Fahrenheit 451: Lesson Two

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Fahrenheit 451 follows the life of Guy Montag, a fireman who burns books that are now outlawed in the city where he lives.

Although the book is science fiction and takes place sometime in the future, Ray Bradbury based the novel on a historical event: the Nazi book burnings of 1933.

Explore the following resources to learn about this event.

Nazi Book Burnings

Then, answer the following questions in the journal or notebook that you are keeping for the Fahrenheit 451 series.

• What types of books were burned during the Nazi campaign of 1933?
• What group started the book burnings?
• Where were most book burnings held?
• What reasons were given by Germany for burning books?

Check your answers against those below.

Then, mentally reflect on the following questions.

• Why do you think so many people participated in the Nazi book burnings?
• Why do you think student organizations led many events?

Once you've reflected on the questions, you are ready to read the novel's second section.

Take out the copy of Fahrenheit 451 that you began reading in the first Related Lesson. Because Bradbury's work is still under copyright law, online versions can be difficult to obtain. However, you may try this version of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

Read the second section of the novel in Part I. Read from the place where you stopped in the first lesson.

"But it was late, and the arrival of his train put a stop to his plan."

Stop after the sentence below.

"'My uncle says . . . and . . . my uncle . . . and . . . my uncle . . .' Her voice faded."

As you read, answer the questions from the Fahrenheit 451 Reading Log in your notebook or journal. (If you need another copy, find it under Downloadable Resources.)

After reading and answering the questions, check your thinking against the answers below.

Move to the Got It? section to explore the book burnings of the novel in relation to the Nazi book burnings of 1933.