Comedy and Tragedy in Science Fiction: Two Takes, One Theme Juan P. Lodeiro Robert E.

Lee High School INTRODUCTION Laughter is probably the most powerful human weapon. And comedy is the form in which men have been able to stimulate the triggers necessary to produce that physical response to humor. We do not know exactly when or where comedy began as a literary genre, but we certainly have examples that date back to ancient Greece. The traits that inspired Homer and Aristotle are visible later in Chaucer, Cervantes, Austen, Dickens, and even in todays sitcoms and movie scripts. Comedy always carries an element of surprise, mixed with reiterations, incongruities, opposite expectations, and always a joyful resolution to the conflict at the end. Using our sense of humor, we are able to turn mundane and even unhappy situations into amusing ones. Through laughter we communicate our feelings and preferences and provide an emotional context in social interactions. This audible expression creates an unbreakable bond among people; it makes us feel as an organic part of a group. It also demonstrates approval. The contagious trait of laughter is also remarkable, and its power has been used anywhere from medicine to politics. In this thematic unit, I will focus on a short story contained in the English II curriculum: The Pedestrian, by Ray Bradbury. In this science fiction story, future society does not read. There are no conversations around the table during supper. Human interactions take place only through the bright colors of the television set. The protagonist is the victim of antagonism for being a writer and choosing not to surrender to the irresistible sovereignty of television. The message is a dramatic call for action in a world where technology is becoming more domineering by the minute. In the comedy Stay Tuned, Hollywood tackles this same issue with a touch of humor when a TV-addicted man and his wife are literally absorbed by their television set and forced to experience living in that apparently marvelous fantasy world. The movie progresses as they become part of several TV shows that are in fact twisted versions of popular shows from the late 80s and early 90s. The thematic link between the two plots lends itself to opportunities for comparisons and contrasts that are fundamental learning objectives in every language teachers syllabus. RATIONALE The unit should be taught in a time lapse of approximately three weeks (about fifteen periods of one hour and thirty minutes each). All four skills of language should be addressed in the unit. Speaking, reading, and listening will come naturally as the unit progresses. In terms of writing, students will be required to write a comparative essay in which they will analyze the similarities and differences between The Pedestrian and Stay Tuned. Since the movie will be the hook of the unit, it will be shown in chunks which focus on establishing clear parallelisms between the text and the film. As a preparation for their written assignment, students will keep a plot diagram in which they will be noting key aspects of the different stages of the two plots. Open-ended responses are an important part of the state-mandated test for 10th graders, and the third question always requires students to compare the two selections read in the test. This unit will also provide plenty of chances to practice cross-over questions. As an extension, students could be asked to

write an alternate ending for The Pedestrian or, in the case of Stay Tuned, students could use one of the more contemporary television shows of their choice to be part of the plot. They would be encouraged to use their creativity, adapting versions of such TV hits, such as Lost or Desperate Housewives, to fit the plot of the movie. A variety of strategies are used to teach this unit. Read-Alouds, Data Sets, Jigsaws, and Think-Alouds, as well as Cloze passages, are included in the lesson plans. The filmic format of Stay Tuned allows for a multitude of practices aimed at regular, gifted and talented, and English language learners. Activities involving watching the movie with the sound set in mute will give students a chance to predict what the conversations are about using visual clues, as well as to predict what will happen next. Language learners can take advantage of listening to a fraction of the movie with the screen covered. This activity can be used to work on phonics, word recognition, transcribing, or even in the form of a cloze passage. OBJECTIVES Based on the curriculum map of the Houston ISD, 10th graders will be able to: Writing

Use varied prewriting strategies, such as creating outlines, webs, t-charts, brainstorming, looping, memory logs, free writing and reference to style manuals and other resources such as a writers notebook, to plan content, approach (style/voice), and organizational structure. (ELA.10.2A). Use technology including word processors, thesauruses, spell checker, grammar checker and desktop publishing programs, throughout the writing process for aspects of creating, revising, editing, and publishing. (ELA.10.2E). Use varied writing such as logs, journals, or graphic organizers to formulate questions, refine topics, and clarify ideas. (ELA.10.4A).

