I gotta suggest that the original I Robot is divided into several complete and easy to read stories, perfect for a 1 week unit. If you are going to connect the movie to the book, treat the movie as it's own work.
I'm a huge Gibson fan, so I've gotta push Neuromancer to the top of the cyberpunk list. Also a great one for comparing the technology of today with the technology sci-fi authors like Gibson were dreaming of.
For Tolkien, Lord of the Rings is a little long and heavy. It'd be easier to get them to read certain portions of The Hobbit. I'd use the first few chapters, then skip to the end right before the dragon. I'd also stress the history of The Hobbit: these were the bedtime stories of Tolkien's children.
I wouldn't bother with Dragonlance. Your not introducing them to Dungeons and Dragons. Dragonlance is good easy reading, but it had a purpose: to sell a game. It was all based off the fantasies that Tolkien invented so teach Tolkien.
And then I gotta throw in my support for Hitchhikers guide. It's a fun read, and a very 'outside the box' thinking. This is another one where you can use just one chapter and accomplish the goal.
All of these are fun reads, which I think is important when your dealing with high school students. These kids know sci-fi in the form of video games, like Halo and World of Warcraft. Their ears are open, but they bore easily. Things like Dune and Foundation will be lost on them.
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I gotta suggest that the original I Robot is divided into several complete and easy to read stories, perfect for a 1 week unit. If you are going to connect the movie to the book, treat the movie as it's own work. I'm a huge Gibson fan, so I've gotta push Neuromancer to the top of the cyberpunk list. Also a great one for comparing the technology of today with the technology sci-fi authors like Gibson were dreaming of. For Tolkien, Lord of the Rings is a little long and heavy. It'd be easier to get them to read certain portions of The Hobbit. I'd use the first few chapters, then skip to the end right before the dragon. I'd also stress the history of The Hobbit: these were the bedtime stories of Tolkien's children. I wouldn't bother with Dragonlance. Your not introducing them to Dungeons and Dragons. Dragonlance is good easy reading, but it had a purpose: to sell a game. It was all based off the fantasies that Tolkien invented so teach Tolkien. And then I gotta throw in my support for Hitchhikers guide. It's a fun read, and a very 'outside the box' thinking. This is another one where you can use just one chapter and accomplish the goal. All of these are fun reads, which I think is important when your dealing with high school students. These kids know sci-fi in the form of video games, like Halo and World of Warcraft. Their ears are open, but they bore easily. Things like Dune and Foundation will be lost on them.