Anthony F. Franco
Science fiction seems to be increasing in popularity, especially in films; this unit will attempt to focus on its literary form—the novel. The unit thus hopes to provide some meaningful integration of students’ outside reading within the English curriculum. The overriding theme of the unit focuses on today’s student and his emergence as a stranger into the world of tomorrow. This long-range goal challenges the student to assess his present, accept his past, and search for his future in light readings, discussions, and short exercises both written and oral, which will attempt at once to both enlighten and expand. The two strategies used are: a) to introduce the novel as a genre to middle school students; b) to take a multidimensional look at the world of tomorrow. Science fiction works, including novels by Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, are summarized in the narrative. Seven sample lesson plans cover various aspects of life in the future. An extensive bibliography concludes the unit.
(Designed to encompass an entire year for an eighth-grade English class; easily adapted to classes in grades 7-12.)
Key Words
Science Fiction Novel Literature Futurism
