Literature Module Form 5 PDF

A Poison Tree 1
Form 5
Literature Module
(2016)
Prepared by English Language Teachers of Jempol and Jelebu

A Poison Tree 2
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgement
The Writers
Poems
A Poison Tree 6
What Has Happened to Lulu? 25
Novel (Dear Mr. Kilmer) 46
Pictures 94
Conclusion
A Poison Tree 3
PREFACE
This module aimed to help teachers in teaching the new

literature component which was introduced in 2015 for the form
4 at that time. In continuation to it, in 2016, the form 5 is
introduced to another new literature component which
includes two more poems and a novel.
This module is co-produced by secondary school teachers

from PPD Jempol & Jelebu district who are dedicated and
enthusiastic in improving teaching and learning in schools.
Teachers can take this opportunity to make use of this

module for their literature classes. Hopefully, this will help to
enhance the English Language learning and teaching.
Most importantly, this module will be a good resource for

English teachers regardless they are experienced or less
experienced teachers.
A Poison Tree 4
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all English teachers

who has contributed in producing this module to help teachers
and students especially in teaching and learning the new
literature components.
As one says ‘two heads are better than one’, therefore,

with the help from all the teachers involved, this module has
become a reality.
A special note of thanks to Cik Norshahida Shaarim, PPD

Jempol & Jelebu officer, for her guidance and assistance in
coming up with this module.
To all English language panels who were involved in

completing this module, your cooperation and hard work are
very much appreciated.
A Poison Tree 5
Editor
Noor Fadzillah binti Amran SMK Palong Dua (F)
Writers
Aziratulsyida Mohd Razli SMK Undang Jelebu
Ernie Azlena binti A. Rahim SMK Seri Perpatih
Fifi Safia Adnan SMA Dato’Haji Tan Ahmad
Huang Son Jan SMK Palong 7
James Thong Wai Meng SMK Teriang Hilir
Kanimoli A/P Subramaniam SMK Serting Hilir Kompleks
Martina Bong SMK Undang Jelebu
Md Noralami bin Abd Malek SMK Pertang
Mohd Zaidi bin Mat Radey SMK Lui Barat
Nanthini Kumari A/P Muthukumaran SMK Seri Jempol
Nazrulhani binti Mohd Taharim SMK Dato’ Undang Musa Al-Haj
Noor Raihan Fatin binti Ruslan SMA Haji Muhammad
Norhaslina Manap SMK Bahau
Nurul Amirah Mohd Azam SMK Alam Beraja
Nurul Nadiah Mohd Nasir SMK Bandar Baru Serting
Rimamelati Shamsudin SMK Seri Perpatih
Rina A/P Gunasegaran SMK Datuk Mansor
Sharizad binti Abdul Samad SMK Teriang Hilir
Shubatra Thangarajoo SMK Batu Kikir (Model Khas)
Siti Aida bt Ahmad SMK Pasoh 2
Siti Suriah binti Mohd Jai SMK Dato’ Undang Ali Al-Jufri
Sivakumar A/L Athimulam SMK Chi Wen
Yusmawati Mohd Yunus SMA Dato Haji Mustafa
Zarina Mohd Hamid SMK Bahau 2
A Poison Tree 6
A Poison Tree
By William Blake
I was angry with my friend;
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears,

Night and morning with my tears:
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night.

Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine.
And into my garden stole,

When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see;
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
A Poison Tree 7
Activity 1: Meaning
Paraphrase each stanza in your own words.

I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears,

Night & morning with my tears:
And I sunned it with smiles,
And it grew both day and night.

Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine.
And into my garden stole,

When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see;
In your own words, explain the persona’s feelings when he sees his enemy has died.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
By : Ms Nazrulhani Binti Mohd Taharim (SMK Dato’ Undang Musa Al-Haj)

A Poison Tree 8
SUGGESTED ANSWER
Activity 1 – Meaning
Paraphrase each stanza in your own words.

William Blake speaks of someone, his friend and his
foe, whom has he is angry with. When he says ‘I told
my wrath, my wrath did end’ after he said he was
angry with his friend, he is saying he was able to get
I told it not, my wrath did grow. over being angry with his friend and forgot about it.
Although, it is quite the opposite when he mentions’ I
told it not, and my wrath did grow’. Blake is saying
that with his enemy, he allowed himself to get angry,
and therefore, his wrath did grow.
In this stanza, Blake begins to make his anger grow
And I watered it in fears, and he takes pleasure in it, comparing his anger with
Night & morning with my tears: something, in this case, a tree or plant. The speaker
And I sunned it with smiles, says he ‘sunned it with smiles’ and ‘and with soft,
deceitful wiles’. This means he is creating an illusion
with his enemy saying he is pretending to be friendly
to seduce and bring him closer.
‘And it grew both day and night’ and ‘til it bore an

apple bright’ are meaning that his illusion with his
And it grew both day and night. enemy is growing and growing until it becomes a
Till it bore an apple bright. strong and tempting thing. His illusion has a metaphor
And my foe beheld it shine, and it is an apple. After, his foe believes it shines,
And he knew that it was mine. which means he thinks it’s true and means something,
and takes Blake illusion seriously. ‘And he knew it
was mine’ suggests that he really thinks Blake is his
friend.
Being the last stanza, Blake needed to come up with a
And into my garden stole, conclusion. He has used the two lines ‘in the morning
When the night had veiled the pole; glad I see’ and ‘my foe outstretched beneath the tree’
In the morning glad I see; to say that his foe finally fell to his tempting illusion
and metaphorically, consumed his poison apple and
died. So, obviously, his malicious intentions were
hidden behind illusion and he prevailed over his
enemy.
In your own words, explain the persona’s feelings when he sees his enemy has died.
Accept any relevant answer.

A Poison Tree 9
Activity 2: Meaning
Match the difficult words found in the poem with the meanings.
Difficult Words Meanings
distortion
of the truth for the purpose of misleading
Wrath
strong
conceal
trap
Deceit duplicity
fierce anger
trick
lacking clarity
Wiles
fraud
stern
deeply resentful indignation
Veiled cheating
distinctness
In your own words, explain how a person should treat his enemy in a suitable manner.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

A Poison Tree 10
SUGGESTED ANSWER
Activity 2 – Meaning
Match the difficult words found in the poem with the meanings.
Difficult Words Meanings
distortion
of the truth for the purpose of misleading
Wrath strong
conceal
trap
Deceit duplicity
fierce anger
trick
lacking clarity
Wiles
fraud
stern
deeply resentful indignation
Veiled cheating
distinctness
In your own words, explain how a person should treat his enemy in a suitable manner.
Accept any relevant answer.

