A Read Aloud Lesson Plan Exploring Fantasy in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I chose to read this book aloud to my class of third graders to expose them to a new genre of fiction, namely fantasy, as well as a major author of children's literature. C.S. Lewis' Narnia series is a classic and has introduced many students to the idea that reading is not simply work but that it can also be a valuable source of entertainment. Reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe aloud will allow the students to enjoy the engaging plot of the story without agonizing over reading every word themselves. Also, I hope to use this book to introduce the students to the idea that this story is not essentially original. As I learned while earning my degree in creative writing, there are no new stories. Although the characters of the Pevensie children and the Narnians are Lewis' creations, this book is a standard good-versus-evil story. This read aloud will culminate in the students writing their own good-versus-evil stories.

Standards/Goals (Massachusetts frameworks)

Students should:

"Recognize that printed materials provide information or entertaining stories" (7.1).

"Follow agreed-upon rules for class discussion and carry out assigned roles in self-run small group discussions" (1.2)

"Write stories that have a beginning, middle, and end and contain details of setting" (19.5).

Objectives

Students will be able to:

Enjoy the story and become engaged with its events.

Understand the story and identify the key characters.

Make predictions.

Understand and identify major themes and symbolism in the book (such as which characters represent good, which represent evil, and why the students think so).

Understand and identify the elements of a good-versus-evil story.

Write their own good-versus-evil stories.

Discuss all of the above in a classroom setting.

Materials

The teacher will need:

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (any version)
Harper Collins illustrated version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The students will need:

Paper and pencil/pen

Procedures/Steps

(Hook) Preview the story by telling the students that they will be going on a class trip to a place called Narnia. Advertise it as if it is a place in the real world, saying that you have been there yourself. The students should ask how to get there, and then introduce The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. If students are disappointed, assure them that reading plus imagination can make worlds come alive. This should reinforce the idea that reading is fun and enjoyable. Then tell the students that when you finish reading the book, the class will be writing their own stories.

Read the first two chapters of the book. Ask the students what they noticed about the story. Write key elements on the board. When they have run out of ideas, define the genre of fantasy. Identify which of the elements that the students volunteered are characteristics of fantasy novels.

The next day, read the next chapter of the book. Discuss the "good guys" and the "bad guys" with the students. Ask them how they think the story might turn out. Define "protagonist" and "antagonist" for the class and post the words and their definitions in a prominent location.

Over the next few weeks, continue reading the book aloud to the class. In every session, allow students to discuss key events and characters. Ask them to make predictions about the end of the story. Record these predictions and refer back to them to see if they change or are fulfilled. In every session, select one or two key vocabulary words from the text that can be added to the word wall or appear on spelling or vocabulary tests.

(Summarizer) When you finish the book, discuss how the students' predictions turned out. The students' predictions are probably mostly accurate. This is because Lewis follows the standard plot action of a good-versus-evil story. Introduce this idea to the students and have a conversation about what makes this a good-versus-evil story.

(Summarizer) Have the students write their own good-versus-evil stories over the next week. They can work on them in class and at home. Students will share their completed stories at the end of the working period.

Modifications I will modify my lesson for those students who might have trouble understanding the read aloud, such as bilingual students or students with learning disabilities, in several ways. First, each read aloud session will conclude with a discussion about what has happened in the story and what changes have taken place. This should give a general outline for diverse students as to what is going on in the plot. Also, I will have them follow along in Harper Collins' annotated, illustrated version of the text, preferably with an aide. This book simplifies the text so that it highlights only the main events. The simplified text is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations so that even if the diverse learners don't understand any of the written or oral text, they can get a general idea of the story by looking at the pictures. I will also try to cater to students with behavioral concerns such as ADD/ADHD by limiting each read aloud session to approximately 15 minutes so they don't get too jittery.

Each read aloud session should take between 10 and 15 minutes, and the discussions that follow each session shouldn't take longer than approximately 5 to 10 minutes. I will vary the use of the classroom's space by situating the students in different areas. For example, on one day I might ask the students to stay in their seats, while on another I would have the students sit on the floor in the library. If they are more spread out, like when they are at their desks, I will circulate around the room to make sure I can personally address every student at some point during the session. Materials for the writing activity will be distributed by the table leaders for that month, who will pass paper out to the students in their desk group.

Assessment Much of the assessment for this read aloud will be informal. I will be able to judge students' understanding by how well they can cite main plot events and characters, how well they utilize the text when making predictions, and if they can identify some general symbols or themes. They will be able to communicate in an intelligent way about the text in general.

The main formal assessment for this read aloud is the story that the students will write. This is the culminating activity for the read aloud, and it will demonstrate if they paid attention and understood both the text and the class discussions. The stories should incorporate some of the elements of good-versus-evil stories that we talked about in class. Another formal assessment is the spelling and vocabulary quizzes that will incorporate some of the words from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The story, however, is the central assessment.