Objectives

• Analyse how C. S. Lewis uses Lucy's perspective in Chapters 1–2 to position the reader inside a world of wonder and establish narrative reliability.
• Trace how Lewis constructs Edmund's moral decline through dialogue, imagery, and the symbolism of Turkish Delight in Chapters 3–4.
• Explain how Lewis uses setting, weather, and the arrival of Father Christmas in Chapters 10–12 to signal the collapse of the Witch's power.
• Analyse how the concepts of Deep Magic and Deeper Magic in Chapters 13–15 function as the theological and moral climax of the novel.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical essay arguing how Lewis presents the theme of redemption across the novel, selecting and embedding quotations independently.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Through Lucy's Eyes: Wonder, Trust, and the Wardrobe (Chs. 1–2)

   55 min · ch. 1, 2

   Do now

   On the board: 'Recall a moment when you stumbled upon something incredible that others didn’t believe. In three sentences, describe what you discovered, how it made you feel, and what it was like when people doubted your discovery.' Students will write independently for four minutes — no teacher prompt required.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the paragraph in Chapter 1 that starts with "It was the sort of house that you never seem to come to the end of" — project the passage. Show students how Lewis employs the list ('suits of armour… harp… a whole series of rooms') to evoke a feeling of endless possibilities before Lucy even reaches the wardrobe. Highlight how the sentence length slows and stretches as she steps inside. Demonstrate how to annotate for: (a) sensory detail, (b) sentence rhythm, (c) the shift from 'she' to 'Lucy' as Lewis focuses in. Call this technique: 'tracking the narrative lens'.

   Independent task

   Students will read the passage in Chapter 2 starting from "Lucy felt a little frightened, but she felt very inquisitive too" up to Tumnus's confession that he is a kidnapper. They will annotate the text to explore how Lewis builds trust in Lucy, even though she's a child in an unfamiliar world. Then, they will write a well-developed paragraph (at least eight sentences) arguing that Lewis uses Lucy's emotional responses—her curiosity, compassion for Tumnus, and her choice to forgive him—to portray her as a morally reliable narrator. Students are required to include at least two quotations with page references and provide commentary on specific word choices.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence that completes this claim: 'Lewis makes the reader trust Lucy rather than dismiss her as a child because…' — your sentence must name one technique and one moment from Chapter 1 or Chapter 2.

2. Lesson 2: Poison in a Box: How Lewis Builds Edmund's Betrayal (Chs. 3–4)

   55 min · ch. 3, 4

   Do now

   On the board: 'Read this sentence from Chapter 3: "Edmund had been feeling sick, sulky, and annoyed with Lucy for being right." List all the negative feelings mentioned. Then, write one sentence explaining why Lewis might want us to understand Edmund's mindset before he enters Narnia.'

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the Turkish Delight scene in Chapter 4, focusing on the paragraph that starts with 'Each piece was sweet and light to the very centre.' Project the passage. Show students how Lewis uses sensory language like 'sweet,' 'light,' and 'melted' to create a seductive enchantment, which he then immediately undercuts with the parenthetical '(for it was enchanted Turkish Delight)' — a narratorial intrusion that elevates the reader's perspective over Edmund's. Highlight how the repetition of 'more' and 'still more' illustrates Edmund's growing compulsion, and note how the Witch's dialogue transitions from asking questions to issuing commands as Edmund's resolve crumbles. Name this technique: 'tracking the power shift through syntax and dialogue.'

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing two well-developed paragraphs, each containing a minimum of six sentences, to answer the question: "How does Lewis use the Turkish Delight scene in Chapter 4 to portray Edmund as both a victim of enchantment and a willing traitor?" The first paragraph should discuss how Edmund is manipulated, paying close attention to the Witch's language and the enchantment involved. The second paragraph should focus on how Edmund actively makes choices, highlighting his decision to lie to his siblings in Chapter 3 and his eagerness to return. Students must include at least three embedded quotations throughout the two paragraphs and should avoid starting either paragraph with a quotation.

