The Veldt- Written by Ray Bradbury
American writer Ray Bradbury's tale of a
family living in a futuristic home with a
virtual reality room/nursery for the children
 “They walked down the hall of their soundproof
Happylife Home, which had cost them thirty
thousand dollars installed, this house which
clothed and fed and rocked them to sleep and
played and sang and was good to them” (pg
101).
 Written in 1950
 In case you weren’t born in 1950, here’s a
short synopsis of what was happening then.

TVs
were the
Ipad’s of
the 1950’s.
Everyone
wanted
one
Tv’s
Just like today, when people debate the
amount of time children spend with
technology, in 1950 people were worried
about the effects TV’s would have on
children.
 At the time when Bradbury wrote The
Veldt, he didn’t even have a TV, he refused
to purchase one. (songfacts.com)

1950’s Westinghouse TV ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDsg4
P5HG6w
 When watching this ad, notice how they
compare the new technology of the TV to
magic.

Cell phone technology hadn’t been
mastered yet, but for those who
could afford it there were rotary
car phones.
Deadmau5- The Veldt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_esYO
NwdKuw
 Inspired by Bradbury’s short story
 Stephen Colbert reading The Veldt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
KSoigRHHNLM
st
1
Discussion
With those at your table, talk about what we know
so far.
 Share any “bookmark symbols” you’ve used.
 What is the main conflict, or problem in the story as
told by Lydia Hadley?

2nd Discussion
Predict what you think is going to happen next.
Are there any hints in the text which might
FORESHADOW events?
 Foreshadowing= A literary device used by the
author to give readers an advanced warning
about plot turns that may occur later in the
story. For example:
“The walls began to purr and recede into
crystalline distance, it seemed, and presently
and African veldt appeared” (102). This purring
could be from the engines which work the
walls, or it could be from the lions which are
about to appear.

End Discussion


So what do you think happened?
There is more than one theme in The Veldt.
Let’s brainstorm a few…
RESPONSE EXIT SLIP:
1. What do you think the author is trying to tell
us?
2. What is his argument about technology in
particular?
3. What is one piece of modern technology you
would have trouble living without? Explain why
it is so important to you.
“The Veldt”- Plot
Point of View
Objective Point of View (OBSERVER)
With the objective point of view, the writer tells what happens
without stating more than can be inferred from the story's action
and dialogue. The narrator never discloses anything about what the
characters think or feel, remaining a detached observer.
 Third Person Point of View (FLY ON THE WALL)
Here the narrator does not participate in the action of the story as
one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the characters
feel. We learn about the characters through this outside voice.
 First Person Point of View (TOLD FROM A CHARACTER)
In the first person point of view, the narrator does participate in
the action of the story. When reading stories in the first person, we
need to realize that what the narrator is recounting might not be
the objective truth. We should question the trustworthiness of the
accounting.
 Omniscient and Limited Omniscient Points of View (GOD
LIKE)
A narrator who knows everything about all the characters is all
knowing, or omniscient. Limited omniscient gets into the head of
only a few characters.

Simpson’s Episode UltraHouse





How is the Simpson’s episode similar to The Veldt?
Give examples.
In the Simpson’s episode, it is the house that makes
the decision to kill Homer. Who makes the decision
to kill the parents in The Veldt? Could an argument be
made that the HappyLife Home also had a motive to
kill the parents?
Both the short story and the TV show have similar
themes bout dependence on technology, but
Bradbury is also saying something specific about
children and the use of technology, what is it?
In the Simpson’s episode and in the story, what is the
author trying to say about family?
List some of the technological advances that you saw
in the Simpson’s movie/the story
Respond to article or image
Google “Technology dependence.”
 Option 1: Read an article and respond
 Option 2: Analyze a photo or cartoon
and respond.

E-mail your responses
to :
ddechantal@sd61.bc.ca
Internet response
Summarize or describe the important parts of
the article/image
 Do you agree with this article’s or image’s
message? Why/why not?
 What is one connection that you can make
between this article/image and the story?
 What is one connection that you can make
between this article/image and your life?
I am looking for your ability to:
1. Compare/contrast the article/image with the
story
2. Consider the big picture (what are the big
ideas going on here?)
3. Clearly organize and present your thoughts

Day 3: Paragraph Response
•In “The Veldt,”
there is a theme that a
dependence on technology will not create the
amazing society that many people believe it
will.
•The technology in this story is intended to
make life easier; however, it causes more
problems than it eases.
Keep in mind:
•This was written in the 1950s, when
technology was not nearly as advanced as it is
today.
•Use the knowledge you gained from the
image/article response last day.
Some things to consider before
choosing your position…
Write a paragraph response that makes a case for or against
Bradbury’s message.
In other words, do you think that technology today adds
to or takes away from the overall quality of life?
Pro Technology
Medical advancements
Con Technology
Invasion of privacy (hackers identity
theft)
Be sure to use specific examples from your life, from the book
AND from the Simpson’s episode to support your argument.
Personal Response Rubric
Categories
Knowledge/
Understanding
Thinking
Content
Level 1
Shows limited
knowledge of
plot, characters,
themes and
conflicts
Level 2
Shows some
knowledge of
plot, characters,
themes and
conflicts
Level 3
Shows
considerable
knowledge of plot,
characters, themes
and conflicts
Level 4
Shows in depth
knowledge of plot,
characters, themes
and conflicts
Does not explain
connections
between
thoughts and text
Shows some
connections
between their
thinking and the
text
Explains relevance
of thoughts to the
story and makes
clear connections
to text
Thought provoking
connections are
made to the text
Information is
not specific
enough or off
topic
Does not contain
sufficient
reasons/example
s to support main
idea.
Information is
accurate, but
simple.
Some examples
are used, but are
basic and could
be more specific.
Information is
accurate and
focussed on the
topic.
Reasons, details
and facts are all ontopic, specific and
accurate.
Information is
original,
interesting, ontopic.
Many thoughtful
reasons and
examples are
provided and build
upon each other.