Year 8 summer project Science Fiction writing Week 1 This summer project is to help to inform you about topics linked to the work you will start in year 9. The project will help to develop your understanding of a fascinating genre of fiction as well as helping you to think about the impact of science and technology in our world today. We will be using different mediums in order to get you thinking about our world today, the predictions made about the future from the past and the future developments that could be made in science and technology. You will be creating a portfolio of your work, which you can then bring into school in September, as you start year 9. Your portfolio can be created in whatever way best suits you. It could be completed on your computer using word of PowerPoint or another application, or it can be done as a hard copy on paper. You might want to get a folder or a book to store your work. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton imagines a What is science fiction? world in which dinosaurs are brought back Science fiction, often called sci-fi typically deals into the world through genetic with imaginative and futuristic concepts, such developments in science. as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe, extra-terrestrial life. Science fiction often looks at real life examples of changes to science and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is about a technology and imagines how these could scientist who tries to use science to re- develop in the future. It is a form of fantasy, but create life. based on the impact of actual or imagined science and technology on society or individuals, or has scientific elements as the Brave New World by Aldous Huxley imagines essential component to the story. Here are a futuristic future world state in which some examples. humans/citizens are environmentally engineered into a social hierarchy based on You can use this video to give you some more intelligence, in order to keep state control. information. There is a bonus quiz on this videos if it helps you. You can check your answers at the end of the PowerPoint. War of the Worlds is one of the earliest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BUAV7ZP stories to detail a conflict between mankind MQA and extra-terrestrial forces. Week 1 task We are going to be looking at Science fiction writing through different sub-genres. A genre is a style or category of art, music, or literature. Sub-genres are genres that are part of a larger genre. Here are some of the sub-genres of Science Fiction. Alien invasion Your task – You are going to be designing your own futuristic Alternate/parallel universe world. You can write a description of this world, draw a picture of this world or use another medium in order to present your Sci-Fi Apocalyptic/post apocalyptic worlds world. Here are some ideas to think about: Artificial intelligence 1. What advances in technology and science might make this world different? Robots / androids / genetic engineering? Cyberpunk On the next 2. How might people live? Will they still live in house? If so, what Dying earth slide there are might these houses look like? If not, where might they live? some pictures Galactic empire 3. What kind of government will be in charge? Will there be a and video links, government? Robots and androids which might help you design 4. Will be people have jobs? If so, what jobs might they have? If Space exploration your futuristic not, what might they be doing instead? 5. What remnants our current world will still be there? Will there Time travel world. be anything from our current world in this new Sci-Fi world? Virtual reality My Sci-Fi future world… Information Films https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNficZQdh2Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PSNL1qE6VY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI9lVkJdif4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5YMEwX2-88 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Z_D9Grh18 Bonus quiz… 1. Name one of the novels written by Michael Crichton 2. Name one of the novels written by William Gibson 3. Who wrote 1984 and Animal farm? 4. Who is most known for 2001 Space Odyssey? 5. Who wrote the Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451? 6. Which famous BBC radio comedy was written by Douglas Adams? 7. Name one of the novels written by Phillip K. Dick 8. Where does Nemo in Finding Nemo get his name from? 9. Who wrote Foundation and Nightfall? 10. Who wrote War of the Worlds, The Time Machine and The Invisible Man? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BUAV7ZPMQA Week 2 – Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and current developments in science and technology. What predictions can we make about the future? A lot of Science Fiction In Aldous Huxley’s novel ‘Brave New World,’ he predicted that writing predicts new people in the future would become reliant on prescription scientific and drugs. He also predicted that there would be vast steps forward technological advances in in genetic engineering and that cloning would happen. The the future. Let’s look at novel was published in 1932, but predicted a lot about our the predictions for the world today that has come true. future made by some famous writers. Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, published in 1953 predicted that would have Bluetooth headsets, which he described as ‘thimble radios’ and George Orwell's novel 1984 was ‘seashells’. He also predicted that we published in 1949, but he managed to would become consumed with television predict that we would have facial on huge screens and in the short story, recognition, surveillance cameras, and the Pedestrian, he predicted the music made using Artificial Intelligence. loneliness people would feel if they did not use technology, especially televisions. We are now going to look at the predictions we might make for the future, based on current technological and scientific developments. First of all, let’s look at how far we have come. Can you name any of these forms of technology from the past? – answers are at the end of the PowerPoint We are now going to look at the predictions we might make for the future, based on current technological and scientific developments. Let’s look at current developments in science and technology. Make a table of positive and negative effects of these advances in AI Artificial Intelligence - the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, Positives Negatives decision-making, and translation between languages. Watch these videos and consider what you think about these developments in Artificial Intelligence. Do you think that these developments are positive or do you think they might cause issues in the future. If so, what issues might arise? Definitions: Android - (in science fiction) a robot with a human appearance. Watch these clips and think about the impact AI has Robots - a machine resembling a human being and able to replicate certain human movements and functions automatically. on the world and the possible problems it can cause. The Avengers – what happens when the enemy is an https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZwG6pfqLEM android? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBNT3xWfMW0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmeOjFno6Do https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_jp9CwJhcA A.I – what happens when a robot has feelings? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_19pRsZRiz4 I, Robot (15) – what happens when robots become too powerful? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dlo-VB0-HI We are now going to look at the predictions we might make for the future, based on current technological and scientific developments. Make a table of positive and negative Let’s look at current developments in science and technology. effects of these advances in VR Virtual Reality - the computer-generated simulation of a three- dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in Positives Negatives a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors. What are the positive and negative implications of these developments in Virtual Reality? What do you think the next developments in VR will be? Watch these clips to help you think about the impact of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PxI7LHU_mA developments in VR. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXN6Hc4K8T0 Jumanji – what happens when people get sucked into a computer game as different people? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QKg5SZ_35I Ready Player One – What happens when you can escape into a different world? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSp1dM2Vj48 Johnny English – What happens when your virtual world goes wrong? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W19mLb-9JM Task – Read this short story called ‘There will come soft rains’ by Ray Bradbury. Task 1- This is a short story about a mechanical house which Task 2- Now that you have looked at some of the has been left unoccupied after a nuclear explosion destroys current developments in technology, research humanity. some of the current developments in science that Answer these questions are happening at the moment. 1. what do you think Ray Bradbury is trying to tell the reader about these imagined advances in technology? Write down your predictions for the future. What 2. What is he trying to tell the reader about a reliance on advances in science and technology will there be technology? in the future? 3. Would you want to live in a house like this? Extension – design and label your own robot / Alternatively – you can listen to the story here, while you read android.