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Teaching Fahrenheit 451

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  • Activities: 15
  • Quiz Questions: 45

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We're not sure what Ray Bradbury would have thought of this teaching guide. He loves learning, but he seems to think that technology might dumb people down. Shmoop, on the other hand? We think the activities and questions inside will light your classroom on fire. (Not literally, of course.)

In this guide you will find

  • discussion questions about what Bradbury might think of modern technology, like social media and smartphones.
  • assignments about c*ns*rsh*p.
  • modern pop culture connections like movie adaptations and, of course, The Simpsons…proving TV can be smart.

Your students will be smart, too, with you and this teaching guide on their side.

What's Inside Shmoop's Literature Teaching Guides

Shmoop is a labor of love from folks who love to teach. Our teaching guides will help you supplement in-classroom learning with fun, engaging, and relatable learning materials that bring literature to life.

Inside each guide you'll find quizzes, activity ideas, discussion questions, and more—all written by experts and designed to save you time. Here are the deets on what you get with your teaching guide:

  • 13-18 Common Core-aligned activities to complete in class with your students, including detailed instructions for you and your students. 
  • Discussion and essay questions for all levels of students.
  • Reading quizzes for every chapter, act, or part of the text.
  • Resources to help make the book feel more relevant to your 21st-century students.
  • A note from Shmoop’s teachers to you, telling you what to expect from teaching the text and how you can overcome the hurdles.

Want more help teaching Teaching Fahrenheit 451?

Check out all the different parts of our corresponding learning guide.



Instructions for You

Objective: Are the pictures in a graphic novel adaptation of a book like Fahrenheit 451 sufficient substitutes for the bulk of the words? 

That's one of the things your students will be considering as they listen to NPR reporter Lynn Neary's five-minute interview of Ray Bradbury, Tim Hamilton, and others discussing the details and challenges involved in adapting Bradbury's novel to graphic format. 

They'll answer critical questions about the piece, participate in classroom discussion, and create their own representations of the book. 

Length of Lesson: 2-3 class periods. You can expect to spend about 30-50 minutes on the initial classroom discussion and one or two more class periods for students to present original work.

Materials Needed:

  • "Reimagining 'Fahrenheit 451' As A Graphic Novel"
  • Microsoft Office/Photoshop/other graphic arts software and/or a digital camera if students are creating digital piece
  • Art supplies and paper if students are creating hand-made piece

Step 1: In class, have your students listen to the NPR interview "Reimagining 'Fahrenheit 451' As A Graphic Novel" and jot down notes to help them answer the following questions:

  1. What did Ray Bradbury witness when he was fifteen years old?
  2. How were Bradbury's adolescent experiences linked to the production of Fahrenheit 451?
  3. Describe the fist non-textual reproduction of Fahrenheit 451 discussed in the interview. Was Bradbury supportive of the project?
  4. How does Bradbury feel about the graphic novel adaptation of his work?
  5. Do you agree with Bradbury and Neary's assessments of graphic novels as a medium?
  6. Keeping in mind that "prose is rich and evocative," what are some unique challenges to transforming Fahrenheit 451 in particular to a medium that combines visual and written materials?
  7. How did Tim Hamilton (the artist who adapted the novel) feel about undertaking the project? How did he think Bradbury would envision the novel's representation? How would you feel about and/or approach a project of such magnitude?
  8. Faced with the closing apocalyptic scene of the novel, how would you represent it visually and with text in a way that borrows from Hamilton's philosophy?
  9. How accurately does Hamilton preserve Bradbury's language in his presentation? Can you provide a specific example?
  10. How does Hamilton represent fire, one of the most important symbols of the novel?

Step 2: Facilitiate a class discussion of the NPR interview and the above questions.

