1. “Harrison Bergeron” By Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

2. Vocabulary in Context  Directions: Attempt to figure out what each word means by its context. Substitute another familiar word for the boldfaced unfamiliar words.  He showed vigilance with the children crossing the street.  I saw her wince in pain after the injection.  I was filled with consternation at the thought.  Don’t just cower in the corner, do something!  We must all synchronize our watches.  I braced myself, which helped neutralize the impact.

3. GOALS FOR VOCABULARY AQUISITION  Apply knowledge of language to make effective choices for meaning or style.  Consult reference materials to determine or clarify a word’s meaning or etymology.  Demonstrate understanding of word relationships.

4. What if everyone were the same?  Imagine we all had the same amount of intelligence, talents, appearance, and strength.  What if no one were any better than anyone else?  How do you think people would feel and act toward each other?  Would they be happy and satisfied?  (respond thoughtfully to each question)

5.  What is Utopia?  Dystopia?

6. Today  Retrieve your paper from yesterday in which we charted the details about the society Harrison Bergeron lived in.  Write a formal explanatory introduction in which you include:  Hook, background information, thesis, and main points

7. What is a handicap?

8. GOALS FOR READING  Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.  Analyze how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot.

9. Harrison Bergeron  “Harrison Bergeron” is set in the United States in 2081, when law requires everyone to be handicapped into average sameness.  One day, tall, brilliant 14-year-old Harrison Bergeron is arrested. He escapes and storms a TV studio.

10. Parts of a Plot What do you remember?

11. Conflict List as many types of conflict as you can remember.