1. Neil Gaiman on authors:
“An author’s opinions of what a story is about are always valid and are always true: the author was there, after all, when the book was written. She came up with each word and knows why she used that word instead of another. But an author is a creature of her time, and even she cannot see everything that her book is about.”
Neil Gaiman on authors:
Photo by Kimberly Butler; Excerpt from the introduction to Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451

2. “An author’s opinions of what a story is about are always valid and are always true: the author was there, after all, when the book was written. She came up with each word and knows why she used that word instead of another. But an author is a creature of her time, and even she cannot see everything that her book is about.”
Journal Response:
Let’s analyze Gaiman’s claims:
Are all opinions on what a story is about valid and true?
How can they be “valid and true” if the story is fiction?
Why might an author not be able to “see everything that her book is about”?
How do you think time affects literature?

3. To what extent is American life shaped by entertainment?
Inquiry Question:

4. To what extent is American life shaped by entertainment?
Record your answer to this question under: Initial Hypothesis
To what extent is American life shaped by entertainment?
Inquiry Question:

5. Are you popular? Circa: 1947 (Same era as Bradbury)
In your groups: 1. Choose a few important moments or details from the film clip. 2. What do those details seem to imply about the OVERALL MESSAGE of the film? What is the point? 3. How do you know?
Source 1:
Are you popular? Circa: 1947 (Same era as Bradbury)

6. Are you popular? Circa: 1947 (Same era as Bradbury)
Now: Record these ideas on your graphic organizer. 1. What evidence from the source supports your ideas? 2. What evidence from the source complicates or contradicts your ideas? 3. What questions or new ideas do you have about the E.Q. after seeing the source?
Source 1:
Are you popular? Circa: 1947 (Same era as Bradbury)

7. Jigsaw: Student Choice of Text
Option A: Television and the Public Interest
Good for people who love history and prefer primary sources, are interested in the genesis of mass media in the country, don’t mind longer texts.
Source 2:
Option b: The Veldt
Jigsaw: Student Choice of Text
Good for more abstract thinkers, people who prefer to learn via story telling, people who are easily able to make connections between our world and fiction
OPTION C: Varies
Good for the more concrete thinkers, people who like current events, people who like stats and can easily interpret them, are willing to read less but annotate and interpret more

8. Jigsaw: Student Choice of Text
Find a group of classmates who read the same text as you and TALK.
Key Details? These should probably be quotes.
What do they mean?
How do you know? ** You are going to have to share these quotes with your original group.
Source 2:
Jigsaw: Student Choice of Text

9. Jigsaw: Student Choice of Text
Now: Record these ideas on your graphic organizer What evidence from the source supports your ideas? 2. What evidence from the source complicates or contradicts your ideas? 3. What questions or new ideas do you have about the E.Q. after seeing the source?
Bring these ideas back to your first group.
Source 2:
Jigsaw: Student Choice of Text

10. Back to the Group: Share Your Source
Go back to your original group and:
Share a summary of your source, as well as the main ideas
You may read quotes from your source that demonstrate this point
Be ready to answer any questions your group members have about the source.
Source 3:
Back to the Group: Share Your Source

11. Back to the Group: Your group members’ ideas
Now: Record these ideas on your graphic organizer What evidence from the source supports your ideas? 2. What evidence from the source complicates or contradicts your ideas? 3. What questions or new ideas do you have about the E.Q. after seeing the source?
Bring these ideas back to your first group.
Source 3:
Back to the Group: Your group members’ ideas

12. The Last Leg: A Final Reflection
In your journals, combine your ideas into a polished response to the inquiry question. Like any credible academic response, you should introduce, defend and analyze the evidence that you have gathered. It should solidify your most interesting and concise ideas about the topic. Make it bold.
The only catch– your response must incorporate one piece of evidence from Fahrenheit 451. Paraphrasing is okay.
The Last Leg: A Final Reflection

13. What does it mean to “Analyze” something?

14. 2A 1.Read it/Watch it 2. Pick out the Important stuff 3. Highlight it
4. Get something out of it// Assign meaning
5. Connect it 6. 2A