Fahrenheit 451
Fishbowl
Writer’s Notebook Writing
Prompt
• In your writer’s notebook, write one
paragraph, at least 7-10 sentences,
explaining who shows you your real
self. What qualities does this person
possess that enables him or her to do
this?
– In answering this, think about people
who DO NOT show you your true self as
a contrast.
Fish Bowl Rules (review)
1.
2.
Only one person speaks at a time.
Participants must use cues such as body language and eye
contact to determine when it is appropriate to speak.
3. If two people start to speak at the same time, one must
yield.
4. All participants look at the person speaking.
5. Questions can be asked of other participants in the inner
circle to motivate them to join in.
6. Disagree politely.
7. State your ideas and support them with evidence.
8. Respond to the comments of other participants by
agreeing or disagreeing and offering additional evidence.
9. Record notes, quotations from the text(s), statistics, etc.,
that support your ideas and opinions.
10. The teacher or seminar leader does not participate in the
discussion except to provide a new question or to
terminate an irrelevant or inappropriate line of
discussion.
Rubric Explanation (review)
• Note the expectations on the rubric:
– State and identify issues to be discussed
– Use foundational knowledge
– Elaborate & explain
• Provide reasons, evidence, etc.
– Invite other people to contribute
– Challenge the accuracy of your
companions’ statements
How to Fishbowl Set-up
(review)
1. Only people sitting in the inner
circle may speak.
2. If someone from the outer circle has
something to say, he or she sits in
one of the two side desks.
3. Said participant may stay as long as
he or she has something meaningful
to share.
4. Outer circle participants must take
notes.
Question 1
• Does Fahrenheit 451 support the idea
that modern society is safe from the
kinds of censorship that exists in
Montag’s world?
Question 2
• What is the connection between the
way schools in Fahrenheit 451 and
modern American society dummied
down instruction?
Question 3
• Connecting the events in Fahrenheit
451 to modern American life,
indicate how the roles of media, the
government, and corporations might
contribute to the downfall of
American society.
Question 4
• What is it about Clarisse that shows
Montag his true self, and what is it
about Montag that shows Faber his
true self? What do they have that
everyday citizens lack?
Wrap-up
• For homework, reflect on the
discoveries we made in class on
Fahrenheit 451.
• Due Monday: double-spaced, at least 250
words, and typed or written in blue or
black ink.