Name:
Packet “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury
Invitation to Learn: Quickwrite and Share
a. What movies, television shows or books have you read about time travel?
b. If you could go back in time, where and when would it be? Why?
c. In “Back to the Future,” how did Marty McFly travel back to 1955? What happened when he met his
parents? What did Marty have to do in order to save his own existence?
Building Vocabulary: Complete the graphic organizer.
Words From Text
aurora
Meaning from
context
Root
Prefix
Suffix
aurora (Latin) dawn
Eckels glanced across the vast office at a mass and tangle, a snaking and humming of
wires and steel boxes, at an aurora that flickered now orange, now silver, now blue.
Your Definition:
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sentence
Words From Text
graft
Meaning from
context
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sentence
Words From Text
annihilate
Meaning from
context
Root
Prefix
Suffix
Unknown origins
We have to pay big graft to keep our franchise.
Your Definition:
Root
Prefix
Suffix
Nihil (Latin), nothing
ad–, to
–ate, cause to become
With a stamp of your foot, you annihilate first one, then a dozen, then a thousand, a
million, a billion possible mice!"
Your Definition:
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sentence
Words From Text
expendable
Meaning from
context
Root
Prefix
expendere (Latin) to weigh
Suffix
able-, capable of
And the caveman, please note, is not just any expendable man, no! He is an
entire future nation
Your Definition:
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sentence
Words From Text
depression
Meaning from
context
Root
deprimare (Latin) press
down
Suffix
ion-, action, condition,
result or effect
A dead mouse here makes an insect imbalance there, a population
disproportion later, a bad harvest further on, a depression, mass starvation, and
finally, a change in social temperament in far flung countries.
Your Definition:
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sentence
Prefix
Words From Text
paradox
Meaning from
context
Root
paradoxon(Greek)
contrary opinion
doxa( Latin) opinion
Prefix
Suffix
para (Latin) distinct
"That'd be a paradox," said the latter. "Time doesn't permit that sort of mess-a
man meeting himself.
Your Definition:
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sentence
Words From Text
resilient
Meaning from
context
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sentence
Words From Text
remit
Meaning from
context
Create a new
sentence
Words From Text
revoke
Meaning from
context
Create a new
sentence
Words From Text
primeval
Meaning from
context
Root
salire (Latin), to jump
Prefix
re-, back
Suffix
ent-, that has, shows, or
does
It came on great oiled, resilient, striding legs.
Your Definition:
Root
mittere (Latin), to send
Prefix
Suffix
Prefix
Suffix
re-, back
We'll remit half your fee."
Your Definition:
Root
They might revoke our license to travel
Your Definition:
Root
aevum (Latin), an age
Prefix
primus-, first
Suffix
al-, of
Eckels turned slowly to regard the primeval garbage dump, that hill of
nightmares and terror
Your Definition:
Create a new
sentence
Words From Text
subliminal
Meaning from
context
Root
limen, limin (Latin)
threshold (limit)
Suffix
sub-, below
Eckels stood smelling of the air, and there was a thing to the air, a chemical
taint so subtle, so slight, that only a faint cry of his subliminal senses warned
him it was there.
Your Definition:
Create a new
sentence
Prefix
thrh
Comprehension of Text (TDQ): Remember you must use “text evidence” to support your ideas.
1. Describe how Bradbury uses words,
details, and figurative language create the
setting.
2. How does Eckels feel about “Time
Safari, Inc.’s” rules regarding time travel?
3. How does Bradbury’s use of similes
and metaphors help the reader imagine the
time machine?
4. Bradbury creates a vivid picture of
Tyrannosaurus Rex with words. What
effect does this have on the reader?
Explain.
5. What makes Eckels change his mind
about killing the Tyrant Lizard?
6. What is the significance of the altered
sign for “Time Safari, Inc.?”
7. What does Bradbury want the reader to
believe about Eckels?
8. Describe your understanding of the
“Butterfly Effect” based on the text
evidence in the story?
9. What is the central theme of “A Sound
of Thunder?” How do you know?
10. How does Travis react to Eckel’s
behavior on the Safari? How does this
support the central theme of the story?
Thinking Critically: Analyze the movie version of the story with the original text.
Element that was
changed or kept the
same
Effect of this decision on the telling
of the story
Preference: Did this decision
increase your understanding
of the story
Most Important
Important
Somewhat Important
Not Very Important
Closing Out the Learning: Choose a symbol that represents this story and explain.
Explanation:
Symbols:
My Choice: