BAEN BOOKS

READING GUIDES 2012

Copyright © 2012 by Baen Books

A Baen Book Original

Baen Publishing Enterprises

P.O. Box 1403

Riverdale, NY 10471

www.baen.com

eISBN: 978-1-6182-4068-2

INTRODUCTION

Many students love science fiction stories. Even students who don’t ordinarily like to read find themselves drawn to speculative fiction. We at Baen Books believe that science fiction, fantasy, and other works of speculative fiction have many advantages for inclusion in the middle and high-school curriculum. This type of fiction can foster a love of reading among students, provide the basis for writing assignments that will motivate and intrigue them, spark lively discussions, and lead students to productive explorations of questions in history, science, sociology, religion and ethics. Baen Teachers’ Guides are designed to provide instructors with resources for using Baen books as foundations for this sort of exploration.

We hope these guides will make it productive and interesting for you to include Baen titles in your curriculum. We welcome your comments on this guide and your suggestions for future guides. Let us know how we can improve the guides for classroom use as well as any other ideas you have for using Baen books in your classroom.

Copyright 2010 by Baen Books.

BAEN BOOKS

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE STAR BEAST

BY ROBERT A. HEINLEIN

Contents:

- recommended reading levels

- Heinlein biographical material and links

- background of the book and plot summary

- character sketches

- chapter guides include a more detailed plot summary and may also include some of the following:

- Prepare to read…

- vocabulary

- focus questions or initiating activity

- plot summary

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions—multiple choice/short answer questions to testing reading comprehension

- reflection and discussion questions—may be used to initiate classroom discussion, as short writing assignments, or as test questions

- suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration—suggestions for activities and projects

Recommended reading levels:

Heinlein’s young adult or “juvenile” fiction appeals to readers of many ages, from early middle-school readers to adults, and much of his earlier work can also be read by young adults even if they were originally marketed to older readers. For use in the classroom, The Star Beast is probably most appropriate for readers in grades 5-10. The Star Beast has been listed on several recommended reading lists for children and young adults, including those of The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (“Recommended Reading for Children and Young Adults” by the staff of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, revised December 2007, http://www.lasfsinc.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=95&Itemid=260#RRList) and The Golden Duck Awards for Excellence in Children’s Science Fiction recommended reading list (http://www.sff.net/rff/readlist/goldduckrl.htm).

Biographical information on Robert Heinlein:

Robert Anson Heinlein is considered to be one of the best, if not the best, writers of science fiction of all time. He was a prolific, commercially and critically successful, and at times controversial, contributor to the genre. He was born in Butler, Missouri on July 7, 1907, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1929. Heinlein served in the Navy during the 1930’s, but was forced to retire from the Navy because of tuberculosis. He decided to try writing and sold “Lifeline”, a short story, in late 1939 in Astounding Science Fiction, which was a “pulp” magazine. These were periodicals published on cheap (pulp) paper that catered to popular tastes for genre fiction (mystery, romance, detective, adventure, horror and science fiction). He was a regular contributor to science fiction pulp magazines for the first several years of his career. He hit his stride as a novelist after World War II, publishing fourteen “juvenile” novels aimed at the young adult market as well as many novels for adults. Some of his most popular works are Double Star (1956), The Door into Summer (1957), Starship Troopers (1959), Stranger in a Strange Land (1961), The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966), and Time Enough for Love (1973), and four of his novels won the Hugo Award, which is presented at the annual World Science Fiction Convention. Heinlein wrote the screenplays for two movies: Destination Moon (1950) and Project Moonbase (1953), and two of his novels have been adapted into films: The Puppet Masters (book, 1951; film, 1994) and Starship Troopers (book, 1959; film, 1997). His novel Space Cadet (1948) also inspired the television show Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1950-1955). Heinlein died in Carmel, California on May 8, 1988. For more biographical details, see the following articles:

- The Robert Heinlein Society offers a biographical essay by William H. Patterson, Jr. (The Heinlein Society, http://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/biographies.html) and further information about Heinlein’s life and work (The Heinlein Society, http://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/FAQrah.html).

