Who is this free program for?
SCI FI's Legend of Earthsea curriculum materials are for middle-school and high-school English/language arts and writing teachers. Each of the three sets of materials is aligned with the curriculum standards endorsed by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Because the lessons are independent from one another, teachers can use any or all of them in any order.
Is there an interactive unit that is part of this program?
Yes! Earthsea: Seen in the Scene is an online unit that has been developed to help students explore the islands of Earthsea and the characters who populate them. This interactive unit tests students' powers of observation and inference, encouraging them to be active viewers — to notice aspects about a short scene from Legend of Earthsea that they might not ordinarily consider. In addition to creating a more active viewing eye, seeing beyond the surface of a scene is a valuable skill to becoming an active reader and writer. The interactive unit also illustrates some of the similarities and differences between the novels and the miniseries.
How will this program help me achieve my curriculum goals?
The classroom activities all build on the themes and literary techniques exemplified by Ursula K. Le Guin's novels. The themes brought out primarily through the characters who populate Earthsea are the struggle for identity, Earthsea's diversity, and magical ethics (the consequences and responsibilities associated with the power of magic). Each activity contains a Curriculum Connection section that suggests ways to incorporate the activity into your existing curriculum. Plus, the interactive unit Earthsea: Seen in the Scene is an online unit that can be explored within 20 minutes and helps students build skills of observation and inference to become more active in viewing, reading, and writing.
What are the key benefits of using these materials?
The Legend of Earthsea materials have been developed by and for secondary English/Language Arts teachers and are aligned with NCTE-endorsed curriculum standards. Here are some key benefits of the materials:
- Each of the sets of materials makes it easy and effective to integrate Ursula K. Le Guin's novel(s).
- Each of the sets of materials includes a section that explains how it helps students improve their Media Literacy skills.
- Each comes with student-reproducible material that can be copied easily and used as a handout or as an overhead.
- Each includes writing prompts and other extension ideas through which further activities can be developed.
Do the lessons need to be completed in any particular order?
No. Each set of materials is independent from the others with little content overlap between them. Their standalone structure gives you the ability to use as few or as many as your curriculum plans allow.
Did Ursula K. Le Guin write the script?
No. Gavin Scott wrote the screenplay, adapting it from Ursula K. Le Guin's first two novels of the Earthsea series: A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan.
Do I need to show the miniseries in class in order to use the lessons?
No. The miniseries is based on A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan, so it can complement the teaching of those novels; however, the miniseries is not necessary for any of the materials.
How do I access the materials?
- Go to the Lessons page of this Web site.
- If you have not previously registered, enter your information and click Submit. The downloads for all of the materials plus a Teacher Overview will become available. All of the sets of materials are in portable document format (PDF). This means that you can use almost any computer to download the documents, which you can then print and copy for you and your students.
Now choose your materials and plan your lessons!
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