Teaching Resources

Reading Guides

Reader's Guides and Study Questions

These files are reader's guides and teaching kits for specific science fiction and fantasy novels. Many of them have been graciously provided by publishers or by the novelists themselves. Read more »

Science Fiction Studies (Online College Course)

[Book Outline Format]
Course Outline
Lesson 1: In the Beginning
Lesson 2: Toward Verne: 1800-1885
Lesson 3: The Birth of the Mass Magazines: 1885-1911
Lesson 4: The Rise of the Pulps: 1911 - 1926
Lesson 5: Scientifiction: 1926 - 1938
Lesson 6: John W. Campbell's Astounding: 1938 - 1950
Lesson 7: Alternate Worlds: 1950 - 1965
Lesson 8: The New Wave: 1965 - 1978
Lesson 9: Modern Voices: 1978 - 2006
Lesson 10: The Shape of Things to Come

from the University of Kansas

Beta Test the Workshop for Libraries (Download)

Workshop for Libraries (Zip archive with .wmv video)

We are currently beta testing a Librarian's Portable Teaching Workshop. Please feel free to download this material and add any comments about usability, effectiveness, or suggestions for change in the comments below. We look forward to hearing from you about our newest project.

Studies in Science Fiction Novels (Online College Course)

[Book Outline Format]
Lesson 1: Visions of Humanity’s Far Future
Lesson 2: The Alien Peril
Lesson 3: The Human Condition
Lesson 4: Thought Experiments
Lesson 5: Evolution Continues
Lesson 6: Invoking the Social Sciences
Lesson 7: Science Fiction and the Mainstream
Lesson 8: Dystopia and Beyond
Lesson 9: Tinkering with History
Lesson 10: The Biological Imperative
Lesson 11: Cyberpunk and the Singularity
Lesson 12: Looking Backward and Forward

Chris Cokinos' Sci Fi Short Story Syllabus

History of the Science Fiction Short Story English 5340: Literature, Science and Environment Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-11:45 p.m., FL307 Read more »

China Mieville Lecture

China Mieville speaks at the University of Kansas on September 24, 2009 Read more »

Literature Donations

Teaching Robert Heinlein's Have Space Suit--Will Travel

World Space Week's Heinlein Teaching Kit (pdf)
World Space Week's Heinlein Teaching Kit (pdf)

This document is designed for use in conjunction with World Space Week, October 4-10 annually.

from World Space Week

A Sample High School Science Fiction Course

[Book Outline Format]
Introduction-How to Use these Documents
Sample Course Proposal (rtf)
Sample Syllabus with Rationale (rtf)
Course Matrix (rtf)

from Mary Rose-Shaffer

History of SF

These four videos represent an abbreviated history of SF from ancient Greece to 1979. They feature two legendary SF authors: Isaac Asimov and Damon Knight. The full interviews are on the Literature of SF DVD. Read more »

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