- Carlos Angelo, “Heinlein,” Robert A. Heinlein: Dean of Science Fiction Writers, http://www.wegrokit.com/bio.htm

Suggested class activity:

Have your students read the information on Heinlein above before they begin the book.

For further information on Heinlein and his work:

- The most current and extensive website dedicated to Heinlein is that of The Robert Heinlein Society (http://www.heinleinsociety.org/). In addition to the biographical information linked above, the Society website includes news, essays, forums and many other interesting areas to explore.

- Another useful website is RAH: The Robert A. Heinlein homepage by James Gifford (http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah/). Although this web site is not currently being updated, it contains useful FAQs, essays and links on Heinlein’s life and work.

- Another website that is not currently being updated, but which provides some interesting essays and biographical information is Robert A. Heinlein, Dean of Science Fiction Writers (http://www.wegrokit.com/).

- There are several critical studies of Heinlein’s work that are available in book form. The first and still one of the best is Heinlein in Dimension by Alexei Panshin (Chicago: Advent: Publishers, Inc., 1968). Panshin devotes two pages to The Star Beast and refers to it elsewhere in the book. A study that focuses exclusively on Heinlein’s young adult fiction is Heinlein’s Children: The Juveniles by Joseph T. Major (Chicago: Advent: Publishers, Inc., 2006). There is a chapter on every Heinlein’s book that can be classified as “young adult,” including The Star Beast, and Major contrasts and compares them with each other as well as Heinlein’s other work. Another critical study that, unfortunately, does not mention The Star Beast is Robert Heinlein by Leon Stover (Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987).

Background:

Heinlein wrote The Star Beast in 1953. Scribner’s published it in hardcover in 1954, and a slight abridgement was serialized under the title "Star Lummox" in The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy in the May, June, and July 1954 issues.

Plot Summary:

John Thomas Stuart XI’s great-grandfather was a crewperson on The Trail Blazer, one of the first human starships. After the ship’s second voyage, he brought home a pet the size of a Chihuahua that he had smuggled aboard during a visit to an alien planet. The pet, later named Lummox, is still alive after one hundred years, but has grown to be larger than a hippopotamus. One day Lummox escapes from the Stuart family home and rampages through the neighborhood and the downtown area of the nearest city. Although he does not hurt anyone, he destroys a considerable amount of property. Deciding Lummox is dangerous, the authorities give the local police chief permission to put Lummox down, but he finds that Lummox is really hard to kill. John Thomas rescues Lummox before he can be put to death, and they escape into a nearby mountain range. Meanwhile, an alien starship appears in orbit around the Earth. The aliens demand that the humans return a member of their species who was kidnapped a century earlier or else they will destroy our planet. Eventually, it is determined that Lummox is a member of that alien species and that he is the one for whom they are looking.

Characters

- Lummox is the pet of the Stuart family and is at least one hundred years old. A member of the Stuart family found him on an alien planet and brought him home. He is bigger than a hippopotamus, has eight legs, talks, is impervious to bullets and anti-tank projectiles, and is hungry almost all the time. (He once ate a Buick.) He is also intelligent, although no one knows how smart he really is.

- John Thomas Stuart XI aka “Johnnie” is the most recent scion of the Stuart family, whose ancestral home is in the town of Westville, which is somewhere in the western part of North America. He is a high school senior who has a girlfriend and wants to go to college to become a xenologist, someone who studies alien species.

- Mrs. Stuart is a single stay-at-home mother whose husband never returned from a space voyage.

- Betty Sorenson is John Thomas’s girlfriend. She divorced her parents and wants to become a lawyer.

- Chief Dreiser is the police chief of Westville as well as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Betty’s church.

- Henry Gladstone Kiku is Permanent Undersecretary for Spatial Affairs, meaning he is the highest ranking civil servant on Earth in charge of all matters relating to outer space. A native of Kenya, a country in Africa, he was educated at Oxford University, is married, and is close to retirement age.

