Introduction
At the beginning of the semester, we studied about Odysseus and his journey. To end the semester, we will take a trip into the genre of Science Fiction.
Before we begin, make sure you have headphones/earbuds, a writing utensil, and your assignment sheet: Science Fiction Webquest.
Task
As stated before, Science Fiction is a most unusual genre because it has prophetic tendencies. The definition of prophetic is accurately describing or predicting what will happen in the future. Author Rod Serling says, "Science Fiction is the improbable made possible." Many science fiction stories of the past now seem like nothing more than a normal (sometimes almost boring) story about someone's day. It's hard to see how they could be considered part of the Science Fiction genre at all, that is, until you look at the date when the story was originally published.
This WebQuest requires you to preform several tasks. You will be asked to explore science fiction authors of the past. Find out how what they wrote decades ago can now be found in our daily lives. Then you will read the short story "The Fun They Had" by Isaac Asimov which was written in 1951. Notice the story isn't so far removed from what students can and do experience today. Lastly, find inventions used today that were created in science fiction stories.
Start by watching this "Science" Fiction video.
Process
Task #1
First, you must find out what Science Fiction is. Using the websites provided, please record on your sheet the key characteristics of Science Fiction.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-science-fiction-writing-de…
Task 2:
On your WebQuest sheet, answer the following questions about one of the authors in the list below.
All of these authors have written stories that have elements in them that are relevant to things that are happening today. What is so remarkable about these authors, besides the fact that they are brilliant storytellers, is that what they originally wrote about decades ago has happened or is currently happening. It's almost like they could see the future!
Once you have chosen your author, use the hyperlink to answer the following questions about your selected author.
1. Your author's name.
2. Biographical information about the author (birth date, death date, educational background)
3. A title of one of their famous works? Is it a short story or a novel? When was it written?
Spelling and grammar count, so make sure to proofread.
Task #3:
Read Isaac Asimov's short story "The Fun They Had"
https://schd.ws/hosted_files/readwrite/9f/Fun-They-Had-ST.pdf
Answer the following questions on your WebQuest (there is room at the bottom).
Find Meaning
1. (a) At the beginning of “The Fun They Had,” what does Margie write in her diary? (b) Why does she choose to write this?
2. How is the book Tommy found different from the books that Margie is used to?
3. (a) What is the book about? (b) How is the school described in the book different from the kind of school Margie is used to?
Task #4:
Name five inventions that Isaac Asimov wrote about between the years of 1930-1960 that have become items we use today.
http://www.davison.com/blog/2014/02/18/isaac-asimovs-future-invention-p…
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/AuthorTotalAlphaList.asp?AuNum=4
Example: the term "robotics" was coined (first used/invented) in Asimov's 1941 story "Liar!"
Evaluation
Be sure to turn in your completed WebQuest sheet.
Conclusion
Be prepared to discuss what you have learned.