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Library     Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction     Paired Texts

Paired Texts > Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction

by Shelby Ostergaard 2017

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

Proposed Treatment to Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical Issues
Proposed Treatment to Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical Issues
Rob Stein, NPR's Morning Edition

In this article from National Public Radio, a new genetic treatment that removes unwanted DNA from an embryo raises controversy.

Pair “Proposed Treatment to Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical Issues” with “Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” and ask students to discuss how the costs and benefits of technology are explored in both texts. How might the content explored in “Proposed Treatment to Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical Issues” be presented in a dystopia?

10th Grade News 1110L
President Bush on the PATRIOT Act
President Bush on the PATRIOT Act
President George W. Bush

In "President Bush on the PATRIOT Act," President George W. Bush introduces an act in 2001 that he believes will help prevent future terrorist attacks on the United States.

Pair “President Bush on the Patriot Act” with "Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” and ask students to discuss how President Bush discusses surveillance. How might President Bush’s law, allowing extensive surveillance, inspire dystopian fiction? What would this dystopia look like?

9th Grade Speech 1090L
Excerpts from We
Excerpts from We
Yevgeny Zamyatin

We is a work of dystopian fiction set in a future police state by Russian writer Yevgeny Ivanovich Zamyatin (1884-1937). In 1921, We became the first work banned by the Soviet Union's censorship board; Zamyatin managed to have his work smuggled to the West and later lived out the rest of his life in exile. This novel is thought to have inspired Brave New World and 1984.

Pair “Excerpts from We” with "Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” and ask students to discuss how “Excerpts from We” is an example of dystopian fiction. What flaws in society does Zamyatin magnify? Why do students think this book was banned by the Soviet Union?

11th Grade Science Fiction 1030L
Autumntime
Autumntime
Anthony Lentini

A young person, living in a gleaming technological future, travels with their family to see their first tree.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching” with “Autumntime” and ask students to discuss how this short story exemplifies the qualities of dystopian fiction. Which common themes of dystopian literature are addressed in this short story? In the words of Ostergaard, how does this text “mirror” the concerns and problems of the modern world?

7th Grade Science Fiction 1050L
How the Internet Came to Be
How the Internet Came to Be
Shelby Ostergaard

In the informational text "How the Internet Came to Be," Shelby Ostergaard explains how the Internet has developed into what we use today.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “How the Internet Came to Be” and ask students to discuss some of the problems that the Internet could cause in a society. How might these problems develop in a dystopia? Do students think that the Internet poses any real threat to our society? Why or why not?

9th Grade Informational Text 1120L
The Alaska Start III
The Alaska Start III
Robert Groves

In Robert Groves' blog entry "The Alaska Start III," Groves describes conducting the 2010 United States Census in a village in Alaska.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “The Alaska Start III” and ask students to discuss how people’s paranoia about providing their information to the government could impact the quality of the census. Would you be comfortable giving your information to the government? Why or why not? How could refusing to fill out the census impact a community?

6th Grade Informational Text 1040L
All Summer in a Day
All Summer in a Day
Ray Bradbury

In this classic Ray Bradbury short story, the children on planet Venus wait to see the sun for the first time in seven years.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction” with “All Summer in a Day” and ask students to identify and discuss the dystopian characteristics that are present in “All Summer in a Day.” How does Bradbury use dystopian fiction to convey the message of his short story?

8th Grade Science Fiction 780L
The History of the Cylinder Phonograph
The History of the Cylinder Phonograph
The Library of Congress

The informational text "The History of the Cylinder Phonograph" discusses Thomas Edison's development of a device that recorded and reproduced sound.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “The History of the Cylinder Phonograph” and ask students to discuss ways in which Thomas Edison’s recording device could be used to violate a person’s privacy. How has Edison’s invention developed to be used today? How might Edison’s invention inspire dystopian fiction?

8th Grade Informational Text 1190L
How the News Media Works
How the News Media Works
Jessica McBirney

In the information text "How the News Media Works," Jessica McBirney discusses how we receive information about events around the world and the controversy surrounding it.