Step 3: Give your students their follow up assignment, instructing them to create their own "novel" (wink wink) representations of Fahrenheit 451. Here's a prompt:

Keeping in mind our class discussion and your own thoughts on the tension between text and audio-visuals in Fahrenheit 451, re-create a portion of the novel. This can be in the form of a book cover, poster, soundtrack, page in a graphic novel, comic book, collage, or even brief movie clip. Hint: For some examples and ideas to get started, check out Shmoop's "Best of the Web" resources.

Artwork can be produced by hand or digitally, if students have access to Photoshop or even Microsoft art in MS Office (available on both Mac and PC operating systems). As students work on their adaptations, have them think about and be prepared to address the following questions:

  1. What challenges arose in adapting Fahrenheit 451 to the medium that you chose? How did you address these?
  2. How is your piece different from/similar to Bradbury's original novel?
  3. What tension(s) did you encounter in translating text into hybrid media?

Step 4: Give students time to present their work to the class and offer their answers to the questions from Step 4 above. 

(California English Language Arts Standards Met: 9th & 10th grade Reading 2.1, 2.5, 3.1, 3.2, 3.11; Writing 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 2.2; Listening & Speaking 1.1, 1.2, 1.8, 1.14, 2.1, 2.4, 2.6; 11th & 12th grade Reading 2.4, 2.6, 3.2; Writing 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 2.6; Listening & Speaking 1.3, 1.7, 1.8, 2,1, 2.4.)

Instructions for Your Students

YouTube or library? Would you rather read it, listen to it, or watch it? Does "Sin City meets Fahrenheit 451" sound like a good idea to you? 

Find out how one artist turned Ray Bradbury's classic into a graphic novel (and what Bradbury thought about it). Express your opinions on this adaptation of Fahrenheit 451, and then take some time create your own original representation of the book.

Step 1: In class, listen to the NPR podcast "Reimagining 'Fahrenheit 451' As A Graphic Novel." As you listen, jot down notes to help you answer the following questions:

  1. What did Ray Bradbury witness when he was fifteen years old?
  2. How were Bradbury's adolescent experiences linked to the production of Fahrenheit 451?
  3. Describe the fist non-textual reproduction of Fahrenheit 451 discussed in the interview. Was Bradbury supportive of the project?
  4. How does Bradbury feel about the graphic novel adaptation of his work?
  5. Do you agree with Bradbury and Neary's assessments of graphic novels as a medium?
  6. Keeping in mind that "prose is rich and evocative," what are some unique challenges to transforming Fahrenheit 451 in particular to a medium that combines visual and written materials?
  7. How did Tim Hamilton (the artist who adapted the novel) feel about undertaking the project? How did he think Bradbury would envision the novel's representation? How would you feel about and/or approach a project of such magnitude?
  8. Faced with the closing apocalyptic scene of the novel, how would you represent it visually and with text in a way that borrows from Hamilton's philosophy?
  9. How accurately does Hamilton preserve Bradbury's language in his presentation? Can you provide a specific example?
  10. How does Hamilton represent fire, one of the most important symbols of the novel?

Step 2: Use your notes (and your excellent recall) to discuss your responses to the NPR interview and the above questions in class.

Step 3: Create your own "novel" (sorry, bad pun) representation of Fahrenheit 451. Here's the assignment:

Keeping in mind our class discussion and your own thoughts on the tension between text and audio-visuals in Fahrenheit 451, re-create a portion of the novel in your own way. This can be in the form of a book cover, poster, soundtrack, page in a graphic novel, comic book, collage, or even brief movie clip. Hint: For some examples and ideas to get started, check out Shmoop's "Best of the Web" resources. 

Your artwork can be produced by hand or digitally, if you have access to Photoshop or a similar program or app. As you work on your adaptation, think about and be prepared to address the following questions:

  1. What challenges arose in adapting Fahrenheit 451 to the medium that you chose? How did you address these?
  2. How is your piece different from/similar to Bradbury's original novel?
  3. What tension(s) did you encounter in translating text into hybrid media?

Step 4: Take a deep breath and remember to speak s-l-o-w-l-y as you present your work to the class. As part of your presentation, be sure to explain your answers to the questions from Step 4.