Lesson Plan: Ray Bradbury's "The Veldt" - Exploring Dystopian Themes through Literature
Grade Level: High School (Grades 9-12)
Subject: English Language Arts / Literature
Duration: 4 class periods (45-60 minutes each), plus homework/out of class prep
Rationale: Written in 1950, Ray Bradbury's "The Veldt" (1950) is a cautionary tale about the dangers of outsourcing parenting to technology, relying too heavily on technology for day-to-day life, and unchecked consumerism. This lesson encourages students to analyze the story's themes, symbolism, and foreshadowing while connecting it to contemporary issues like the role technology (especially robotics and AI) should have in the roles of homemaking and parenting.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Identify and analyze key themes in "The Veldt," such as the impact of technology on family dynamics and human behavior.
Examine literary devices like symbolism (e.g., the nursery as a metaphor for unchecked desires) and foreshadowing.
Discuss how the story critiques society and relates to modern technology (Automated robots to perform household tasks, AI, smarthomes, etc.)
Create their own warnings of overreliance on technology and the importance of human relationships and connections for developing children.
Materials Needed
Devices for students to access internet, note taking apps, google docs, PDF copies of "The Veldt"
Projector for displaying content, clips, discussion prompts, images, etc.
Digital copy of theme analysis worksheet, graphic organizer for symbolism.
Clips from adaptations (e.g., the 1989 The Ray Bradbury Theater episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHSaxHI3upA)
Images of African veldts or other related images to help teach vocabulary or set the stage as needed
Procedure
Day 1: Introduction and Reading (45-60 minutes)
Warm-Up (10 minutes):
Begin with a quick journal prompt: "How does technology make your life easier? Can it ever make things worse? Give an example." (This activates prior knowledge and ties into the story's themes.)
Share Ray Bradbury intro:
Ray Bradbury (1920–2012) was an American author who grew up during the Great Depression. His limited opportunities inspired him to spend his time in libraries and writing. His best-known works are Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and The Illustrated Man, which includes our short story "The Veldt."
Bradbury explored humanity’s relationship with technology, warning of its potential to dehumanize while celebrating its wonders. His lyrical style and focus on moral questions made him a literary icon, influencing generations with his timeless cautionary tales.
Guided Reading (20-30 minutes):
Read the story aloud as a class, or have students read independently/in pairs. Include these discussion topics as they organically come up during the reading:
After the nursery description: "What does the nursery symbolize?"
After the parents' concerns: "What foreshadowing do you notice?"
Organic ending reactions: "Did you see this coming, or was it a shock?"
Address vocabulary words like veldt as they come up in the story. Ask students to use context clues if appropriate. Show images of things like a Veldt to help visual learners.
Class Wrap Up (10-15 minutes):
Questions to consider for an in class discussion:
What happened in the story?
Compare/Contrast how the children saw the nursery vs. how their parents saw the nursery. A Venn Diagram (link) may be useful for this activity
Themes to touch on in conversation as they come up: Technology as a parent substitute, dependance of technology, loss of human autonomy, technology's negative impact on close interpersonal relationships.
Exit ticket: Summarize in 1-2 sentences your one biggest takeaway from The Veldt.
Homework: Write a 200 - 300 word reaction essay about the story and write about your biggest takeaways.
Day 2: Analysis and Activities (45-60 minutes)
Review and Share (15 minutes):
Ask students to share the main ideas of essays in small groups of no more than 4 people
Story Mapping Activity (30 minutes)
Revisit the main events and themes in the story. Use a story map of your choice (example) to help students track key elements of the story. Use a worksheet or PDF that works for you and your class.
Some key points for students to consider:
House became the caretaker instead of the parents.
Technology replaced the roles and loving relationships the parents had with their children.
Emotional detachment of the children from their parents as a result of neglect and lack of presence in their lives.
Out of balance consumerism and overreliance on technology had disastrous results for the parents.
"Wendy and Peter" were characters from Peter Pan, but in The Veldt both children never grew up.
The nursery was a medium for the subconscious desires of the children outpicturing in their life experiences.
The veldt symbolizes raw, animal level instincts of the subconscious mind left unchecked due to immaturity
The lions symbolize the anger and animosity the children felt toward their parents for neglecting them emotionally and socially
The nursery represents the subconscious mind that impacts how we react to our external stimuli
The Happylife House represents technology taking on the role of homemaker and provider in a dystopian manner
Wrap up (10 - 15 minutes)
Summarize the findings in the story mapping activity
For readers needing scaffolding: Provide audio versions or simplified summaries of the story and content reviewed in class.
Exit Ticket: submit a photo or download of your story map
Homework: Watch this Interview with Ray Bradbury and take a few notes on the highlights of Ray Bradbury's life and works in prep for a discussion about the author himself and how his life and experiences may have inspired him to write The Veldt.
Day 3 Synthesis, Discussion and Debate (45-60 minutes)
Breakout Groups (10 minutes): Share what you learned about Ray Bradbury, his life and works and the biggest takeaways from his interview.
Whole-Class Discussion (20 minutes):
Discuss all or some of the following discussion prompts:
What warnings does Bradbury offer to society in The Veldt?
How relevant is the story in 2025 with AI, robotics and changes in human relationships due to technology?
How can technology hinder human relationships?
How should parents evaluate good and not so good ways to use technology to be effective parents who are present for their children?
Class debate (30 minutes): Debate the pros and cons of using technology to parent children
Ask students to divide the class into two groups, with those favoring using technology heavily in parenting on one side, and those who support drastically limiting technology on the other.
Ask all or any of the questions to both groups of students, allowing ample time for back and forth between sides:
Is it ok to rely on technology to handle significant parenting responsibilities, such as teaching children or providing emotional support?
Can technology replace traditional parenting without negatively impacting a child’s emotional intelligence or creativity? Does this vary by age and stage of growth/development?
Can technology truly understand and adapt to the unique needs of each child, or does it risk creating a one-size-fits-all approach to parenting
How might growing up with parenting technologies shape children’s expectations of human interaction and problem-solving as they become adults?
Could over-reliance on technology in parenting lead to a future where human input is undervalued in child-rearing decisions?
Day 4: Summative Assessment