Exploring Science Fiction:

A Year 10 English Unit

By Karli Gibson, Sam Widdowson and Justin Sim

Conceptual Statement:
The endpoint of empiricism is, in fact, the beginning of speculation: humanity graduates from
the epistemological process that asks what of? to the hypotheticalities of what if? a
critical exploration of the laws that govern the natural world, and how modernity seeks to
impose its will upon it. Up for grabs are visions of the future, whether they are painted in the
drab, soulless concrete of the megalopolis, or the quixotic sojourns of a spacefarer colonising
unknowable planets. Aliens invade the Earth, and mankind unites in their definitive struggle.
Life proceeds as per normal, except with all the conveniences of fully-automated labour. For
all this romanticising (or lack thereof), however, there remains a grain of truth in the stuff of
dreams; a shared expectation that such a prospect may yet lie within our grasp, or that the
potentialities of absolute disaster may also be utterly averted. In what direction should
mankind aspire to progress, and why? And although science may hold the key to the survival
of our species, it is the ultimate responsibility of man to govern this power, rather than have it
govern us. As we as educators seek to expand the curriculum to include the study of ethical
considerations that are reflected in contemporary society, it also makes sense to make
projections on the course that new arguments are likely to develop, and pre-emptively address
them before they actually happen. This is the core of the debate and the raison detre of
Science Fiction.

The stimulus to encourage exploratory talk, the chief benefit of the genre, promotes quality
learning in the classroom. In this course, we seek to separate the realist qualities of Science
Fiction from Science Fantasy and other associated genres, drawing the line between the
possible and the implausible, deepening our understandings of the environments which we
inhabit. For this purpose, we have chosen chiefly hard sci-fi texts to study in this unit:
Asimovs I, Robot and Wells War of the Worlds, which have also been adapted in a wide
variety of mediums. To aid in this endeavour, most of the lessons have been planned with a
focus on multimodal delivery, designed to excite, engage, and encourage the spirit of
adventure in Year 10 students. It is acknowledged that the realm of science is predominantly
male-centred, but by steering the activities away from militaristic conventions, we hope to
instead redirect their train of thought towards the impact of technological advancements in
the tangible contexts of our lives how we react to disaster, for example, or our putative
overreliance on modern devices.

Our activities have also been designed to cross the spectrums of Gardners multiple
intelligences and Blooms taxonomies, slowly progressing from the descriptive to the
speculative (synthesis) across a spectrum of verbal-linguistic, spatially and logically
challenging tasks, catering to the diverse learning styles of the contemporary classroom (Gray
and Waggoner 2012). We also encourage the development and articulation of personal
opinion in the exploration of students ideas and values in their moral standpoint on the
ethical dilemmas propounded in the genre. This slightly unorthodox approach mirrors
Pidducks (2012) considerations that educators should show the flexibility to teach kids, and
not hang on blindly to old fashioned notions of what it means to 'do' English, instead playing
on popular culture reinterpretations of classical sci-fi themes that students are able readily
connect with. At the same time, we remain sensitive to the need to develop and assess writing
proficiency in the classroom as a key component of the broader drive for national literacy,
reflected in the range of text-types we offer as part of our scheme fashioning a broadcast
script and writing a film review are just some of the alternatives we offer to the hackneyed
write essay using prompt task. As we explore settings both new and familiar, the lessons
scaffold an analysis of the ways in which language mediates experience in the thinking,
learning, imagining and negotiating of the complex web of relationships in the global
community (Doecke and Parr 2005, p. 5). Most of all, we hope that in their participation in
the unit, both educators and students enjoy this most electrifying of genres alike.
Learning Objectives:
Our unit is structured in accordance with guidelines from the Victorian Essential Learning
Standards (VELS). There is a primary focus within this unit on students writing as well as
the value of reading and discussing various texts. The activities we have produced over a 6
week period aim to encompass the three strands of Language, Literature and Literacy as
stated by the English Curriculum. Our pedagogy aims to incorporate these important
components of the Year 10 curriculum through various teaching and learning activities.
At the conclusion of this English Science Fiction writing unit, students:

will understand and accurately define the science fiction genre

understand science fiction conventions and the differing narrative structures of the
genre
display an awareness of how advances in technology have impacted society through
written and verbal tasks
analyse the different types of science fiction texts
develop understanding and comprehension of ethical issues prevalent in science
fiction texts, e.g. robots vs. humans
develop creative writing skills
increase their vocabulary and grammar
improve reading, writing and public speaking skills

Dimensions Objectives (according to Victorian Curriculum Designated

and Assessment Authority, 2014) Week
Reading Compare the purposes, text structures 3,4,5
and language features of traditional and
contemporary texts in different media
(ACELA1566)
Evaluate the impact on audiences of 1,2,3,4
different choices in the representation of
still and moving images (ACELA1572)
Understand that peoples evaluations of 3,4,5,6
texts are influenced by their value
systems, the context and the purpose and
mode of communication (ACELA1565)
Evaluate the social, moral and ethical 4,5,6
positions represented in texts
(ACELT1812)
Choose a reading technique and reading
path appropriate for the type of text, to 3,4,5,6
retrieve and connect ideas within and
between texts (ACELY1753)

