Then, we’ll take some time to peer edit each other’s work. You’ll need two readers.

Reader #1: Check the form for the body paragraphs. Is there a clear thesis, topic sentence, quote set-up, quote, and commentary? If not, tell the reader what’s missing.

Reader #2: Comment on the commentary. Does the writer do a good job of connecting the quote to the topic sentence? Also, check for any gramatical or mechanical errors.

After a bit of time to work, my next plan is to take a look at the Poetry Out Loud anthologies. and…

Individually, choose 4 lines of poetry that you like. Write them down on the subway cards provided, making words bigger or smaller as necessary for emphasis or meaning. Do a little sketch or drawing to the side to give the poem a bit of visual impact. Then, we’ll try to memorize our lines. Here’s the anthology.

HW: Finish Criticize This papers October 14th.

Not so tight...

Third period will start with skits and then…

We’ll be reading Harrison Bergeron and trying a little activity involving handicaps.

Afterward, I’d like us to do a little writing response to HB.

In what ways is the HB world like/unlike the F451 world. Be specific.  Which is a worse dystopia and why? How do Bradbury and Vonnegut agree and differ in terms of what they are criticizing about society?

Next, we’ll do a bit of question work on F451. Click here to work on the questions.

1. How has Beatty given Montag hints that he is under suspicion?
2. Who must have brought the books back from the garden?
3. Who turned in the alarm against Montag?
4. What happened to Montag’s green bullet?
5. Why did Montag do to Beatty? Was he provoked or was there a better way to deal with Beatty?
6. What is Montag’s plan to escape?
7. How much money did Montag give Faber?
8. Why did Montag want Faber to turn on the air conditioning and sprinklers?
9. Interpret “Twenty million Montag’s running, soon, if the cameras caught him.”
10. What does Montag misinterepret as the Mechancial Hound?

Then, we’ll look more closely at some sections of F451.

HW: Finish Fahreheit 451.

Hey, that's my Chem notebook in there!

First, quiz time! Good luck.

Extra Credit Opportunity: See Book-it’s presentation of Banned Books and do a short write up.

Then, I wanted to spend a little time talking about propaganda and advertising.  We’ll learn a bit about the most common advertising types and some elements of propaganda.

Finally, you will deceive us. We’ll look at these methods of advertising techniques and have you create a :30 skit that attempts to convince a F451 audience to do one of these things:

1. Turn in anyone who has books (even your kindly grandpa!).
2. Don’t Drive Slow!
3. Buy a new Wall TV!
4. Buy Denham’s Dentifrice!
5. Become a Fireman!

Here again are the 12 types of ads:

1.    The Demo ad
2.    Show the Need or Problem
3.    Show the Problem with a Symbol
4.    Comparison
5.    Exemplary Story
6.    Benefit Cause Story
7.    Testimonial
8.    Ongoing Characters/Celebrities
9.    Exaggerated Symbol Demonstrating Benefit
10.    Associated User Imagery
11.    Unique Personality Property
12.    Parody

and here are the common propaganda techniques:

1. Bandwagon
2. Euphemism
3. Glittering Generalities
4. Name Calling
5. Plain Folks
6. Testimonial/Transfer
7. Big Lie
8. Appeal To Fear

If we have time, we might read a bit from F451 to get a head start on the last section.

HW:  Read pgs. 113-145 F451

Ray Bradbury mentioned that it’s ridiculously easy to predict the future: just look around you and guess that there’ll be more of the same.  Think about the world as you know it now and imagine at least 3 ways that the US or the world in general could become a dystopia in the future. Start with a problem (say, Global Warming) and then imagine how that problem could get worse (no more snowboarding! except in Antarctica!) and then even worse (lack of water that normally comes from the mountains causes water riots in the city, gangs that control Seattle by hording H²O. (100-200 words)

Then, we’ll be working on our Sci Fi posters. See last Friday’s post for info.

Next, we’ll answer questions about F451 pgs 20-49 to get us up to speed plot-wise.

1. What is the mechanical hound and what is its purpose?
2. What is the hound’s reaction to Montag?
3. Why does society consider Clarisse “anti-social” (page 29)?
4. According to the offical rule book, who was the first fireman?
5. At the next fire, what does Montag take?
6. What does the woman at the house Montag goes to do that causes such a ruckus? Why does she quote “Master Ridley”?
7. On page 40, Beatty reveals something very important about himself and his knowledge. What is it?

After we talk through those, I hope to be able to get to some excerpts from “Hearth and Salamander.” For the quote your group is given: 1) paraphrase the quote 2) explain what criticism Bradbury is making of modern society.

HW: Finish “Hearth and Salamander” and be ready for our first quiz: plot questions and quote questions.

I don't come in peace, earthlings!

We’ll start with some writing.  We’ll read the first page and then respond in writing.

Imagine that Montag is burning your books, your precious stuff and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.  Describe what the experience looks like from your point of view. Try to use some of the metaphoric description that Bradbury employs in your writing. (100-200 words)

After sharing, this we’ll talk a bit about our first reactions to the book.

Next, small groups will answer these questions about page 1-21.

1. What is Montag doing at the beginning of the novel? How does he feel about it?
2. Why does the girl Montag meet upset him? What does she ask him and how does that challenge him?
3. How is life in Montag’s house very different from that of Clarisse’s house?
4. What do we learn about what a fireman is and why they have the job they do?
5. Re-read the paragraph on page 9 starting “I sometimes think…” What is she describing about how people live in that time?  What do you think the author is saying about the danger that technology holds over people?
6. What’s wrong with Montag’s wife and what happens just as he finds out?  Why did the author choose to have that happen?
7. What do we know so far about the world of F451?  How does it differ from our own?

And then we’ll discuss.

Next, I want to talk about science fiction (.pdf file here) and dystopia and some common aspects.

