Need Help
Leading a Class Discussion?
Use our teacher guides to help you apply the
Teaching the Classics approach in your classroom.
-
Each guide is a complete Socratic discussion of a
particular story, with questions addressing all five elements of fiction
(conflict, plot, setting, characters and theme) as well as context and
stylistic devices.
-
Questions are drawn from our exclusive Socratic List
and include full answers keyed to page numbers in the text.
-
Teacher guides also include completed story charts
and suggestions for writing assignments.
Curious? Try a FREE sample:
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
Our Current Titles (click a link or
scroll down to read product descriptions):
Grades K-5:
Grades 6-8:
Grades 9-12:
All Teacher Guides
are delivered instantly in PDF format, so you can begin using them immediately.
The Trumpet of the Swan
by E.B. White
When Louis, the mute swan, receives a stolen trumpet from his father, he uses it to communicate with the other swans.
The ignominy of the theft haunts his conscience, however, and Louis determines to repay the music store owner in live performances. E.B. White's whimsical tale of remuneration and personal responsibility continues to delight elementary readers as it has since its publication in 1970. Our Teacher Guide helps parents and teachers lead a crisp discussion by covering all the major elements of fiction as they appear in the story. As always, a completed story chart and suggestions for writing assignments round out the Guide. 18 pages
PDF format:
$9.00
Misty of
Chincoteague
by Marguerite Henry
Marguerite Henry's beloved classic was a Newbery Honor book in 1948. Full of warmth and
humor, Misty of Chincoteague tells the story of Paul and
Maureen Beebe and their quest to capture and own a wild pony - the mysterious
Phantom. In order to achieve their goal, Paul and Maureen must learn to persevere against a variety of circumstantial and emotional obstacles -- and they learn important truths about love, ownership, freedom and responsibility along the way. Our 20-page guide walks you through a delightful discussion of Setting, Characters and Plot before delving into several profound Conflicts which drive this story forward. Will Paul and Maureen capture the Phantom and achieve their goals? More importantly, will their goals change as they mature into young adults? A completed Story Chart and suggested essay assignments help the teacher drive home the important Themes of the story, and a thorough discussion of literary devices provides plenty of opportunities for developing writing skills.
Misty should be on every booklist for kids in grades 4-6, and our guide will help you get the most from it!
PDF format:
$9.00
Two Eggs, Please!
by Sarah Weeks
Sarah
Weeks' thoughtful story will engross even the youngest readers with its gentle reminder of the brotherhood of all men. Set in a midnight diner among a colorful mix of animal customers,
Two Eggs Please prods readers to think about the things that make us different and the things that make us the same. As our 15-page guide makes clear, Betsy Lewin's charming illustrations help drive home the story's themes and provide lots of opportunities for discussions with very young readers. This title makes a great first book for parents and teachers just starting out in the
Teaching the Classics program.
Our guide contains questions from the Socratic List on all major
elements of fiction (Conflict, Plot, Character, Setting, Theme, Context
and Style). As always, each question
is answered in full with quotations and references to the text. A
complete story chart and suggestions for essay assignments are
also included.
PDF format:
$5.00
The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R.Tolkien’s
engrossing tale of Bilbo Baggins and his quest through Middle Earth is a
rare literary phenomenon: a book that has achieved true classic status
less than a century after its publication. But classic it is, by any
definition of the term. Bilbo’s journey from the safety of the Shire to
unknown terrors under the Lonely Mountain captivates young readers
while exploring dozens of universal themes. Fear and courage, greed
and selflessness, pride and humility – all these ideas and more find
eloquent treatment in Tolkien’s lyrical prose. In the grand tradition
of the Iliad, Hamlet, Great Expectations and
Huckleberry Finn, The Hobbit presents a hero with whom all readers can identify.
Our guide contains questions from the Socratic List on all major
elements of fiction (Conflict, Plot, Character, Setting, Theme, Context
and Style) with a special emphasis on characterization. Each question
is answered in full with quotations and references to the text. A
complete story chart and suggestions for essay assignments are
included. 27 pages.
PDF format:
$12.00
Miracles on Maple Hill
by Virginia Sorensen
This
delightful tale of hope and healing won the Newbery medal in 1957.
It tells the story of 10 year old Marly, whose family moves to the
country in search of a new start. Marly's father, an ex-POW, has
suffered deep emotional wounds at the hands of a heartless society and
she hopes the new surroundings will provide a balm for his soul.
What she finds in the society of Maple Hill is an answer to her
prayers in more ways than one. This story provides a great opportunity
to address themes like loss and redemption, mortality and resurrection
and the healing power of relationships. Our teacher guide includes
questions from the Socratic List to cover setting, characters, conflict,
plot, theme, imagery, symbolism and more. Story charts and
suggestions for essay assignments are also included. 18 pages.