Writing Refine vocabulary choices to 5,6

discriminate between shades of meaning,
with deliberate attention to the effect on
audiences (ACELA1571)
Create literary texts with a sustained 4,5,6
voice, selecting and adapting
appropriate text structures, literary
devices, language, auditory and visual
 structures and features for a specific
purpose and intended audience
(ACELT1815)
Create imaginative texts that make 2,5,6
relevant thematic and intertextual
connections with other texts
(ACELT1644)
Review, edit and refine students own 2,5,6
and others texts for control of content,
organisation, sentence structure,
vocabulary, and/or visual features to
achieve particular purposes and effects
(ACELY1757)
Create sustained texts, including texts 4,5,6
that combine specific digital or media
content, for imaginative, informative, or
persuasive purposes that reflect upon
challenging and complex issues
(ACELY1756)

Speaking and Listening Understand how language use can have 3,4,5
inclusive and exclusive social effects,
and can empower or disempower people
(ACELA1564)
Identify and explore the purposes and 2,3,4,5
effects of different text structures and
language features of spoken texts, and
use this knowledge to create purposeful
texts that inform, persuade and engage
(ACELY1750)
Use organisation patterns, voice and 3,4
language conventions to present a point
of view on a subject, speaking clearly,
coherently and with effect, using logic,
imagery and rhetorical devices to engage
audiences (ACELY1813)
Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, 3,4,5
selecting and sequencing appropriate
content and multimodal elements to
influence a course of action
(ACELY1751)
Week One, Lesson One

Introducing the Genre:

The focus of this lesson is to introduce the students to the science fiction genre and
distinguish what it actually is. Students should be able to determine the themes and ideas that
encompass the genre and also provide a definition.
Activity 1: As a starter activity the students are required to come up with five words they
believe are ideas of what science fiction is. The students will then place their ideas of what
the genre is around the words Science Fiction on the whiteboard. It is encouraged that
students who come up with more than five ideas to also list them down. The teacher then
leads the class in discussion on the ideas they have listed and highlight major themes such as
aliens, future or space and what makes them significant.
Teacher notes: Have plenty of whiteboard markers on hand for students to list their ideas.
Distinguish the common ideas and confirm their validity to Science Fiction.
Activity 2: This activity gets students to display their current understanding of what the
Science Fiction genre encompasses. On A4 sheets each student divides the page into four
sections. In each section students draw an image that resonates with their idea of science
fiction. The students cut these images out then form groups of three to four where they create
a two minute story using their images.
Teacher notes: Give the groups a strict time limit for creating their story (two to three
minutes). Once all groups have presented, ask the class what did all the stories have in
common? Note down similar themes in stories. Discuss why / why not the stories would fall
into science fiction genre. Be careful to point out differences in horror / fantasy as some
confusion can arise. Discuss how genres can overlap and stories can often contain more than
one genre.
Activity 3: To conclude lesson have students write down their definition for science fiction,
e.g. fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or
environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets.
Homework: Students must research the history of science fiction; find out - roughly when
was it first recognised as a genre and list 3 to 4 famous Science Fiction texts and who wrote
them.
Week One, Lesson Two

The Conventions of Science Fiction:

This lesson is aimed at getting students to identify the different conventions of science fiction.
Students will create a framework that can be applied to a story to determine what genre it
belongs to. Students will know what settings, characters, props and language conventions are
associated with science fiction.
Activity 1: To begin the lesson students will share their science fiction definitions they came
up with at the end of the last lesson. The more detailed and appropriate descriptions should be
written on the board.
Teacher notes: As the students are sharing their definitions clarify the commonalities within
their descriptions and note any misconceptions e.g. confusion of fantasy and science fiction.
Where appropriate, place the more efficient and detailed student definitions on the board.
Activity 2: This activity requires the students to create a guideline that will help them
determine what texts belong in the science fiction genre. Students design a template with the
following headings: characters, settings, plot, technology and language. The class will then
watch the following clips whilst they fill out the templates. The students will determine what
films are classed as science fiction and which ones are not.
http://youtu.be/OiTiKOy59o4 - Gravity
http://youtu.be/kAmsi05P9Uw - Apollo 13
http://youtu.be/pCHHv7ojfiw - War of the Worlds
http://youtu.be/sqS83f-NUww - Artificial Intelligence
Teacher notes: Be sure to guide the students when completing their templates. Give a
written example on the whiteboard for one of the clips. Discuss their uncertainties. For
example, Apollo 13 is set in space and contains a spacecraft, however, it is not science fiction
as the technology currently exists. (See worksheet 1.0 for template example.
Activity 3: As a means of informally assessing their current understanding of science fiction
students are presented (via PowerPoint) with the blurbs of the following books and must
determine if they belong to the genre or not.
Teacher notes: Use this task to help distinguish students that may be having difficulty
comprehending science fiction and also genre differences. Offer students bonus marks for
correctly specifying the correct genre for each text. Most students should be able to identify
the conventions of science fiction at the end of this lesson.
Week Two, Lesson One

Ethics in Science Fiction:

This lesson is designed to encourage students to think more deeply about the ethical
discourses that exist within the science fiction genre. By presenting the students with a
YouTube clip that shows the advances in technology in recent years, students will consider
how this has impacted our lives. Students will be asked to briefly look at the history of
science fiction and when it was recognised as a genre.