A Poison Tree 11
Activity 1: Matching List

Match the following expressions from the text to their poetic devices.
EXPRESSION
POETIC DEVICE
1. ‘the night has veiled the pole’
2. ‘…the sunned it with smiles’
A metaphor
3. Tree of anger is like an apple tree fruiting
4. Anger which is a poisonous thing is growing into a
B repetition
tree which is something good and positive C imagery
5. ‘and with soft deceitful wiles’ D alliteration
6. The tree is a symbol of life – anger is given life to E personification
grow F diction
7. The word ‘wrath’ is repeated in stanza 1 G contrast
8. ‘My foe outstretched beneath the tree’ H assonance
9. ‘Into my garden stole’ I symbol
10. Stanza 2 gives an image of a tree being well taken J irony
care of
By : Ms Yusmawati Binti Yunus (SMA Dato’ Haji Mustafa)

A Poison Tree 12
Activity 2: Complete the table

Complete the table below. Find the answers from the poem “A Poison Tree”
A Poison Tree by William Blake
Literary devices Evidence Description
Metaphor Tears/ fears/ smiles/ deceitful wiles
-Image of the tree flourishing and finally

producing a fruit
Stanza 2/3/4
-Image of the foe sneaking into the
persona’s garden at night and lying under
the tree
Repetition
- Apple bright
Stanza 3/ 4
- My garden
Growing Tree – usually a positive thing but it
Irony is ironic that a growing tree is compared to
growing anger, something negative

A Poison Tree 13
Suggested answers:
Activity 1: Matching list
1 D 6 E
2 H 7 B
3 I 8 J
4 A 9 F
5 G 10 C
Activity 2: Complete the table
A Poison Tree by William Blake
Literary devices Evidence Description
Metaphor Stanza 2 Tears/ fears/ smiles/ deceitful wiles
-Image of the tree flourishing and finally producing a fruit

Imagery Stanza 2/3/4
-Image of the foe sneaking into the persona’s garden at night and lying under the tree
Repetition Stanza 2/3/4 and
Apple bright
Symbolism Stanza 3/4
My garden
Growing Tree – usually a positive thing but it is ironic that a growing tree is compared to
Irony title
growing anger , something negative

A Poison Tree 14
Activity 1:
Answer the following the questions
1. What are the moral values in this poem?
a. …………………………………………………………………………………………
b. …………………………………………………………………………………………
c. …………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Why someone should forgive his foe?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Why should we be rational and moderate?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
By : Mr Md Noralami Bin Abd Malek (SMK Pertang)

A Poison Tree 15
Activity 2:
Answer the following the questions
1. Why should we be truthful?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Why we should not suppress negative feelings?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Why the persona should be patient?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………

A Poison Tree 16
Suggested answers:
Activity 1:
1. Moral values:
a. Truthfulness
b. Forgiveness
c. Rationality and moderation
2. In life we experience pain, disappointment and anger. It is important to

seek counsel to help us to forgive and let go. By forgiving, we are released
from the burden of anger and will have peace and happiness in our hearts.
In “A Poison Tree”, the persona was unwillingly to forgive his foe. Therefore,
the anger he felt poisoned him from within and led to destruction of his
foe.
3. In “A Poison Tree, the persona became irrational and went to the extreme
of committing a murder. It is clear that the persona refuse to make peace
with his foe by talking about his anger. He should be patient and exercised
some self-control. The persona should react with moderation. Thus,
exercising rationality and moderation will prevent us from falling into
traps made by ourselves or others.
Activity 2:
1. We need to be truthful and sincere in our relationships for us to be happy

and at peace. In “A Poison Tree”, the persona was dishonest and hypocritical
in his relationship with his foe. Thus, he feels pain and anger because not
telling the truth. It is the best way to communicate how we feel.
2. We should resolve the negative feelings at source. If we remain silent

about our anger, it will make us to feel bitter and even evil. Suppressing
anger is dangerous as it can cause destructive effect on society. One of
the best ways to suppress the negative feelings is to communicate how
we feel to someone who cares about us such as our loving parents, close
friends or counsellor.
3. In “A Poison Tree”, it is clear that the persona does not exercise patience
because he refuses to make peace with his foe by talking about his anger,
he should exercise some self-control to have inner peace and happiness.
When the persona has practiced to be patient, he would react with
moderation and not to try to murder his foe.

A Poison Tree 17
Activity 1:
Write the theme of the poem in the box at the top of the page. Then, write 3
examples (lines) from the poem that demonstrates the theme you selected.
Why is it important to learn the theme you chose?
By : Ms Nanthini Kumari A/P Muthukumaran (SMK Seri Jempol)

A Poison Tree 18
Activity 2: Circle Map

Complete the circle map below by writing the words used to convey the theme given.
* foe
Anger, revenge,
death
While Blake's poem illustrates some of the destructive consequences of anger, it

also suggests that it is a normal emotion that needs to be dealt with properly. Talk it
out, students.

A Poison Tree 19
Activity 3 a: PRE-READING TASK

Look at the word cloud below. This was created using the poem “A Poison Tree” by
William Blake. Study the word cloud and answer the questions below.
What ideas in the poem are emphasised by the words of the word cloud?
(Frequency of words are increased in size and boldness)
Activity 3 b: POST-READING TASK

Go to http://wordle.net/
Create your own word cloud that represents your ideas and feelings about A Poison
Tree – what does it mean to you?

A Poison Tree 20
ANSWERS
Suggested answers (accept any suitable answers)
Activity 1:
Theme: Suppressing anger
Lines: 1. I was angry with my friends
2. I told it not, my wrath did grow
3. My foe outstretched beneath the tree
Activity 2: Circle Map
Foe
Wrath
Deceitful
Poison
Angry
Outstretched
Activity 3 a and 3 b: Accept any suitable answers

A Poison Tree 21
Activity 1: A Poison Tree Organiser

1. Complete the tree diagram based on the poem “A Poison Tree”
Persona:
Moral values:
Themes:
1. _________________
1. _________________
_________________
_________________
2. _________________
2. _________________
_________________
_________________
3. _________________
3. _________________
_________________
_________________
Literary devices:
1. Personification:
Setting:
_________________
_________________ 1. Time:
2. Symbol: a. ______________
_________________ b. ______________
_________________ 2. Place:
a. ______________
2. In your opinion, does the poison tree exist in real life? If yes, where can you
find the tree?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
By : Ms Noor Raihan Fatin Binti Ruslan (SMA Haji Muhamad)

A Poison Tree 22
Suggested answers:
Activity 1: A Poison Tree organizer
1. Persona:
A boy/ a girl
(It could be anyone)
Moral values:
Themes:
1. We must not harbor
1. Dangers of
wrath and hatred
harbouring wrath
against anyone
and hatred
2. We should express
2. Bottling up ill
our feelings in a
feelings
healthy way and not
3. Insincerity and deceit
bottle them up
Literary devices:
1. Personification:
Setting:
The night has veiled
the pole 1. Time:
2. Symbol: a. (In the darkness of
The tree (symbol of the) night
life) b. (The next) morning
2. Place:
a. (At the persona’s)
garden
2. Accept any acceptable answers.

Example:
Yes, the tree grows in our heart.

A Poison Tree 23
Activity 2: Which line? Which clue?

1. Match the clues (pictures) with the lines taken from the poem “A Poison
Tree”
Night and morning

with my tears
And I watered it in
fears
Till it bore an
apple bright
And I sunned it with

smiles
My foe
outstretched
beneath the tree
I was angry with my

friend
2. What advice can you give based on the first stanza?
_______________________________________________________________________________

A Poison Tree 24
Suggested answers:
Activity 2: Which line? Which clue?
Night and morning

with my tears
And I watered it in
fears
Till it bore an
apple bright
And I sunned it with

smiles
My foe
outstretched
beneath the tree
I was angry with my

friend
Accept any acceptable answers.

Example: We could forget the misunderstanding that we have with anyone
by discussing the problem and not bottling it up.

What Has Happened To Lulu?

By Charles Causley
What has happened to Lulu, mother?

What has happened to Lu?
There's nothing in her bed but an old rag-doll
And by its side a shoe.
Why is her window wide, mother?

The curtain flapping free,
And only a circle on the dusty shelf
Where her money-box used to be?
Why do you turn your head, mother?