Reading

Select from a full range of context clues, including indirect clues, to determine meanings of unfamiliar words, technical vocabulary, and literary or figurative language (e.g., similes, metaphors, idioms, hyperbole, and personification) and multiple meaning words. (ELA.6.B). Establish a purpose for reading such as to discover, interpret, enjoy, and maintain a reading log and speculate on an authors purpose(s) for writing and use evidence from the text (form, mode, stylistic elements) to evaluate the degree to which he/she achieves the purpose. (ELA.10.7A). Draw reasonable, logical inferences such as conclusions, generalizations, and predictions based on a fiction or nonfiction passage and support them with text evidence and experience. (ELA.10.7G). Analyze and interpret how an authors historical, cultural, or political perspectives, opinions, biases, and use of facts and/or propaganda contribute to the message and potential influence of a text on the audience. (ELA.10.8D). Use text evidence (citing a direct quotation, stating a specific synopsis, or paraphrasing) to support to defend his/her own responses and interpretations. (ELA.10.10B).

Listening and Speaking

Listen to analyze and evaluate the effect of artistic elements such as character development, rhyme, imagery, and language in literary texts, including selections from classic, contemporary, fiction, non-fiction, and multicultural literature. (ELA.10.15B). Evaluate artistic performances of peers, public figures, and media presentations. (ELA.10.15D). Use appropriate appeals to support claims and arguments. (ELA.10.17C). Analyze relationships, ideas, and cultures represented in various media. (ELA.10.19B). Recognize how visual and sound techniques (such as special effects, editing, camera angles, reaction shots, sequencing, and music) or design elements target a specific audience and contribute to a specific or an intended message, and explain how alternate choices would alter the outcomes. (ELA.10.20D).

UNIT BACKGROUND Comedy vs. Tragedy? When trying to find a formal definition of comedy, one can easily stumble upon an imbroglio of etymological references that will elevate the abstractness of the concept to an even higher level. That is why I would rather focus on the more apparent and practical aspects of the concepts when trying to find a definition that will be more approachable for students. This genre has, in all of its forms and media representations, the quality of being laughter-provoking. In all comedies, at least one of these elements is present: repetitiveness, incongruity, surprise, conflict, and the effects of opposite expectations. Some of the most common forms of comedy include satire, parody, and tragicomedy. In satire, human flaws are ridiculed with the purpose of creating some kind of improvement. Parody mocks or makes fun of an original work by imitating it, and tragicomedy blends aspects of both tragedy and comedy. In Stay Tuned, these forms of comedy can be easily identified by students. One form of satire also present in the movie is the sub-genre called mock epic. Mock epics elevate trivial topics by using the classical style of epic poems to deal with mundane issues. Tragedy, which is another complex genre, always implies the change to bad luck that the main character or characters undergo: a reversal of fortune. This change of fortune occurs because of just plain bad luck, moral flaws, as a consequence of a tragic flaw, or due to the characters inability to cope with a specific circumstance. Contrary to comedy, this genre is more likely to cause tears than laughter. However, and as mentioned in the previous paragraph, these two genres collide, and even though it is arguable that there are aspects of comedy in The Pedestrian, the presence of tragedy in the predominantly comedic Stay Tuned is obvious. Science Fiction: The Genre. This fictional genre implies speculation about future or present events dealing with science and technology. It offers a window to alternate worlds, unknown to present humans. Science fiction is a literary genre that champions the tensions between the beyond and the known by offering up imaginative alien worlds to scientific laws and cultural norms and mores (Weldes 172). The genre has several recurrent traits: The stories usually involve new application of technology. They also include technology or scientific principles that contradict laws of nature. A future setting or a setting in an alternative time line.