Pair “Someone Might be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “How the News Media Works” and ask students to discuss how both texts explore the power that big corporations can have over the public. How might biased news inspire dystopian fiction? What would this dystopian world look like?

7th Grade Informational Text 1120L
The Power of Advertising
The Power of Advertising
Shelby Ostergaard

In the informational text "The Power of Advertising," Shelby Ostergaard discusses how advertisements are developed and the effect they have on us.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “The Power of Advertising” and ask students to discuss how the messages that ads send to the public could be damaging. What would a dystopian society that exaggerated the influence of ads look like?

7th Grade Informational Text 1050L
A Slick Little Robot
A Slick Little Robot
Harry T. Roman

In the informational text "A Slick Little Robot," Harry T. Roman discusses how he helped design a mobile robot named OTIS.

Pair “Someone Might be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “A Slick Little Robot” and ask students to discuss how mobile robots might be represented in dystopian fiction. Do students think that greater advancements in robotics will lead to more problems or solutions? Why?

6th Grade Informational Text 930L
U.S. Preparing Charges Against Leaker of Data
U.S. Preparing Charges Against Leaker of Data
Michael S. Schmidt, Eric Schmitt, and Keith Bradsher

In The New York Times article "U.S. Preparing Charges Against Leaker of Data," Edward Snowden's leak of classified information in 2013 and the actions that the United States took in response are discussed.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “U.S. Preparing Charges Against Leaker of Data” and ask students how both texts explore people’s fear or objection to government surveillance. How is Edward Snowden’s description of government surveillance reflective of dystopian fiction? How could a dystopian author use the ideas in “U.S. Preparing Charges Against Leaker of Data” to create a dystopian story?

10th Grade News 1330L
F.B.I. Watched Activist Groups, New Files Show
F.B.I. Watched Activist Groups, New Files Show
Eric Lichtblau

In his 2005 New York Times article "F.B.I. Watched Activist Groups, New Files Show," Eric Lichtblau discusses the F.B.I.'s surveillance of certain activist groups.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “F.B.I. Watched Activist Groups, New Files Show” and ask students how the ideas discussed in “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” give context to the fears and feelings of the activist groups about F.B.I. surveillance in “F.B.I. Watched Activist Groups, New Files Show.” How does the information provided about 1984 help students to understand society’s ideas about surveillance since the 1940s? Have ideas about surveillance changed? Why or why not? Is the F.B.I. acting like something out of a dystopian novel? Why or why not?

10th Grade News 1250L
Harrison Bergeron
Harrison Bergeron
Kurt Vonnegut

In Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Harrison Bergeron," a society has achieved a form of equality through modifications that subdue citizens' skills and special abilities.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “Harrison Bergeron” and ask students to discuss how the short story is an example of dystopian fiction. What is exaggerated in “Harrison Bergeron” and why? What do students think is the warning behind “Harrison Bergeron”?

9th Grade Short Story 810L
How Video Games Are Getting Inside Your Head — And Wallet
How Video Games Are Getting Inside Your Head — And Wallet
Steve Henn, for NPR

In the informational text, "How Video Games Are Getting Inside Your Head – And Wallet," Steve Henn discusses how game companies' research influences gamers. 

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “How Video Games Are Getting Inside Your Head – And Wallet” and ask students to discuss how game companies’ influence over gamers might be portrayed in a dystopian world. In what ways do game companies infringe on gamers’ privacy? Do students think this is a violation of their rights? Why or why not?

8th Grade Informational Text 1020L
Why Teens Find The End Of The World So Appealing
Why Teens Find The End Of The World So Appealing
Elissa Nadworny

In the informational text "Why Teens Find the End of the World So Appealing," Elissa Nadworny explores why teenagers enjoy reading dystopian fiction.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “Why Teens Find the End of the World So Appealing” to provide students with additional information about dystopian fiction. How does each text describe dystopian fiction? Why do students think that the themes of dystopian fiction explored in “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” appeal to teenagers?