Activity 1: Students watch the clip on the advances of technology and make notes about how
it has influenced our lives. Students are then requested to think about the distant future and
what they think the world will be like in 100 years? For twenty minutes students should focus
on certain realms of society such as medicine, government, space travel or climate change
and describe what they believe it will be like in 100 years. Prompts to guide there thinking:

Does your future look bleak, peaceful or, perhaps heavenly?

Why does the world become this way?
What current events have influenced your predicted future?
What major events/advancements will occur that shape your future?
What does your futuristic society value?

Teacher Notes: This task is a way of preparing students to begin contemplating the limitless
possibilities within science fiction writing and also the elements of depicting the future.
Encourage students to write their ideas freely and remind them, no prediction is too crazy.
The more in-depth answers, the better, as this will allow for engaging class discussion.
Activity 2: The students will now complete some simple quiz questions on Science Fiction to
informally assess their current understandings of the science fiction genre and their
comprehension of the ethical issues that underpin many science fiction texts.

Grading:

Question 1 mark 2 marks 3 marks

1. 2 marks
2. 1 mark
3. 3 marks
4. 3 marks
5. 3 marks
6. 3 marks
7. 3 marks

Teacher Notes: Mark answers accordingly, use the number of possible marks for each
question to indicate the amount of information required for full marks.
 Year 10 Science Fiction Informal Quiz

Questions:
1. Write a definition for Science Fiction (2 marks)

2. Roughly when was Science Fiction first recognised as a genre? (1 mark)

3. Name 3 famous Science Fiction novels and who wrote them. (3 marks)

4. What are the usual elements of a Science Fiction text? (3 marks)

5. What makes Science Fiction so interesting? (3 marks)

6. List at least 3 typical plot lines in Science Fiction novels. (3marks)

7. Describe the relationship between reality and Science Fiction. (3 marks)

Week Two, Lessons Two and Three

Science Fiction reading and comprehension activity:

Both lessons two and three will be used to begin reading and analysing Science Fiction short
stories. Each lesson will be spent reading then discussing the text. The focus of the task is for
the students to collaborate using their ideas and dispositions and present them during class
discussion.
Students arrange themselves into groups of four or five. Each group member must read
sections of the selected text. After the reading period is over they will then work
on discussion questions (see examples below). Each student must make a short
response to each question and then discuss these with their group. Each group
will be expected to present their standpoints to the other groups.
Example questions:

What sorts of current issues do you need to have background knowledge of to

understand the story?
How does the author's language describe his position? Try to look for words and
descriptions that convey a particular meaning or arouse a particular emotion or feeling.
What message is the author trying to send? How is he/she doing this?
Teacher notes: The selected reading material is at the discretion of the delivering teacher,
obviously the text/s need to suit the available time within the unit. Also be sure to support the
students that may be struggling to comprehend the science fiction discourses. The excerpt
below, written by Joshua. S. Dyer, is a useful and informative piece of reading that will guide
students as they explore science fiction texts.
 Helpful Tips for reading Sci Fi from Joshua. S. Dyer
Science fiction may be tough for some people to read, because there are so many features in
these stories that dont exist in the real world. Strange technology, alien cultures, strange
practices and behaviours, and a history of the world that is much different from ours (because
it may be a history of a future that is yet to come) are a few characteristics of some science
fiction stories that may make them hard to follow. This is not to say that all science fiction
stories have these features, nor am I trying to say that this is a complete list of all the
difficulties you may have reading science fiction. Dont beat yourself up if you have trouble
figuring out whats going on. In fact, it will probably make for more interesting discussion
when you and your classmates get something different from reading the same story. As
everyone talks about the story, youll find that some people understood some things, while
other people understood other things. When you talk about what you read, it will help you
make sense out of all the confusing parts of the story. The following are just a few tips that I
myself have used when trying to read science fiction. My hope is that if you keep these ideas
in mind, it will help keep your reading from becoming frustrated and unproductive.
Not knowing is not a sign that youre a bad reader. Science fiction gets its life from the
unknown, and from making things up to try to explain what we dont know.
Context is very important to reading science fiction. Often, science fiction writers will
write as if the audience existed in the fictional world. This means that they will often write
about non-existent technology, history, or people, as if youre already supposed to know what
these things are. This means that the writer probably wont stop telling the story to explain to
you what a flux capacitor is. You have to pay attention to the story. You will have to
figure out as youre reading along how these things work, or what happened in the past.
Some science fiction writers are very descriptive about what their fictional worlds look like.
Others arent so elaborate. You may want to think about what the story might look like if
someone made a movie out of it. Try to create rich, detailed mental images, and dont let the
authors words interfere with whatever mental picture youre trying to come up with. Maybe
buildings in the future dont look like square concrete blocks like they do today. Maybe they
look like upside-down pyramids, made of nothing but glass. Be imaginative!
If you have trouble coming up with a mental picture of the authors world, dont let it
distract you. In many science fiction stories, the setting is pretty much irrelevant to the real
story. What really matters may be whats happening. It may be more about what the people
or machines are doing in the story.

