Name _________________________
Short Story
Creative Writing
Mrs. Galveias
September 2015
Sentry
by Fredric Brown
Interesting fact: Fredric Brown wrote a famous story called “Arena” and
it was used as a Star Trek episode. What does this lead us to believe? It is
one reason to understand, that in his time, he was a master of writing in
the genre of science fiction.
Vocabulary:
Unambiguous - Not open to more than one interpretation.
Elusive - Difficult to find, catch, or achieve.
Touted - Attempt to persuade people of the merits of (someone or something).
Preconception - A preconceived idea, opinion, prejudice or conception formed in
advance of adequate knowledge or experience.
Additional Words to help you comprehend:
Astrobiology - is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in
the universe.
Microbiologist - is a scientist who works in the field of microbiology. Microbiologists
study organisms called microbes. Microbes can take the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi,
Meteorite - is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the
Earth's surface.
Astronomer - a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as
as planets, stars and galaxies.
NASA - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (is an executive
branch agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's civilian
space and aeronautics and aerospace research.
Geothermal heat - is the direct use of geothermal energy for heating applications.
Geothermal energy originates from the heat retained within the Earth since the original
formation of the planet, from radioactive decay of minerals, and from solar energy
absorbed at the surface.
Part A – Answer the following questions. Use a new lined piece of paper. Remember to
write your name on your work. Include the name of the short story. Answer with as
much detail in the appropriate type of paragraph.
1. How does the writer manage to trick the reader into sympathizing with the
Sentry? (Sympathize – feel sorry for, express sympathy)
2. Explain the Sentry’s attitude to the enemy?
3. Write down all the words that are used to create a sense of repulsiveness of the
aliens and strangeness of the environment. (Repulsiveness - offensive or
disgusting)
4. What human traits or characteristics does the alien have?
5. How is the ending of the story ironic? (Ironic – coincidental or unexpected)
6. Make a list of questions you would like to ask an extraterrestrial. Try to come up
with at least 10.
Part B – Chose one of the following three options. We will be going to a computer lab/
bringing in our own devices/ borrowing laptops from the learning commons to work on this assignment. Computer lab rules will be reviewed
prior to going to the lab.
Option 1 – Perform and Internet search for reports of extraterrestrial sightings.
Create a summary and make a list of ten sources with appropriate references.
Option 2 - Imagine you are the first sentry to capture an “alien” alive, and write
a report of the encounter for your superior officer.
Place particular emphasis:
 How you managed to capture the alien,
 Its reactions to you
 The immediate apparent differences between the alien species and your
own.
Remember to use the voice of the sentry (voice refers to consideration as to
dialect, word choice, and mannerism) to create an alien perspective and
personality.
Option 3 – Create a wanted poster for the alien in the story. Be creative! Ensure
that enough details are present, both visually and in the copy (written words) to
convey your intended meaning and tone (tone refers to the feeling that emerges
i.e. serious, light-hearted, etc).
Evaluation:
____ Attention to detail and focus on the assigned tasks. Includes use of supports.
____ Response quality – depth, validity, inclusion, creativity/insight.
____ Writing mechanics – fluid, grammar, spelling, layout of paragraph/task
structure.
Overall creative writing mark: _____
Overall writing for meaning : _____
Full rubric to be posted online in the uploads section