All Summer in a Day Ray Bradbury Speculative Fiction and Science Fiction

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All Summer in a Day By Ray Bradbury Speculative Fiction and Science Fiction

Transcript of All Summer in a Day Ray Bradbury Speculative Fiction and Science Fiction

All Summer in a Day

All Summer in a DayBy Ray Bradbury

Speculative Fiction and Science Fiction

What if it never stopped raining?. . . for seven years?

What if it had been raining . . .

All Summer in a Day Introducing the Story

How would you describe the sun to people who had never seen it?What if they didnt believe you?

a penny?a fire?a lemon?

All Summer in a Day Introducing the Story

Ray Bradbury attempts to do this in his Short Science Fiction Story All Summer in a Day. He speculates what life would be like on another planet.All Summer in a Day Introducing the Story

Due to the sudden increased interest in outer space, people started to question what life would be like on other planets. Therefore writers, like Bradbury wrote about what they imagined life would be like on other planets like Venus or Mars.

All Summer in A Day Audio BookListen and follow along to the Audio Book All Summer in A Day.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaLzm3B1ewY

After listening to this Audio book, brainstorm all the elements that allow this short story to be classed as a Science Fiction text or a Speculative Fiction Text.

What we know about Venus today!

So why is Bradburys speculation so far removed from what is actually possible?

Early Images of VenusThis is an antique engraving of the Zodiacal Light. Printed in Paris (France) in 1891, and published by Librairie de Firmin-Didot et Cie, ParisFrom: https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/233967974/1891-antique-print-of-venus-planet?ref=market last viewed 07.10.2015

Frist Coloured Photograph of Venus

Mariner 10 launched on November 3, 1973 on a mission to research the atmosphere and solar winds on Earths neighbour. After some trajectory issues, Mariner 10 passed within 3,584 miles of Venus, and usedultraviolet filters to capture the complexity of Venuss clouds.

From: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/122308/first-photos-taken-every-planet-our-solar-system last viewed 07.10.2015

Bradburys SpeculationsIf all you knew about a world or planet, was that it was covered in thick swirling clouds that resembled storm clouds on Earth, what would you assume the surface of the planet would be like? Make a list in your English Workbook.

Bradburys Speculations Early Observation of Venus Pre- 1959Venus is sometimes regarded asEarth'ssister planet. In some ways they are very similar:Venus is only slightly smaller than Earth (95% of Earth's diameter, 80% of Earth's mass).Both have few craters indicating relativelyyoungsurfaces.Their densities and chemical compositions are similar.

Bradburys Speculations Early Observation of Venus Pre- 1959Because of these similarities, it was once thought that below its dense clouds Venus might be very Earth like and might even have life. The clouds surrounding Venus are its defining characteristic. We can see the surface of Mars and Mercury, but the surface of Venus is shrouded by thick clouds. For most of history, astronomers had no idea what was beneath those swirling storm like clouds, and they imagined a tropical world with overgrown vegetation and constant rainfall.

Bradbury built his Speculative World around this information available during the 1950s.

So is his speculation about life on Venus possible based on what he knew?

Vocabulary ActivityLook up the meaning of the following vocabulary words: FrailVitalConsequenceSurgedTumultuouslyResilientSavoured

Comprehension QuestionsWrite the heading All Summer in a DayWrite out the questions neatly in your workbook.Write all your answers in full sentences.

Where and when does the story take place?What event is to occur that day?Why are the children excited about this event?Give reasons why the other children do not like Margot.How do the children bully Margot?What do the children do outside?Why does the girl cry at the sight of the raindrop?How does the reader know that the children will miss the sunshine?How does the reader know that the children feel guilty for what they did to Margot? What do you think is the message or theme of this story?

The Importance of Description/ Word Choice in a Short StoryGood writers dont say that it is raining, they create the feeling of being rained upon for the reader

BORING!!! It was raining .Julia stood in the rain

This fails to really capture the readers imaginations.

Therefore it is important to write around the concept / word rain

Close you ideas and listen to the sound of the rain.

Consider the many different layers of sounds.

Imagine what it would be like.