PDF format:
$9.00
The Great Divorce
by C.S. Lewis
Perhaps
the most powerful devotional work by the most beloved Christian writer
of the twentieth century, The Great Divorce is C.S Lewis' meditation on
the nature of heaven, hell, sin and divine redemption. Join
Lewis himself on a fanciful journey from the Grey Town to the Solid Land and
listen in on his interviews with various "ghosts" -- fellow souls taking
a special trip for an advance look at heaven. Each interview is an
incisive commentary on human nature that is sure to surprise, amuse, convict
and inspire you. This 145-page novel is not only appropriate for junior high
and high school students but also a must read for grownups - even if
your kids are small! Our teacher guide includes
questions about all the major elements of fiction with answers keyed to
the text. Six separate story charts are also included.
PDF format:
$12.00
Treasure Island
by Robert Louis Stevenson
The
original pirate story, and still the best! Stevenson's classic
tale of swashbuckling adventure set the standard for everything that
followed, and your students will never regret joining Jim Hawkins and
his mates in the search for Skeleton Island. Stevenson's
clear themes of loyalty, deception and growing up make for a discussion that's accessible for younger
students and teachers alike. Our teacher guide includes
questions about all the major elements of fiction with answers keyed to
the text. Suggested essay assignments and class projects are also
included, as well as a "pirate ship" story chart suitable for
duplication.
PDF format:
$9.00
A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens
One of Dickens' most acclaimed works, A Tale of
Two Cities is a moving story of love and self-sacrifice set amidst
the violent upheaval of the French Revolution and its Reign of Terror.
Utilizing a brilliant cast of characters, from the half-mad Dr. Manette
and his angelic daughter Lucie to the cynical Sydney Carton and the
cruel Defarges, Dickens explores the extremes of human nature.
Through foreshadowing, irony, metaphor and allusion, he expounds the
themes of faith, redemption, loyalty, bitterness and more. Our
guide includes three complete story charts and questions from the
Socratic List on Character, Setting, Conflict, Plot, Theme, Context and
Literary Devices. Junior High or High School. 28 pages.
PDF format:
$12.00
The Story of Ferdinand
by Munro Leaf
Since its publication in 1936, this classic tale of a gentle giant has been the subject of
worldwide attention. Praised by Gandhi, banned by Hitler, and loved by
children everywhere, The Story of Ferdinand has been translated
into more than 60 languages. Will Ferdinand, the great bull who loves to
sit and smell the flowers, rise to his destiny as a bullfighting star?
What does it matter, when all he really wants is peace and quiet?
Illustrated by Robert Lawson. 12 pages
PDF format:
$5.00
The Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden
This classic tale of friendship and loyalty
was a Newbery Honor book in 1970, and has been delighting children ever
since. Follow the adventures of Chester Cricket as he finds a home away
from home in the Times Square subway station, and grows to learn the
true meaning of friendship, and of freedom. Includes a complete story
chart and 45 questions from the Socratic List,
each with an answer drawn from the text. Appropriate for fourth and
fifth graders, as well as older students who need practice with the
basics of plot, conflict and theme. 11 pages
PDF format:
$9.00
At the Back of the North Wind
by George MacDonald
A classic of juvenile literature from the
author that inspired CS Lewis, At the Back of the North Wind is a
fairy tale of the best kind. Here myth and mystery conspire to
deepen our understanding of reality, to animate it again with
imagination. Though it remains as approachable and engaging as the
purest fairy tale, this story is rich with insight into the most
enduring human questions. MacDonald leads the reader effortlessly
into contemplation of the nature of God, the problem of evil, and the
reality of the spiritual world. MacDonald’s generous use of a host
of literary devices (including allegory, metaphor, personification,
assonance, alliteration, simile and others) will bountifully reward the
Lit teacher looking for object lessons and examples. We have read this
story with students as young as ten years old, though its most stirring
themes (Childlike Faith, The Goodness of Providence) are probably best
handled by students in junior high or above. Perfectly appropriate
for high school or adult reading groups as well. 20 pages.
PDF format:
$12.00
Julius Caesar
by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s immortal classic of political
and psychological intrigue belongs on every junior high or high school
reading list. Astute readers will encounter ambition and sacrifice,
tyranny and patriotism, jealousy and love in abundance as Shakespeare
plumbs the glories and the depths of human nature. The characters in
Julius Caesar are unforgettable, and their challenge to the reader
to examine his own heart rings as true as ever. Noble Brutus, crafty
Cassius, loyal Antony, ambitious Caesar – every reader is sure to
identify with one of them. 19 pages.
PDF format:
$12.00
When you buy books through this site, a portion of the sale goes to support the Center for Literary Education:
