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

Lesson 1
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ELA

Unit 1

10th Grade

Lesson 1 of 21

Objective


Analyze how Plato uses symbolism to convey ideas about ignorance and knowledge.

Readings and Materials


  • Excerpt: Allegory of the Cave by Plato 

  • Video: “Plato's Allegory of the Cave”  — Ted-Ed

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

What does the cave symbolize in Plato's Allegory of the Cave? Provide specific evidence from the text to support your ideas and carefully explain your thinking.

Sample Response

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Key Thinking


Close Read Questions

Read paragraphs 1–14 of the text. What is the situation for the prisoners inside the cave?

Read paragraphs 15–28. What are the stages of the freed prisoner's experience outside the cave?

Read paragraphs 27–33. How does the freed prisoner's experience outside the cave impact his sense of self and his relationship with the other prisoners?

Vocabulary


Literary Terms

allegory

a story that has a "hidden meaning" that communicates a message about society, politics, or human nature

symbol

a character, setting, object, or event that represents something other than itself, i.e. a larger, more complex concept or idea

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Standards


  • RL.9-10.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • RL.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.6
RL.9-10.10
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.9
W.9-10.10

Next

Analyze how Bradbury uses characterization and imagery to convey his central message about technology in the short story "The Pedestrian."

Lesson 2
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Lesson Map

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