Lesson Plan

"War of the Worlds": A Broadcast Re-Creation

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This "War of the Worlds": A Broadcast Re-Creation lesson plan also includes:

Why did Orson Welles' 1938 Broadcast of a adaptation of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds cause such a panic? To answer this question, class members listen to the original broadcast and research the panic that resulted. They then engage in a Readers' Theatre exercise using the script from the program and reflect on the ability of media to spread panic.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Begin by playing the several audios of news reports from the 1930s to familiarize students with the style of these broadcasts
Classroom Considerations
  • Presumes class members are familiar with the post World War I political climate
Pros
  • Critical thinking and media literacy activities ask class members to examine bogus Web sites and consider the techniques used to make the the information appear real
  • Another activity asks learners to compare the book to the radio script to various film versions
  • Includes a link to the radio broadcast
Cons
  • None
Common Core