Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. When did Ray Bradbury live? For what genres is he widely known? What made his work so popular in his time, and why do people still read it today?

Teaching Suggestion: Genre writers like Bradbury are often not considered part of the literary canon, and students may know relatively little about this author and his work. This question is intended to activate the group’s prior knowledge to increase their retention of new information in the sources below. You might “collect” titles and information in a list on the board for display as students generate and share what they know or surmise. Resources such as these might benefit classes with little background on this writer:

• This 7-minute video from Sci-Fi Odyssey offers an overview of Bradbury’s life and career.
• This 6-minute video from PBS discusses the impact of Bradbury’s work.

2. What is colonialism? What kinds of colonialism might still take place today? Can you name any works on this topic—books, movies, video games, etc.