere and insight into characters' emotions.
DESCRIPTIVE DRAMA: Ask each small group to find a particular moment/scene from the story
which reflects a given description – eg: happy, tragic, terrifying, humorous, risky. Students prepare
a short play for the class – it can be 'scripted' using dialogue from the book or improvised
according to the groups' interpretation of the scene. Once performed, other class members can
discuss the piece, offer opinions and guess the descriptive word used by the group.
SCINTILLATING SOUNDS: Sound effects... Use percussion instruments, home-made devices or
common items to enhance students' role-plays, oral reading or sharing of their own written work.
Cleverly used language helps to evoke atmosphere, setting and mood, so too can sound effects
enhance and heighten an audience's experience of a Wicked! presentation.