Walt Whitman
Member
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2012
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- Italian
- Home Country
- Italy
- Current Location
- Italy
English teacher
I’m going to give my middle school students (aged 13) a simplified version of Fredric Brown's short story "The Sentry". I’d like to know if it sounds fine to you.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS & STRATEGIES – LITERATURE: FREDRIC BROWN (1906-1972), THE SENTRY (1954).
Thousands of light years from now, on an unknown planet, men and aliens are fighting a never-ending war to control the universe.
Before-reading
(1) What is an “alien”? What do you think an alien looks like?
He was wet and hungry and cold and he was fifty thousand light years from home. He was on a damned planet he did not know. War never changes. After thousands of years it was still very easy for the pilots, high up in their shining spaceships with all their sophisticated weapons. After thousands of years it was still the ordinary soldier’s task, the infantryman, to fight the enemy and die in battle. The aliens were there too. The aliens, the only other intelligent race in the galaxy, cruel, horrible monsters.
The first contact with the aliens took place in the centre of the galaxy, and war broke out immediately. They started to shoot; they did not try to negotiate or to make peace. Now the war continued, planet by planet.
He was wet and hungry and cold; the fierce wind hurt his eyes. But the aliens were there, ready to infiltrate and all the positions were vital. He stayed alert,his gun ready. And then he saw one of them creeping towards him. He aimed his gun and opened fire. The alien made that strange horrible cry they all make, and then a deathly silence. It was dead. The sight of the dead body made him shudder. They were horrible disgusting creatures, with only two arms, two legs, two eyes, and awful white skin and without scales.
(2) Read the story and answer the questions.
1) Who is the main character of the story? 2) Where is he? 3) What is the weather like? 4) Who are the soldier’s enemies? What are they like?
5) How does the soldier feel? Why? 6) What suddenly happens to him? 7) Who are the aliens?
(3) Say how the sentry feels about
(4) In your opinion, what is the message of the story? Choose among the following.
(a) Things are not always as they seem.
(b) Everybody is prejudiced.
(c) There will always be clashes between different cultures.
(d) Prejudice and misunderstanding are the seeds of hate.
Thank you.
WW
I’m going to give my middle school students (aged 13) a simplified version of Fredric Brown's short story "The Sentry". I’d like to know if it sounds fine to you.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS & STRATEGIES – LITERATURE: FREDRIC BROWN (1906-1972), THE SENTRY (1954).
Thousands of light years from now, on an unknown planet, men and aliens are fighting a never-ending war to control the universe.
Before-reading
(1) What is an “alien”? What do you think an alien looks like?
THE SENTRY (1954)
The first contact with the aliens took place in the centre of the galaxy, and war broke out immediately. They started to shoot; they did not try to negotiate or to make peace. Now the war continued, planet by planet.
He was wet and hungry and cold; the fierce wind hurt his eyes. But the aliens were there, ready to infiltrate and all the positions were vital. He stayed alert,his gun ready. And then he saw one of them creeping towards him. He aimed his gun and opened fire. The alien made that strange horrible cry they all make, and then a deathly silence. It was dead. The sight of the dead body made him shudder. They were horrible disgusting creatures, with only two arms, two legs, two eyes, and awful white skin and without scales.
(2) Read the story and answer the questions.
1) Who is the main character of the story? 2) Where is he? 3) What is the weather like? 4) Who are the soldier’s enemies? What are they like?
5) How does the soldier feel? Why? 6) What suddenly happens to him? 7) Who are the aliens?
(3) Say how the sentry feels about
(a) the planet where he is | ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
(b) his job there | ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
(c) his home | ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
(d) the aliens | ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
(4) In your opinion, what is the message of the story? Choose among the following.
(a) Things are not always as they seem.
(b) Everybody is prejudiced.
(c) There will always be clashes between different cultures.
(d) Prejudice and misunderstanding are the seeds of hate.
How much did you like these activities? (from 4 to 10): | □4 □5 □6 □7 □8 □9 □10 |
Thank you.
WW
Last edited: