The Talking Tree
Fantasy and Mythology
The Talking Tree is a free, NAPLAN-aligned fantasy and mythology writing resource for Australian primary students. It includes a story starter, complication, tiered vocabulary and scaffolds mapped to the Australian Curriculum (AC9).
The wind was still as I stood beneath the ancient tree, its twisted roots winding deep into the earth. Tonight, something felt different, as if the air held a secret waiting to be told. I looked up at the tree's face, its bark smooth but carved with age-old wisdom, and I heard it. The tree's deep voice rumbled, as if the very earth had spoken, “Tonight, the secret must be shared.” My heart raced as I leaned closer, wondering what secret the tree had kept hidden all these years.
The complication
- The tree's secret is not what the listener expects. The revelation causes a ripple in the forest that brings other creatures to the tree’s side. How do they handle the gathering attention?
- The secret the tree reveals is dangerous. The listener is forced to make a decision about whether or not to share the information with others. What consequences does this decision carry?
- The full moon begins to wane, and the tree’s words become fragmented. Can the listener piece together the information before the moonlight disappears, or will the secret remain hidden forever?
What's in the full resource
- Complications
- Brainstorming Prompts
- Vocabulary Support
- Sentence Starters
- Dialogue Prompts
- Writing Challenges
- Sentence Variety Examples
- Creative Twists
- Writing Checklist
- Reflective Questions
- Collaborative Writing Ideas
- Printable teacher and student PDFs
Last updated
Register free to unlock the full resource — scaffolds, vocabulary support, sentence starters and more.
Get free access →