Contributor: Melissa Kowalski. Lesson ID: 12646
Americans cherish their freedoms, many of which are enshrined in the Constitution. Is freedom to read and write whatever you like among those liberties? Who decides what's right? Join the discussion!
The concept sounds sinister, yet books are still banned for various reasons.
Watch the video below to learn the top 10 banned books.
Thousands of books have been banned since the invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century.
From children's books to literary classics to religious texts, no genre of writing is exempt from challenge. Many classic literary texts and texts that are often taught in primary and secondary schools have been banned at one time or another.
Oh, the irony!
To learn more about the reasons for censorship, visit Banned Books: Reasons Books are Challenged. Make a list of any reasons you find compelling for banning books.
Then, explore the resources below. Make notes of any reasons you find compelling for banning books.
Answer the following questions in the notebook or journal you have kept for this series.
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 from where you left off in the previous lesson.
"'My uncle says . . . and . . . my uncle . . . and . . . my uncle . . .' Her voice faded."
Stop after the sentence below.
"Mildred beamed. 'You just run away from the door, Guy, and don't make us nervous.'"
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 on the Got It? section to explore why Fahrenheit 451 was censored.