And why do tear drops fall?
And why do you crumple that note on the fire
And say it is nothing at all?
I woke to voices late last night,

I heard an engine roar.
Why do you tell me the things I heard?
Were a dream and nothing more?
I heard somebody cry, mother,

In anger or in pain,
But now I ask you why, mother,
You say it was a gust of rain.
Why do you wander about as though?

You don't know what to do?
PRACTICE 1: DESCRIBING THE CHARACTERS

A. Write six adjectives to describe the persona’s mother. The first adjective is given.
MOTHER
B. Write five adjectives to describe Lulu, who has run away from home despite her mother’s
LULU
By : Mr Huang Son Jan (SMK Palong 7)

c. Write four adjectives to describe the persona, Lulu’s younger brother/sister.
THE
PERSONA

PRACTICE 2:
Read the poem carefully and complete the graphic organiser below.
Subject: What can be seen:

Things in the room: 4. window - _______________
1. The persona is asking about and __________________
__________ 5. shelf – a ______________
2. Bed with an _____________ that shows where
and a ________________. ______________________
“What Has Happened to

Lulu?”
Mother’s actions:
Things in the room: What the persona heard:
6. turns her head away and Mother’s explanation:
____________________. 9. voices, an
7. ____________________ _______________,
into the fire. a _____________ in anger
8. ____________________- or pain
not knowing what to do. 10. a ________________ and a
______________________.

PRACTICE 3:
Write down 4 possible reasons why teenage girls run away from home in the provided boxes below.
1.
2.
4.
REASONS
3.

ANSWERS:
PRACTICE 1: DESCRIBING THE CHARACTERS
A. Rational, concerned, confused, loving, worried, selfless, cautious, thoughtful, disappointed,
broken-hearted (accept any 6 answers)
B. Inconsiderate, unconcerned, thoughtless, selfish, irrational, callous, impulsive (accept any 5
answers)
C. Confused, puzzled, innocent, troubled/disturbed, observant (accept any 4 answers)
PRACTICE 2: “What Has Happened to Lulu?”
1. His sister who is missing

2. Old rag-doll
3. Shoe
4. Open wide, curtains flapping free
5. Circle, her money box used to be
6. Sheds tears
7. Crumples a note and throws it
8. Wanders about
9. Engine roar, cry
10. Dream, gust of rain
PRACTICE 3: REASONS OF RUNNING AWAY
They are abused/ they love someone/ nobody loves them at home/ their friends influence them/
their parents are too strict/ they are always compared unfavourably with the other siblings (accept
any 4 answer)

Practice X
Read the following extract of What Has Happened to Lulu? And answer the questions that follow.

There’s nothing in her bed but an old rag-doll
Why is her window wide, mother,

The curtain flapping free,
And only a circle on the dusty shelf
Where her money-box used to be?
Why do you turn your head, mother,

And why do the tear-drops fall?
And why do you crumple that note on the fire
And say it is nothing at all?
Charles Causley
1. From stanza 1, what was found on Lulu’s bed?
___________________________________________________________________________
2. From stanza 2, which line tells us that the wind was blowing?
___________________________________________________________________________
3. From stanza 3, why do you think the mother was crying?
___________________________________________________________________________
4. State two possible reasons why Lulu left home.
Scenario 1: __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Scenario 2: __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Practice Y
Read the following extract of What Has Happened to Lulu? and answer the questions that follow.
I woke to voices late last night,

I heard an engine roar.
Why do you tell me the things I heard
Were a dream and nothing more?
I heard somebody cry, mother,

In anger or in pain,
But now I ask you why, mother,
You say it was a gust of rain.
Why do you wander about as though

You don’t know what to do?
Charles Causley
1. Why did the persona wake up late at night?
________________________________________________________________________
2. In Line 8, what does the persona mean by “a gust of rain”?
________________________________________________________________________
3. Who is wandering about in Line 9?
________________________________________________________________________
4. (a) What do you think happened to Lulu?
_____________________________________________________________________
(b) Give a reason for your answer.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Answer
Practice X
1. An old rag-doll
2. The curtain flapping free/ Line 6
3. Lulu had left home or the family/ Lulu had quarrelled with her mother/
There had been an argument in the family
4. Scenarios 1 and 2 : Lulu and her mother had a quarrel/Lulu wanted more freedom/
Lulu and her mother could not get along / always at loggerheads.
( Accept any suitable answer)
Practice Y
1. He heard voices and the sound of a car.
2. It was a sudden brief rush of rain
3. The persona’s mother
4. (a) She has run away from home/ She has gone with someone/a man
(b) She wants freedom/ She loves the man
(Accept any suitable answer)

what has happened to lulu?

FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE MOST APPROPRIATE WORD GIVEN IN THE BOX BELOW.
heard fire night Lulu shoe

car cries daughter pain roar
Lulu’s younger brother wakes up and finds his sister gone. Only her old rag-doll and a ………..
are in her room. They indicate that she has left her childhood and previous life behind. From
all the clues, we know that she has run away from home with someone in the middle of the
………………….. . Her brother heard the sound of people talking and the …… of the engine late
at night. The engine here suggests that someone drove her away in his ………….. .
The persona’s mother is terribly upset and she is grieving. She …………. and throws the note
that Lulu wrote to her on the …………. . She must have desperately tried to restrain and control
Lulu for her own safety. But her young …………………. has disobeyed her. Now her mother
bravely bears the ……. alone. Her son suspects that something is amiss. He feels the pain in
his mother’s cry and connects the roar of the engine to Lulu. But when he tells her what he
saw and ……………, she dismisses them and denies that anything is wrong. When he repeatedly
asks where …………… is, she remains silent.
By : Ms Norhaslina Binti Manap (SMK Bahau)

ANSWERS
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU?
FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE MOST APPROPRIATE WORD GIVEN IN THE BOX BELOW.
heard fire night Lulu shoe

car cries daughter pain roar
Lulu’s younger brother wakes up and finds his sister gone. Only her old rag-doll and a shoe
are in her room. They indicate that she has left her childhood and previous life behind. From
all the clues, we know that she has run away from home with someone in the middle of the
night. Her brother heard the sound of people talking and the roar of the engine late at night.
The engine here suggests that someone drove her away in his car.
The persona’s mother is terribly upset and she is grieving. She cries and throws the note that
Lulu wrote to her on the fire. She must have desperately tried to restrain and control Lulu for
her own safety. But her young daughter has disobeyed her. Now her mother bravely bears
the pain alone. Her son suspects that something is amiss. He feels the pain in his mother’s cry
and connects the roar of the engine to Lulu. But when he tells her what he saw and heard she
dismisses them and denies that anything is wrong. When he repeatedly asks where Lulu is,
she remains silent.