Resources:
http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/English/Curriculum/F-10#level=10
http://smago.coe.uga.edu/VirtualLibrary/Dyer.pdf
Week Three, Lesson One

Activity One: Orson Welles Radio Broadcast

This activity involves students listening to audio from the original War of The Worlds broad
cast as read by Orson Wells. Part one of this audio can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl_J4J2mQpQ
Students are to listen carefully to the audio. Teachers are to give hand out (see Appendix 1) to
each student. Teacher will read hand out to the class followed by a group discussion and
brain storm.
Answer questions on handout together as a class and write the findings on the whiteboard.

How convincing do you think the broadcast was? If so, what elements made it
convincing and what elements let it down?
How did Orson Welles use language and emphasis to strengthen his message?
If something similar were to be broadcast on radio today, do you think modern
society as an audience would believe it was true? Why/why not?
What reasons could you give for blaming Orson Welles for causing panic in
society?
What reasons could you give for blaming society for believing whole-heartedly in
the broadcast?

Teacher Notes: Regarding the Broadcast Activity

After listening to the radio broadcast and forming brainstorming as a class, it is recommended
that the facilitator forms students into groups for the next activity and asks them to choose a
position. Students can spend one lesson working in groups and writing their scripts. The
resource (1) found in the Appendix can be a useful one here.
You can ask the students to record their radio shows on their iPads or class computer, and
play it to the class for an authentic radio drama feel, or they can present it to the class, each
reading out their part of the script. Students can then present their radio dramas to the class at
the start of the next lesson and are marked according to the criteria sheet listed in Activity
Two.
Week Three, Lesson Two

Activity Two: Script Writing

In groups, write a script intended for a radio broadcast.

You will eventually read out and record your script and play it to the class. The radio drama
should go for between 3-5 minutes for each group.
You can choose between these topics:

The world is being invaded by aliens, and it is your job to warn the public, OR

You are an alien from outer space and you would like to send a message to the
inhabitants of Earth.
Brainstorm and fill out the boxes bellow to help you create ideas for your script.

What is the motivation behind your actions?

What kind of language would you use and

why?

Is it:
-Urgent?
-Formal?
-Colloquial?
-Loud/soft?
-Persuasive?

What kind of message are you sending? Is it

positive or negative?

How will you convey your message using only

language?
 Marking Criteria
5 (Excellent) 4 (High) 2-3 (Medium) 0-1 (Low)

Your topic is Your topic is Your topic is Your topic is

clearly clearly defined and somewhat clear and unclear and
understood and expressed, your message is audience are
executed and the indicating to the conveyed in a unaware of the
/5
audience are audience a clear satisfactory manner message you are
aware of the and well planned sending
warning/message warning/message
you are sending

The script of The script is highly The script contains The script lacks
your radio drama detailed using satisfactory detail. detail and poor
is presented creative and Some expressive language is used.
clearly using expressive language is used Script is
/5
expressive language underdeveloped
language and not
explanatory enough

Your Audience is The audience is The audience is

presentation captivated. somewhat captivated. unaware of your
captivates the Presentation is Some elements of position. Language
audience with highly creative and creativity through is used poorly and
use of creativity language is language is evident with little to no
and clever use of cleverly used creativity /5
language

Each group Each group Most of the group Some group

member is member is members are involved members are
assigned a clear assigned a clear and contribute to a uninvolved and do
role and task and role and satisfactory degree not contribute.
/5
contributes to the contributes fairly Roles are not
group to the group distributed
accordingly

Total: /20
Feedback:
Week Four, Lesson One

Activity Three: Critical Analysis

Resources: I, Robot (2004) film by Alex Proyas, and Robbie (1950), a short story by Isaac
Asimov.

About the Author:

Isaac Asimov is thought of as one of the greatest and most influential science-fiction writers
of our time. His collection of short stories in I, Robot, influenced the film of the same name
made in 2004, directed by Alex Proyas.

For Teachers:
Students are to compare a short story written by Asimov to the themes of the characters in the
film.

Part 1:
Spend 2-3 lessons watching the film I, Robot in class. For homework (perhaps the week
before the students are set to watch the film) students are to read the short story Robbie
from the Asimov short story collection, I, Robot. This can be sourced by teacher and given
as a hand out, or the online details given to students and they can read it online.
Give the students the hand out below of Asimov article. They are to read this for homework
in their own time as the lessons will be spent watching the film.
When the students begin watching film, give them the handout of character comparisons. As
they watch the film, they are to note down any examples that can be seen from the character
of Sonny in the film that will help them in their group work later.
 Character Comparison Sheet

Characteristics Brave Compassionate Sneaky/Mysterious Untrustworthy

Robbie

Sonny

Any additional
Characteristics
they
demonstrate

Examples
Week Four, Lesson Two

Activity Four: Exploratory Reasoning with Asimov

THE THREE LAWS OF ROBOTICS

1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a
human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where
such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does
not conflict with the First or Second Law.

