Name: ______________________________________
Period #:____
Fahrenheit 451 Packet
Dec 2015
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Nov 30- library
- F451 packet
-Writer’s style
- Opinion Survey
HW: Finish writer’s style
& Survey
7
Dec 1
-Bradbury Video
- News video
-Pre-reading questions
HW: Read Part I, work on
Reading Guide #1
8
HW: Read Part II, work
on Reading Guide #2
14
HW: Read Part III, work
on Reading Guide #3
HW: Read Part II, work
on Reading Guide #2
15
Part III Quiz
Reading guide #3 due
21 No School
28 No School
22 No School
29 No School
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
2
3
4 SAT Voc Quiz #7
Part I Quiz
Reading guide #1 due
HW: Read Part I, work on
Reading Guide #1
9 Part II Quiz
Reading Guide #2 due
HW: Read Part III, work
on Reading Guide #3
16
F451 Final Exam
HW: Read Part I, work on
Reading Guide #1
10
HW: Read Part II, work
on Reading Guide #2
11 SAT Voc Quiz #8
HW: Read Part III, work
on Reading Guide #3
17
Movie
HW: Read Part III, work
on Reading Guide #3
18
Movie
23 No School
30 No School
24 No School
Jan 1 No School
25 No School
2 No School
Stamp Sheet:
Assignment/ points
On-time stamp
Late stamp
Total Points
Writer’s style & opinion survey 15 points
/15
Pre-reading questions / 15 points
/15
Part 1: Reading Guide #1 / 30 points
/30
Part 2: Reading Guide #2 / 30 points
/30
Part 3: Reading Guide #3/ 30 points
/30
Packet Total:
Other Points:
 Allusions project: 50 points
 Quizzes 1, 2, 3: 90 points
(30 points each)
/120
 Vocab quizzes
30 points
(15 points each)
 Final Test:
80 points
 Participation:
30 points
Writer’s Style: Making the Ordinary Come to Life
From: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Bradbury masters descriptions of ordinary things. He can take something so simple, and through the angle he
describes it, he layers on extra meaning, color, and energy. He could have just said, “Montag was a fireman and liked
to burn things,” but instead, he writes the following passage. Read through once, then read through again, making
the observations at end of the passage to uncover the intentional and masterful use of language in these opening
paragraphs.
IT WAS A PLEASURE TO BURN.
It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and
changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its
venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands
were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing
and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history. With his
symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame
with the thought of what came next, he flicked the igniter and the house jumped
up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black. He strode
in a swarm of fireflies. He wanted above all, like the old joke, to shove a
marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books
died on the porch and lawn of the house. While the books went up in sparkling
whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning.
Montag grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame.
He knew that when he returned to the firehouse, he might wink at himself,
a minstrel man, burnt-corked, in the mirror. Later, going to sleep, he would feel the
fiery smile still gripped by his face muscles, in the dark. It never went away, that
smile, it never ever went away, as long as he remembered.
He hung up his black-beetle-colored helmet and shined it, he hung his
flameproof jacket neatly; he showered luxuriously, and then, whistling, hands in
pockets, walked across the upper floor of the fire station and fell down the hole. At
the last moment, when disaster seemed positive, he pulled his hands from his
pockets and broke his fall by grasping the golden pole. He slid to a squeaking halt,
the heels one inch from the concrete floor downstairs.
He walked out of the fire station and along the midnight street toward the
subway where the silent, air-propelled train slid soundlessly down its lubricated
flue in the earth and let him out with a great puff of warm air onto to the creamtiled escalator rising to the suburb.
F451 packet pg #2
NOTES:
Writer’s style questions (answer thoroughly in complete sentences)
1.
What is the effect of the first line? Consider the length and choice of this line for the opening of the book. Why is or isn’t this an
effective opener?
2.
Skim over the lengths of Bradbury’s sentences and paragraphs. What does his writing style seem to be? Evaluate the
effectiveness of how this style moves or doesn’t move along the pace and readability of this story.
Word Choice and Imagery
3. Find at least one word that you do not know or do not know well. Rewrite the word(s) below and come up with a rough
definition based on what you can gather from the context.
Word:______________  Definition:_________________________________________
Word:______________  Definition:_________________________________________
4.
Circle at least 2 examples of alliteration that you like (not every word in the phrase has to be alliterative. Example: “grasping the
golden pole”). Below, write how you think the use of alliteration impacts the passage. Do you think alliteration is an effective
means for an author to select his word choice? Why or why not?
5.
Underline at least 4 images that you think are well written or particularly vivid. In nearby white space/margins, briefly explain
why you selected those selections to underline.
6.
Find at least 3 metaphors in the passage (creating an image through direct comparisons or connections of things; metaphors do
not use “like” or “as” in the way similes do). Draw a line off the phrase to some nearby white space and label “metaphor.”
7.
Do you ever notice or use metaphor in your writing and speaking? What seems to be the value of metaphor?
Reflection
8.
Write a 5-8 sentence paragraph below reflecting on this exercise and on your observations of the text. How was it uncovering
these details? Does observing the details of an author’s writing add any value or appreciation for the writing?
F451 packet pg #3
Fahrenheit 451 Opinion Survey & Pre-Reading Questions:
Opinion Survey Directions: Read the following statements and decide how much you agree with statement on a sliding scale
of 1-6. 1 means that you strongly disagree, 3 means that you’re neutral, and 6 means that you strongly agree. Space is provided
between statements for you to write any notes or reactions to these statements if necessary.
