Soleil Life

STEAM+ Adventures in Narnia is a class that I've been working on for several years, and I am thrilled that it is ready to be released and shared with students this fall! As a homeschooling child in the 1980s, I took math classes with a local co-op/hybrid school, and our math teacher during my 6th grade year took a little time out of class each week to read aloud The Chronicles of Narnia. This experience not only made math class much more enticing, but it had a lasting impact on me and my fellow classmates.

In this course we will have our time together divided into 3 segments: 
• reading aloud (teacher read) through C.S. Lewis' books 
• hands-on activities and experiments that relate to Narnia themes, characters, key figures, or storylines (in this way this class is similar to my other STEM+ Adventures in Science, Art, History, Music, & Faith classes)
• class connection and friendship-building with some free/imagination-building/improv time (this class will not be an hour of sitting at a desk in a stuffy room) 

Whenever possible, and especially during good weather, our class will go outside for activities. Being in nature adds to the creative wonder of the Narnia storyline. 

NOTES OF INTEREST 

Listening Aloud 
The benefits of listening to books read out loud are numerous -- not only for students of all ages, but even for adults! Neurologically, when listening to a story read out loud, the human brain makes greater connections, builds stronger language understanding and vocabulary, increases comprehension, supports neuron plasticity (brain building), and reduces stress hormones (increasing oxytocin, and calming the nervous system). Working memory improves, even for tasks beyond the day of story-listening, and improves positive emotion. Whereas screen time (stories by tv or movies) are passive and tend to sedate the brain and its activity; listening to stories read out loud has the unique ability to activate the brain, increase imagination and neuro function, while at the same time producing feel-good emotions that decrease stress. 

What if my child has already read the Narnia books?
That's great! They will love this class! C.S. Lewis' books are meant to be read and re-read. Chances are very good that they will discover a whole new range of material they didn't pick up the first time, and all our activities will build upon and enhance their engagement and interests, as well as providing a community of friends with whom they can talk all things Narnia! 

Publication Order
We will begin with C.S. Lewis' first published book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (1950) and continue in published order (pictured). The reason for reading in this order in large part is because I feel (and most Lewis scholars and fans alike agree) that this original ordering is most enjoyable and exciting to go through the stories. Dr. Paul Ford, author of Companion to Narnia, encourages students to read the books in their original order and states, "Most scholars disagree with [the decision to re-number the books] and find it the least faithful to Lewis' deepest intentions.” Dr. Charlie Starr adds on the official C.S. Lewis website that, "Lewis scholars almost universally agree” the original published order is best. He notes that The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is more initially captivating; that certain lines in Liondo not make sense when the book is not read first; and that The Magician's Nephew has greater power when it is read as a prequel, rather than the first book. 

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia (1951)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
The Silver Chair (1953)
The Horse and His Boy (1954)
The Magician’s Nephew (1955)
The Last Battle (1956)