HANDBOOK OF ROBOTICS,
56TH EDITION, 2058 A.D.
- Isaac Asimov, I, Robot 1950

Study the laws of robotics and in groups answer these questions and device your own
laws.
Are there any flaws in the theory?
What actions could a robot take, or instruction a human could give to it that could violate the
laws?
Do you think it would be possible for a robot to be self-aware? Why/ why not?
Imagine you and your family own a robot and are allowed to set your own laws for it before
it is activated.
Would you consider your robot to have the same laws as a human would have? Or do you
consider your robot to be an object, like a television set?
Devise your own set of laws for your robot taking into account modern laws and restrictions.
Include reason with your laws, as well as a set of limitations/positives/negatives for each one.
 th
Tuesday, March 17 1898

The Woking Daily

Est. 1852

Do They Come in Peace? By: Justin S.

Martians! The very mention of this name sends a chill down the spine of any rational Englishman who
has witnessed the unfathomable events that have unfolded over the course of this ill-fated week: ready
as he may stand to defend home and hearth, against this brand of otherworldly invasion not a single
conventional weapon has so far been proven to avail him. Today, at least, we can be absolutely sure of
their motivations: not exploration, sir, nor mutual amity. It is war, gentlemen, war! And should the
Empire of Great Britain be forced to capitulate against this seemingly unstoppable foe, it does not take
a stretch of the imagination to reason that the rest of the continent will soon be doomed in equal
measure, and perhaps even the entire world! Steel yourselves, people of England, and contribute to
the cause. In these times, men of ingenuity, not arms, are in short supply. Perhaps here in Woking, the
site of the first Martian landing, can some secret weakness, some chink in the armour of our common
enemy be exposed, and some stratagem be formulated to halt their murderous advance. The council of
Woking, under the authority of Her Majestys Government, will arrange speedy and secure
transportation for all persons who wish to volunteer their scientific expertise to a thorough
examination of the debris left behind by construction of the tripods. Join in the war effort your
country needs you!

ALL VOLUNTEERS DIAL: 512-2222-145

Week Five, Lesson One

Teacher Notes: Developing Analytical Capacity A text-to-film comparison

This concluding chapter of the unit aims to provide a framework for assessment that
concentrates on analysing big-screen adaptations of classic scientifiction novels by the film
industry from a realist standpoint. The central text for this exercise will be H.G. Wells War
of the Worlds, which has also been adapted to screen in a 2005 American film of the same
name directed by Steven Spielberg. The rationale for this selection, of course, is the limited
faithfulness of the film version to the original text, instead settling for what critics have
dubbed a rather loose interpretation of the themes and events from the source material,
leaving plenty of space for the re-imagining and reflection on apocalyptic events that
mankind has little to no control over.

By engaging with the big ideas of the genre and breaking them down into tropes, students
will be challenged with completing cognitively-demanding activities that span the entire field
of Blooms taxonomy of learning, albeit in a thrilling and visually engaging manner.
Teachers will need to possess some familiarity with the War of the Worlds and other popular
sci-fi franchises in order to stimulate classroom discussion in the introductory exercise, which
is designed with the theory of cognitive structure in mind. The use of advance organisers in
explaining the techniques of realism and the laws of science fiction will precede the screening
of the film, in order to provide a conceptual framework upon which the students will need to
build on in their gathering and evaluation of knowledge (Ausubel 1969, p. 141). The final
task will involve a written review of the film through the lens of an imaginary survivor of the
war against the Martians, pointing out alleged inaccuracies in the film, and giving their own
version of events as to what really happened with strict reference to the contents of the
novel.

Activity One: Hot Potato!

Resources: A3 sheets of brightly coloured heavy paper sufficient for a class divided into four
groups.

Advance Organiser Questions:

1. Ask the class which science fiction films/novels are their favourites. Some popular
examples (no doubt youll get many more) include The Hunger Games, Star Trek: Into
Darkness, Independence Day, Prometheus, The Matrix, I, Robot, Star Wars, 1984, Brave
New World, as well as those covered in the earlier portion of the unit.

2. What do you understand by the term realism and tropes? What is the essential
difference between the War of the Worlds and say, Star Wars/Star Trek? Do the latter
franchises attempt to illustrate a possible future, based on the rational laws of science? Justify
your opinion.

Distribute the A3 sheets around the class, with each of them having a theme already written
on it:

Adherence to Laws: Science Fiction or Fantasy?

