Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. When did Jules Verne live, and what kind of works did he write? What causes his works to have such enduring popularity?

Teaching Suggestion: The student-facing resources listed below include both a brief general overview and a full-length documentary; depending on the emphasis of your particular course, they may help to fill gaps in students’ understanding of Verne’s life and literary contributions. The teacher-facing resource on translations of Verne is intended to provide background information about discrepancies between various interpretations of Verne’s legacy as an author that may be helpful in discussion with students. It may be beneficial to follow this short answer question with an extended discussion topic and brief historical research opportunity: What advancements in science and technology that occurred in Verne’s lifetime likely influenced his stories?

• This article offers a succinct introduction to Verne’s life and work.
• This 44-minute video from Biography is a full-length documentary on Verne and his work.
• This article from noted Verne scholar Arthur B.