The two pieces that are part of this thematic unit fit under the subcategory of Social Science Fiction. This sub-genre focuses mostly on the characters and their emotions as they deal with futuristic or fantastic technology. It attempts to criticize the contemporary world by speculating the mishaps that human beings may experience in the future if corrections to our social behaviors are not made. Teaching Science Fiction Teaching the genre opens a window of possibilities. It is taught for a variety of reasons: to help teach political science, psychology, anthropology, or even science itself or futuristic studies. Some teachers teach the ideas; some, the themes; some, the history and the genre; and some, the great books (Gunn 98). James Gunn lists the aspects of fiction that a good teacher should look for when teaching science fiction: consistency of story, story premises, application of the premises, credibility of the characters, consistency of theme, imagery, challenge to the imagination, and style. Gunn says that an author should always be held accountable for satisfying the expectations that were previously aroused. Since plots in science fiction books are usually very imaginative, the teacher should make sure that the material chosen has a certain consistency that will prompt a better response from the side of the students as they adjust their expectations while reading the text. The teacher should help students acknowledge that the story has certain premises, certain foundations on which the imaginary world rests. In a science fiction work, this includes the science and the sociology the answers to the question: how did we get from there to here? (Gunn 100) Grasping these answers is what will keep students challenged and motivated as they read their story. The good reader will then refine the application of the premises by monitoring and repairing his comprehension of the text. The alert reader will continuously debate his theories with the authors hypothesis, revising and reformulating them as the reading advances. Gunn argues that characters from a science fiction work should be judged differently from those in mainstream fiction. The world they are immersed in is one that will be totally foreign to the reader, so reactions and situations should not be scrutinized from the same perspective. Those characters, however, must not act inconsistently or arbitrarily, and their actions should follow a reasonable pattern within the personality traits present in each. Most works of fiction have a theme; a message about human nature that the author is trying to send to the readers. This genre is noted for its messages about the nature of difficulties in society, the nature or goal of life, and the nature or problems of people. As teachers, we must coach our students to always search for that theme. In a good work of science fiction, the theme is woven into the fabric of the story, not appended to it like a sermon (Gunn 102). The best works of fiction are those filled with images, symbols, metaphors, and similes. These will challenge the minds and imaginations of students and will create vivid images in their minds that will keep them interested in the reading and enhance their comprehension of the text. The style, the complexity or uniqueness with which words are put together, must be carefully chosen by the teacher while considering the students needs and proficiency. The pieces

suggested in this unit are accessible as well as challenging, but for beginning language learners, simplified or annotated versions could be considered. The Pedestrian Plot Summary The story takes place in the year 2053. The protagonist, Leonard Mead, is an insurgent. He is a writer in a society where people do not read. Instead, they watch television. In one of his nightly walks, as he reflects upon the decay of that futuristic society, he is stopped by a patrol car. The metallic voice that comes out of the car does not believe Mr. Mead when he explains his reasons for being out: just to walk. When he declares to be a writer, the patrol car replies, No profession, showing how disfranchised with the world of reading this society has become. The story ends with Mr. Mead being ordered to get in the back seat of the patrol car to be taken to a psychiatric center for regressive tendencies. Theme Analysis Mankind has taken a big step toward progress with innovations like the television. Nevertheless, as we see how children choose to play video games and watch television instead of reading or playing outside, one cannot help but wonder whether this really is progress. In The Pedestrian, Ray Bradbury chooses to make a statement on the effects of progress and technology. Using imagery and characterization, he expresses his view that if mankind will loose its humanity, men may as well cease to exist. Bradbury decides to reflect the human side of mankind in the character of Mr. Mead. First of all, Mr. Mead is connected with bright light and warmth, which is symbolic of soul. "Lights...click on" when people are alerted to Mr. Meads presence during one of his nightly walks. Mr. Mead is such a paramount embodiment of humanity that even his house beams "loud yellow illumination." Mr. Mead is also proximate to nature. "What Mr. Leonard Mead most dearly loved to do" is something as simple as a walk. One of literatures most elaborate goals is reached when the reader is able to identify himself with a character. Through the logical simplicity of his actions, Mr. Mead becomes one of us, and we are all Mr. Mead. Figurative language is also carefully chosen to intensify Mr. Mead's image as a wild and free spirit when his shadow is described as that of a hawk." Bradbury wisely chooses to create a subtle parallel between Mr. Mead and one of the dearest and most observed festivities of the western world when he mentions that the rush of cold air makes his lungs "blaze like a Christmas tree." The amalgamation of these elements turns Mr. Mead in an effective representative of humanity. Opposite to the humanity portrayed by Mr. Mead, the patrol car stands for the soulless progress. Both the car and Mr. Mead are linked with light. However, the light of the car conveys its total lack of humanity. Instead of Mr. Meads warm light, the car has a "fierce" and "fiery" light that holds humanity "fixed" like a "museum specimen"; as if it were a cold antiquity deprived of its context that can only be looked at from behind a cold glass window. If the car is not holding anyones humanity captive, it is "flashing ... dim lights," proving, once again, the complete nonexistence of any real soul. The car is a technological marvel, and as such, it is representative of the advancement of mankinds modern inventions. Its robotic nature is shown also as it speaks in a "phonograph voice" through a "radio throat." Towards the end, the lack of a driver emphasizes the cold inhumane nature of the "metallic" progress. Any trace of humanity has been cleared from its "riveted steel" with a "harsh antiseptic"; there is "nothing soft" about the car.

