Random House has written by and published a teacher’s guide for The Golden Compass with an introduction by Paul Witcover which includes the following plot summary:

“The Golden Compass draws upon the ‘many worlds’ theory of quantum physics. This theory holds that every possible outcome of an action or event–no matter how large or small–spawns a universe of its own. For example, if I flip a coin, the chance it will fall as either heads or tails is fifty-fifty. Both possibilities exist simultaneously while the coin is in the air. But the instant it lands as say, heads, the possibility of tails vanishes…in our universe. According to the many-worlds theory, at that same instant another universe branches off in which the result is tails. Thus an infinite number of alternate universes and worlds are continually being born–some differing by no more than a single atom, others so bizarre that the fundamental laws of physics as we know them do not apply.”

For more information go to:

Random House Teachers Guide

Random House Movie Discussion PDF