- Roy MacClure is Secretary for Spatial Affairs and Mr. Kiku’s official boss.

- Ftaeml is a Rargyllian, an alien species whose most pronounced physical characteristic are tendrils that emanate from their heads. He is a professional translator who also mediates disputes between different species.

- Sergei Greenberg is one of Mr. Kiku’s subordinates. He is a human who was born on Mars but returned to Earth to attend Harvard Law School.

- Judge O’Farrell is the district judge of Westville and also a graduate of Harvard Law School.

- Mr. Perkins represents the Exotic Life Laboratory of the Museum of Natural History.

- Beulah Murgatroyd is the creator of Pidgie-Widgie, the hero of the best-selling children’s stories of the time, and the founder of “The Friends of Lummox.”

- Wesley Robbins is the Special Assistant Secretary for public relations and used to work in the media.

- Hovey is a newspaperman in Westville.

Chapter I—L-Day

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- scaffolding

- tarpaulin

- vertical

- horizontal

- caterpillar

- viaduct

- metabolism

- greenhouse

- Focus question/initiating activity: How good a pet is Lummox? He is obviously quite intelligent, because he recognizes that John Thomas will grow up one day. On the other hand, Lummox causes a great deal of trouble for John Thomas when he escapes from his enclosure. Ask if any of the students’ pets have ever run loose and caused trouble for them and/or their family.

- Chapter summary: In this chapter, we are introduced to Lummox, John Thomas, his mother, Betty, and Chief Dreiser. We learn that Lummox’s chief motivations are boredom and hunger, that John Thomas is spending less and less time with Lummox and more and more time with Betty, and that Lummox can talk. Both John Thomas and Betty are old enough that they are thinking of life after high school and just had an argument over where to go to college. During Lummox’s escape, he destroys a great deal of property, including a flower bed, a vegetable farm, several cars, a few lamp posts, and a mall. However, he does not hurt anyone, and people frighten him just as much as he frightens them. When the police bring John Thomas to take him home, Lummox is hiding in a viaduct. John Thomas rides Lummox home with a police escort. During the trip, Betty joins them. Betty plans to become a lawyer and advises John Thomas as if he were under arrest.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. Lummox is a native of what planet?

1. Mars

2. Vulcan

3. Tattooine

4. unknown

2. When the reader first meets John Thomas, he is

1. Taking a nap

2. Playing chess with Lummox

3. Getting home after an argument with Betty

4. Watching television

3. Mrs. Stuart is

1. A single stay-at-home mother

2. A doctor

3. An engineer

4. A bus driver

4. When does John Thomas know he is in trouble?

1. When the police arrest him

2. When his mother calls him “John Thomas” rather than “John” or “Johnnie”

3. When Lummox destroys the Stuart house

Answers:

1. d

2. c

3. a

4. b

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Heinlein introduces two important female characters. Contrast and compare Betty and Mrs. Stuart.

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: Both John Thomas and Betty have personal helicopters, and the police have flying cars. Have the students research the history of flight.

Chapter II—The Department of Spatial Affairs

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- extra-terrestrial

- tentacles

- medusa

- cephalopod

- Focus question/initiating activity: Have you students research the history of space exploration. Using the second and third paragraphs in this chapter, discuss how much farther human beings will have travelled in the time period of this book.

- Chapter summary: The second chapter introduces Kiku, Greenberg, MacClure, and Ftaeml. Kiku is a very busy man and has grave responsibilities, including matters of life and death. He has gone as high in civil service as he can go and reports directly to a political appointee. One of his weaknesses is a fear of snakes, and one of his upcoming appointments is with Ftaeml, a Rargyllian. This alien species is distinguished by tentacles attached to their heads, which look like snakes to Kiku. One of his new problems that day is what to do about Lummox, and he assigns Greenberg to handle it.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. When Mr. Kiku’s boss visits him, what do they discuss?