The disregard that progress presents for humanity, which results in mankind's loss of soul, is seen through the interaction of the police car with Mr. Mead. The car does not understand the need for humanity. It does not comprehend Mr. Mead's aspiration to return to nature to walk just "to see." It cannot figure out why Mr. Mead has no desire to either sit in front of a "viewing screen" or to breathe air from an "air conditioner." The car is denying the existence of humanity when it assigns Mr. Mead "no profession." In the eyes of progress, there is no need for humanity; thus the car does not make any true effort to relate to Mr. Mead. It just takes him away after locking him away in the "black jail" of its back seat. The author poignantly makes progress drive away the residue of humanity. Ray Bradbury emphasizes death in his imagery to stress what life would be like in a world that has allowed progress to replace humanity. The story is set in November, near the arrival of winter, implying the coming of death. This idea is supported by the dry dead leaves spread on the ground that create a "skeletal pattern. The coming of death is also symbolized by the fact that Mr. Mead chooses to walk in a "westerly direction," the direction in which the sun sets. The streets are portrayed as "dry river beds"; there is not a sign of life in them. Walking in the neighborhood feels like walking through a "graveyard, people sit "dead" in their "tomblike" homes. The world as we know it has almost ceased to exist. Making use of imagery and characterization, Bradbury is giving a warning through The Pedestrian of what might be ahead of us if mankind surrenders its humanity to progress. We would certainly prefer to have more Mr. Meads in our future society rather than cold robotic police cars. Stay Tuned Plot Summary Stay Tuned narrates the story of Roy Knables, an unhappy plumbing supplies salesman by day and couch potato by night, and his wife Helen, a successful senior product manager for a vitamin company. Roy watches too much television every night, and Helen just cannot take it anymore. One night, their lives change forever. Helen offers Roy a romantic trip to make up for all the time they spend apart. The getaway has a few conditions: no children, no phones, and especially no TV allowed. Unfortunately, Roy is totally hooked on one of his TV shows, and he fails to pay attention to his wife and agrees to spend a few days away from his adorable magic box. This angers and frustrates Helen and she decides to smash the family television with one of Roy's trophies as a warning of what is to come if he does not shape up. Roy, distressed, heartbroken, and even confused now that his compass in life is gone, hears the doorbell. He meets a mysterious salesman named Spike who offers him the "ultimate getaway" from all the failures, hate, and frustrations of his life: a new state-of-the-art satellite television set and a new remote control. Roy accepts the new TV by signing a free trial contract not knowing that he has just sold his soul to a devilish entity. As soon as Helen finds out, a fight starts between the two. The confrontation is eventually taken outside the house, where the satellite dish activates. The dishs force sucks the couple into the "Cable Television World of Hell"all six hundred and sixty-six channels worth in spite of their tireless efforts to escape its force. From that point on, they will have to survive perverse episodes of shows such as the U.W.W.F. (Underworld Wrestling Federation) match, "Northern Overexposure, "You Can't Win, "RoboCat," a cartoon, and "Off With His Head." They must survive this ordeal withi 24 hours. If they succeed, they will be able to return home, but if they fail, Spike will keep their souls forever. After surviving an entire day without harm, only Roy gets to be sent back home while Spike holds Helen hostage. With the

