Alice Activities

I plan on teaching after graduation. I found a site that gives lesson plans on all sorts of books. I found one that had activites for Alice in Wonderland and thought I would share...
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?ID=286#02

1. Victorianism and Childhood
Whether they have read Alice in Wonderland or not, most students will probably have some familiarity with the story. Begin by having them talk about their thoughts, memories, and knowledge of Lewis Carroll's classic story. Do they know when it was written? What do they know about the author? From what they know of her, does Alice seem like a "real" child to them? Do they identify with the character and her experiences?
Explain to students that Alice in Wonderland began as an improvised story told to a real little girl named Alice Liddell by a man named Charles Dodgson, which was the real name of Lewis Carroll. Provide a brief introduction to Carroll's life and his relationship with Alice Liddell, drawing on the resources available through the EDSITEment-reviewed Victorian Web website, including:
A short Biography of Dodgson, and other biographical materials
Some of Carroll's photographs of Alice Liddell (scroll down to find the pictures of Alice), and other photographs by Carroll.Discuss the vision of childhood that Carroll offers in his photographs. How does it compare to students' impressions of the world of Alice in Wonderland? Is this childhood as it appears to an adult or as children see it? Is it realistic? fantastic? sentimental?
To sharpen students' awareness of the image of childhood Carroll captured on film, have them compare his photographs to present-day images of children. Ask them to describe advertisements that feature children, such as those familiar from catalogs for children's clothing, and the visions of childhood offered by television and film. Again, consider whether these reflect an adult or a child's point of view. What sort of story do these images tell about being a kid today? As students prepare to read Alice in Wonderland, ask them to keep in mind the following question:
What sort of story is Carroll telling in his photographs? How does that story compare to the story he tells in Alice in Wonderland? Have students brainstorm the first question by discussing how the images portray the children. By looking at the pictures, what does it seem like childhood is like in the Victorian era? [Teacher note: refer back to the "myth of childhood" material in the Background section to remind yourself of the self-conscious portrayal of childhood in Victorian England, both for now and in preparation for Activity 3 below].

2. Down the Rabbit Hole
Next, have students read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with its original illustrations by Sir John Tenniel. Explain to students that Carroll closely supervised the illustrations in his book. They are not simply decorations, in other words, but part of his story, an extension of his fiction.
As they read Alice in Wonderland, have students make comparisons between the words and the images, using the following questions as a guide. They can use the following PDF or MarcoPolo interactive
This javascript opens up a pop-up window with a Flash interactive on the page
Venn diagrams to make notes of their comparison.
How does the Alice in the text compare with the Alice in the illustrations?
How do both compare with the Alice of Carroll's photographs?
What is the vision of childhood that each conveys?
Could the illustrations in Alice be telling a different story from the text? How? To see Alice and its illustrations in a different light, introduce students to The Nursery Alice, a version of the story that Carroll prepared for very young children. If time allows, allow them to play the EDSITEment Sizing Up Alice quiz game, testing their knowledge of the first few chapters. Otherwise, turn to the following questions:
What is the relationship between text and illustration in this telling of the story?
What vision of childhood does Carroll offer here? Have students produce their own illustrations for Alice in Wonderland, choosing an episode or even an object described in the text. When they have finished, discuss how the process of finding a passage to illustrate and forming a visual impression based on the text opens a new perspective on the story. Note: this is useful either as an in-class or an at-home activity.
What is more difficult to visualize and why?
What stands out when illustrating a passage?
What elements of the picture did they invent to supplement the written scene, or what parts of the written scene did they have to leave out?
Have students brainstorm the answers to this question for 5 minutes individually or in groups and then return to share their reactions with the larger class. Students might note, for example, that it is more difficult to visually capture emotions effectively (whereas it is relatively easier for an author to write about feelings); or, students might note that the use of animals in writing and in drawing allows the author or artist to bring certain characteristics to the foreground (this would be a wonderful time to review the concept of personification).

3. Songs of Innocence and Experience
To provide a contrast to the Victorian view of childhood behind Carroll's storytelling, have students look at the very different vision offered by the Romantic poet William Blake in his Songs of Innocence and Experience. Be sure to note to students that William Blake published these poems and images in 1789 and 1794 (Innocence and Experience, respectively; via the Blake Archive chronology). Carroll's Alice, on the other hand, was published originally in 1865. An electronic text of Songs of Innocence and Experience, with Blake's illustrations, is available through the EDSITEment-reviewed William Blake Archive.
Have students compare, for example, Blake's contrasting visions of childhood in the two poems titled "The Chimney Sweeper," one from the Songs of Innocence (plate 20) and the other from the Songs of Experience (plate 46).
How are these two visions related? As dream and reality? As spiritual and worldly? As a child's view of childhood and a view of childhood from adulthood?
In what way do these visions forecast or differ from the Victorian views of childhood as seen through Carroll?Note that each 'plate' opens in an interactive window that allows zooming and panning. The "Compare" button below the image enables users to compare the versions of Blake's plates (each is distinct). On the left, below the image, a drop-down menu labeled "Show Me…" has several options for viewing, including a larger static image of the plate and a transcript of the poem (for easier reading).
Encourage your students to spend time looking at the different versions, as well as comparing each 'pair' of poems from both Innocence and Experience. Once the class reviews the two chimney sweeper poems together, break students into groups and randomly assign them a Blake poem to examine (concentrate on those directly or indirectly related to children, in keeping with the theme of the lesson plan). Some poems directly relate to children; others come across as child-like in tone or verse (such as "The Lamb" and "The Tyger," both of which share the sound of a nursery rhyme). As students read the poem and compare the images, ask them (as with the first set of poems):
What vision of childhood is being portrayed in the poem?
How does it compare to the views offered by Carroll?
How does the illustration enhance or challenge the your interpretation of the poem's words? Have students think about the idea of innocence, which can range from naïve (and ignorant of what is 'really' going on) to idealistic (portraying a utopia). How else would they define innocence? Discuss how the alternative visions that Blake presents compare with the vision of childhood in Alice in Wonderland. Does Carroll present a vision midway between the extremes envisioned by Blake? Or does he combine these visions to some extent by creating a fantastic world around a realistic little girl?