1. Baseball

2. Project Cerberus, a power proposal for the research station on Pluto

3. The importation of Martian sand grass into the Tibetan Plateau

4. Whether to provide police protection for a group of students from another planet

2. Where is Mr. Kiku considering spending his retirement?

1. In a condominium in Florida

2. At a ski resort in the Himalayas

3. On a farm in Kenya

4. On a cruise to see the rings of Saturn

3. What is Greenberg’s official position?

1. chief of System Trade Intelligence

2. Governor of a state

3. Chief inspector of mines

4. Head translator

Answers:

1. b

2. c

3. a

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Like Indiana Jones, Kiku is afraid of snakes. Ask the students if they are afraid of snakes and why.

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: A starship has been named for Simon Bolivar. Have you students research the man and explain why he deserves to have a ship named after him.

Chapter III—“An Improper Question”

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- intervention

- gymkhana

- tumor

- postponement

- homestead

- jurisdiction

- girders

- Focus question/initiating activity: In this chapter, Greenberg has to decide whether to treat Lummox as an animal or as a person. As a person, he automatically has rights. Under Federation law, the three criteria are whether:

1. the being can talk

2. has hands, or some equivalent, to use tools

3. keeps records, oral, pictorial, or written.

Lummox can talk, but has no hands or any evidence of keeping records of any kind, so Greenberg decides to treat him as an animal. Is Greenberg making the right decision?

- Chapter summary: Greenberg requests the use of the local courthouse for the hearing to determine Lummox’s fate and asks Judge O’Farrell, the local district judge, to have all interested parties and witnesses there at 10 AM the following morning. Since Lummox is too big to enter the building through the doors, a special pen is constructed to hold him for the day, and he is already inside it by the time Greenberg arrives. John Thomas is checking on two swellings on Lummox where his shoulders would have been if he had arms when Betty joins him. Judge O’Farrell arrives and introduces John Thomas and Betty to Greenberg who examines Lummox and talks to him, but tentatively concludes that his legal status is that of an animal since he has no hands. He recommends postponing the hearing to check his conclusion, but Judge O’Farrell talks him out of it on the grounds that all the interested parties and witnesses are present and that it would be unfair to make them return the following day.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. Chief Dreiser and his men arrive at 4 AM to escort Lummox and John Thomas to the courthouse, but they do not actually leave until 7 AM. What was the cause of the delay?

1. Mrs. Stuart and John Thomas shoot Chief Dreiser

2. John Thomas insists on eating breakfast first, and Chief Dreiser and his men join them for coffee.

3. Lummox runs away

2. What materials is Lummox’s pen at the courthouse made of

1. Steel girders

2. Straw

3. Wooden sticks

4. Bricks

3. Who orders Lummox to stay in the pen?

1. John Thomas

2. Judge O’Farrell

3. Chief Dreiser

4. Betty

Answers:

1. b

2. a

3. d

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: What is the difference between a person and an animal? Do animals have rights?

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: There have been attempts to teach animals such as gorillas and chimpanzees to talk. Have the students research the Internet to read about the latest findings.

Chapter IV—The Prisoner at the Bars

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- babble

- paraphernalia

- bailiff

- preliminary

- preposterous

- chattel

- transcript

- exemplary

- Chapter summary: Greenberg calls the hearing to order, but his style is very informal. Among the parties represented are the mall and its insurance company, John Thomas and Mrs. Stuart, their next door neighbor, the vegetable farmer, and the city. Witnesses include two police officers. Betty asks to represent John Thomas, although she is younger than eighteen and not a lawyer. Then Betty reveals that she has just bought a half-interest in Lummox. Greenberg finally gives in and allows John Thomas and Betty to represent themselves. One organization that Greenberg does not allow to participate is the Keep Earth Human League, who are anti-extraterrestrial. Greenberg then allows testimony from the interested parties and the witnesses. At the end of the day, he concludes that he has enough information to make a decision. Greenberg dismisses all criminal charges against Lummox and the Stuarts as well as all punitive charges against them in civil lawsuits. The Department of Spatial Affairs will, Greenberg decides, pay for all real damages caused by Lummox. On the other hand, he orders that local authorities take possession of Lummox from John Thomas. Meanwhile, Lummox has gotten lonely for John Thomas so he breaks out of his cage, breaks through the wall of the courthouse, and enters the courtroom.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. When the representative from the Keep Earth Human League asks to speak, Greenberg grants him his wish. Where does he allow him to speak?

