Vocabulary + Preview

1. "Crushing certain plants could add up (graftly, infinitesimally, intuitively, shrewdly). A little error here would multiply in sixty million years, all out of proportion."
2. "The government doesn't like us here. We have to pay big (subtle, dirigible, graft, savvy) to keep our business."
3. The green carpet of grass and moss was (subtle, poised, infinitesimal, resilient) and soft.
4. "Maybe Time can't be changed by us. Or maybe it can be changed only in little (resilient, subtle, graft, poised) ways."
5. "It ran with a gliding ballet step, far too (graft, intuitive, poised, shrewd) and balanced for its ten tons."
6. "In the slime, tiny insects wriggled, so that the entire body seemed to twitch and (poise, subtle, undulate, graft), even while the monster itself did not move."

· Based on the above quotes from the story, "A Sound of Thunder", what do you think the story might be about?
· If you could go back in Time, when would you go, and why?
· If you could change something in the Past, what would it be, and why?

Vocabulary Pretest for these words is here.

1. "I thought this story was... because..."
2. Summarize Travis' explanation of the effects their actions in the past might have on the future.
3. Can you think of any examples of a similar "snowball" effect; where a small action adds up to large consequences?
4. How do they know which animals they can shoot? Do you see anything wrong with their approach--especially after Travis' explanation?
5. What was Eckels first clue that something was wrong?
6. Why did Travis shoot Eckels? Was there a reason or was it just revenge? A convenient way for Ray Bradbury to end the story? Explain why you think so.
7. What message(s) do you think Ray Bradbury intended with this story?
8. Bonus: What year do they leave from?
9. Bonus: Look up the word subliminal (page 9--top of the second column). Copy the definition and try to explain what Mr. Bradbury means when he uses the word. Use it in a sentence of your own.