I’ve always loved teaching “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury. It’s one of those unicorn short stories that is accessible enough for striving readers yet advanced enough for in-depth analysis. It makes students think and applies directly to their everyday lives. Set in a dystopian future, “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury prompts us to face a society addicted to screens and explore what happens to those who choose a different path. Here are five activities for “The Pedestrian” that will engage your students and help them explore these dystopian themes.
Hook Students with a Four Corners Activity for The Pedestrian
Get students moving and thinking critically from the start with a four-corners activity! Using the prompts in this resource, project four corner slides that move students to an “isolated, included, imaginative, or ignorant” corner. For example, one prompt states, “Watching TV makes us more _____________. “
Once students choose their corners, have them discuss their reasoning with others. This encourages them to think about the story’s context and how it mirrors our own society. This will set the stage for a deeper analysis of Bradbury’s message.
By starting with an engaging activity, you’re not only capturing students’ attention but also inviting them to make personal connections with the text. They’ll be more invested in exploring the story’s themes and will already have a context for group discussions.
Teach Mood and Tone with The Pedestrian Themes
Understanding mood and tone is essential to analyzing literature. Teaching “The Pedestrian” plus the pairing below provides the perfect opportunity to practice this skill. Begin by discussing the difference between mood (the emotional atmosphere) and tone (the author’s attitude). Use examples from this resource to illustrate these concepts. This will ensure students have the basics before showing what they know in a close reading of “The Pedestrian” and its pairing.
Read “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury
Now that your students are intrigued and have reviewed mood and tone, it’s time to immerse them in the story itself. Reading “The Pedestrian” aloud in class can enhance comprehension and allow you to check for understanding.
Another way to aid comprehension and support ELL students is to show The Pedestrian animation. Though the animation is somewhat dated, I think it does a great job of capturing the mood. It also provides a visual for striving readers. Ask students: Which elements contribute to the mood? What is better conveyed in the animation than in the story and vice versa?
For an additional close reading, use “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury text to have students color-code word choice that creates the mood and word choice that reveals the tone. This process will be repeated with the pairing listed below so that students can compare two short stories with similar topics but different tones. This adds a lot of depth and complexity to this short story lesson plan and gives students lots of mood and tone examples!
Pair “Us and Them” by David Sedaris
For an enriching comparison, pair “The Pedestrian” with “Us and Them” by David Sedaris. If you are unfamiliar with Sedaris, he’s one of my favorite authors. Crude, hilarious, yet poignant, he is truly gifted at expressing a wide range of emotions through his writing. Both texts have similar themes and settings (one fiction, one real), but their tones are completely different.
In class, facilitate a discussion about the similarities and differences between the two works. How do Mead’s experiences echo those of Sedaris’s characters? What insights do these texts offer about human nature and societal norms?
For a deeper analysis, have students use a Venn diagram to visually represent the connections between the stories. This activity will help them synthesize information and draw meaningful conclusions about the themes. By examining these texts side by side, students can gain a broader perspective on the issues Bradbury and Sedaris address.
Conclude with an Engaging Activity for The Pedestrian
There are many ways to end your “The Pedestrian” lesson plan that will encourage students to think critically and write creatively. Here are a few ideas:
- Write a rebuttal to the negative viewpoints of screen time in both these stories. What are the positive aspects of screen time?
- Write an ode to your favorite TV show in an exaggerated, flowery tone.
- Write an argumentative essay on a topic: Does social media make us more isolated or connected? Does AI make us more ignorant or efficient?
- Write a narrative about a time in your life where you felt like you didn’t fit into society because of social media. Or, write about a time you felt more connected to society because of social media.
- Create a dopamine menu. Using feel-good colors (mood) and a happy tone, create a personalized menu to reference for less mindless screen time.
- Create an infographic. What does the research say about screen time? Display findings in an infographic.
Teaching “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury and “Us and Them” by David Sedaris offers a unique opportunity to engage students with meaningful themes and thoughtful discussions. These activities for “The Pedestrian” ensure that students connect personally with the story, understand its deeper meanings, and develop skills that extend beyond the classroom. Remember, the goal is to spark curiosity and inspire a lifelong love of literature.
If you’d like to save time, you can grab this helpful guide for teaching The Pedestrian here: The Pedestrian: Mood and Tone Activity, Text Set, and Project
