Ray Bradbury: There Will Come Soft Rains

There Will Come Soft Rains

By Ray Bradbury

CCSS: 7th grade

RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.​

​⇨ Back up your answers with info from the text ⇦

​

RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).​

⇨ Investigate how parts of a story change the rest of the story. ⇦

​

L.7.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.​

⇨ ​Understand non-literal references. ⇦

Multiple Choice

RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.​

What does this standard want us to do?

• ⇨ Investigate how parts of a story change the rest of the story. ⇦

• ⇨ Back up your answers with info from the text ⇦

• ⇨ ​Understand non-literal references. ⇦

Multiple Choice

RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).​

What does this standard want us to do?

• ⇨ Investigate how parts of a story change the rest of the story. ⇦

• ⇨ Back up your answers with info from the text ⇦

• ⇨ ​Understand non-literal references. ⇦

Multiple Choice

L.7.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.​

What does this standard want us to do?

• ⇨ Investigate how parts of a story change the rest of the story. ⇦

• ⇨ Back up your answers with info from the text ⇦

• ⇨ ​Understand non-literal references. ⇦

​Follow along with the audio.

​

Then answer the questions on the next few slides.

Multiple Select

Lots of science fiction texts include futuristic technology. What sort of advanced technology have we seen in this story so far? (Select all that apply.)

• The house announces the date and important events.

• The house makes and cleans up breakfast all on its own.

• The house makes phone calls without being asked.

• Robotic mice automatically clean the house.

Multiple Choice

What does the following evidence suggest about the humans in this story?

"The entire west face of the house was black, save for five places. Here the silhouette in paint of a man mowing a lawn. Here, as in a photograph, a woman bent to pick flowers. Still farther over, their images burned on wood in one titanic instant, a small boy, hands flung into the air; higher up, the image of a thrown ball, and opposite him a girl, hands raised to catch a ball which never came down."

• They were a family with many problems.

• They went to the store and will be back soon.

• They were killed very suddenly by a blast.

Multiple Choice

Which textual evidence supports the idea that the family was killed by a bomb.

• "Eight-one, tick-tock, eight-one o'clock, off to school, off to work, run, run, eight-one!"

• "The house stood alone in a city of rubble and ashes. This was the one house left standing. At night the ruined city gave off a radioactive glow which could be seen for miles."

• "In the living room the voice-clock sang, Tick-tock, seven o'clock, time to get up, time to get up, seven o 'clock! "

​Follow along with the audio.

​

Then answer the questions on the next few slides.

Multiple Choice

How did the house protect itself?

• It closed the windows and kept wild animals away.

• It made breakfast every day and announced the time.

• It called 911.

Multiple Choice

Why was the dog allowed in the house?

• He went through the doggy-door without the house realizing.

• He was a family pet; the house recognized him.

• He was a stray that really needed help, and the house knows first aid.

Multiple Choice

Which textual evidence suggests that

the dog died of radiation poisoning from a bomb?

• "The front door recognized the dog voice and opened. The dog, once huge and fleshy, but now gone to bone and covered with sores, moved in and through the house, tracking mud."

• "A dog whined, shivering, on the front porch."

• "It ran wildly in circles, biting at its tail, spun in a frenzy, and died."

​Follow along with the audio.

​

Then answer the questions on the next few slides.

Multiple Choice

Which figure of speech is used in this quote?

"At ten o'clock the house began to die."

• METAPHOR

  (a comparison of something without using like or as)

• PERSONIFICATION (treating someTHING like it's human)

• IMAGERY

  (descriptions so vivid readers can easily picture them)

Multiple Choice

An example of how the plot is shaped by the setting is ...

• There are no humans in the story because the bomb destroyed the city.

• The family only had one pet because their yard wasn't big enough.

• The family had robotic mice because they didn't like to clean.

Multiple Choice

An example of how a character evolves (grows) with the plot is ...

• the mice continue to clean up

• the house repeats the date

• the house tires to put out the fire

​Follow along with the audio.

​

Then answer the questions on the next few slides.

Multiple Choice

Which quote is another example of personification?

• "But the fire was clever."

• The fire burst the house and let it slam flat down, puffing out skirts of spark and smoke.

• Smoke and silence. A great quantity of smoke.

Multiple Choice

Which plot event leads to the destruction of the house?

• The bomb

• The fire

• An earthquake

• A storm

Multiple Choice

Which textual evidence best supports the idea that

the house is destroyed?

• "Smoke and silence. A great quantity of smoke."

• "Among the ruins, one wall stood alone."

•  "'Today is August 5, 2026, today is August 5, 2026, today is...'"