Depiction of Technology/Aliens Positive or Negative?
The Role of Humans
Entertainment Value Which films/novels do you find interesting, and why?
Students are to write or illustrate any ideas or examples that come to mind. It would be best
to make it a requirement that every student contributes at least an idea to his groups sheet of
paper. After five minutes have elapsed, groups are to swap sheets and continue the activity,
and so on until all four of the themes have been covered by each group. The answers can then
be distributed on the board.

Reading and Interpretation Some Answers to the Questions

Students are to read the paragraph on the concept of Magic Realism:
Magic realism or magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical
elements are blended into a realistic atmosphere in order to access a deeper understanding
of reality. These magical elements are explained like normal occurrences that are presented
in a straightforward manner which allows the "real" and the "fantastic" to be accepted in the
same stream of thought. It has been widely considered a literary and visual art genre;
creative fields that exhibit less significant signs of magic realism include film and music.
As used today, the term is broadly descriptive rather than critically rigorous: Matthew
Strecher has defined magic realism as "what happens when a highly detailed, realistic setting
is invaded by something 'too strange to believe'". However, it may be that this critical
perspective towards magical realism stems from the Western reader's disassociation with
mythology, a root of magical realism more easily understood by non-Western cultures.
Westerners' confusion regarding the style of magical realism is due to the "'conception of the
real'" created in a magical realist text; rather than explaining reality using natural or
physical laws as in typical Western texts, magical realist texts create a reality "'in which the
relation between incidents, characters, and setting could not be based upon or justified by
their status within the physical world or their normal acceptance by bourgeois mentality.
(Matthew C. Strecher 1999, Magical Realism and the Search for Identity in the Fiction of Murakami
Haruki, Journal of Japanese Studies, Volume 25, Number 2, pp. 263-298, at 267)

Explain the term and its applicability to Science Fiction today. What kind of perceptions and
beliefs does contemporary society have towards truth-stranger-than-fiction stories such as
Dr. Jekyll today?

Consider the advancement in Science and Technology in dispelling the myths of the
past. Is it harder to portray a sense of magic realism today?

Consider the historical period that the War of the Worlds was set in, namely, almost at
the turn of the 20th century. Would an alien invasion be more plausible then? (we now
know, according to NASA, that no life exists on Mars)

Read the Woking Times article above. Discuss, in a short written response, how it
utilises elements of magic realism. Explain how the newspaper article may be
received in both a modern context as well as in the historical context of H.G. Wells.
Week Five, Lesson Two

Activity Two: ICT Picture Finding

With the help of the class, classify the list of films that have been suggested according
to their magic realist level of portrayal: high, moderate and low. Discuss what
elements make this the case, with reference to the recurring themes in Science Fiction.

As an online task, get the class to individually select a favourite theme in Science
Fiction that they would like to concentrate on, and search the internet for images that
relate to that theme. A short written explanation will be required on how that image
represents the theme, and volunteers can present their answers in front of the class.
Some humorous samples for lower-ability students can be given as prompts:
The Pax Martianus!
 Deadly adventures in space and Moms cooking!

Ask the class to take them down, and keep a lookout for their appearances (if any) in
the War of the Worlds film that you are about to screen.

Some of the suggested themes/tropes that the teacher can elaborate on are:

Aliens and hostility

Spaceships and travel
Artificial Intelligence (i.e. Robots)
The Posthuman
Megalopolises and the future of society
Discovery of new worlds
Solutions to existing problems in a Utopia/Dystopia
Week Six, Lesson One

Activity Three: Film Screening

Students are to watch the 2005 War of the Worlds film in class have fun!
After screening activity, the teacher is to lead a short debrief and opinion-based discussion of
the film.

Which parts did you enjoy the most?

Which parts did you not enjoy?
What were your emotions/thoughts when watching the film?
Did the film bring the book to life?
Who would you recommend this film to?
Connect this to the ending of the I, Robot film in its depiction of the strange and unknown.
Both films hint at the possibility of a doomsday scenario for mankind. To what degree of
control could humanity influence the outcome of the events portrayed in the film? Discuss
with the class.
After this activity, the teacher may opt to hand out this film review as a modelling tool that
raises some rather salient points as to the quality of the production. Some of these points can
be re-used in the final assessment task, although care must be taken to emphasise that
originality and creativity in explaining these paraphrased points is the key to a successful
piece copying what Ebert has written verbatim is not only disingenuous but also a form of
cheating!

The movie adopts the prudent formula of viewing a catastrophe through the eyes of a few
foreground characters. When you compare it with a movie like "The Day After Tomorrow,"
which depicted the global consequences of cosmic events, it lacks dimension: Martians have
journeyed millions of miles to attack a crane operator and his neighbours (and if they're not
Martians, they journeyed a lot farther). The hero, Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise), does the sort of
running and hiding and desperate defending of his children that goes with the territory and at
one point even dives into what looks like certain death to rescue his daughter.

The problem may be with the alien invasion itself. It is not very interesting. We learn that
countless years ago, invaders presumably but not necessarily from Mars buried huge
machines all over the Earth. Now they activate them with lightning bolts, each one containing
an alien (in what form, it is hard to say). With the aliens at the controls, these machines crash
up out of the Earth, stand on three towering but spindly legs and begin to zap the planet with
death raysthe thing is, we never believe the tripods and their invasion are practical.