Now write 2-3 sentences describing the rain and how it feels without using the words:RainRaining

All Summer in a Day Introducing the Story

Bradburys Description of the rain A few cold drops fell on their noses and their cheeks and mouths. The sun faded behind a stir of mist

A boom of thunder startled them and like leaves before a new hurricane, they tumbled upon each other and ran. Lightening struck ten miles away, five miles away, a mile, a half mile. The sky darkened into midnight in a flash.We know it is raining without Bradbury using the word rain in these paragraphs.

In your English workbook explain why you know that it is raining at this point in the story.

The Power of WordsMargot is described as frail, list everything you learn about her from this one word choice. She was a very frail girlThe word frail is often used to describe lack of strength due to illness or age.

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The Power of WordsVital is a word used to describe something that is absolutely necessary.

Which one of these is vital to survival?

The Power of WordsBradbury narrates that There was talk that her father and mother were taking her back to earth next year; it seemed vital to her that they do so

What does this one word Vital therefore suggest about Margot and her familys decision.

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The Power of Similes and MetaphorsBradbury uses many similes and metaphors to enhance the power of his descriptions.

Complete the simile and metaphor table.ExampleSimile or MetaphorMeaning/ What is Bradbury trying to convey?She was an old photograph dusted from an album, whitened away, and if she spoke at all her voice would be a ghost.Its like a fireIt was as if, in the midst of a filmfeeling the sun on their cheeks like a warm iron..and heard the gigantic sound of the rain falling in tons and avalanchesThey stood as if someone had driven the , like so many stakes, into the floor

It is now your turn to speculateImagine you are the first Human to land on the planet Venus.

Based on our current knowledge of Venus, write a first person paragraph describing your surroundings and observations. Remember to paint a clear picture with words for the people back on Earth.Consider:The colour of the landscapeThe temperatureWhat you seeThe WeatherWhat you can hear

Getting Started:Use the handout facts about Venus to inform your creative or speculative response. Read and highlight key information you may be able to useBrainstorm:The colour of the landscapeThe temperatureWhat you seeThe WeatherWhat you can hear

Venus FactsheetVenus is the second planet from theSunand is the second brightest object in the night sky after theMoon. Named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus is the second largestterrestrial planetand is sometimes referred to as the Earths sister planet due the their similar size and mass. The surface of the planet is obscured by an opaque layer of clouds made up of sulfuric acid.

Planet ProfileMass:4,867,320,000,000,000 billion kg (0.815 x Earth)Equatorial Diameter:12,104 kmPolar Diameter:12,104 kmEquatorial Circumference:38,025 kmKnown Moons:noneNotable Moons:noneOrbit Distance:108,209,475 km (0.73 AU)Orbit Period:224.70 Earth daysSurface Temperature:462 CFirst Record:17thcentury BCRecorded By:Babylonian astronomers

Size Of Venus Compared To The Earth

Facts About VenusA day on Venus lasts longer than a year:It takes 243 Earth days to rotate once on its axis. The planets orbit around the Sun takes 225 Earth days, compared to the Earths 365.Venus is often called the Earths sister planet:TheEarthand Venus are very similar in size with only a 638 km difference in diameter, Venus having 81.5% of the Earths mass. Both also have a central core, a molten mantle and a crust.Venus rotates counter-clockwise:Also known as retrograde rotation. A possible reason might be a collision in the past with an asteroid or other object that caused the planet to alter its rotational path. It also differs from most other planets in our solar system by having no natural satellites.Venus is the second brightest object in the night sky:Only the Moon is brighter. With a magnitude of between -3.8 to -4.6 Venus is so bright it can be seen during daytime on a clear day.

Atmospheric pressure on Venus is 92 times greater than the Earths:While its size and mass are similar to Earth, the small asteroids are crushed when entering its atmosphere, meaning no small craters lie on the surface of the planet. The pressure felt by a human on the surface would be equivalent to that experienced deep beneath the sea on Earth.Venus is also known as the Morning Star and the Evening Star:Early civilisations thought Venus was two different bodies, called Phosphorus and Hesperus by the Greeks, and Lucifer and Vesper by the Romans. This is because when its orbit around the Sun overtakes Earths orbit, it changes from being visible after sunset to being visible before sunrise. Mayan astronomers made detailed observations of Venus as early as 650 AD.Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system:The average surface temperature is 462 C, and because Venus does not tilt on its axis, there is no seasonal variation. The dense atmosphere of around 96.5 percent carbon dioxide traps heat and causes a greenhouse effect.

http://space-facts.com/venus/ Last viewed 09.10.2015

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