GIVE FOUR MORAL VALUES THAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM THE POEM.
MORAL
VALUES

ANSWERS
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU?
GIVE FOUR MORAL VALUES THAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM THE POEM.
WE MUST HAVE A CLOSE

RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR
FAMILY MEMBERS TO
DISCUSS OUR PROBLEMS
EASILY
WE MUST MORAL RUNNING AWAY

\\\ LOVE OUR VALUES FROM HOME DOES
FAMILY NOT SOLVE OUR
MEMBERS PROBLEMS
IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET OVER

THE LOSS OF A FAMILY
MEMBER

VOCABULARY
Step 1 : Introduce the Poem

Put up the poem you have prepared to the wall. Read it aloud, then have everyone read it
aloud with you once or twice. Here's the first stanza of What Has Happened To Lulu:

There's nothing in her bed but an old rag-doll
Now write the first line at the very top of your pad or on the blackboard. Leave at least 1/2"
to 1" of space between each word, and keep everything on one horizontal line.
By : Ms Rimamelati Binti Samsudin (SMK Seri Perpatih)

Step 2: Word Substitutions

Ask the students for words that mean the same thing as the first significant word in the
line; in this case, it's the word "happened." No need to use the word "synonym"; it's fine to
say it "means the same." As they suggest words, write them on the pad in a vertical column
beneath the word "happened." After a few suggestions (try to get five to seven), move on to
the next significant word (in this case, "fast"), and do the same thing.
Note that in this poem, "fast" is used differently from its most common meaning, so point
that out. Once again, collect about the same number of synonyms as you did for the
previous word, then move to the next significant word, avoiding words like to, if, is, the,
etc. If the class is struggling for synonyms for a particular word, move on to the next.
Here's one way the first line from the poem might look:
What has happened to Lulu, Mother?

taken place Mom
occurred Mama
come up Mummy
befallen Ma
There’s nothing in her bed but an old rag doll

nil cot except aged cloth toy
for
zero Lulu’s berth worn schmatte plaything
out
not a sack shabby tattered
thing
none hay torn

And by its side a Shoe
Why is her window wide, mother
The curtain flapping free

Step 3: Transforming the Poem

Once you've finished the line, read aloud across the top line of substituted
words. Now, read more and more variations, mixing up words from various
places on the chart, such as: "What has occurred to Lulu, Mom?" and "There’s
not a thing in Lulu’s cot except for a tattered toy" Point to each word as you
select it so the students can read aloud along with you. Remember to include
words from the original version as well.
Step 4: Pair-Share
Now have students take the next line and work on it in the same way in pairs,
either on paper or in their journals. Meanwhile, write the next line on the pad
or blackboard in columns, as you did the first. Give the students two or three
minutes to work, then start with the first word of the new line and have them
call out some of the words they came up with. Write them in the columns as
before. Now repeat the reading aloud with the class for a number of the
different variations.
You can now go on and do more lines, or come back and do two lines again
tomorrow. Because poems often have repetitive lines, you can ask the class for
new synonyms, or you can skip lines you've already done.
Step 5: Hots Question!
After you have finished it all, discuss which versions are their favourites and
why, especially if they're good enough to understand the differences between
the connotations of different words.

SETTING
1. Where does the poem take place? (Persona’s home)
___________________________________________________
2. What is the temporal structure of the poem? Does it take place in one time
(the present, the past, the future) or does it move back and forth between
times?
___________________________________________________
3. Is there a particular occasion for the poem (an incident, an event, a

realization)?
___________________________________________________
4. Are different parts of the poem located in different times?
___________________________________________________
5. Does time move smoothly? Are different states of being, or different ways of
thinking, associated with different times?
___________________________________________________

Complete the passage below with the most suitable words in the table
below.
highlights leave younger poignant example
return language upset childlike knows
gaps adolescent truth attempt mother
In this poem, the events are seen from the perspective of a child. He happens
to be the________________ (1) brother of Lulu, the elder sister, who runs away from
home. The ________________ (2) of the poem is very simple and truly
_________________ (3). The poem also has a __________________ (4) tone,
especially as a result of the repeated questions put forward by the child to his
__________________ (5). She does not tell the child the _________________ (6)
possibly because she does want the child to be _________________ (7) by the sad
news. Perhaps, the mother ___________________ (8) that is still possible that Lulu
will _________________ (9) home. The poem shows that _________________ (10)
of an innocent child to come to terms with the harsh facts of life. The poem also
_________________ (11) the struggles that mothers face in bringing up their
________________ (12) children. There is also several information
________________ (13) which have to be filled by the reader. For
________________ (14) the reader has to figure out why Lulu decided to
____________________ (15) the home. What exactly was the argument about that
night?
By : Ms Siti Suriah Binti Mohd Jai (SMK Dato’ Undang Ali Al-Jufri)
Question 2
Lulu wrote a note to her mother before she ran away. What do you think
she would have written? Imagine that you are Lulu and complete the note
below.
Dear Mother,
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Your loving daughter,
__________________
Answers:
1 younger 9 return
2 language 10 attempt
3 childlike 11 highlights
4 poignant 12 adolescent
5 mother 13 gaps
6 truth 14 example
7 upset 15 leave
8 knows
Suggested answer:
Dear Mother,
I am very sorry but I have to go away with David. I love him and I want to be with him. I know you
love me very much and you will be disappointed. But I hope you will understand me. I love you too,
mother. Please forgive me, Mother.
Dear Mr. Kilmer 46
Dear Mr. Kilmer

Dear Mr. Kilmer 47
Exercise 3
Unscramble the themes in Dear Mr. Kilmer
1.
opohabiXne
2.
Sfel sverus tyiunocmm

3.
rWa
4.
hdspienFir
5.
rtiyopuPla
6.
Fraisse nda ntyiluaeq

7.
hTe ancetmorpi fo neoduitac

8.
Psmtatiroi
9.
Levo ngstoma amlyif mebersm
By : Ms Rina Gunasegaran (SMK Datuk Mansor)

Dear Mr. Kilmer 48
No Answers
1 Xenophobia
2 Self versus community
3 War
4 Friendship
5 Popularity
6 Fairness and equality
7 The importance of education
8 Patriotism
9 Love amongst family members

Dear Mr. Kilmer 49
The following is the novel that you have studied in the literature component in
English language.
DEAR MR. KILMER - ANNE SCHRAFF

Based on the novel that you have read, write one theme that you have learnt.
Support your answer with close reference to the text.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Dear Mr. Kilmer 50
Complete the crossword puzzle with the themes found in

the novel, Dear Mr. Kilmer
1
1 2
Down
1. a conflict carried on by force of arms, as between nations or between
parties within a nation
2. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person
3. a friendly relation or intimacy
4. the state, condition, or quality of being free from bias or injustice
Across
1. the quality or fact of being popular
2. an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that
which is foreign or strange
3. the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge
4. devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty
By : Ms Shubatra Thangarajoo (SMK Batu Kikir)

Dear Mr. Kilmer 51
Answers
Complete the crossword puzzle with the themes found in
the novel, Dear Mr. Kilmer
W
a
P o p u L a r i t y
o F
v r
Xe n o p h o b i a
e F
Ed u c a t i o n a
d i
s r
h n
i e
Pa t r i o t i s m
s
Down
5. a conflict carried on by force of arms, as between nations or between
parties within a nation
6. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person
7. a friendly relation or intimacy
8. the state, condition, or quality of being free from bias or injustice
Across
5. the quality or fact of being popular
6. an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that
which is foreign or strange
7. the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge
8. devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty

Dear Mr. Kilmer 52
Match the themes given below with the suitable phrases from the
novel Dear Mr. Kilmer
But Blanche, Peggy, and several other students were

gazing at him with newfound respect.
Patriotism “This war is going to end someday,” Hannah said. “And

when it does, maybe people will stop holding it against my
The importance family that we’re German.
of Education
April arrived-and with it news that the United States had
Popularity
declared war on Germany.
Fairness and
equality Suddenly, Richard’s father began to sob. Richard was
shaken. He had never seen his father cry before. He rose
Friendship
from his bed and sat down beside Pa, putting his arm
War around his shoulders.
Self-versus “You’re not going anywhere until you graduate,” the boys’
Community father grumbled.
Love amongst
family members
Then Hannah smiled, and her blue eyes brimmed with
Xenophobia tears. Suddenly she reached out and squeezed Richard’s
hand.
I really like the poem, and I thought Mr. Kilmer was

awfully brave to volunteer to go fight in the war
“It’s true, Pa,” Richard said. “I’ve been writing poetry for a
long time. I’ve got a huge stack of it upstairs in a drawer. I
just never showed it to anybody or said anything about it.”
“We must make peace right here at home. We must

battle our own prejudices and hatred. We must learn to
care about one another, despite our differences in race,
religion, or nationality.

