Curricular Text Set Overview
Gina Ruocco
INFO 237
Audience: Grade 9
Anchor Text: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Essential Question: How and why should readers and writers practice and protect independent thought?
Purpose: The purpose of this unit it to have students examine the Essential Question: How can readers and writers practice and protect independent thought? through a variety of texts. The anchor text, Fahrenheit 451, will be used as a vehicle for teaching students about the importance of constructing independent thought through reading and encouraging intellectual freedom in a functioning society, as the society in the novel is a perfect paradigm of what can happen when citizens stop reading, exploring ideas, and thinking for themselves. Students will explore a variety of fiction and informational texts that span across time and space in order for them to gain a conceptual understanding of the importance of independent thought so that they can answer the Essential Question by the end of the unit.
Culminating Experience: Create a Public Service Announcement that informs the audience about the importance of independent thought and intellectual freedom, consequences of censorship, and that communicates a persuasive call to action. PSAs will be uploaded to the library’s website and shared during Banned Book Week. Students will then have a chance to share and evaluate findings.
Fahrenheit 451 (Novel)Use the anchor text to follow Guy Montag, a fireman who burns books, on his transformative journey from one who blindly accepts controlled thought to an individual who comes to understand the power and importance of independent thought.
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Independent Thought Alarm (Clip)This clip from The Simpsons traces Lisa’s interactions with a variety of characters. When she expresses an independent thought that somehow challenges another person, that person presses a red independent thought alarm which alerts the principal to the situation. The clip could serve as an effective introduction to the unit’s key concepts as it explores how some people feel threatened by independent thought and nonconformity.
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I Am Very Real (Letter)Kurt Vonnegut wrote this letter to the head of a school board in North Dakota after he learned that his book, Slaughterhouse 5, had been burned in the high school’s furnace after being deemed obscene. Vonnegut effectively utilizes ethos, logos, and pathos to communicate the ideas that students should be exposed to a wide variety of ideas and information and burning books goes against the American value of intellectual freedom.
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Burning a Book (Poem)
by William Stratford (1986)
This poem explores the idea of book burning as a type of censorship people practice when they do not agree with something they read, and sometimes they view this as protecting others. The author communicates the idea that book burning creates ignorance and chaos in societies; free speech should be encouraged. There are some intriguing lines in the poem, such as “protecting each other”, and “some books ought to burn”. These lines could be used as the basis of a debate for students: Does censorship protect people? Is there ever a time when one should burn a book?
by William Stratford (1986)
This poem explores the idea of book burning as a type of censorship people practice when they do not agree with something they read, and sometimes they view this as protecting others. The author communicates the idea that book burning creates ignorance and chaos in societies; free speech should be encouraged. There are some intriguing lines in the poem, such as “protecting each other”, and “some books ought to burn”. These lines could be used as the basis of a debate for students: Does censorship protect people? Is there ever a time when one should burn a book?
The Book Thief (Movie Clip)
2013
Clip: 27:00-34:00
The movie is about a girl, Liesel, who was adopted by a German couple who hid a Jew from Hitler’s army during WWII. There are multiple scenes in the movie that demonstrate censorship. In the scene I’ve identified, Hitler’s army lights a pile of books on fire and explains that books are being burnt to “exterminate the illness that has infected Germany” in order to cleanse the country of any “intellectual dirt”. Students can use this clip to explore how countries have tried to limit access to reading materials in order to censor ideas and diminish independent thought. Ask students: What exactly was the “illness” and what would be considered “intellectual dirt”? Why have governments across space and time sought to burn the products of intellect?
2013
Clip: 27:00-34:00
The movie is about a girl, Liesel, who was adopted by a German couple who hid a Jew from Hitler’s army during WWII. There are multiple scenes in the movie that demonstrate censorship. In the scene I’ve identified, Hitler’s army lights a pile of books on fire and explains that books are being burnt to “exterminate the illness that has infected Germany” in order to cleanse the country of any “intellectual dirt”. Students can use this clip to explore how countries have tried to limit access to reading materials in order to censor ideas and diminish independent thought. Ask students: What exactly was the “illness” and what would be considered “intellectual dirt”? Why have governments across space and time sought to burn the products of intellect?