1. In the courtroom

2. On the courthouse lawn

3. On television

4. Over the Internet

2. Greenberg uses a kind of lie detector. What is it called?

1. Truth meter

2. Falsehood sensor

3. Fib finder

4. Untruth gauge

3. How does Lummox know that John Thomas is inside the courtroom?

1. He watched the proceedings on cable TV

2. Chief Dreiser told him

3. He heard John Thomas’s voice

4. Lummox has X-Ray vision

Answers:

1. b

2. a

3. c

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Betty argues that she is the one best qualified to represent John Thomas, because she is the only one with his best interests at heart. Why would his mother not be the most qualified?

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: The hearing proceedings are unorthodox according to the local attorneys, including Judge O’Farrell. What would have happened if Greenberg had conducted the hearing in a more conventional manner?

Chapter V—A Matter of Viewpoint

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- memorandum

- prejudice

- intervention

- psychiatrist

- subconscious

- Focus questions/initiating activity: As you read, note how Mr. Kiku acts toward the people under him in the civil service, including the Bureau of Engineering, Wong, and Greenberg.

- Chapter summary: Kiku is sitting in his office and reading his mail, including a report from the Bureau of Engineering, another about “The Friends of Lummox”, a memo about a food virus, and finally Greenberg’s field report. He summons Greenberg to discuss the report in person and criticizes Greenberg’s decisions. The reader learns that after Lummox had interrupted the hearing by crashing through the wall, Greenberg orders his destruction. The reader also learns that Chief Dreiser has tried to both drown and poison Lummox, but Lummox is still alive. However, Kiku does not reverse Greenberg’s decision. In the meantime, a hypnotherapist has arrived to prepare Mr. Kiku for his meeting with Dr. Ftaeml and orders Greenberg to take over for him for a while. After thinking about Lummox for a few minutes, he modifies his decision in the matter to postpone Lummox’s destruction until he is studied by scientists. He also reviews a report on a new alien species called the Hroshii whose spaceship is in orbit around the Earth and who are convinced that one of their people is being held prisoner by humans and are demanding his release. Greenberg considers whether Lummox is a Hroshii, but rejects the idea because Lummox has no hands and is too stupid to be a member of a species capable of interstellar travel.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. Greenberg concludes that Lummox is not intelligent, because he has no hands. Does Mr. Kiku agree?

2. What unusual item has Lummox eaten since the hearing?

1. a car

2. a reservoir intake valve

3. a desk

4. a chair

Answers:

1. No. Mr. Kiku suspects that someday they will meet an intelligent species without hands. At the very least, Greenberg should have postponed his judgment pending further study.

2. b

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: Mr. Kiku refers to the time “Solomon ordered the baby sawed in half.” This is a story from the Bible (First Kings, Chapter 3, Verses 16 to 28). Have the students look it up on the Internet.

Chapter VI—“Space Is Deep, Excellency”

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- compatriot

- bifurcate

- urbane

- auxiliary

- mercenary

- hegemony

- geocentric

- Focus questions/initiating activity: Discuss with the students the concepts of diplomacy and what ambassadors do.