Dear Mr. Kilmer 53
Answers
Match the themes given below with the suitable phrases from the
novel Dear Mr. Kilmer
But Blanche, Peggy, and several other students were

gazing at him with newfound respect.
Patriotism “This war is going to end someday,” Hannah said. “And

when it does, maybe people will stop holding it against my
The importance family that we’re German.
of Education
Popularity April arrived-and with it news that the United States had
declared war on Germany.
Fairness and
equality Suddenly, Richard’s father began to sob. Richard was
shaken. He had never seen his father cry before. He rose
Friendship
from his bed and sat down beside Pa, putting his arm
War around his shoulders.
Self versus “You’re not going anywhere until you graduate,” the boys’
Community
father grumbled.
Love amongst
family members
Then Hannah smiled, and her blue eyes brimmed with
Xenophobia tears. Suddenly she reached out and squeezed Richard’s
hand.
I really like the poem, and I thought Mr. Kilmer was

awfully brave to volunteer to go fight in the war
“It’s true, Pa,” Richard said. “I’ve been writing poetry for a
long time. I’ve got a huge stack of it upstairs in a drawer. I
just never showed it to anybody or said anything about it.”
“We must make peace right here at home. We must

battle our own prejudices and hatred. We must learn to
care about one another, despite our differences in race,
religion, or nationality.

Dear Mr. Kilmer 54
DEAR MR KILMER
PLOT/WORKSHEET 1a
Fill in the flow map below with the events in the novel.
The war ends.

Mrs. Hansen introduces a poem ‘Trees’ by Joyce Kilmer in class.
Richard decides to write to Joyce Kilmer.
Richard notices that his classmate, Hannah Schermer is crying because the
words ‘Dirty Huns’ are scribbled on her book.
Hannah is chosen to play Lady Liberty and Richard wins the part of
Doughboy.
Mrs. Hansen announces that they will hold a patriotic programme to sell
Liberty Bond to raise funds for the war.
Everyone is the class is angry and shocked with Mrs.Hansen’s decision.
Mrs. Hansen introduces a poem ‘Trees’ by Joyce Kilmer in class.
Pa tells Richard that people accuse him of being unpatriotic.
Joyce Kilmer is dead, prompting Richard to pen his tribute to his late hero.
His poem is published in ‘The Turtle Lake Weekly’ and his relationship with
Pa improves
Richard purposely misfires the beautiful young buck and let it escapes.
By : Ms Siti Aida Ahmad (SMK Pasoh 2)

Dear Mr. Kilmer 55
SUGGESTED ANSWERS
PLOT/WORKSHEET 1
1.Richard purposely misfires the beautiful young buck and let it

escapes.
2.Mrs. Hansen introduces a poem ‘Trees’ by Joyce Kilmer in class.
3.Richard notices that his classmate, Hannah Schermer is crying
because the words ‘Dirty Huns’ are scribbled on her book.
4.Richard decides to write to Joyce Kilmer.
5.Mrs. Hansen announces that they will hold a patriotic programme to
sell Liberty Bond to raise funds for the war.
6.Hannah is chosen to play Lady Liberty and Richard wins the part of
Doughboy.
7.Everyone is the class is angry and shocked with Mrs.Hansen’s
decision.
8.Both, Hannah and Richard decline the role.
9.Pa tells Richard that people accuse him of being unpatriotic.
10.Joyce Kilmer is dead, prompting Richard to pen his tribute to his
late hero.
11.His poem is published in ‘The Turtle Lake Weekly’ and his
relationship with Pa improves
12.The war ends.

Dear Mr. Kilmer 56
PLOT/WORSHEET 1b
Identify the conflicts in the novel and how the characters in the novel resolve the conflicts.
THE CONFLICT
WHY IS HOW IS IT HOW DOES WHAT

THERE A RESOLVED? THE HAPPENS AFTER
CONFLICT? RESOLUTION THE CONFLICT IS
AFFECT THE RESOLVED?
CHARACTERS?
PLOT/WORSHEET

Dear Mr. Kilmer 57
Suggested answers
THE CONFLICT
He is forced to go hunting
WHY IS THERE HOW IS IT HOW DOES WHAT

A CONFLICT? THE HAPPENS AFTER
RESOLVED?
RESOLUTION THE CONFLICT IS
AFFECT THE RESOLVED?
CHARACTERS?
-He does not

-He purposely -His father
enjoy killing
misfires the deer -He learns to understands his
anything.
and the animal deal with the feeling and says
-He believes that escapes. things that he that he does not
he has no right does not like have to go
to kill animals. doing and hunting
ensures that he anymore if he
does not have to does not want
do them again. to do so.
-He openly
admits the truth
to his father and
does not lie to
him to get out of
trouble.

Dear Mr. Kilmer 58
PLOT/WORKSHEET 2a
Sequence the stages in the story pyramid by using the events given.
Rising
Falling
action
Climax action
Exposition Resolution
1. Hannah is chosen for the part of lady Liberty whereas Richard is the Doughboy.
2. Mrs. Hansen introduces a poem”Trees” by Joyce Kilmer who has volunteered to fight in
the war in Europe.
3. Joyce Kilmer is killed in the battle.
4. Everyone in class is shcoked and angry with Mrs. Hansen’s decision.
5. Richards finds that Hannah is mistreated because she is a German.
6. Richard’s poem is published in the local newspaper and the war ends.
7. Both, Richard and Hannah declines their roles.
8. The relationship between Richard and his father improves.
9. Richard’s father tells him that people accuses him of being unpatriotic.
10. The tavern belongs to Hannah’s parents is vandalised.

Dear Mr. Kilmer 59
Answers
PLOT/WORKSHEET 2a
Rising 1 7
Falling
action
9 action
Climax
10
2 5 3 6 8
Exposition Resolution

Dear Mr. Kilmer 60
PLOT/WORSHEET 2b
In a novel one event leads to another in a pattern of cause and effect.
Map the sequence of events of the story as a result of cause and effect.
Richard deliberately misfires to allow the beautiful young buck to escape.

Dear Mr. Kilmer 61
Answers
PLOT/WORSHEET 2b
Richard deliberately misfires to allow the beautiful young buck to escape.
Pa has a private chat with Richard.
Pa learns that Richard does not like to kill anything.
Pa tells Richard that he does not need to go hunting again.

