"If This Goes On..." Technology, Truth, and Happiness in Fahrenheit 451

Students will explore the effects of technology and censorship in Ray Bradbury's dystopian novel and make connections between his futuristic society and their own.

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ELA

Unit 1

10th Grade

Unit Summary


The first unit of the year kicks off the year-long theme of the individual in society. This core text is Fahrenheit 451, which presents a future society where books have been outlawed and people are addicted to technology. Through Montag, Bradbury explores the tension that exists between being an individual and a member of a society where conformity is valued over individuality.

Before reading the novel, students will engage in a stations activity about screen time and media in which they explore technology's impact on their own society to help them connect to the impact of technology in the society of Fahrenheit 451. Then they will read "The Pedestrian," Bradbury's short story which inspired Fahrenheit 451; it will introduce students to his writing style and themes as well as to the genre of science fiction.

Throughout the unit, students will explore additional supplementary texts that connect to important concepts and themes discussed throughout the unit. Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" is a philosophical text that Bradbury alludes to as Montag undergoes his transformation from ignorant to enlightened. Students will also explore the concept of censorship through a text set, as well as comparing Kurt Vonnegut's letter "I Am Very Real" (1973) and Viet Thanh Nguyen's essay "My Young Mind Was Disturbed By a Book. It Changed My Life" (2022) to compare the ongoing conversation about censorship in the United States. Lastly, students will read an article from TIME about the use of data and algorithms on social media platforms.

As students read about the lives of the characters in Bradbury's dystopian futuristic society, they will explore how he uses science fiction to make social commentary about censorship, technology, and happiness. In addition, students will examine how Bradbury's rich imagery and figurative language paints a vivid picture of life in the society he has created. Ultimately, students will draw parallels between Bradbury's dystopian society and contemporary society during an end-of-unit Socratic Seminar, as well as argue whether or not Bradbury's eerie predictions for the impact of technology on society have come true in an argumentative essay to close the unit.

Please Note: In July 2025, this unit and its lesson plans received a round of enhancements. The unit is now 23 instructional days (previously 21 days). Teachers should pay close attention as they intellectually prepare to account for updated pacing, sequencing, and content.

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Texts and Materials


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Core Materials

Supporting Materials

Assessment


These assessments accompany Unit 1 and should be given on the days suggested in the Lesson Map. Additionally, there are formative and creative assessments integrated into the unit to prepare students for the Performance Task.

Socratic Seminar

The Socratic Seminar assesses students on their ability to push themselves and their peers to think critically and participate meaningfully in conversation by collecting and evaluating evidence, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully. Socratic Seminar assessments may occur mid-unit as a way to synthesize the ideas of the text/unit to that point or summative, taking place at the end of a unit.

Performance Task

The Performance Task is the culminating assessment of the unit in which students have the opportunity to show the skills and content they have learned.

Unit Prep


Intellectual Prep

Essential Questions

  • What is the importance of books and literacy to a society? Is censorship, in any form, justified?
  • How does technology both help and hinder a society?
  • What are the implications of a society that values conformity over individuality? How can an individual challenge the status quo?

Vocabulary

Text-based

beatificceaselesscensorshipcontemptibledisplaceinsidiousmanifestodiousperishperpetualpedestrianprobingruinous

Literary Terms

allusionallegoryanti-herocharacterizationdystopiafigurative languageimageryliterary foil

Root/Affix

dys-pedprob

To see all the vocabulary for Unit 1, view our 10th Grade Vocabulary Glossary.

Lesson Map


Common Core Standards


Core Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.2
L.9-10.6
RI.9-10.1
RI.9-10.2
RI.9-10.4
RI.9-10.6
RI.9-10.7
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
RL.9-10.3
RL.9-10.4
RL.9-10.5
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.1.a
SL.9-10.1.b
SL.9-10.1.c
SL.9-10.1.d
SL.9-10.4
W.9-10.1
W.9-10.1.a
W.9-10.1.b
W.9-10.1.c
W.9-10.1.d
W.9-10.5
W.9-10.7
W.9-10.8
W.9-10.9

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.3
RI.9-10.3
RI.9-10.5
RI.9-10.8
RI.9-10.10
RL.9-10.9
RL.9-10.10
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.1.e
W.9-10.4
W.9-10.6
W.9-10.10

Read Next

"If This Goes On..." Technology, Truth, and Happiness in Fahrenheit 451
Lesson 1
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