For next week

We're going to skip around a bit. For next week, read "The Visitor" and "Marionettes, Inc." I'll post the questions next week on Friday :)

The Rocket Man

1. Find two vocab words that you didn't previously know and define them (from the story).
2.Give one example of one of the five elements of showing writing.
3.In this story, the house has some of the same capabilities as the house in The Veldt. What similarities do you see?
4. Though Ray Bradbury wrote this story a long time ago, he touched on human characteristics that never change. How do the characters actions, thoughts, worries, etc. ring true to our world today? Can you think of situations that are similar in our society as what this fictional family is facing?
5. The Mother in this story seems to allow fear to rule her life (BEFORE THE DAD DIES). Support my theory with concrete details (examples from the story) and your own comments (CM's) to prove that statement true (even if you don't think it is true!).
6. What would be a good theme - or moral - to this story?
7. Who is telling this story? What point of view is that? Why do you think that the author doesn't tell this story from another point of view - like the way The Veldt is told?
8. Who stands out as the static character?
9. Since Ray Bradbury wrote this story, many new things have been learned about space and science. Find one example of something we've learned or something our society has done in space since this story was first published.
10. Without doing research on Ray Bradbury, what do you think his childhood was like? What do you think he was like as an adult? What do you think he would stand-up for in our world today? How do you think he would feel about our society's desire to search for other life forms on different planets, or space travel, etc.

The Man

1. Find a sentence that begins with a verbal phrase (a word that ends in 'ing')
2.Find two vocab words from the chapter that you didn't know before, and define them.
3. Find three sentences that contain adverbs.
4. When the two men, Captain Hart and Martin, land their rocket on a far away planet, they expect everyone to come greet them - to be interested in their arrival. What does that indirectly say about them? (indirect characterization)
5. STATIC CHARACTERS are characters who do not change throughout a story. Who is a static character in this story? Support your opinion with details from the text.
6. DYNAMIC CHARACTERS change from the beginning of a story to the end. Who is the dynamic character? Support your opinion with details from the text.
7.Shortly into the story (page 43 if you're reading the version checked out from TMS library - other versions of the book may have it as a different page depending on the font size your book has), Captain Hart and Martin discuss the fact that there is no peace on Earth. They claim that there hasn't been peace on Earth since Darwin. Who is Darwin? When did he live? When did the author of the book, Ray Bradbury, live? Regardless of your personal beliefs, what do you think Ray Bradbury is trying to say about society through Captain Hart's statement?
8. Aside from any type of religious undertones in this story, what is Ray Bradbury saying about our society, in general, at the end of the book when Captain Hart decides to leave, and Martin is introduced to "The Man?" There is not one right answer! Give your opinion.
9. When Captain Hart prods the citizens for a description of the man, the answers are very vague. Why doesn't the author give a solid description? BY THE WAY: There isn't one right answer to this question. Think hard about it. Don't answer it now. Give it some thought, sleep on it, and answer this one tomorrow after you've really thought about it. I don't want you to write down the first thing that comes to mind.
10. The author leaves the reader feeling that the story isn't finished. Write one last paragraph to the story.

The Veldt

There will be 10 questions total for each chapter... don't try to do them all in one night. Remember, your reason for reading this is to be challenged! You may be used to reading coming easily and having an "A." You get an "A" for participating, so don't be overwhelmed. Challenge yourself. Take time. Give thoughtful responses over a period of time, not all in one night!

1. Ray Bradbury hinted to the story "The Veldt" at the end of the first 'chapter' "The Illustrated Man." Now that you realize this, what can you tell me about the illustrated man's tattoos and this book?
2. What is a 'veldt'?
3. This story isn't just disturbing because of the end... it has a deeper message about the role that technology plays in our lives. Keeping in mind that this book is written in 1951 - before the days of computers in our homes, cell phones, etc - what message is Ray Bradbury sending us (his future)?
4. Think about something in your home that you depend on that you think has been around for a long time. Research it. Was it widely available to most people in 1951? How is our world different from that of 1951?
5. Ray Bradbury had some interesting ideas/ inventions mentioned in this story that didn't actually exist in 1951, but do now. Stretch your mind and name one.
6. The end of the story is no doubt horrible, but some have debated that the role that the parents allowed technology to exist in their children's lives lead to their demise. How could someone possibly argue that point? Even if it's not what you think, why would some people say that?
7. Find two vocab words that you didn't already know. Define them.
8. Find an example of one of the 5 elements of showing writing. What is it? Be specific.
9. What technology in our lives do we sometimes allow to take the place of human interaction? What current social ills could be a result of this?
10. You write the last question. Read the post before yours. Answer their question, then write your own for the next person. If you are first to post to this, you don't have a question to answer, just write one.