Dear Mr. Kilmer 62
Dear Mr. Kilmer

Worksheet 1
Read the following statements. Then, write (T) if the statement is True
and (F) if the statement is False.
1. Richard was aware that he did not fit in and other

people realized it too.
2. Mrs. Hansen read from Shakespeare, Lord Byron and
Shelley.
3. Mr. Joyce Kilmer worked for The Washington Post.
4. Richard was the only student who wanted to sign the
card.
5. Some of Hannah’s neighbours came to repaint the
tavern wall.
6. Richard thought that Mr. Kilmer was courageous to
volunteer for the war.
7. Richard wanted to think of an original idea to help in the
war effort.
8. No one liked Hannah’s essay except for Richard.
9. Richard did not understand why Hannah did not want to
play Lady Liberty.
10. Joyce Kilmer’s death moved Richard to write another
poem.
By : Mr Sivakumar Al Athimulam (SMK Chi Wen)

Dear Mr. Kilmer 63
Worksheet 2
Rearrange the sentences below according to the sequence of events in this novel and
write them in the flow chart provided.
JUMBLED UP EVENTS
a. Richard sees his classmate, Hannah Schermer, crying. He notices that

the words ‘Dirty Hun’ are scribbled on her book cover because her
parents are Germans. Besides, the tavern belonging to Hannah’s parents
has been vandalized.
b. Mrs. Hansen, the English teacher reads a poem “Trees” by Joyce
Kilmer in class. Joyce Kilmer has volunteered to fight in the war in
Europe.
c. Joyce Kilmer is killed in the battle. Richard dedicates a poem for him
and is published in the local newspaper. His father understands him.
d. Hannah declines the role of Lady Liberty. Richard declines the role of
Doughboy.
e. School reopens, and Mrs. Hansen announces to the class that they
will hold a patriotic programme to help sell Liberty Bonds to raise funds
for the war. The girl with the best essay would play Lady Liberty while
the boy with the best essay would play Doughboy.

Dear Mr. Kilmer 64

Dear Mr. Kilmer 65
Answers
Worksheet 1 Worksheet 2
1. T 6. T 1. b
2. F 7. T 2. a
3. F 8. T 3. e
4. T 9. F 4. d
5. T 10. T 5. c

Dear Mr. Kilmer 66
Worksheet 1
a) Based on the novel Dear Mr. Kilmer, state whether you like or dislike the
ending of the story? Give reasons for your answer with close reference to the
text.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
By : Ms Zarina Mohd Hamid (SMK Bahau 2)

Dear Mr. Kilmer 67
Worksheet 2
b) Based on the novel Dear Mr. Kilmer, write about the importance of
friendship and how one character epitomised being a good friend. Give
reasons for your choice with close reference to the text.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

Dear Mr. Kilmer 68
Worksheet 3
c) Read the questions and answer the following questions.
1. Why did some of the students groan when Mrs. Hansen wanted to read a
poem?
2. In your opinion why did Joyce Kilmer volunteer for the army?
____________________________________________________________
3. Why did Richard feel that he had found a hero in Joyce Kilmer?
____________________________________________________________
4. What motivated Richard to write to Joyce Kilmer?
____________________________________________________________
5. In your opinion, why did Richard write a poem about his father?
____________________________________________________________

Dear Mr. Kilmer 69
(Suggested answers) Question a.

The ending in Dear Mr. Kilmer by Anne Schraff makes one think deeply. While I like
the ending, I also wish Mr. Kilmer didn’t have to die in the war. But life in reality is
tough and as Richard’s father says, death is part of life. At the end of this novel,
Hannah is the one who breaks the news to Richard that Kilmer was killed in the war.
It is the most devastating news to Richard who has grown to like Kilmer very much
and share good relationship with him. They both love reading and writing poems and
have similar ideas about the war. They both want the end of the wars so that people do
not have to die unnecessarily.
Richard writes a poem to express his pain in losing his dear friend. When
Richard’s father reads the poem, he is deeply touched. The poem expresses his own
pain when he lost his own brother. He speaks to Richard and both of them understand
each other better and their relationship improves and goes on a better footing.
Question b.
Richard Knight is the epitome of a good friend to Hannah Schermer, a good American
citizen whose family was originally from Germany. The family had a tavern and
everyone was a friend to them until the war broke out. This caused the whole village
too see the Schermer family as outcasts because the war was against the Germans.
Despite his classmates and brother’s advice to stay away from Hannah and her family,
Richard did the opposite. Someone had written ‘Dirty Hun’ on Hannah’s book cover.
He could not understand why someone would do so cruel things to sweet Hannah. He
did not give in to peer pressure and the pressure from the other members of his village
community. Villagers had even vandalised their tavern by painting terrible things on
the tavern walls.
People considered him a traitor for being a friend with her and even going to
dinner at her house. However, Richard did not see it as being a traitor. He was sure that
being a patriot did not mean being cruel to another person and her family simply
because of them being Germans, the food they served or the language they spoke. He
stood by Hannah through everything. Richard was the only one who signed the card
Mrs. Hansen had bought on behalf of the class to express their regret for such terrible
things happening to Hannah and her family. That action spurred Mrs. Hansen to
acknowledge how proud she was for him doing that as it showed he was a person with
integrity. Richard was truly a good friend to Hannah Schermer, and his words and
actions demonstrated that.
Question C.
1. They did not like poetry.
2. He wanted to serve his country as he was patriotic
3. Joyce Kilmer was brave and he wrote poetry.
4. Joyce Kilmer’s poems spoke to him directly
5. This was his way of trying to understand his father

Dear Mr. Kilmer 70
1. DEAR MR. KILMER- CHARACTERS
ACROSS
3. the History teacher who keeps the students updated about the war
5. the supportive English teacher
7. a poet, works for the New York Times
10. the main character in the novel
11. Richard’s older brother ; an ordinary boy
DOWN
1. German girl. Pretty with blue eyes and blonde hair
2. The troublemaker and full of prejudice against the Schermers
4. Richards’s eldest sister; loving and patient
6. Richard’s classmate who is interested in the role of Lady Liberty
8. Hannah’s brother who joins the army
9. A loving and understanding father of Richard, Gus and Angie
By : Ms Nurul Amirah Mohd Azam (SMK Alam Beraja) & Ms Aziratulsyida Mohd Razli (SMK Undang Jelebu)
Dear Mr. Kilmer 71
2. DEAR MR. KILMER (CHARACTERS)
I THINK....
1. Split the class into 2 groups.

2. Cut handout A (make 2 copies). Put all the 6 characters’
cards on the board (2 columns, one for each group).
3. Prepare the characteristics cards in 2 different boxes (cut
handout B).
4. Give one characteristics box to each group. Allow the
students time to read all the characteristics and match the
correct characteristics to the right characters. NOTES: this is
only done in group.
5. Next, from each group, students take turn to paste the
characteristics to the characters on the board.
6. When everyone has finished, check the answers.
7. Make copies of handout C- one copy for each student. Tell
students to copy the right answers into the personal note
for reference.
VARIATION
1. Withdraw the fixed sequence of turns and invite students
to play competitively.
Dear Mr. Kilmer 72
ACTIVITY 2 (HANDOUT A)
GUS
PA
ANGIE
HANNAH
SCHERMER
JOYCE KILMER
RICHARD KNIGHT
Dear Mr. Kilmer 73
ACTIVITY 2 (HANDOUT B)
a famous poet, a friend of Richard and died in German

during war
the main character who likes to write poetry
Richard's dad
Richard's
Richard’s elderdad
brother
Richard's older sister
Richard's neighbour. She is an American German
Kind, sensitive and sympathetic
Pale, slender, tall with blonde hair, resembles his mother
Brave and true to his principles
Creative and artistic
Beautiful, with blue eyes and blonde hair like corn silk
Hardworking, humble and helpful
Richard’s classmate
Sensitive and supportive
Intelligent and helpful
Dear Mr. Kilmer 74
Unseen character
A poet, works for The New York Times
Kind, thoughtful, encouraging and brave
Honest
A loving and understanding father
Stout, dark and brawny
A man of few words
A practical and hardworking farmer
Determined: enlist in the army
Insensitive
Loving and patient
# teachers may refer to any workbook for the characters’ traits
Dear Mr. Kilmer 75
ACTIVITY 2 (HANDOUT C)
Fill in the boxes with characteristics of each character.
RICHARD KNIGHT JOYCE KILMER
HANNAH SCHERMER GUS
ANGIE PA
Dear Mr. Kilmer 76
Answers
Activity 1
Across Down
3 Mr Higby 1 Hannah Schermer
5 Mrs Hansen 2 Abner Lewis
7 Joyce Kilmer 4 Angie
10 Richard Knight 6 Peggy
11 Gus 8 Otto
9 Pa
Activity 2
RICHARD KNIGHT JOYCE KILMER
- the main character who likes to write - a famous poet, a friend of Richard and died
poetry in German during war
- Kind, sensitive and sympathethic - Unseen character
- Creative and artistic - A poet, works for the The New York Times
- Pale, slender, tall with blonde hair, - Kind , thoughtful , encouraging and brave
resembles his mother - Honest
- Brave and true to his principles
- Hardworking, humble and helpful
HANNAH SCHERMER GUS