   Exit ticket

   In two sentences, explain the difference between Edmund being enchanted and Edmund being morally responsible — use one word from the text in each sentence to support your point.

3. Lesson 3: The Thaw Begins: Setting, Symbol, and Shifting Power (Chs. 10–12)

   55 min · ch. 10, 11, 12

   Do now

   On the board: 'Chapter 10 is titled "The Spell Begins to Break." Before diving in, jot down two sentences predicting what changes in the landscape might indicate that the Witch's power is fading. After that, write one sentence explaining the literary technique Lewis would be employing if he depicted a change in the weather to reflect a moral shift.'

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the opening of Chapter 10, emphasizing the paragraph where the snow begins to melt and the first robin appears: 'everywhere the snow was melting… and where the snow had been there were stretches of green.' Project the passage. Show students how Lewis employs a series of natural images (dripping branches, patches of grass, birdsong) to create a growing sense of momentum, and how the robin — a bird linked in British culture with Christmas and new beginnings — is introduced without explanation, simply placed in the scene. Demonstrate how to discuss symbolic resonance thoughtfully: use phrases like 'Lewis invites the reader to associate the robin with…' instead of 'Lewis definitely means…'. Name this approach: 'reading the landscape as moral commentary'.

   Independent task

   Students will read the section in Chapter 10 where Father Christmas arrives, starting from "And then… came something that made everyone stop dead still" and continuing to the end of the gift-giving scene. They will write an analytical paragraph with a minimum of eight sentences discussing how Lewis uses Father Christmas's arrival to symbolize the weakening power of the Witch. This analysis should cover: (a) the Beavers' emotional response, highlighted by the line "so wonderful that even Edmund felt glad," (b) the gifts presented to Peter, Susan, and Lucy, and what each gift suggests about their future roles, and (c) the intentional exclusion of Edmund and what this indicates regarding his status in the story at this moment. Students are required to include at least two quotations and analyze at least one specific word choice.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining why Lewis chooses to have even Edmund feel glad at Father Christmas's arrival, rather than having Edmund remain hostile — what does this moment reveal about Edmund's inner state?

4. Lesson 4: Deep Magic and Deeper Magic: Sacrifice as the Novel's Moral Climax (Chs. 13–15)

   55 min · ch. 13, 14, 15

   Do now

   On the board: 'Label two columns with the headings DEEP MAGIC and DEEPER MAGIC. Based on your understanding of the story so far, jot down one idea under each heading that you believe each term could signify. After that, write a sentence explaining why Lewis might choose the word "deeper" instead of "greater" or "stronger".'

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of Aslan's explanation of the Deep Magic in Chapter 13, concentrating on the exchange starting with 'Tell her [the Witch] that the Deep Magic will be appeased' and ending with 'unless I have blood as the Law says, all Narnia will be overturned.' Project the passage. Show students how Lewis employs legal and contractual terminology like 'Law,' 'appeased,' 'claim,' and 'right' to illustrate evil as a structured system with its own logic, rather than just chaos. Then, contrast this with Chapter 15, where the Deeper Magic is described as inscribed 'not on the Table of Stone but on Aslan's own body' — highlighting how Lewis transitions from external law to internal, sacrificial love. Demonstrate how to analyze the structural differences between the two chapters as a thoughtful choice by the author.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing two well-developed paragraphs, with a minimum of six sentences each, in response to the question: "How does Lewis use the contrast between Deep Magic and Deeper Magic in Chapters 13 and 15 to present sacrifice as more powerful than law?" The first paragraph should concentrate on the Stone Table scene in Chapter 14, addressing Aslan's silence, the shaving of his mane, and the language that depicts his death. The second paragraph should focus on Chapter 15, discussing Lucy and Susan's discovery of the broken Table, Aslan's explanation of the Deeper Magic, and the significance of the crack running through the stone. Students are required to include at least three quotations throughout the two paragraphs and to reflect on the structural choice of placing these chapters on either side of the death scene.

