A Wrinkle in Time Lesson Plan: Central Ideas and Themes

This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic A Wrinkle in Time, and supports the standard of determining central ideas and themes. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of creative projects.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Ask students if they’ve read A Wrinkle in Time . Then ask:

• If you have read it, what did you think about it?
• If you haven’t, what type of book do you think it might be based on the title?

Step 2: BUILD BACKGROUND

• Read aloud the description on the A Wrinkle in Timetopic page.
• Play the Movie , pausing to check for understanding.
• Have students read one of the following Related Reading articles: “Arts and Entertainment” or “Theory.” Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.
  

Step 3: APPLY
Students synthesize their ideas and express them through one or more of the following creative projects. They can work individually or collaborate.

• Make-a-Movie : Create a book trailer for A Wrinkle in Time that showcases its major themes.
• Make-a-Map : Make a concept map identifying how L’Engle uses allegory, symbolism, and genre to communicate themes.
• Creative Coding: Code a museum with artifacts representing major themes of A Wrinkle in Time.

Step 4: REFLECT & ASSESS

Reflect : After sharing creative projects with each other, students reflect on what they’ve learned about A Wrinkle in Time . Prompt them by asking questions such as:

• How does Meg change over the course of the book?
• How does the blend of genres (coming-of-age, science fiction, fantasy) shape the book’s themes?

Step 5: Extend Learning

Dig deeper into A Wrinkle in Time by analyzing an excerpt from an early draft in this Primary Source Activity .