help of his children, Daryl, a technology whiz, and Diane, a typical teenage rebel, Roy must go back to the underworld and save his wife while making sure Spike is no longer a threat. It is through this experience that Roy will learn that life can be lived without television, but it is not worth living without our loved ones. Theme Analysis The Knables are an apparently normal middle-class American family. The teenage sister doesnt get along too well with her pre-adolescent brother. The successful mother is the clear bread-winner of the family. Roy, her husband, heals his frustration by escaping reality with the help of television. His internal conflict eventually becomes apparent when he is forced to face the drama that he so much enjoys watching. As the plot develops, Roy is able to solve his internal conflict and regain control of his life. It is, however, through the struggle to solve an external conflict that the Knables will become, again, a loving family. The movie follows Hortons criteria when it comes to the traits that are commonly featured in comedies: 1. 2. 3. 4. Inclusion of television Use of source music Film historical quotes Inversion of star types (Horton 80)

Television symbolizes both the advancement of technology as well as a substitute for identity. Roy delegates his role of paterfamilias and neglects his wife as he willingly becomes a servant of the imaginary world of the magic box. The evils of technology materialize in Spike and his league of evil. Fascinated by the alternative to real life that television has to offer, the protagonist fails to realize that when something looks too good to be true, it probably is. In his thirst to alleviate the frustration of a monotonous low-paid job, he declines to use good judgment because he trusts technology and the soothing effects it produces. As the plot develops, the audience is tricked into identifying popular television shows. Suddenly, we become part of the hoax. A hoax invites the reader (or viewer) not only to expect a serious joke, perhaps played on them, but also to ask exactly what is being parodied (Alkon 249). The audience becomes an intellectually active part of the movie, creating meaning as connections between the parodies and the characters are made. Unlike The Pedestrian, Stay Tuned ends with a positive tone. Roy is freed from his past temptations and is redeemed when he renounces that world of fantasy by risking his life to save his wifes life and realizing that life is meant to be lived with those who love us, and that technology is not a healthy substitute for affection. One cannot help but believe that after this experience, Roy will not just reformulate his family life for the better but also reassess his professional life and without a doubt get a more challenging job. Elements of mock epic are evident in this film. The name of the female protagonist, Helen, is a clear reference to Helen of Troy, and as the Trojan trophy she was in the Homeric epic, she becomes Roys prize in Stay Tuned. Like an epic hero, our protagonist must overcome the obstacles imposed by the evils of television to finally, at the end of his journey, rescue and regain the love of his Helen. Through exaggeration and trivialization of the epic tradition, Roy once again brings about elements of the epic tradition through exaggeration and trivialization when he journeys through the underworld in search of wisdom and redemption. A Shared Theme: Tension between the Freedom of Privacy and the Need for Societal Control Michele Foucault: The Panopticon

The noted French philosopher compared in his book Discipline and Punish how contemporary society emulates Jeremy Benthams Panopticon. Like the original design of the Panopticon for jails, where everything can be seen from a focal point where all the points converge and everyone can be under control, society, according to Foucault, has also become a sort of prison system. This idea manifests in all kinds of institutions, from their architecture in schools and hospitals, to their disciplinary and compensatory methods. Being able to see everything and thus control everything is the premise of this system that threatens individual freedoms. Visibility is a trap (Foucault 200). And the ultimate purpose of the Panopticon is to induce in the inmate a sense of being constantly under surveillance and thus, acting accordingly, following the expectations of the entities in power. In literature, George Orwells celebrated dystopia, 1984, portrays a world ruled by the by a panoptican ruler that performs an invasive surveillance of its citizens. The totalitarian government of 1984 can see and control everything, even thoughts, and punish accordingly when they are considered revolutionary. The world of television also experimented with the concept of the Panopticon when the reality TV series Big Brother debuted for the first time in 1999. In this show, participants would volunteer to live in a house without any contact with the outside world and be monitored by hundreds of cameras twenty-four hours a day. In a more non-fictional materialistic realization of the Panopticon, the city of London has over two-hundred-thousand surveillance cameras spread throughout the city. Many questions arise as this vigilance experience is implemented by other large cities in the world. Who can access that information? What are the uses of it? Who decides where the limits between securing and invading are? When should the public concern step over an individuals right for privacy? Privacy and Technology As technology advances and its limits become more diffuse, the spheres of life that for centuries belonged exclusively to the intimacy of the home are invaded by elements that threaten to end that seclusion. Different doctrines exist concerning the effects of technology in private life. One of them argues that technological progress is driven by imperatives that are inherent in technology itself. According to Rule: In its pure form, this theory holds that human intent has little bearing on the ultimate repercussions of technology. Technologies thus somehow develop according to their own inner logic, sweeping human values and intentions in their path. Applied to information technologies, this doctrine would suggest that destruction of privacy is inevitable, simply because it is possible that the capacities of computing systems to absorb, analyze, transmit, and use personal data are bound gradually to find their ultimate expression, until no personal data is safe from incorporation. (19) Science fiction has always tried to serve as a mirror into what the future holds. Their predictions, like Jules Vernes trip to the moon or the depths of the sea, have proven many times to be correct. In the case of our two pieces, and in the light of the growing importance that the role of technology has in our lives, one cant help but wonder if maybe we have gone too far. If it might not be time to regain control of our lives instead of relegating so much on technology. In The Pedestrian and Stay Tuned

