Description
Have your students read the unsettling short story “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury, a futuristic tale in which technology designed to make life easier becomes dangerous—and even deadly. The full text can be found online for free, making this lesson easy to integrate into any short story or science fiction unit. This story is consistently a student favorite because it is creepy, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, and it sparks rich discussions about technology, parenting, dependence, and society today.
In this literary analysis lesson, students build comprehension and critical thinking skills through structured activities that support close reading and deeper analysis. Students work with academic vocabulary using a graphic organizer and a PowerPoint presentation that introduces and defines key terms from the story. A pre-reading activity helps activate prior knowledge and generate predictions before students begin reading.
As students read “The Veldt,” they complete reading comprehension questions and analyze the story’s structure using a plot diagram that breaks down key plot points and themes. Students then apply higher-level thinking with a literary devices graphic organizer that focuses on irony, symbolism, conflict, and foreshadowing, requiring them to support their interpretations with textual evidence.
To extend learning, students respond to the story through a creative writing menu that offers seven different writing options inspired by the story’s themes and ethical questions. Complete answer keys are included to support efficient grading and instruction.
This resource includes teacher guides and answer keys in PDF format, student activity pages in both PDF and editable Word document format, and a PowerPoint presentation for vocabulary instruction. This lesson works well for middle school or high school ELA, especially when teaching science fiction, dystopian literature, or Ray Bradbury, and it encourages students to critically examine the role technology plays in their own lives.