Total Control in North Korea (Nonfiction Article)
by Jessica McBirney (2016)
This article explores a real-life totalitarian form of government far from the United States. The text shows the extent North Korea will go to in order to control its citizens. One of the country’s strategies for maintaining control and instilling “unity” by controlling what citizens learn, read, and the art that the citizens view each day. The art and literature of the country are created in order to pay homage to its leader, not to encourage independent thinking or create discourse in society. Students can draw conclusions as to why North Korea controls the information its population has access to. Students can also use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast Hitler’s rule to Kim Jung Un’s government in North Korea to understand the reasons behind censorship and the impact on citizens. Students could create a scene/dialogue between Hitler, Kim Jung Un, and Guy Montag (from anchor text). What would they say to each other if they met?
by Jessica McBirney (2016)
This article explores a real-life totalitarian form of government far from the United States. The text shows the extent North Korea will go to in order to control its citizens. One of the country’s strategies for maintaining control and instilling “unity” by controlling what citizens learn, read, and the art that the citizens view each day. The art and literature of the country are created in order to pay homage to its leader, not to encourage independent thinking or create discourse in society. Students can draw conclusions as to why North Korea controls the information its population has access to. Students can also use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast Hitler’s rule to Kim Jung Un’s government in North Korea to understand the reasons behind censorship and the impact on citizens. Students could create a scene/dialogue between Hitler, Kim Jung Un, and Guy Montag (from anchor text). What would they say to each other if they met?
American Library Association Banned Books Infographics (Infographic)
(2015 and 2016)
These infographics provide a visual way to communicate the top ten challenged books in 2015 and 2016 and why they were challenged. The infographics will be examined so students can easily see which books were contested and understand the logic behind people’s demands. Students can examine the infographics and compare the challenges from year to year. What do the challenges reveal about the times we live and how do they reflect the American state of mind (also refer to article Sex, Politics and the Banned Books of 2016 mentioned below) ? Students can also analyze the text format - colors, fonts, writing size, data, images, etc and assess the impact on the audience. Students can then use these infographics as a model to create their own infographic to communicate the Top 10 Reasons NOT to Ban Books.
(2015 and 2016)
These infographics provide a visual way to communicate the top ten challenged books in 2015 and 2016 and why they were challenged. The infographics will be examined so students can easily see which books were contested and understand the logic behind people’s demands. Students can examine the infographics and compare the challenges from year to year. What do the challenges reveal about the times we live and how do they reflect the American state of mind (also refer to article Sex, Politics and the Banned Books of 2016 mentioned below) ? Students can also analyze the text format - colors, fonts, writing size, data, images, etc and assess the impact on the audience. Students can then use these infographics as a model to create their own infographic to communicate the Top 10 Reasons NOT to Ban Books.
Sex, Politics and the Banned Books of 2016 (Newspaper Article)
by Christine Hauser (2017)
This article could be used independently or in conjunction with the banned books infographics. The article discusses the banned books of 2016 in detail and explores reasons why people choose to contest books. The reasoning is important for students to understand. The article provides a brief explanation as to why each book was challenged so students can expand on what they learned from the infographics. At the end of the article, Rainbow Rowell (an author of a banned book), was quoted: “I think some adults believe they can protect their kids from adversity by keeping them ignorant about adversity.” Students can analyse this quote and write a response explaining whether they agree or disagree and justify their answer.
by Christine Hauser (2017)
This article could be used independently or in conjunction with the banned books infographics. The article discusses the banned books of 2016 in detail and explores reasons why people choose to contest books. The reasoning is important for students to understand. The article provides a brief explanation as to why each book was challenged so students can expand on what they learned from the infographics. At the end of the article, Rainbow Rowell (an author of a banned book), was quoted: “I think some adults believe they can protect their kids from adversity by keeping them ignorant about adversity.” Students can analyse this quote and write a response explaining whether they agree or disagree and justify their answer.
Don't Follow The Crowd (TED Talk)
by Gary Rushton (2012) The clip explores how famous thinkers have often been people who went against the grain and exercised resolute independent thought even though the masses opposed what they said. According to Gary Rushton, this takes courage; also, in a democracy the most popular decisions are what people vote for - but is this right? Is the most popular decision always the right decision? At the end of the TED Talk, Rushton asks the audience to do something: When you go home tonight, take a thought that is very widely held and I want you to do two things. I want you to apply logic and reason to it, and if you find that this thought checks out then great. But if you DON’T, you have to pursue it further. Students can follow the speaker’s call to action at the end of the video as a nice extension task. |
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