The Golden Compass Lesson Plan

If all of the elements of this lesson plan are employed, students will develop the following powers, skills, and understanding:

1. 1

   To interpret the themes of the novel, including loss-of-innocence, religion, sacrifice, abuse of power, and truth.

2. 2

   To analyze the actions and motivations of the novel's characters, especially its heroine Lyra, and her complex parents, Lord Asriel and Marisa Coulter.

3. 3

   To consider the significance of recurrent symbols in the text.

4. 4

   To interpret the many supernatural elements of the text, and determine both how they work and what they mean.