Student Activities
Before the play:
♦Outcome: The students will be able to create their own imaginary world and be able to write about it as if it were a real place.
Discussion Questions: What is the importance of imagination and fantasy? What makes up a fantasy world (discuss aspects including: other worlds, creatures, special powers)
- Image© allaboutcslewis.com
Activity: Have students create their own world to transport to like the children do in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Include a portal and how the transportation of the portal works. It can be a made up object or it can be something familiar to the student. Details are what matter so make sure to have them include specific details:
What kind of creatures dwell this world?Is it a human world or do other creatures rule?What is the element of setting (a world of fire, in the air, under the water, on a earth-like surface or, some completely made up entity)? Is there a hierarchy of creatures? A ruling body? What would people wear? What is the era if in real time? Is there a language? How do the inhabitants communicate? What kind of food do they eat? Do they have any traditions?
When their world is created have the students write a short story about the land. There are options for this part as well. You can have the students create a story in various perspectives (first, second or third person) To accompany the story have them make a creative project to go along. This can include diagrams, maps, a drawing, a shoebox setting etc…
Time: To allow ample time for thorough and creative projects allow up to two weeks of allotment to this specific assignment. It doesn’t have to be the focus of class everyday but allow time for successful completion.
Common Core CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3 a-e Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.
♦Outcome: Students will be able to identify differences between different forms of literature.
Discussion Questions: After having read the novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, discuss how playwrights condense long books to onscreen or stage productions and how they adapt certain elements to real life.
Activity: Have students, before the play, brainstorm a list of scenes or elements that may be hard to transfer from the page to the stage. For example how will they create a lion or the snow that is so important to the plot and setting? What kind of special effects will be needed? This can be done individually or on a large class chart. Have them record why these are important aspects. After seeing the play, go back to the lists made and record what was observed from the play. Create a compare and contrast chart to see the differences.
Post Activity Discussion: Why were some of the elements of the book taken out? Did it change the play drastically? Why?
Time: Total class time should equal about 1.5-2 hours split up over 2 days, one before the play and another after seeing the play.
Common Core CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.7 Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.
After the play:
♦Outcome: To stimulate and refresh the minds of the students based on the content
Activity: The next day after the play, start class with a pulse check to get minds flowing about the play they just saw. Have students come together in a circular form so that they can see everyone in the class. The topic of the pulse check will be anything about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Students may use a single word or a phrase of up to four words. Along with their word have them think of a physical move to accompany their thought or idea. The point of a pulse check is to get everyone on the same page, especially after recess or lunch. It’s a good focus tool to use. After the pulse check, the students should be ready to discuss the play they just saw with all the ideas their classmates contributed to the pulse check.
Post Activity Discussion: Why did you choose the thought or idea you did? Was it something that stood out? Something important? Funny? Cool? Weird?
Common Core CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1 a,d Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
♦Outcome: Students will be able to create dialogue narratives that lead to scenes with an established plot.
Discussion Questions: What re elements of the play that really make the plot and theme come together? How do the characters and dialogue represent the themes in the play?
Activity: After having seen the show, have the class, in groups, choose a novel or story they have read previously. After choosing have them adapt the what they chose into a short play or alternatively shorter unit they could create a short skit. Stress the importance of plot, setting and theme when deciding what to include in the play. Have them write up a script that they will follow. It must include an intro, climax, and end to the story. Include elements of plot, themes and story structure in the scripts they are writing.
Have the groups perform their plays to the class, after presenting have them explain why they chose to include the parts they did and share why.
Time: Ample time should be given to students to complete these projects. This could take a week to develop or it could be a short exercise that requires small details.
♦Outcome: The students will be able to identify metaphors in text and their implications.
Discussion Questions: What is a metaphor? Why are words with multiple meanings important to literature?
Activity: The title of the play mentions The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Why do you think these were included in the title? What do you think they represent, both in the title and in the story? Ask your students to share their thoughts with the class. Ask them to
imagine the title of the story of their own lives, using the structure of C.S. Lewis’s title (The ______, the ________, and the _________.) What would they choose, and why? To answer this question have them write a one page, personal narrative. It will vary depending on the detail the teacher expects out of the assignment. At least one class session should be dedicated to this and can span over several sessions.
Common Core: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
♦Outcome: The student will be able to identify character traits and how different elements contribute to the plot.
Discussion Questions:There are many characters in Narnia, both creatures and humans. How do these characters reflect the themes and plot of the play/book? Mr. Tumnus and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver for example could be an example of courage for not turning Lucy in to the White Witch and instead helps her. Although he does this how does it affect the plot?
Activity: Have students draw at least two characters from the play that are influential to them. This doesn’t have to be an art assignment but it can if more detail is wanted of the assignment. After drawing have them annotate the characters with keywords pertaining to this characters influential qualities on the play. An alternative option to give would be allowing the students to choose a scene to draw. The same would be done in annotating the scene with keywords and phrases to explain the significance of the scene to the plot and themes.
Time: This exercise should take at least an hour to complete.
Common Core: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
Created by Elle E.
Works Cited
Checking a pulse. Digital image. WebMD. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte • Teacher Re ADAPTATION (n.d.): n. pag. Tupelo Community Theatre. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
“English Language Arts Standards » Reading: Literature » Grade 6.” English Language Arts Standards » Grade 6. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe characters. Digital image. Hamiltonhodell.wordpress.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
Study Guide. N.p.: n.p., n.d. San Diego Junior Theatre. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Theatre, Oregon Children’s. OCT Teacher Resource Guide 2012-2013: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (n.d.): n. pag. Oregon Children’s Theatre. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
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