Steinbeck called it his most ambitious novel. At over 600 pages, with a cast of characters spanning two generations, East of Eden is not an easy text to teach. This guide explains why it belongs in your high school classroom anyway — and how to make it work.
Teaching East of Eden in High School: Are We Free to Choose Who We Become? Read Post »
Explore whether The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a true allegory or a rich imaginative supposal by C.S. Lewis, and learn how this distinction can deepen students’ understanding of Aslan and the novel’s themes of redemption, sacrifice, and moral growth.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Allegory: Understanding C.S. Lewis’s Intent Read Post »
When I read The Magician’s Nephew with my students, they almost always notice echoes of the biblical creation story — and they’re right. In this article I follow three of those echoes: the world sung into being, the naming of the creatures, and the choice in the walled garden — with the questions that open each one up in the classroom.
The Magician’s Nephew and the Bible: An Intertextual Comparison Read Post »
In East of Eden, John Steinbeck introduces the Hebrew word timshel — “thou mayest” — as a lens for understanding human choice, moral responsibility, and freedom. This reflection explores how the concept resonates not only for characters like Cal but also for educators navigating the classroom.
What Timshel Means in East of Eden: Choice, Freedom, and Moral Responsibility Read Post »
The creation of Narnia in The Magician’s Nephew is one of the strangest and most beautiful moments in the book, where Aslan sings the world into being. In my classroom, this scene has sparked deep reflections on language, imagination, and understanding — and I want to share them with you.
The Creation of Narnia in The Magician’s Nephew (and in the Classroom) Read Post »
In The Magician’s Nephew, there are two ways to meet the world: to receive it with open hands or to seize it. Explore how that single distinction runs through creation, temptation, and power—with classroom discussions for middle school readers.
