One of the most well known books for children is Alice in Wonderland. It was written well over 100 years ago in England yet remains remarkably popular all over the world. Just as fairy tales like Cinderella began as tales told by storytellers, so did Alice in Wonderland begin as a series of stories told by Lewis Carroll to Alice Liddell and her two sisters. Eventually, just as the most well-known fairy tales were written down and published in books, so did Lewis Carroll write down his stories into what we no know as Alice in Wonderland. If you have not yet read (or heard or seen) the real Alice in Wonderland, then you are in for a treat. It is imaginative, crazy, funny, clever, and wild all at the same time. Enjoy!
Our study of Alice in Wonderland will focus on the following:
- Pure enjoyment of the book! I will read this book to you, so you may read along if you wish or simply sit back and listen.
- A closer look at the puns, puzzles, and jokes in the book. Lewis Carroll was a mathematician and threw in all kinds of puzzles in the book. He also loved puns (word plays) and making fun of popular activities of his day.
- Something about Lewis Carroll who was not only a teller of wild stories, but a mathematician and a photographer.
- A close study of the many illustrators of Alice.
After all of this we will do a project where YOU will create your own Alice! (And maybe, just maybe, we will end with an Alice in Wonderland tea party!)
Adapted from my book, Using Beloved Classics to Deepen Reading Comprehension.