Introducing, A Surprisingly New Wardrobe — a free, printable character study based on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, for homeschool middle and high school students. Your students will take their own journey into Narnia as a woodland creature, do character sketches of the Pevensie children, learn vocabulary, and compare it all to biblical principles. Your students will enjoy this imaginative literature study of one of our most beloved books. A copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is required.
Well, there you are. Do you know where you’ve found yourself? Unbelievably, we’re in the cyber attic of the Professor. I didn’t even know it exists. What about you? To be sure, even the Pevensie children are unaware of it. In fact, come to think of it they don’t even have technology like we do. But somehow our two worlds have overlapped.
Did C.S. Lewis know of it? Obviously, I have no idea. But it wouldn’t be like him to keep something so amazing from his readers. Yet, as the story lives on, how the Professor keeps it secret I’m sure I don’t know. Especially considering that the Professor is the work of C.S. Lewis’ very own imagination. You may wonder at that all you like another time. Without delay, I have important news to share with you.
Surprisingly, Another Wardrobe
In any case, you must come peek. In my hands is a charmingly new wardrobe of sorts. Yes, it’s a portal for your very own student to enter into Narnia. And, incidentally, your student will be entering as a woodland creature. Be assured, this is the only way anyone else can enter into Narnia. Because as you know, the Pevensies are the only sons of Adam and daughters of Eve who are in Narnia at this time.
How does it work for your student to enter as a woodland animal? Since I have given this considerable thought. For the Professor does not hint to it at all in any of the records I can find in his cyber attic. And here is the conclusion I have come to: woodland animals are like anything else in Narnia that is common with where the Pevensies and you and I come from. There are common trees, rivers, birds, and other animals among the talking ones like them.
Therefore, this other wardrobe found only in the Professor’s cyber attic is essential for your student.
Woodland Creature Wonder
What kind of woodland creature will your student be upon entering Narnia? I really have no way of knowing. He’ll have to enter Narnia and tell you how it goes for them. But I suspect that your student may have some say in it. After all, his imagination is required for this just as much as it is when he reads The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
As far as wonder goes, whatever woodland creature he’ll be, he will see Narnia through those eyes. He will witness the interactions of the Pevensies through those eyes. Again, his imagination is required.
And using his imagination is imperative. In its own right, imagination is an organ. And it must be exercised and nourished for its optimal health. Consider this remarkable quote from C.S. Lewis about the matter:
Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.
Now that we have that all settled, let me explain to you about how this surprisingly new wardrobe functions.
How the New Wardrobe Functions
At the present time, the secret I want to share with you is that the Professor has a keen interest in the character of each Pevensie child. After all, they are entrusted to his care. To him, it’s a great responsibility to watch over their physical and emotional well being as much as their character.
With that in mind, let’s come back around to the new wardrobe of sorts. In my hand is this object which looks like an average notebook. And on its own it is. Disappointing? But once your student combines his notebook with his reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the notebook mysteriously becomes a wardrobe. Indeed, an engaging interaction begins!
How Your Woodland Creature Student Takes Note
You might wonder if the notebook theatrically shrinks to the size of your student as a woodland creature. It doesn’t. As a matter of fact, your student will not even realize the bulk of it. Once he engages in the adventure of Narnia, he won’t even be aware of its size and won’t feel the weight of it.
Straightaway, he’ll document what kind of woodland creature he is. And he’ll make note of the attitudes, actions, and thoughts of each Pevensie child as he observes them. In addition, he’ll jot down the setting and plot that perhaps are contributing to the way the Pevensie children behave and react or respond. This journaling is actually quite important for his own records of examining the internal to external qualities of the Pevensies. And for that of recognizing the cause to effect in situations as they unfold.
Important Cautions
First of all, you must acknowledge that I can’t be held responsible for what may come of this. I strongly suspect that the more access students everywhere have with this shocking encounter of another wardrobe, the more changes will take place in our world. What may come if it, you question?
- Your child may begin to reason,
- More importantly, he may begin to increase in his reasoning abilities from Scripture,
- He might begin to experience seeing the cause to effect in his world around him,
- And perhaps he’ll start considering the internal to external of his own character.
Ultimately, this is nothing I can be responsible for. Rather, whatever comes of it is because of you offering this engaging opportunity to your child and overseeing that he follows through. What you may encounter:
- Initially, he may shun the idea if he struggles with using his imagination. Consequently, you’ll need to be prepared to encourage him to get started and to keep his chin up.
- He may grow weary on the journey and want to give up. Can you imagine the challenges he’ll have with trying to keep up with the Pevensies as a woodland creature? Neither can I. But that’s not for us to have to explore. All you can do is try to help energize him. Of note, you may try giving him Aplets and Cotlets for energy as he reads. I consider them to be a spin on Turkish Delights.
- Running out of steam because he isn’t pacing himself as he loves the adventure so much. This is where you’ll need to visit the other blogs I’m linking to below for ways to help him pace himself.
How to Access This Wardrobe
Now that you understand the risks and what you must do, you’ll need these things to access this wardrobe:
- The book. Of course, you’ll need a copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
- Art supplies. Your student will be making their own wardrobe cover page. So, paper, color pencils, crayons, paint, or any preference your student has for their vision.
- A 3-ring binder. If you have one with a clear pocket in the front, the wardrobe cover image can be slipped in there for a cover. Otherwise, it can be the first page they see in their notebook.
- Character Study and Notebook pages. You can download the FREE 20-page A Surprisingly Different Wardrobe Character Study with Notebooking Pages by entering your email below:
Enjoyable Narnia themed extras:
- In the Kitchen: Your middle school or high school student may enjoy making a batch of Turkish Delight.
- Educator’s Guide. The C.S. Lewis Foundation has an educator’s guide to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It contains vocabulary, comprehension, critical thinking, and creative expression for you.
- Educator’s Answer Key. Yes, the C.S. Lewis Foundation even has an answer key to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe guide.
- Quizzes. If you like to incorporate quizzes in your homeschool, there are also The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe quizzes by The C.S. Lewis Foundation.
- Map Work. Your students can either draw their own map from this map of Narnia or they can print out a copy for their notebook. In either case, a map of the land will benefit them on the journey.
- Bible Study. Youth Esource offers a free Bible study that is great for middle or high school kids. Specifically, it looks at Edmund’s story of redemption. And they relate it to our own. You can learn about the Bible Study: A Visit to Narnia here.
- Author Study. Your students can find some information on C.S. Lewis and fun facts about him and his characters in the story at this BBC website.
