Overview and Outcomes:

This is a four-week Writing Root for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis in which children explore the idea that a character can change over time. Children will develop the skills of prediction including evidencing from the text. They will write a poem about a sweet that bewitches a main character, an imaginary conversation between two characters and write in role. The sequence of learning includes exemplified grammar and spelling activities throughout. Drama techniques such as hot-seating and thought-tapping are used to support understanding and to develop writing. Please note that although this text can be read as an allegory for Christianity and the belief that Christ saves the world from sin and darkness, this has not been referenced in the sequence. Children may need an explanation for ‘Daughter of Eve’ and ‘Son of Adam’. Additionally, as the text was written in 1950, there are some words that are not regularly used today and these may need defining along the way.  

Synopsis of Text:

Four adventurous siblings―Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie― step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis’s classic fantasy series, which has been drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over sixty years.

Text Rationale:

This is a classic children’s novel, written by significant author C.S. Lewis, which gives a perfect introduction to the fantasy genre.  The book forms part of the Chronicles of Narnia series which children can go on to read independently.  Featuring a portal to another world and strong female characters, the adventure narrative also provides strong links to topics around World War Two.  

Links and themes:

Winter, snow, World War Two, WW2, evacuees, evacuation, the Blitz, courage, good v bad, transformation, the natural world, magic

Date written: July 2014