8th Grade Informational Text 1060L
The Hero's Journey
The Hero's Journey
Jessica McBirney

In the informational text "The Hero's Journey," Jessica McBirney discusses a common structure among many stories across genres.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Literature” with “The Hero’s Journey” and ask students to discuss what draws readers to both dystopian and hero stories. What makes “The Hunger Games” so successful? How do the dystopian elements of “The Hunger Games” enhance the Hero’s Journey structure? Is there room for other dystopian stories to incorporate this structure? Why or why not?

9th Grade Informational Text 1010L
Examination Day
Examination Day
Henry Slesar

In Henry Slesar's short story "Examination Day," a boy takes an intelligence exam administered by the government.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “Examination Day” and ask students to discuss what makes a fictional world qualify as a dystopia. Do students consider “Examination Day” to be dystopian fiction? Why or why not? What about the society in “Examination Day” is distorted to reveal a deeper message?

7th Grade Science Fiction 740L
What is a Robonaut?
What is a Robonaut?
NASA

In the informational text from NASA, "What is a Robonaut?", the author discusses the use of robots in space.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “What is a Robonaut?” and ask students to discuss how dystopian fiction would likely portray humanoid robots. Do students think there are any dangers or disadvantages in using Robonauts in space? If so, what are they?

8th Grade Informational Text 1400L
Why is it fun to be frightened?
Why is it fun to be frightened?
Margee Kerr

In the informational text "Why is it fun to be frightened?" Margee Kerr discusses why people enjoy being scared and what she learned from studying a group of people who went through a haunted house. 

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “Why is it fun to be frightened?” and ask students to discuss dystopian and horror films. How do dystopian and horror films play on society’s fears? Do students think viewers have the same fun-scary experience with dystopian films as they do with horror? Why or why not?

9th Grade Informational Text 1290L
Can DNA Editing Save Endangered Species?
Can DNA Editing Save Endangered Species?
Kathiann Kowalski

In the informational text "Can DNA Editing Save Endangered Species?" Kathiann Kowalski discusses how editing the DNA of invasive species could save endangered native species.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “Can DNA Editing Save Endangered Species?” and ask students to discuss how dystopian fiction addresses genetic editing. Why is genetic research a common subject of dystopian fiction? How does the passage “Can DNA Editing Save Endangered Species?” explore the problems that DNA editing could cause?

8th Grade Informational Text 930L
Explainer: How CRISPR Works
Explainer: How CRISPR Works
Tina Hesman Saey

In the informational text "Explainer: How CRISPR Works," Tina Hesman Saey describes how scientists can edit DNA.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching – An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “Explainer: How CRISPR Works” to provide students with information about the dystopian fiction genre. Ask students to discuss how editing genes could be used as the subject of dystopian fiction. What could go wrong with gene editing? Does this mean that scientists should not pursue gene editing? Why or why not?

8th Grade Informational Text 940L
The Last Dog
The Last Dog
Katherine Paterson

 

In this short story by Katherine Paterson, a boy makes a fascinating discovery that causes him to reconsider everything he has ever believed to be true. 

 

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching - An Introduction to Dystopian Science Fiction” with “The Last Dog” to provide students with background information about the characteristics of dystopian fiction. How is “The Last Dog” an example of dystopian fiction? Like most dystopian fiction texts, “The Last Dog” reflects the author’s perception of modern society. What comment is Katherine Paterson making about society? What message is she trying to send to her audience?

8th Grade Science Fiction 830L
Surviving
Surviving
Marie Lu

In "Surviving," young adult fiction author Marie Lu explains how the lessons of resilience and adaptability that she learned from watching her parents navigate the impossible have shaped her own life's path.

Pair “Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction” with “Surviving” and ask students to discuss how Marie Lu’s childhood experiences in China influenced her choice to become an author of young adult dystopian novels. According to “Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction,” what are the main characteristics of dystopian fiction? Identify and discuss examples from Lu’s “Surviving” of experiences that she and/or her family members had in China that resemble the characteristics of dystopian fiction. Although it is not discussed directly in this memoir, what conclusions can you draw about why Lu has become a prolific author of dystopian fiction for young adults?

9th Grade Memoir 1060L
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