“Marionettes, Inc.” Literary Analysis, Ray Bradbury Short Story PDF & Google App

Imagine you could buy a clone of yourself and no one would ever know. Unpleasant chores? Your cyborg will clean the mess. Stacks of essays to grade? “You 2.0” quickly manages that paper load. Dinner with a difficult spouse? Send in the clone.

What a great world! And nothing could possibly go wrong in this utopia, right? Right?

Ray Bradbury’s short story, “Marionettes, Inc.,” gives us a glimpse of a world where clones are available to solve all of our problems. This compelling 45-minute lesson will get your students reading, thinking, and discussing the consequences of looking to technology to solve our most-human problems. The materials (3-page PDF + Google Drive version of student handout) were designed to help middle and high school students sharpen their literary analysis skills while also making personal connections to Bradbury’s delightfully creepy tale.

This lesson includes:

1 page detailed lesson plan notes with online story links

1 page lit. analysis handout featuring depth-of-knowledge questions that require students to analyze the text as well as make modern connections to Bradbury’s story

1 page of detailed answer keys to help you easily grade students’ work and guide in-class discussion

Student handout is included in both PDF and Google Drive format.

Want more Sci Fi lessons at a 20% discount? Click HERE to check out my budget-priced two-week Science Fiction Mini-Unit, which includes this lesson. No need to purchase the item on this page separately if you buy the money-saving bundle of lessons.

Please note: This lesson is NOT included in my 4-week Short Story Unit bundle.

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Cover image credit: Pixabay, Public domain