Below, you can find samples of student work and demonstrations of class components. NOTE: These are examples only and do not represent a "perfect" paper. See description and rubric in the Torrey Academy Handbook.
Students prepare for discussion by reading the assigned text and writing a précis, a formal summary, of the reading selection.
The heart of the class is in the Socratic discussion. Tutors, trained in the Socratic method, lead small groups of students in dialogue 2–3 hours per week.
The Magician's Nephew Questions
- What is Lewis' view of Creation? Of the Fall? How does he portray these? What symbols does he use? What is the significance of these symbol choices?
- Is Lewis a mythmaker? Is The Magician's Nephew a myth?
- What themes or ideas in The Magician's Nephew are familiar from other non fiction books that we've read? Pick one or two and show how Lewis illustrates his ideology in his fiction.
- Is it possible for us to make ourselves unable to hear the voice of God? (see p. 185)
- How have you seen the tears of Aslan in your life? How have those tears enabled you to persevere in doing good?
- How do the different characters react to Alsan and to his singing? Why do they react differently from one another?
- Why does Lewis portray the creation with singing?
- What is our responsibility to animals? How ought we to treat them?
- Why does Jadis look more powerful in our world than she did in Charn or in the Wood Between the Worlds?
- What virtues does Lewis triumph in this book through the various characters?
- What does The Magician's Nephew teach about good and evil? About human nature? About order and purpose in the universe?
- How do the main characters aid the development of the story. What might Lewis be trying to say about human nature and character?
- What is Digory like in the beginning? How does his character evolve in the course of the work? What is Lewis trying to teach us through Digory's character?
- What about Uncle Andrew? Is Uncle Andrew truly evil?
- Who and what is the queen Jadis? What things does Lewis use her to say? For example, how does he use her to symbolize evil? How is her evilness different from Uncle Andrew's? Compare and contrast the two.
- What is Lewis' view of Magic?
- Compare and contrast Digory and Polly's characters. What do we learn from their interactions? What is significant about their quarrel in "The Bell and the Hammer"?
After reading and discussing, students write a short Reflection Essay addressing significant themes from the text based on prompt questions.
Students supplement their Socratic learning with required audio context lectures.
Throughout the year, first-year students receive online writing instruction via the Torrey Academy Writing Lab and Writing Resource Center.
In addition to the weekly writing assignments, Torrey Academy students write two Term Papers per semester. The fourth Term Paper is considered for entry in the annual Torrey Academy Excellence in Academic Writing competition. Tutor-nominated essays are submitted to a panel of judges from the academic and Christian community. This panel selects winning essays in two categories: Inklings students, Foundations of American Thought and Faith of Our Fathers students. A third category of nominated essays is submitted to the Torrey Academy Administrator for consideration for the Aston Moffatt Excellence in Scholarship Award. See annual winning essays in each category below:
Please read and enjoy the hard work of our winning students:
Inklings |
| 3rd place: |
"Not Story or Essay, but Story with Essay"
by Elena Trueba, Miss Larsen's Online Inklings
|
| 2nd place: |
"Story Versus Essay: The Particular Feud of Universal Virtue"
by Eric Corona, Miss Larsen's Online Inklings |
| 1st place: |
"A Necessary Terror: The Doctrine of Spiritual Condemnation"
by Briana Ung, Mr. Glazener's Online Inklings |
Foundations |
| 3rd place: |
"Poetry: Songs of Self or Pictures of Paradise?"
by Elizabeth Bush, Mr. Bartel's Yorba Linda Foundations |
| 2nd place: |
"The Gilded Trap: The Dangers of Equality"
by Bethany Crossley, Mrs. Harrington's Online Foundations |
Faith |
| 3rd place: |
"When Less is More, or, The Joy of Looking Up"
by Anna Vander Wall, Miss Romero's Online Faith |
| 2nd place: |
"Poetry of Great Price"
by Nathanael Biggs, Miss Romero's Online Faith |
Foundations/Faith |
| 1st place: |
"Of Affirmations and Rejections: Anagogical Methodology within the Divine Comedy"
by Gabriel Choo, Mr. Bartel's La Mirada Faith |
Aston Moffatt Award |
|
"Tradutorre, Traditorre: 'Dante and the Treachery of Translation'"
by Jonathan Diaz, Mr. Bartel's La Mirada Faith |