______ 1. I would prefer to read a Sparknotes or another third party analysis of a major work of literature than
read the work of literature first by myself.
______ 2. I would like to think and contemplate deep, probing questions than simply have fun.
______ 3. I prefer answering who, what, when, and where questions than why questions.
______ 4. Art is primarily a source of entertainment; people spend way too much time overanalyzing art.
______ 5. When deciding whether or not to read or see a story, I prefer to hear a detailed synopsis first.
______ 6. Once a majority has chosen a certain set of values, it is impossible to change those values.
______ 7. I have the right to decide what is appropriate or best for me; no one else should make such choices.
______ 8. Society (especially authority figures) should decide what is best for people, especially adolescents.
______ 9. The government should keep track of individuals who check out potentially dangerous works
(e.g. homemade bomb kits, dangerous weapon construction, etc.).
______ 10. Heck yeah, I want wall-to-wall TV in my living room! When is this technology being made?
______ 11. In today’s world, writers and artists are not as important to society as scientists and engineers.
______ 12. In a world filled with constant, 24-hour news, there are no true facts (i.e. things keep changing).
______ 13. Laws are always written for the protection of the citizens.
______ 14. Governments should do anything it takes to achieve peace.
______ 15. Censorship is never justified.
Pre-Reading Questions: Read the following and then answer the questions in complete sentences.
Dystopian Fiction – First there are two words you’ll need to know before knowing dystopian fiction:
 utopia – an ideally perfect state especially in its social and political and moral aspects
 dystopia – a state in which life conditions are extremely bad from deprivation oppression or terror
Therefore dystopian fiction features contemporary society and function as a warning against some modern trend often the threat
of oppressive regimes in one form or another. The main point of a dystopia is to make people think about the world in which
they live and to see how the idea of happiness can be perverted providing the society know little else. Dystopian novels warn of
an unhappy future. Many people think of dystopian novels as purely science fiction—while science fiction is a natural fit for a
dystopian story not all dystopian books are considered science fiction.
1. What would be in your utopia? What would the perfect, most ideal society contain? Please be school appropriate.
Pick one of your characteristics and explain why society would benefit from it.
F451 packet pg #4
2. What would be in your dystopia? What would the most horrible, corrupt society feature? Please be school
appropriate. Pick one of your characteristics and explain why society would benefit from it.
3. After watching The Big Read’s “A Conversation with Ray Bradbury” online: What life experiences and historical
events attributed to Ray Bradbury writing Fahrenheit 451? What themes about life that Bradbury asserts do you
appreciate? Why?
4. After watching the YouTube video from a recent news story about a student who complained about reading
Fahrenheit 451 and a parent who attempted to ban the book from local schools. First, explain the situational irony
of this story. Second, respond to this story. What would you do if you were in each of these people’s shoes: the
student who complained, her father, the student’s teacher, and the school board?
5. When should a book be banned (if at all)? Who/what should make this choice? Why?
F451 packet pg #5
Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander
Reading Guide #1
1. What do we know about Clarisse? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
2. What state is Mildred in when Montag returns home? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
3. What is Montag’s attitude towards the medical staff? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
4. What are the parlor walls? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
5. What do the firemen do when nights get dull? Does Montag participate? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
6. Find Dialogue which explains Montage and Clarisse’s relationship.
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
F451 packet pg #6
7. What is school life like for Clarisse? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
8. What happens at the lady’s home? What is Montag’s reaction? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
9. What is Montag’s attitude towards the medical staff? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
10. After Montag misses work, Captain Beatty comes over. What do we learn? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
Reflection on Part One: 1-2 paragraphs. Your thoughts, predictions, and/or connections.
F451 packet pg #7
Part Two: The Sieve and the Sand
Reading Guide #2
1. What is going on in the world? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
2. Who is Faber? How does Montag persuade him to be his teacher? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
3. Why does Montag feel he’s not thinking? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
4. Describe the way Mildred, Mrs. Phelps, and Mrs. Finnegan speak:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
5. What does Mrs. Phelps reveal about her marriage to Pete? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
6. How important is being a good parent to Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles?
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
F451 packet pg #8
7. What is revealed about how people vote? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
8. Why does Bradbury reference several authors? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
9. Where does Montag end up with Beatty? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
10. What is the significance of the title of Part Two? Find the quote that discusses sand and the sieve.
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
Reflection on Part Two: 1-2 paragraphs. Your thoughts, predictions, and/or connections.
F451 packet pg #9
Part Three: Burning Bright
Reading Guide #3
1.What does Beatty mean by the following quote:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
“Now you did it. Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and
now that he’s burnt his damn wings, he wonders why. Didn’t I
hint enough when I sent the hound around your place?”
Pg#___
2. Who burns Montag’s home? Who turned in the alarm on Montag? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
3. What happened to Montag’s leg? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
4. What happens to Beatty? Why does Montag think he wanted to die? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
5. Why does Montag question whether the kids are responsible for Clarisse’s “death”? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
6. How is technology being used against Montag? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
F451 packet pg #10
7. Who is Granger? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
8. Who is the scapegoat? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
9. What insight does Granger offer Montag about the world? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
10. How does the book end? Answer:
Quote:
Significance: (explanation/prediction/connections)
Pg#___
Reflection on Part Three: 1-2 paragraphs. Your thoughts, predictions, and/or connections.
F451 packet pg #11