- Richard’s classmate - Richard’s elder brother
- Richard's neighbour.She is an American - Determined: enlist in the army
German - Insensitive
- Beautiful, with blue eyes and blonde hair
like corn silk
- Sensitive and supportive
- Intelligent and helpful
ANGIE PA
- Richard's older sister - Richard's dad
- Loving and patient - A loving and understanding father
- Stout, dark and brawny
- A man of few words
- A practical and hardworking farmer
Dear Mr. Kilmer 77
3. CHARACTERS- WHO IS WHO?
1. Cut up handout A and paste them around the class. Make

sure that they are visible to the students.
2. Divide the class into pairs. Give each student a copy of
handout B.
3. Explain: In each pair, one student will be the writer, and
one will be the runner. Only the runner can go around the
class and memorize the lines. The writer will write them on
handout B, in the section ‘Evidence’. Runner is not allowed
to write the sentences on their palms or papers. They need
to memorize the lines and tell the writers.
4. Reminder: tell students that it is okay to do it several times
(back and forth) for each line.
5. Once they manage to get all evidences, in pairs, they need
to match the characters to the evidences.
6. When everyone has finished, check answers in plenary.
7. Finally, students need to elaborate each evidence using
their own words. Encourage them to eleborate each point
with supporting details. Tell students to find the sixth
evidence of any characters in the novel.
Dear Mr. Kilmer 78
ACTIVITY 3: HANDOUT A
Chapter 4
“I enjoyed your letter... You mustn’t let fear of ridicule imprison you
...be strong!”
Chapter 3
Slowly he picked up his pen...he had already made his decision. He
signed his name.
Chapter 6
When Hannah finished reading her essay, he applauded loudly. But
he realised, he was the only one clapping.
Chapter 7
She declined the role of Lady Liberty after many students were angry
about her selection for the role.
Chapter 8
She baked cookies with nuts and raisins in them, while her mother
knitted a scarf to Mr Kilmer for Christmas.
Dear Mr. Kilmer 79
ACTIVITY 3: HANDOUT B- Match the characters with the

lines (evidences). Complete the elaboration. Try to find
another evidence of any characters from the novel.
No Evidences Characters Elaboration/Details
Richard Hannah Joyce

Knight Schermer Kilmer
Dear Mr. Kilmer 80
Activity 3
No Evidences Characters
“I enjoyed your letter.. You musn’t let fear of ridicule
1 imprison you ...be strong!” Joyce kilmer
Chapter 3
Slowly he picked up his pen...he had already made his
2 decision. He signed his name. Richard Knight
Chapter 6
When Hannah finished reading her essay, he applauded
3 louldy. But he realised, he was the only one clapping. Richard Knight
Chapter 7
She declined the role of Lady Liberty after many students
4 were angry about her selection for the role. Hannah Schermer
Chapter 8
She baked cookies with nuts and raisins in them, while her
5 mother knitted a scarf to Mr Kimler for Christmas. Hannah Schermer
Dear Mr. Kilmer 81
Activity 4 – Characters
Msytery Box
1. Before we get started, you need to have speakers,
music and a box.
2. Cut handout A, fold and put them in the box.
3. Ask all students to sit in a big circle. Tell them that
they are going to play the ‘Mystery Box game’. When
music is played, they need to pass the box around
the circle, anti-clockwise. Keep passing the box until
the music stops. The last person who holds the box
need to choose a paper from the box and answer the
question written on it.
4. Give students some time to think of the answer. If
they could not answer the question, allow others to
help.
5. Repeat the steps until all questions are done.
Dear Mr. Kilmer 82
Activity 4 - Handout A
Richard is dark and browny. (TRUE OR FALSE?)
Richard looks like his mother. (TRUE OR FALSE?)
Richard is the youngest of 3 siblings. (TRUE OR FALSE?)
Richard’s English teacher’s name is ___________.
What is the name of the German girl?
Who wrote the poem, Trees?
Who is Joyce Kilmer?
Describe 2 physical traits of Gus.
Gus insists to join the war even though Pa does not allow it. This shows that Gus is...?
Give one evidence to show that the Schermers are patriotic Americans.
Give one evidence to show that the Schermers are patriotic Americans.
Pa is a supportive father. Give one example from the novel.
Richard is described as someone who is brave and true to his principles. Give 2
examples.
When Hannah decides to turn down the offer as Lady Liberty, it shows that she is
_____
Richard’s English teacher’s name is ___________.
Dear Mr. Kilmer 83
Give one example to show that Pa knows the importance of education.
Hannah is a beautiful girl. She has......
Which character from the novel that you admire most? Why?
Hannah faces a lot of challenges in the novel. Give 1 example.
Hannah faces a lot of challenges in the novel. How does she overcome the challenges?
Hannah faces a lot of challenges in the novel. How does she overcome them?
What lessons did the main character learn? How did it help him to become a better
person?
How would you describe Mrs Hansen?
Both Mr Kilmer and Richard tell us that writing poem is not a sissy thing. Do you
agree? why?
Dear Mr. Kilmer 84
EXPLORING THE SETTINGS

OF
DEAR MR KILMER
ACTIVITY 1
Where does the story take place?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
During what time period does the story take place?
__________________________________________________
How does the setting (place and time period) affect or contribute to the
plot of the story?
By : Ms Nurul Nadiah Mohd Nasir(SMK Bandar Baru Serting), Mr James Thong Wai Meng & Ms Shahrizad bt
Abdul Samad (SMK Teriang Hilir)
Dear Mr. Kilmer 85
ANSWER KEY
1. Where does the story take place?
The Knights farmhouse
The Schermer’s tavern
Richard’s school
The headquarters of The New York Times
The battle trenches where American soldiers fight
The New York Armory where Joyce Kilmer trains for war
(Choose three out of the answers above)
2. During what time period does the story take place?
February 1917 to November 1918; before the United States joined

World War I until the end of the war.
3. How does the setting (place and time period) affect or contribute to the plot of
the story?
(Any relevant answer acceptable)
Dear Mr. Kilmer 86

