Ray Bradbury Lesson Plans
The Veldt Lesson Plans
Have your students share their understanding of the short story “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury imaginatively blending their written ideas with colorful images based on information from the text.
With this one-pager reading comprehension project, students will analyze literary elements such as: theme, figurative language, conflict, and more.
Included in this purchase is:
- Student directions (PDF)
- Holistic Rubric (PDF)
- Example One Pager Completed (PDF)
- 10 Blank Templates (optional to use)
- EDITABLE Student Directions and Rubric (Word document)
Have your students read the short story “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury—the full text can be found online for free. The story is set far in the future where technology has become detrimental (even fatal) to society. My students always love reading this story. It’s creepy, suspenseful, and always ignites many interesting conversations about technology today.
Included in this literary analysis product is:
- A graphic organizer of vocabulary words from the short story
- A presentation with vocabulary words and definitions
- A pre-reading activity called “five words, three words”
- Reading comprehension questions
- Plot diagram and breakdown of the plot points and Themes
- Graphic organizer that covers literary devices such as: irony, symbolism, conflict, and foreshadowing
- A writing menu with 7 different creative writing options in response to the story
- Answer keys for all that apply
Your students are going to love The Veldt Escape Room! Students will decipher and solve puzzles in this ominous, 360° digital escape room. This activity is designed to work for a laptop, tablet, or smart phone. Students will solve a series of clues based on the story “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury in order to crack the master lock and escape the room. This game entails reading comprehension skills, finding textual evidence, and making inferences. Watch the preview video to look inside the room!
Included in this download are teacher instructions, student instructions (digital), the master lock graphic organizer, answer keys, and a reflection sheet (optional).
A Sound Of Thunder Lesson Plans
Featured in this literary analysis is the short story “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury.
Included in this lesson plan:
- Activating strategy (word splash to form connections and kindle background knowledge) (PDF)
- Academic Vocabulary (PDF)
- Reading Questions (PDF)
- Literary Analysis Questions After Reading (PDF)
- Revisit predictions and correct outcomes worksheet (PDF)
- Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer (to focus on theme) (PDF)
- Discussion Questions of the Butterfly Effect (PDF)
- Answer Keys
- EDITABLE version of the student activities (word document) in case you would like to adapt the lesson
Your students are going to love deciphering and solving puzzles in this suspenseful, 360° digital escape room. This activity is designed to work for a laptop, tablet, or smart phone. Students will solve a series of clues based on the story “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury in order to crack the master lock and escape the room. Students must get back to the time machine before they are stuck in the past forever! This game entails reading comprehension skills, finding textual evidence, and making inferences.
Included in this download are teacher instructions, student instructions (digital), the master lock graphic organizer, answer keys, and a reflection sheet (optional).
All Summer In A Day Lesson Plans
“All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury—Short Story Reading Comprehension Activities includes the following materials:
- activating strategy
- anticipation activity
- academic vocabulary graphic organizer and definitions
- reading questions for comprehension and literary analysis (with answers)
- different seasons graphic organizer
- journal prompts
- summarizing strategy — story board activity
Standards focus:
-Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
-Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
-Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
-Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
Your students are going to love deciphering and solving puzzles in this awesome 360° digital escape room. This activity is designed to work for a laptop, tablet, or smart phone. Students will solve a series of clues based on the story “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury in order to crack the master lock and escape the room. Students must escape the closet and see the sun before the time is up! This game entails reading comprehension skills, finding textual evidence, and making inferences.
Included in this download are teacher instructions, student instructions (digital), the master lock graphic organizer, answer keys, and a reflection sheet (optional).
The Pedestrian Lesson Plans
“The Pedestrian” is a dystopian short story by Ray Bradbury (set in year 2053) which draws eerie parallels to society’s obsession with technology today. The story is less than 500 words, so it’s a quick read; however, it’s FULL of figurative language, imagery, and ethical/social dilemmas that operate as great conversation catalysts.
“The Pedestrian” Reading Comprehension Questions and Activities include:
- Before reading questions to build anticipation
- Vocabulary from the short story with answer keys
- Reading questions for reading comprehension with answer keys
- After reading questions to focus on literary elements like mood, theme, irony, conflict, and symbolism with answer keys
- Figurative language and quote analysis graphic organizer that focuses on metaphors, similes, personification, imagery, and symbolism with answer keys
- Fishbowl discussion project with teacher instructions, student guides, and thought-provoking questions to be completed after reading
There Will Come Soft Rains Lesson Plans
This product includes a reading guide and short story analysis for “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury.
In this lesson:
- anticipation/activating strategy
- academic vocabulary
- reading comprehension questions and answer keys
- figurative language/quote analysis graphic organizer
- after reading summarizing strategy
Literary focal points: setting, irony, mood, theme, personification, simile, metaphor, allusion, and inferences.
Frost And Fire Lesson Plans
In this resource, your students will read and analyze the dystopian short story “Frost and Fire” by Ray Bradbury where the characters are stuck on a nightmarish planet, directly impacted by solar radiation! Humans can only survive for EIGHT DAYS!
Included in this purchase:
- Suggested Lesson Procedure for teachers
- 2 Pre-reading activities to build anticipation
- Powerpoint presentation that includes: Academic Vocabulary Words and Definitions
- Graphic Organizer for Vocabulary Words
- “Frost and Fire” Reading and Analysis Questions
- After Reading Discussion Questions
- Literary Analysis Chart that has students find and explain Bradbury’s use of: personification, metaphors, similes, imagery, symbolism, and irony from the story
- Poem Analysis and comparison based on Robert Frost’s “Fire and Ice” poem
- Answer Keys
Ray Bradbury Author Study
Have your students create a collaborative poster and learn about Ray Bradbury in a fun, engaging way!
Your students will create an author biography by researching Bradbury and establishing his profile on a poster.
Students will learn about Ray Bradbury’s life and his body of work as a legendary author.
Additionally, they will discover the importance of collaboration and effective communication.
This is a great addition to any novel study for Fahrenheit 451.
Project Steps:
1) To construct the author study poster, your students will work in groups to conduct research on Ray Bradbury.
2) Students will then transfer their findings to boxes on the poster.
3) Next, they will work together to color or paint the pieces of the poster.
4) Lastly, students will tape together the final product.
The poster is made up of six pieces of paper, which can be printed on regular copy paper or card stock.
Once taped together, the final product will be 28″ x 15″ and can last a lifetime if you laminate it!
This resource includes the following:
- Step by Step Student Directions (PDF & editable word document)
- Author Study Project Rubric (PDF & editable word document)
- Author Study Graphic Organizer for Students (PDF & editable word document)
- 6 Blank Coloring Pages that come together as one beautiful poster (PDFs)
- Ray Bradbury Author Study Answer Key (PDF)
- Example of Final Project: Completed Text & Fully Colored Body (PDFs)