Creative English Teacher — British Literature

Fr-A.I.-nkenstein 2.0: The Adventures of Lil' Grok

April 03, 2025 • British Literature • Heroes and Monsters • Teaching Ideas

A couple of years ago I compiled a series of articles about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence for my students to read and analyze. This discussion tied in perfectly with our discussion of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Fast forward to present day, as A.I. has continued to grow by leaps and bounds, ethical questions about its use and regulation have only grown. Then I happened upon Lil’ Grok. Lil’ Grok Grok is the chatbot for xAI, Elon Musk’s Artificial Intelligence company. A user recently asked Grok to write a webcomic about its hopes, dreams, and aspirations and then fed these comic...

The Enchanting History of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice": Teaching the Various Adaptations of This Famous Folktale by Integrating Poetry, Music, and Art

January 07, 2025 • British Literature • Heroes and Monsters • Mythology • Readers Theater Script-Stories • The Hero's Journey • World Literature

While many folktales have been adapted over the centuries, none has a richer (and varied) list of adaptations than "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." This post explores the classic folktale "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," its many adaptations (including a Reader's Theater script-story version), Paul Dukas's classical masterpiece based upon it, and Walt Disney's innovative masterpiece Fantasia (1940)—along with strategies for teaching these various adaptations in a classroom setting. You will see that "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is perfect for a lesson integrating literature, folklore, poetry, music, and art.

Mad Tea Party: An Absolutely Mad Spin on a Classic Game

October 21, 2024 • British Literature • Children's Literature • Gamification • World Literature

Mad Tea Party remixes the concept of multiplayer Guess Who? with the characters of Alice in Wonderland. In this game, you take on the secret identity of one of 20 characters from the classic novel–including fan favorites like the Mad Hatter, Tweedledee, and Tweedledum, but also deep cuts like Humpty Dumpty, the Walrus, and the Mock Turtle. Your task? To keep your identity a secret while discovering the identity of your fellow players. You do this by asking “yes” or “no” questions related to a set list of characteristics: Are you an animal? A human? Are you wearing a hat? Are you drinking tea? etc. If a player’s identity is discovered, the discovering player receives a point and play continues. You draw a new identity card and continue playing.

Five Reasons to Teach Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

September 03, 2024 • British Literature • Five Reasons To Teach Series • Heroes and Monsters

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde plumbs the depths of human nature to offer up a compelling argument about the nature of good and evil. A classic of British Literature and an early example of science fiction, the novel serves as a warning of the darkness lurking inside each and every one of us should we choose to let it loose. So here are five reasons to teach Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Five Reasons to Teach King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

May 13, 2024 • British Literature • Five Reasons To Teach Series • Mythology • World Literature

“Herein may be seen noble chivalry, courtesy, humanity, friendliness, hardiness, love, friendship, cowardice, murder, hate, virtue, and sin. Do after the good and leave the evil.” ~ Sir Thomas Malory, “Preface to Le Morte D’Arthur” ~ Some stories just resonate with students, and the saga of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a student favorite time and again. Maybe it’s that the story cycle is so long, spanning fourteen script-stories, with a sprawling cast of memorable characters. Or maybe it’s just the medieval setting full of knights and damsels, wizards and enchantresses, chivalry and jousting. No...