ACTIVITY 2
Based from the pictures, describe the place where the story take place?
PICTURE 1 PICTURE 2
__________________________ _____________________
__________________________ _____________________
PICTURE 3 PICTURE 4
__________________________ _____________________
__________________________ _____________________
Dear Mr. Kilmer 87
ANSWER KEY
PICTURE 1
In the woods, where Richard, Gus and Pa went for hunting.
PICTURE 2
The battle trenches where American soldiers fight.
PICTURE 3
Richard’s classroom where he reads and writes the poem.
PICTURE 4
The Knights’ farmhouse where Richard and his father work on

together.
Dear Mr. Kilmer 88

ACTIVITY 3
Who do you associate with these places?
Match the characters (column A) to the places (column B)
COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. A one – room newspaper office Pa
2. Pool in the forest Mrs
Hansen
3. Open countryside for horseback riding and cattle herding Gus
4. An old, leafy oak tree which overlooks a railway track Roland
5 A tavern which serves sausages, sauerkraut and beer Mr
Garrison
6. The football field Schermers
7. The New York Armoury Angie
8. El Carney, Cuba deer
9. A farmhouse kitchen Richard
10. A working desk with posters on a coming pageant Joyce
Kilmer
Dear Mr. Kilmer 89
ANSWER KEY
1. Mr Garrison
2. Deer
3. Pa
4. Richard
5. Schermers
6. Gus
7. Joyce Kilmer
8. Uncle Roland
9. Angie
10. Mrs Hansen
Dear Mr. Kilmer 90
Activity 1 : FINDING VALUES

List 5 moral values that you have learnt from Dear Mr Kilmer
Ex : Family Love
dear mr
kilmer :
moral
values
Choose one value and relate the value to our daily life.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
poem
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
By : Ms Kanimoli Subramaniam ( SMK Serting Hilir Kompleks )

Dear Mr. Kilmer 91
Activity 2 : MATCHING DESCRIPTION

Match the moral values to their description
1. War benefits no A. Richard was friends with the

Schermers despite receiving a lot
one of pressure to stay away from
them.
2. Family B. Many lives were lost and the

people of Turtle Lake were
Relationships divided. Unity was lost because of
discrimination
3. The gift of C. Richard and Hannah supported

each other when their classmates
Friendship were unkind to them. Richard
also received moral support and
encouragement from Joyce
Kilmer
4. Be creative D. The Knights and Schermers care
about each other and worry about
each other's safety
5. Thevalue of E. Poetry writing is a form of creative

Education expression which brings comfort
to both Richard and Joyce Kilmer
6. Stand firm in F. Pa insisted that Gus finish his high

what you believe school education before joining
the army. Ignorance cause
in discrimination, as seen in the
community's misconception of
Germans

Dear Mr. Kilmer 92
Activity 3 : FINDING EVIDENCE
Fill in the table with appropriate moral values, description

and evidence from the text.
MORAL VALUE EXPLANATION TEXTUAL

EVIDENCE
Ex : We must Richard was friends
with the Schermers
Chapter 6/7 ( pg 78, 79)
always stand despite receiving a lot

“ When Hannah finished
reading, Richard claped…He
firm in what of pressure to stay was the only student in the
we believe in away from them. classroom applauding…”

Dear Mr. Kilmer 93
ANSWERS:
ACTIVITY 1
(Accept any possible answers)
ACTIVITY 2
1. (B) 2. (D) 3. (C) 4. (E) 5. (F) 6. (A)
ACTIVITY 3
Suggested Answers
MORAL VALUE EXPLANATION TEXTUAL
EVIDENCE
Ex : We Richard was friends with the
Schermers despite receiving a lot of
Chapter 6/7 ( pg 78, 79)
must always “ When Hannah finished

stand firm in pressure to stay away from them. reading, Richard claped…He
what we was the only student in the
classroom applauding…”
believe in
We must have Richard has shown integrity towards Hannah Chapter 3 (pg 33)
when no one else did. Mrs Hansen was very “But when he remembered
integrity proud of his action. He signed the card. pretty Hannah, who has never
hurt anyone….
Despite the fact that he was
tired of being different, he
knew he had to sign the card
We must The Knights and the Schermers care about each Chapter 1 (pg 7)
other. They support each other “ You don’t have to come
support hunting anymore…” Pa told
family Richard
through thick Chapter 4 (pg 54-55)

and thin 1. The Schermers support
Papa’s decidion to
come to Iowa.
2. They also supported
Otto’s decidion to join
the army
ACCEPT ANY POSSIBLE ANSWERS.

Pictures 94
Pictures 95
Pictures 96
Pictures 97
98
CONCLUSION
This module shows that teachers from Jempol and
Jelebu can work hand in hand in order to come out with
great ideas for the development of English language.
Hence, with fun activities to do during the literature lesson,
it is hoped that students are able to understand and learn
better.
This teacher collaboration will hopefully bring great

results to the teaching community. Therefore, more
collaboration between teachers from Jempol and Jelebu
as well as teachers from all around the globe should be
carried out from time to time in order to produce more
creative materials that may be used in the classrooms.
Thank you for your support.

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A Poison Tree 1

Prepared by English Language Teachers of Jempol and Jelebu

What Has Happened to Lulu? 25

Novel (Dear Mr. Kilmer) 46

This module aimed to help teachers in teaching the new

This module is co-produced by secondary school teachers

Teachers can take this opportunity to make use of this

Most importantly, this module will be a good resource for

A sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all English teachers

As one says ‘two heads are better than one’, therefore,

A special note of thanks to Cik Norshahida Shaarim, PPD

To all English language panels who were involved in

And I watered it in fears,

And it grew both day and night.

And into my garden stole,

Paraphrase each stanza in your own words.

I was angry with my friend;

And I watered it in fears,

And it grew both day and night.

And into my garden stole,

By : Ms Nazrulhani Binti Mohd Taharim (SMK Dato’ Undang Musa Al-Haj)

Paraphrase each stanza in your own words.

In this stanza, Blake begins to make his anger grow

‘And it grew both day and night’ and ‘til it bore an

Being the last stanza, Blake needed to come up with a

Accept any relevant answer.

By : Ms Nazrulhani Binti Mohd Taharim (SMK Dato’ Undang Musa Al-Haj)

Difficult Words Meanings

By : Ms Nazrulhani Binti Mohd Taharim (SMK Dato’ Undang Musa Al-Haj)

Difficult Words Meanings

Accept any relevant answer.

By : Ms Nazrulhani Binti Mohd Taharim (SMK Dato’ Undang Musa Al-Haj)

Activity 1: Matching List

By : Ms Yusmawati Binti Yunus (SMA Dato’ Haji Mustafa)

Activity 2: Complete the table

A Poison Tree by William Blake

Literary devices Evidence Description

Metaphor Tears/ fears/ smiles/ deceitful wiles

-Image of the tree flourishing and finally

By : Ms Yusmawati Binti Yunus (SMA Dato’ Haji Mustafa)

Activity 2: Complete the table

A Poison Tree by William Blake

Literary devices Evidence Description

Metaphor Stanza 2 Tears/ fears/ smiles/ deceitful wiles

-Image of the tree flourishing and finally producing a fruit

Repetition Stanza 2/3/4 and

By : Ms Yusmawati Binti Yunus (SMA Dato’ Haji Mustafa)

1. What are the moral values in this poem?

2. Why someone should forgive his foe?

3. Why should we be rational and moderate?

By : Mr Md Noralami Bin Abd Malek (SMK Pertang)

1. Why should we be truthful?

2. Why we should not suppress negative feelings?

3. Why the persona should be patient?

By : Mr Md Noralami Bin Abd Malek (SMK Pertang)

2. In life we experience pain, disappointment and anger. It is important to

1. We need to be truthful and sincere in our relationships for us to be happy

2. We should resolve the negative feelings at source. If we remain silent

By : Mr Md Noralami Bin Abd Malek (SMK Pertang)

Why is it important to learn the theme you chose?

By : Ms Nanthini Kumari A/P Muthukumaran (SMK Seri Jempol)

Activity 2: Circle Map

While Blake's poem illustrates some of the destructive consequences of anger, it