- Chapter summary: Kiku finally has his dreaded meeting with Ftaeml and has Greenberg join him. Having grown up on Mars, Greenberg learned to get along with aliens, so he is not bothered by Dr. Ftaeml’s appearance. They learn that the Hroshii do not take pictures, so Dr. Ftaeml does not have one to help Mr. Kiku locate their missing person. He does describe them, but they do not resemble Lummox. Kiku and Greenberg also learn that the Hroshii vessel in orbit around the Earth is a military ship. They have been searching for the kidnappers, and their only clue was their physical appearance. Dr. Ftaeml provides information on the location of the Hroshii home planet, and Mr. Kiku orders his department’s best astrogator to see if he can match it to a voyage of a human starship. Mr. MacClure, Mr. Kiku’s boss, interrupts their meeting with another problem so Greenberg and Dr. Ftaeml go out to dinner and visit a nightclub. After leaving Dr. Ftaeml at his hotel, Greenberg returns to the office to find Kiku still working. After reviewing the astrogator’s work, they conclude that Lummox must be a Hroshii.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. When Greenberg and Dr. Ftaeml are at a night club, Ftaeml makes a remark that bothers Greenberg. What is it?

2. Why do Kiku and Greenberg conclude that Lummox must be Hroshii?

Answers:

1. Dr. Ftaeml implies that the Hroshii can easily destroy the Earth if they so desire.

2. The time period when the missing Hroshii disappeared coincided with the second voyage of the Trailblazer, which is when John Thomas’s ancestor brought Lummox home.

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: The officers and crew of the Trailblazer obviously kept poor records. What would have happened if they had kept good records, especially about any extraterrestrial animals they brought home?

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: There is a reference to the “Great Martians”. Have the students research the search for life on Mars.

Chapter VII—“Mother Knows Best”

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- electrocution

- Focus question: Would any of the students sell their pet to a zoo or museum?

- Chapter summary: Lummox gets tired of Dreiser’s attempts to kill him, so he walks home. The reader learns that Greenberg’s order postponing Lummox’s execution has been sent to the wrong address. John Thomas and Lummox finally get to spend some time together, but a Mr. Perkins pays them a visit. He represents a museum that wants to buy Lummox. One of Perkins’s selling points is that the museum can hire lawyers to protect Lummox from the authorities. Another is that the museum will hire John Thomas to take care of him, although Mrs. Stuart wants John Thomas to go to college instead. Finally, John Thomas agrees to the sale.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. Instead of Westville, Greenberg’s modification of his order goes to

1. Walla Walla, Washington

2. Pluto

3. Kalamazoo, Michigan

2. What is the price that Mrs. Stuart negotiates for Lummox?

1. 30 pieces of silver

2. one million dollars

3. $20,000 after all insurance claims are settled

Answers:

1. b

2. c

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Ask whether the price for Lummox is a fair one. Explain to the students the concept of price inflation.

- Suggested activity/inquiry-based exploration: Have the students research the history of zoos and museums.

Chapter VIII—The Sensible Thing To Do

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- submarine

- emigrate

- sentimentality

- Focus question/initiating activity: John Thomas and Betty do not have cell or smart phones, personal computers, or the Internet, but they do have personal helicopters. Which would the students prefer and why?

- Chapter summary: John Thomas is unhappy about the situation, so he retreats to his secret room in the attic, where he stores some of his possessions and where he has secretly built his own phone extension. His great-grandfather had kept a paper diary of the second voyage of The Trailblazer, and John Thomas re-read the parts that deal with Lummox and the planet he is from. The reader learns about the history of the Stuart family, which includes a sea captain, an early aviator, a submariner during World War II, a member of the first expedition to the Moon, a colonizer of Mars and a leader in that planet’s struggle for independence from Earth, and interstellar space explorers. One of the previous John Thomases spent the last fifteen years of his life on a penal colony on Triton, a moon of Neptune, and another had been forced to resign from the space service as an alternative to a court martial. Just before John Thomas goes to bed, Betty calls him, and he explains what he has done. Betty argues that he did the wrong thing.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. What were John Thomas, Junior, John Thomas III, and John Thomas doing when they died?

2. Where was John Thomas VII when he died?

Answers:

1. J.T. Junior was flying an early airplane, J.T. III was serving on board a submarine during World War II, and J.T. IV was exploring the Moon. 2—He was in prison on Triton, a moon of Saturn.

