Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.
– Thomas Edison
We know you are personally inspired or you would not be here using this Web site. The time you spend in front of those faces you see each day, motivating, teaching, and inspiring them is far better spent than if you had to sift through the literally thousands of sites with material to help you teach Science Fiction in your classroom. We hope that the resources we have located here are of some help to you as you aspire to inspire the next generation of thinkers to be more than just another pawn in the game of life.
Links to Lesson Plans and Study guides :
Science:
- Finding the Science Behind Science Fiction through Paired Readings
Science and Language Arts
Grades 6-8
By Lisa Storm Fink
This is a very comprehensive set of Five 50 minute sessions plus reading and work time. The site is well put together and the plan seems to be very comprehensive and complete. The author pairs non-fiction resource material for the real Science with Science Fiction books teaching the students to extrapolate from their own knowledge of Science what might be possible in the future. This website bares further investigation for other teacher’s resources as well. http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=927
- Computers and Technology: Robots
Science and Language Arts
Grades 3-6
By Instructorweb
This is a short lesson plan with a sound basis in reality that references Science Fiction to talk about how we think about Robots today. For the complete lesson and the printable content the site will require a membership I signed up for the free basic membership and could access the lesson plans. This is more of a Science lesson than Science Fiction but easy to tie into Science Fiction. http://www.instructorweb.com/lesson/robots.asp
- Ethics Issues From Science Fiction
Science and Biology
Grades 9-12
By Cold Spring Harbor High School
Uses the story Letter to Ellen by Chan Davis to discuss social issues and the behavior of Scientists. This unit should be used during or following the study of genetics. This is designed to cover two or three class periods. http://www.onlineethics.diamax.com/CMS/edu/precol/scienceclass/lessonplans/lesson14.aspx
- Science Fiction or Tomorrow’s Technology
Science, Technology and Language Arts
Grades 9-12
By NASA
This teacher’s sheet for grades 9-12 is designed for one 50 minute class period and then assigned as homework. The object is to research then report on one item that was once SF and is now reality. The Standards it meets are listed. There are related links, discussions and additional projects for the students. http://nasaexplores.com/show_912_teacher_st.php?id=030103133100&gl=k4
Computers:
Language Arts :
- Introduction to SF/Fantasy
Language Arts Grades 7-9
By Jennifer Frankola
The goal of this lesson plan is to help students understand the difference between realistic fiction and Science Fiction or Fantasy. They begin by defining “real” and “imaginary” and move on using excerpts from Science Fiction stories to define what is real or believable and what is imaginary or unbelievable in the stories. http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LAIntroToScienceFiction79.htm
- Create a Book or a Magazine
Language Arts
Grade 7-9
By Denise Foreman
This is easy to adapt to Science Fiction and a good way to inspire kids with a hands on activity. This lesson plan is well written and includes the scoring rubrics for either books or magazines. You could use this to follow up a previous lesson on studying the difference between real fiction, realistic fiction or just plain fantasy and have the students use their prior papers as part of the project. They could also each pick a Science Fiction persona and interview each other for content material. http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LACreateABookOrMagazine79.htm
- A Creative Way to Comprehend the Elements of a Short Story
Language Arts
Grades 4-8
By Burcu Alkan
This is an unusual lesson plan scripted so that you even have the dialog to use with your students. What I like about this is that it is another easily adapted to the Science Fiction genre and teaches using a hands on method. Setting aside all the dialog the teacher and students first discuss the elements of a short story, then gives the students a list of “anticipation” questions to watch for while the read the short story. After they read and then discuss the story the students are divided into groups the teacher gives them the elements of Character, Setting, Plot, Theme, Point of view and asks them to change their part of the story, to rewrite it, which shows them how the parts of the story when modified, change the whole meaning of the story.
(Perhaps when all the stories are complete the students could produce their own anthology)
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LACreativeWayToComprehendElementsOfShortStory48.htm
- Genre Studies
Language Arts
Grade 2
By Synda Tindall
This lesson plan covers the different literary elements of common genres including those of Science Fiction. The standards addressed are listed. http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/nebraskAccess/toolbox/lessonplantindall.pdf