The individual only emerges in certain kinds of historical circumstances, because to be an individual is to be aware of oneself in conflict with societys norms, internalized so as to give rise to inner conflict (Schoeman 120). And Mr. Meads individuality clearly opposes the dominant spirit (or lack of it?) of his society. The Panopticon diminishes individualities. Privacy is an essential part of it, and the only moments of privacy that this society seems to have, take place in front of the television. Mr. Mead successfully attempts to remain himself, to keep his innermost cravings and interests alive. But that is against the norm, and in his technologically-driven society, where people are kept under control with the help of TV sets, he must either change or be locked away. The metaphor of the Panopticon acquires an ironic meaning in both The Pedestrian and Stay Tuned. Even though both the viewers in the first and Roy in the latter think that they are in control and that they are watching television, one cannot help realizing that it is the other way around. The entity in control is the apparatus itself, symbol of technology and our tendency as humans to be fascinated by it and to relegate other aspects of our lives to satisfy our need for more of it. Especially in the case of GT students, the concept of the Panopticon and of how technology intrudes into the private world to secure mass control opens a window of possibilities for discussions, class projects, reflection, and inter-curricular activities. Alternatives Harrison Bergeron In the science fiction story Harrison Bergeron, the author, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., criticizes the progress of technology by portraying a future where men are hypnotized by the power of television. This power is so intense that even the strongest motherly feelings are suppressed towards the end, when the televised death of the protagonist is basically ignored and quickly forgotten by his parents. Dr. Whos Episode The Idiots Lantern In this episode of the long-running British sci-fi series, the Doctor and his assistant, Rose, travel in time to Londons 1950s. Everybody seems to be buying television sets to be able to watch Queen Elizabeths coronation. Through a character that exists in the television named The Wire, peoples faces disappear and they are left wandering without memories or identity. The Wire feeds on the energy and the lives of those that lost their personae as they were watching TV and a beam of energy sucked it out of them. Towards the end, the Doctor helps defeat The Wire and things are restored to their natural state. In the two above-mentioned samples, the thematic connections with the science-fiction plots of The Pedestrian and Stay Tuned are remarkable, and they can both be used as extension activities or as a substitute to the short story or the movie. LESSON PLANS Lesson Plan 1: Introduction of Venn Diagrams. Materials: Venn Diagrams, short story The Pedestrian, film Stay Tuned.

