PRE-READING EXERCISES

You may have noticed there are a lot of allusions (references to other writers and texts) in Fahrenheit 451. Some help to really illuminate the message of the book; others might come in handy at trivia night. Besides going over background information on author and context, perhaps this list could serve to introduce the book and the concept of allusions all at once. There are plenty of ways to do this, but, depending on the class’s personality, I would probably either . . .

• Set up a friendly competition. Turn the most famous examples into questions or fill-in-the-blank prompts. Which team can name the highest number of allusions from the list?
• Divide the list up (again in groups or as individuals) and send it around the room as a sign-up sheet. The students must research their topic(s) and then present their findings as those allusions appear in the text to, hopefully, deepen class discussion.

SUPPLEMENTAL READING

• I like to do at least one day of Close Reading per unit. Usually it is a passage from the main text, but with Fahrenheit, it’s got to be “Dover Beach.”
• Ecclesiastes. Treated as a literary text rather than a religious one. If you have an extra day, the book relies so very much on the ideas of that text, so it might be worth it to assign as a homework assignment at least books 1-3 . . . maybe 1-5 to get to the part about relationships . . . perhaps 1-7 to get to the problem of pain. I mean, at that point maybe just the whole thing; it’s not too long all things considered.
• If you’re looking for a modern text to read alongside Fahrenheit 451, Feed by M. T. Anderson works very well. Think excess of shallow information vs. Fahrenheit’s dearth of quality information. Works particularly well as summer reading.

SOCRATIC QUESTIONS

Questions are listed below. First, though, here is an overview of why I love the Socratic Seminar so very very much, as well as a primer on how I like to use it in my classroom.

Like these questions? Here they are in worksheet form!

1. Montag desperately wants to believe that books are the solution to the problems he sees all around him. Instead, thanks to the books he tries to save, he lose his wife, job, and home in the span of a day. Oh, and he kills a man. Does he actually gain anything from books? Do we, as readers, gain anything from them?
2. Although Ray Bradbury’s work is often referred to as science fiction, Fahrenheit 451 has plenty to say about the world as it actually is, and not just as it could be. In what ways is this world like ours? What does this tell us about the dangers facing our own society?
3. Montag and Faber agree that there are those who burn and those who build. Is there anything that can be done to fix this broken society besides starting totally new? Moreover, does this book give us any insight into how to better our own world?
4. What point is this book trying to make? Go beyond the obvious to try to tap into Bradbury’s deepest insights about the nature of humanity and the nature of society—its failures, its potential, and its weaknesses. What is this book really about?

READING CHECKS AND ASSESSMENTS

I am not against homework questions per se, but I much prefer checking annotations for a reading grade. Unless your students need additional support for comprehension, I find this is a life/reading skill that will serve them longterm in a multitude of ways.

Also, as you consider possible assessments, might I recommend the not-so-humble essay? More information to be found from that page!