   Exit ticket

   Write two sentences explaining why Lewis uses the Stone Table cracking, rather than simply having Aslan walk away alive, as the sign that the Deeper Magic has worked — what does the physical destruction of the Table represent?

5. Lesson 5: Full Essay: How Lewis Presents the Theme of Redemption Across the Novel

   60 min · ch. 3, 4, 14, 15, 16, 17

   Do now

   On the board: 'Think back and jot down the names of three key moments in the novel — one from Chapters 1–5, one from Chapters 6–12, and one from Chapters 13–17 — where a character shifts from a lower moral state to a higher one, or is presented with that opportunity. For each moment, include one sentence explaining what changes and why it’s significant.'

   Teacher input

   Model the construction of an essay introduction using the question 'How does C. S. Lewis present the theme of redemption in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?' Start with a weak opening: 'In this essay I will discuss how Lewis shows redemption through Edmund and Aslan.' Now, consider a stronger opening that makes a claim about the novel's structure: 'Lewis presents redemption not as a single event but as a process — Edmund's journey from the Turkish Delight scene in Chapter 4 to his knighting in Chapter 17 is enhanced and made possible by Aslan's sacrificial death in Chapter 14, illustrating that human and divine redemption are structurally intertwined.' This stronger introduction effectively names characters and chapters while establishing a structural argument in one sentence, providing a clear roadmap for the essay without explicitly stating what 'will be discussed.'

   Independent task

   Write a comprehensive analytical essay of 500–700 words addressing the question: 'How does C. S. Lewis present the theme of redemption in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?' Your essay should include: an introduction that articulates a clear, arguable thesis regarding the concept of redemption as it is portrayed throughout the novel; a paragraph discussing Edmund's betrayal and moral decline in Chapters 3–4, incorporating at least one embedded quotation from the Turkish Delight scene; a paragraph examining Aslan's sacrifice in Chapter 14, including at least one embedded quotation from the Stone Table scene (focusing on his silence, the shaving of his mane, or the moment of his death); a paragraph detailing the resolution of Edmund's redemption in Chapters 15–17, illustrating how Lewis indicates that Edmund has truly transformed rather than merely being forgiven; and a conclusion that revisits your initial thesis and further develops it. Ensure that you incorporate a minimum of four quotations throughout the essay, with each quotation followed by at least two sentences of analysis before proceeding.

   Exit ticket

   Read back your introduction. Write one sentence explaining what your essay's central argument is — not what topics it covers, but what it is claiming about how Lewis presents redemption — and then write one sentence identifying the strongest piece of evidence you have used to support that argument.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: checks whether students can name a specific technique and locate it in Chapters 1–2, distinguishing narrative voice from plot summary.
• Lesson 2 annotated extract: checks whether students can identify the shift from questions to commands in the Witch's Chapter 4 dialogue and connect it to a claim about power.
• Lesson 3 exit ticket: checks whether students can explain Edmund's emotional response to Father Christmas as psychologically and morally significant, not merely as a plot detail.
• Lesson 4 two-paragraph response: checks whether students can hold a structural argument across two chapters (13 and 15) rather than treating each passage in isolation.
• Redemption Tracker activity (Chs. 3–17): checks whether students can trace incremental moral change across the whole novel before attempting the summative essay.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g. where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• W.11-12.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Make a defensible claim about an interpretation of literature in a thesis statement.
• Textual Evidence (STL-1) — Develop and support a line of reasoning using relevant and sufficient evidence from the text.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in context, including connotative and figurative meanings.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view and narrator reliability in shaping meaning.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain how the sequence and juxtaposition of textual elements contribute to the work's meaning.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with reference to language, form, structure, and literary and linguistic concepts.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, informed by interpretation of relationships between texts and contexts.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Knowledge, understanding and interpretation: demonstrate detailed knowledge of the text and construct a sustained, convincing interpretation.
• Criterion B — Analysis and evaluation: analyse how the author's stylistic choices — including narrative voice, symbolism, and structural contrast — create meaning and effect.
• Criterion C — Focus and organisation: develop a clear, logical line of argument with an effective introduction and conclusion.