Procedure: Distribute Venn Diagrams and explain its purpose. Model its use with a simple topic, such as comparing and contrasting movies to books. Explain that this will be an on-going activity that it will be completed only by the end of the unit. Distribute two Venn Diagrams per student and explain that they will be comparing and contrasting different aspects of the two stories, beginning with characters and setting. Depending on the level of the targeted group of students, the notations made on these diagrams will vary from just recording names of characters or locations to describing and analyzing them. Read the first paragraph of The Pedestrian. Allow a few minutes for students to write on the corresponding circle of their diagrams. Play the first 10 minutes of the movie, and this time, proceed to have students write those characteristics that are exclusive of Stay Tuned. Devote a few minutes to the sharing of students notes. A dynamic way of doing this could be using Inner-Outer Circles. As a whole-class, and with the assistance of students, use the overhead projector to add those things that both plots have in common in terms of characters and setting. This procedure should be repeated every time students view a portion of the movie. Having a task and purpose every time they watch it is pivotal to keeping students focused on the objectives of the unit. Assessment: Since this is an on-going activity, the teacher can choose to collect all diagrams towards the end of the unit or after each instance in which the diagrams are used. These diagrams should serve as preparation for the students written assignment as well, so that final product would also be an indirect way of assessing this work. Lesson Plan 2: Data Set Materials: Teacher-produced Data Set. The Data Set is a collection of paragraphs that have a general common topic (which in this case could be Science Fiction), and several subtopics that connect the different paragraphs creating categories that can direct students learning. The information can be a paragraph taken from the story or from the movies script as well as an analysis or summary of the plot. The Data Set has to be created bearing in mind the categories that the teacher wants students to identify. Some of the categories could be setting, theme, tone, conflict, and technology. Procedure: Model on an overhead projector how to underline key terms and write a topic on the margin for two paragraphs, one referring to the story and one to the movie. Depending on the objectives of the lesson, this can also be an opportunity to model reading strategies. Distribute Data Sets. If there are more than fifteen paragraphs or if the English proficiency level of students requires so, divide the items among students (for instance, odd and even numbered paragraphs for different students). Ask students to read the paragraphs and perform one of the suggested activities with each. When finished, model grouping four or five of the paragraphs into two separate categories.

Ask students to work in groups of two to four to detect common topics and come up with categories. This will be especially useful if paragraphs were divided among students. As a whole class, come up with a list of categories, discarding those that are too general or specific and trying to stay as close as possible to the planned group of categories. Again in groups, students classify their items. Check classification as a whole class using a web graphic organizer. Modifications: For ESL students, a modification of this activity would include, instead of coming up with a topic that would later turn into a category, requiring students to use reading strategies for each paragraph. The repertoire of strategies includes visualizing, questioning, inferring, evaluating, connecting, clarifying, and predicting. Later, the teacher can provide a list of categories for students to use to classify the paragraphs. For GT students, a variation of this activity could imply that students, after completing the classification process, produce one paragraph for each of the categories. Assessment: Students work will be monitored as they annotate their Data Sets, categorize, and classify them. Once the classification is over, students will return to their Venn Diagram and will add elements of comparison and contrast for each of the stories. Lesson Plan 3: Jigsaw Materials: movie script for Stay Tuned, text for The Pedestrian Procedures: distribute strips with pieces from The Pedestrian and pieces from the script of Stay Tuned. Model how to sequence two of the strips by using context clues. Students use highlighters to mark context clues and put the paragraphs in their original order. Students pair up and check their sequences before reporting to the rest of the class. Ask students to justify their sequencing choice. Modifications: ESL students should only be required to justify two or three of their sequences. Regular and GT students should be asked to justify most or all of their sequences, explaining in a paragraph the criteria used for each of their choices. Assessment: Students can glue the strips on a large piece of construction paper to be used for grading purposes and for display. ESL students may accompany their sequence with drawings reflecting what they visualize in the passage. Lesson Plan 4A: Written Assignment Compare and Contrast Essay. Materials: Paper, Venn diagram. Procedures: There are two natural choices for a written assignment for this unit. The formal type of writing would be a comparison and contrast essay. Students would be asked to use their Venn Diagrams to write the body of the essay. The teachers role would vary depending on the students prior experience in writing.