Finally, let’s try our hand at it. I’ll give you a big piece of paper and some markers and you’ll design a fictional Science Fiction movie poster. See some examples. And some more examples. The poster should:

1. Have an awesome title: Bloodsucking rats from Planet Toledo
2. Have an awesome subtitle or legend: They thought that the Pied Piper would save them. They were wrong. Dead wrong.
3. Have an awesome picture of what’s going on.
4. Have details about the movie such as the actors, director, and when it will be out.

HW: read pages 21-40 in F451.

Where is that time machine anyway?

So, day 1 didn’t send you screaming into the Seattle night. Let’s see what day 2 can do.

First, we’ll do a little writing.  I’ll provide you with a quote and ask you to write for 15 minutes on it. Then, we’ll talk a bit about writing.

All of the biggest technological inventions created by man – the airplane, the automobile, the computer – says little about his intelligence, but speaks volumes about his laziness.  ~Mark Kennedy

Do you agree/disagree with this statement. Give 2-3 specific examples that show what you think about technology.

Afterward, we’ll discuss in small groups and discuss as a full group. First, we’ll talk a bit about writing and then about the prompt.

Finally, imagine that you and everyone in your small group had somehow invented a time machine. It could go anywhere. You need to answer two questions and everyone needs to agree.

1. What are you going to bring? (10 items)
2. Where are you going to go?

One person in each small group will have a special role.

HW: Bring laptops tomorrow as well

• The beginning/ending
• The protagonist
• The supporting characters
• The types of dystopias
• Plot
• The author’s purpose (i.e. why is he/she writing this)

Then, we’ll write a quick body paragraph in class before doing the peer edit. The peer edit:

Reader 1:  Does the writer have all of the parts?  Does each paragraph have a) topic sentence b) a set up for #1 quote c) the first quote/evidence d) setup for #2 quote e) the 2nd quote f) a 2+ sentence discussion. Reader 2: The same as Reader 1 Reader 3: Check for grammar issues and evaluate how well the discussion explain why the similarity or difference is important.

HW: Final draft due Thur

Next, we’ll get small groups together to work on exploring themes and how they are explored in the novels.  We’ll research and then we’ll present.

Finally, I’ll go through our next paper F451/Anthem Compare/Contrast and explain what I’m looking for.  I hope to give you time to work on the pre-write in class. Get the .pdf version of my talk on literary analysis paragraphs here.

HW:  Anthem–Finish the Book, F451–to pg. 136

Next, I’ll give back the quizzes and talk a bit about the themes and ideas the novels and how someone might comment on them.

F451–>Themes: Censorship, anti-intellectualism, literacy, totalitarianism, propaganda, technology, consumerism, rebellion, society

Anthem–>Individualism vs. collectivism, technology, education, society, peer pressure, work, totalitarianism.

Anthem Questions

1. Why does Equality think that Liberty is different than all of the rest?
2. Why is it bad to be “too” happy in this society?  (46)
3. What’s so scary about the Uncharted forest?
4. What did the man do to deserve being burned at the stake? What does Equality imagine happened when he saw him?
5. What does Equality learn with the crazy frog’s leg?
6. Why is the conversation between Equality and Liberty forbidden? What do they tell each other?
7. What decision does Equality make on pg. 70 and why?  What do you think will happen?
8. Prediction:  How will this story end?

F451 Questions: Section 2

1)    Pg.68  Montag reads a quote “It is computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered death rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end.”  What do you think that means?  Why did Montag read it?
2)    Pg. 74.  Why does Mildred prefer her “family’ to books?  Is she right?
3)    Read quote beginning “Jesus God…”  (pg. 73) What doe we learn about the political and military situation?
4)    Who is Faber and why does Montag want to talk to him?
5)    Who is the White Clown and why does Montag want to know if he loves Mildred?
6)    How does Denham’s Dentifrice drive Montag crazy?  What does this passage show about how advertising affect people?
7)    Why does Faber consider himself a coward?  What does he give Montag?
8)    What plan do Faber and Montag cook up?  Do you think it will work?

HW:  F451–> Finish section 2 (Pg. 110).

Anthem–> Read pages 62-87.

First, I’d like to give blogs another shot.  I think it’ll work this time.

Next, I’d like us to complete a short writing assignment.

Ray Bradbury, when asked about writing Fahrenheit 451, said this:

People ask me to predict the future, when all I want to do is prevent it. Better yet, build it. Predicting the future is much too easy, anyway. You look at the people around you, the street you stand on, the visible air you breathe, and predict more of the same. To hell with more. I want better.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? What aspects of the likely future would you want to prevent? Or, do you think that the future will be fine?  Why?  Explain using specific examples from your own life to back up your ideas.  200 words.

Then, I’d like to talk a bit about Harrison Bergeron and how it compares with Anthem.

Next, I want small groups to answer these questions about F451 and then we’ll talk as a full class.

1. What is Montag doing at the beginning of the novel? How does he feel about it?
2. Why does the girl Montag meet upset him? What does she ask him and how does that challenge him?
3. What do we learn about what a fireman is and why they have the job they do?
4. Re-read the paragraph on page 9 starting “I sometimes think…” What is she describing about how people live in that time?  What do you think the author is saying about the danger that technology holds over people?
5. What’s wrong with Montag’s wife and what happens just as he finds out?  Why did the author choose to have that happen?
6. What do we learn about how the history of firefighting (and Benjamin Franklin) has been distorted in this world?
7. What happens to the woman who quotes from Master Ridley? What does this show us about how some people feel about the book restrictions?
8. What do we know so far about the world of F451?  How does it differ from our own?

Then, we’ll talk.

HW:  Read F451 to the end of Part I, page 68 (Quiz Tuesday).

Image Credit: The Big Read