The tripods are indeed faithful to the original illustrations for H.G. Wells' novel The War of
the Worlds, and to the machines described in the historic 1938 Orson Welles radio
broadcast. But the book and radio program depended on our imaginations to make them
believable, and the movie came at a time of lower expectations in special effects. You look at
Spielberg's machines and you don't get much worked up, because you're seeing not alien
menace but clumsy retro design. Perhaps it would have been a good idea to set the movie in
1898, at the time of Wells' novel, when the tripods represented a state-of-the-art alien
invasion.

- Ebert R 2005, War of the Worlds Film Review, accessed online on 8th June 2014 at:
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/war-of-the-worlds-2005
Week Six, Lesson Two

Final Assessment Task: Film Review

For Students:

Imagine that you are a film critic working for Empire, a magazine that publishes reviews for
recent releases in the cinemas. You have been chosen to review the 2005 War of the Worlds
film because of your extensive knowledge of the plot, having already read the original novel
beforehand. In this review, you will not only pronounce and justify your opinion as to the
quality of the film, but also compare and contrast the films interpretation of the novel and
the science fiction genre as a whole.

Key Pointers:

This is not a narrative descriptions of the plot should be kept to a minimum; dont
spoil everything for your readers!
State your opinion clearly on the films entertainment and intellectual value. Did it set
you thinking?
List the ways in which the film remains faithful to the novel.
Speculate and explain why the movie producers decided to loosely interpret the
novel.
List, explain and analyse the science fiction tropes that occur in the movie. Have the
conventions been mostly adhered to? Give examples with annotations.
Write a recommendation to your readers who would this movie be appropriate for?
Hard sci-fi fans? The general public? Explain and evaluate.

Teacher Notes:
While we try our best to be fair in assessment, we must note that the implementation of a
standardised marking rubric more often than not concentrates too much attention to
superficial thinking and insufficient value to interest in the topic: it pays to write correctly,
not adventurously (Wilson, 2006 p. xiv). Our purpose in this assessment is twofold: to gauge
the level of cognitive operation that a Year 10 student is able to demonstrate in critical
analysis of two mediums, and also to evaluate his ability to write prose that generates a broad
appeal to readers of a magazine. This requires proper writing, but not necessarily one that is
overly formal and overly formulaic. Explorative discussion and the display of personal
opinions are highly encouraged in this task, and educators should be aware of the scaffolding
required (especially for slower learners) to evince the writing of prose that is well thought-out
for the text-type.
(Wilson M 2006, Rethinking rubrics in writing assessment, Heinemann, Portsmouth)

Essay Marking Scheme

High Distinction
Writing is exceptionally engaging, creative, and focussed. The tone of the writing is
appropriate for the text-type and generates sustained interest in the reader. Ideas and content
are critically evaluated and well-supported by contrasting examples throughout the mediums.
The writer shows a mature command of language, including precise word choice that results
in a compelling piece of writing. Provides a capable demonstration of rhetorical strategies
that articulate opinions, persuading the reader to accept his or her viewpoints.
Distinction
The writing is engaging, clear, and focussed. The tone of the writing is appropriate for the
text-type and generates interest. Ideas and content are evaluated with relevant details and
examples where appropriate throughout the mediums. The writer shows a command of
language, including precise word choice. The language is well controlled, and occasional
lapses in writing conventions are hardly noticeable. Provides a sound demonstration of
rhetorical strategies that articulate opinions, sometimes persuading the reader to accept his or
her viewpoints.
Credit
The writing is generally clear and focussed. The tone of the writing is appropriate for the
text-type and generates some interest. Ideas and content are occasionally evaluated with
relevant details and examples where appropriate throughout the mediums. The response is
generally coherent. The writers command of language, including word choice, supports
meaning. Provides some demonstration of rhetorical strategies that articulate opinions,
sometimes persuading the reader to accept his or her viewpoints.
Pass
The writing is somewhat clear and focussed. The writing generates limited interest in the
reader. Ideas and content are assessed, but with limited or partially successful use of
examples and details. Incomplete mastery over writing conventions and language use may
interfere with meaning some of the time. Vocabulary may be basic. Provides limited
demonstration of rhetorical strategies that articulate opinions, sometimes persuading the
reader to accept his or her viewpoints.
Ungraded
The writing is only occasionally clear and focussed. The writing fails to generate much
interest in the reader. Tone may be inappropriate. Ideas and content show little evidence of
evaluation. Vocabulary may be limited. Limited control over writing conventions may make
the writing difficult to understand. No demonstration of rhetorical strategies that articulate
opinions, and an almost complete lack of persuasive technique.
Appendix:

Resource 1 for Week Three

War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast Causes Panic

by Jennifer Rosenberg (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

American actor, producer, and director Orson Welles speaks into a microphone during a
broadcast of his CBS radio program, 'First Person Singular'. Welles wears headphones and
holds a pipe. (circa 1938)

On Sunday, October 30, 1938, millions of radio listeners were shocked when radio news
alerts announced the arrival of Martians. They panicked when they learned of the Martians'
ferocious and seemingly unstoppable attack on Earth. Many ran out of their homes screaming
while others packed up their cars and fled.

