Directions: This assignment will be completed in multiple steps and have two final products you will turn in for points.
Step 1: On your own, define or explain what science fiction is to the best of your ability. Even if you are do not feel like you have read science fiction books or know what it is, give your best definition based on what you do know.
Step 2: In your group, discuss what each person said about science fiction. You can add to your definition based on what your group mates discussed.
Step 3: In your group, think of THREE science fiction movies that all, or most, of your group has watched. Discuss what makes them fit into the category of science fiction. Write down the movie titles and take notes on what your group discussed.
Step 4: In your group, think of THREE movies that are NOT science fiction that all, or most, of your group has watched. Discuss why they are NOT science fiction. Write down the movie titles and take notes on what your group discussed.
Step 5: Watch the following videos as a class. Take notes.
Step 6: You will next look at what some experts have said science fiction is. For each article, TAKE NOTES about the key elements of science fiction.
- Starting with a basic definition: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson927/SciFiDefinition.pdf
- Read, but don’t take notes on: http://www.scifiideas.com/writing-2/writing-advice/a-guide-to-science-fiction-subgenres/
Step 7: As a group, discuss what you learned about science fiction in these articles.
Step 8: On your own, create a poster with the following elements:
- Your own definition of science fiction that takes into account all that you have just read, watched, discussed and pondered. It should be several sentences long, be well written and to the best of your ability define the genre.
- Around your definition, include at least FOUR quotations from the articles we read or watched. Be sure to cite the quotation correctly with the author’s last name.
- Your poster does not need to be decorated with images, but it needs to be in a colored marker and cut into an interesting science fiction themed shape and a title.