Modifications: For ESL students, a frame with sentence starters and extensive modeling is recommended. GT students should be encouraged to deepen the analysis. Assessment: The teacher should conduct at least a one-on-one interview with students to closely guide them on the progress of their essay. The essay should be conducted in a time lapse of two weeks with students turning in at least two drafts prior to their final version. Lesson Plan 4B: Written Assignment Creative Writing Materials: Comic strips Procedures: An alternative to the essay would be to create a scene in which the characters of Stay Tuned would be immersed in a twisted version of a popular contemporary TV show. The characters would be faced with a challenge that they would have to solve in order to escape that show. The teacher could model the activity with a popular TV program among teenagers, such as The Simpsons. With humor and pointing out the most notable traits of the Simpsons, the teacher should exemplify what a challenging situation for the Knables would be like. For example, having Roy stop a nuclear fusion created by Homer as he takes a nap while working in the nuclear plant after having had an overdose of donuts or surviving a ride on the school bus accompanied by Lisa and Bart while the driver races at 120 miles per hours while listening to his walkman. Students will surely identify these iconic characters and will get a kick out of this activity that will help them bring the movie to life. Modifications: ESL students should be given a comic strip and should be expected to draw their scenes and write a short caption for each. Regular and GT students can write a script with characters dialogue and stage directions.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Works Cited Alkon, Paul. Origins of Futuristic Fiction. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1987. A thorough piece of research that delineates the history of futuristic fiction, it provides an insightful look into the origins of science fiction and is an ideal read before teaching this unit. Bradbury, Ray. The Pedestrian. The Language of Literature, Grade 10. Ed. Arthur N. Applebee. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2000: 96-100. This textbook adopted by HISD for tenth graders contains The Pedestrian. Dr. Who. The Idiots Lantern. Dir. Euros Lyn. British Broadcast Company, 2006. Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish. The Birth of the Prison. Trans. Alan Sheridan. New York: Random House, 1995. Foucault explores the connections between the structure and ways of prisons and other societal institutions that he argues are used to impose obedience and submission to the forces of power. His analysis of the Panopticon is particularly pertinent to this unit for its connections with the use of technology for surveillance purposes. Gunn, James. Inside Science Fiction. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, 2006. A practical guide to teaching science fiction in the classroom. The book illustrates several approaches to teaching science fiction, and the impact the genre has on culture. Horton, Andrew, ed. Comedy/Cinema/Theory. Oxford: University of California Press, 1991.

This collection of essays investigates the theory behind comedy in films. The book includes analyses of some paramount examples of filmic comedy, such as Charles Chaplin and Woody Allen. It includes categorizations that facilitate the analysis of the genre. Rule, James B. Privacy in Peril. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. In this very recent book, Rule argues that while modern society worries a lot about the illegal loss of privacy identity theft, et al. it willingly provides strangers with access to private information in search for security and comfort. The author then explores the motivations and consequences of this disclosure. Schoeman, Ferdnand D. Privacy and Social Freedom. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Schoeman analyses the tensions between the human need for privacy and the increasingly dominant prerogative of society to put limits to it. Stay Tuned. Dir. Peter Hyams. Morgan Creek Productions, 1992. Weldes, Jutta, ed. To Seek Out New Worlds. Science Fiction and World Politics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. This book delves into the connections between the science fiction world and the world of politics. It analyzes the complexities of political rhetoric as it interacts with the some times contradictory discourse of science fiction. Supplemental Sources Clareson, Thomas. Science Fiction Criticism: An Annotated Checklist. Oberlin, Ohio: The Kent State UP, 1972. An annotated list of science fiction books. Very useful if trying to expand the scope of the unit or find different plots to compare-contrast. Eller, Jonathan R., and William F. Touponce. Ray Bradbury: The Life of Fiction. Kent, Ohio: The Kent State University Press, 2004. A complete companion to Ray Bradburys works, this book traces the history of Bradburys authorship. Gandy, Oscar H, Jr. The Panoptic Sort: A Political Economy of Personal Information. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1993. A more updated version of Foucaults Panopticon, this book examines the modern mechanisms by which private information is obtained and distributed and the political and economic motivations behind it. Neale, Steve, and Frank Krutnik. Popular Film and Television Comedy. London: Routledge, 1990. The authors seek to explain the nature of conventions in comedy as it appears in television and films. Establishing that comedy always implies a deviation of aesthetic and cultural norms, they embark in discussing examples that prove their hypothesis. Useful to find thematic connections with literature. Paul, William. Laughing Screaming. Modern Hollywood Horror and Comedy. New York: Columbia UP, 1994. This book explores the psychological and social aspects of humor in movies. In depth analyses of movies like Back to the Future provide a common ground for the dissection of Stay Tuned or other examples of sci-fi comedies the teacher may choose. Wolfenstein, Martha, and Nathan Leites. Movies: A Psychological Study. Glencoe, IL: The Free Press, 1970. According to this book, movies reflect the conflicts of the audience. Wolfenstein analyzes the psychological implications of the plots and themes displayed in movies since 1945. It helps the teacher better understand the message behind the plot in Stay Tuned.