Though what the radio listeners heard was a portion of Orson Welles' adaptation of the well-
known book, War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, many of the listeners believed what they
heard on the radio was real.

The Idea

Before the era of T.V., people sat in front of their radios and listened to music, news reports,
plays and various other programs for entertainment. In 1938, the most popular radio program
was the "Chase and Sanborn Hour" which aired on Sunday evenings at 8 p.m. The star of the
show was ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy Charlie McCarthy.

Unfortunately for the Mercury group, headed by dramatist Orson Welles, their show,
"Mercury Theatre on the Air," aired on another station at the very same time as the popular
"Chase and Sanborn Hour." Welles, of course, tried to think of ways to increase his audience,
hoping to take away listeners from the "Chase and Sanborn Hour."

For the Mercury group's Halloween show that was to air on October 30, 1938, Welles
decided to adapt H. G. Wells's well-known novel, War of the Worlds, to radio. Radio
adaptations and plays up to this point had often seemed rudimentary and awkward. Instead of
lots of pages as in a book or through visual and auditory presentations as in a play, radio
programs could only be heard (not seen) and were limited to a short period of time (often an
hour, including commercials).

Thus, Orson Welles had one of his writers, Howard Koch, rewrite the story of War of the
Worlds. With multiple revisions by Welles, the script transformed the novel into a radio play.
Besides shortening the story, they also updated it by changing the location and time from
Victorian England to present day New England. These changes reinvigorated the story,
making it more personal for the listeners.

The Broadcast

On Sunday, October 30, 1938 at 8 p.m., the broadcast began when an announcer came on the
air and said, "The Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations present Orson
Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air in The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells."

Orson Welles then went on the air as himself, setting the scene of the play: "We know now
that in the early years of the twentieth century this world was being watched closely by
intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own.

The radio reports that the U.S. Army is engaged. The announcer declared that New York City
is being evacuated. The program continues, but many radio listeners are already panicked.

However, on this particular evening they were shocked to hear another station carrying news
alerts warning of an invasion of Martians attacking Earth. Not hearing the introduction of the
play and listening to the authoritative and real sounding commentary and interviews, many
believed it to be real.

All across the United States, listeners reacted. Thousands of people called radio stations,
police and newspapers. Many in the New England area loaded up their cars and fled their
homes. In other areas, people went to churches to pray. People improvised gas masks.
Miscarriages and early births were reported. Deaths, too, were reported but never confirmed.
Many people were hysterical. They thought the end was near.

Hours after the program had ended and listeners had realized that the Martian invasion was
not real, the public was outraged that Orson Welles had tried to fool them. Many people sued.
Others wondered if Welles had caused the panic on purpose.The power of radio had fooled
the listeners. They had become accustomed to believing everything they heard on the radio,
without questioning it. Now they had learned - the hard way.

Handout sourced from http://history1900s.about.com/od/1930s/a/warofworlds.htm

Additional Teacher Resource for I, Robot:

Bibliography:

Academic:
1. Ausubel D 1969, Readings in School Learning, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New
York
2. Doecke B and Parr G 2012, Writing: A Common Project, Writing=Learning,
Wakefield Press, Kent Town, pp. 1-18
3. Gray K and Waggoner J 2012, Multiple Intelligences Meet Bloom's Taxonomy,
Kappa Delta Pi Record, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 184-187, Routledge, London
4. Peter P 2012, We are teaching kids, not subjects, STELLA Standards Statement,
accessed on 6th June 2014 at: http://www.stella.org.au/index.php?id=61
5. Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, AusVELS 2014, Level 10: English
Content Description. accessed online on 6th June 2014 at:
http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Level10

Classroom Resources:
1. Asimov I, 1950 I, Robot. USA, Fawcett Crest Books
2. Buchen I 2003, Asimov's embarrassing robot: a futurist fable: as machines begin to
learn and even to pursue higher knowledge, we may need to take another look at Isaac
Asimov's famous Three Laws of Robotics, The Futurist, vol. 47 no. 2, Maryland
3. Cityscape Pictures 2008, War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast Part 1, accessed online
on 6th June 2014 at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl_J4J2mQpQ
4. Ebert R 2005, War of the Worlds Film Review, accessed online on 8th June 2014 at:
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/war-of-the-worlds-2005
5. Mark L, Davis J and Proyas A 2004. I, Robot [DVD], USA, Davis Entertainment,
20th Century Fox
6. Matthew S 1999, Magical Realism and the Search for Identity in the Fiction of
Murakami Haruki, Journal of Japanese Studies, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 263-298
7. Rosenberg J 2014, War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast Causes Panic, accessed online
on 6th June 2014 at: http://history1900s.about.com/od/1930s/a/warofworlds.htm