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Ask the students how much they know about their ancestors.

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: Heinlein mentions the Einstein barrier, which is a reference to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Have the students look it up.

NOTE: Many editions of The Star Beast omit one page of the original hardcover and magazines versions. It is from this chapter and the passage in which John Thomas is reading the diary. It concerns The Trailblazer’s visit to what John Thomas concludes is Lummox’s home world. Be aware of this in case the students are reading different editions of the text.

Chapter IX—Customs and an Ugly Duckling

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- transcontinental

- expressway

- gargantuan

- inchworm

- Focus question/initiating activity: Asked the students whether they ever considered running away from home and why.

- Chapter summary: John Thomas decides that he and Lummox need to run away from home. Careful not to wake up his mother, he assembles all his hunting and camping gear, all his cash, and as many groceries as he can carry. He wakes up Lummox and crawls on top of him, and then Lummox starts walking. The Stuart house is only a few miles from a branch of the Rocky Mountains, so they follow an old highway in that direction. When the sun comes up, they find a hiding place in a grove of trees and settle in for some sleep. Meanwhile, Kiku is already awake and tries to call Ftaeml, who has left for the space port. Kiku goes there himself to meet him. Kiku tells Ftaeml that they may have located the missing Hroshii, meaning Lummox, and Ftaeml tells him that the single Hroshii spaceship in orbit is capable of destroying the Earth. Kiku gives Ftaeml permission to tell the Hroshii that they may have found their missing person and hopes that they have. After returning to his office, Kiku then calls Greenberg, who has already returned to Westville only to find that John Thomas and Lummox have disappeared.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. John Thomas’s sleeping bag has

1. A gps

2. A cell phone

3. A DVD player

4. A thermostat and power pack to provide heat

2. How are the Hroshii planning to demonstrate their power?

1. Make a mark on the moon that would be visible to the naked eye on Earth

2. Melt the polar ice caps

3. Alter the orbit of the Earth around the Sun.

Answers:

1. d

2. a

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Ask the students what they would take with them if they ever had to leave home in an emergency.

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: Heinlein refers to the time when Native Americans greeted Columbus. Have the students research the voyages of Columbus and their effect on Native Americans.

Chapter X—The Cygnus Decision

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- hogshead

- malignancy

- inchoate

- acquisition

- boa constrictor

- bivouac

- uranium

- radiation

- Focus question: It is time to revisit a question from a previous chapter. Except for Kiku, everyone assumes that an intelligent being has to have hands. Would dolphins qualify as intelligent?

- Chapter summary: When John Thomas wakes up, he finds that Lummox has killed a grizzly bear that had disturbed their camp and is having it for breakfast. John Thomas does not join him but has a meal-ready-to-eat of ham and eggs. It is still daylight so they continue to hide. However, one of Lummox’s swellings itches so he rubs it against a pine tree. Suddenly it breaks open and out pops an arm. Realizing what has happened, John Thomas uses his knife to nick to the other swelling, and another arms pops out. After sunset, they continue deeper into the mountains. At sunrise, they look for another hiding place, but are unable to find a suitable one. Then John Thomas sees a personal helicopter. The pilot also sees him and Lummox and lands. Fortunately, the pilot turns out to be Betty. They update each other on the developments. Betty informs him that every police officer in the area is looking for him.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. What is the Cygnus decision?

2. How many digits do Lummox’s hands have?

3. How did Betty know where to look for John Thomas and Lummox?

Answers:

1. A legal case that established that a being that talks and has hands is assumed to be a person and has same rights as humans until proven otherwise.

2. seven

3. She knows him well enough to know how he thinks.

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Ask the students what it would be like to live without hands.

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: One of John Thomas’s ideas is for him and Lummox to join a carnival. Have the students research carnivals, side shows, and the life of P.T. Barnum.

Chapter XI—“It’s Too Late, Johnnie!”

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- abacus

- slip stick

- subversive

- octagon

- Focus questions/initiating activity: The police/military forces need to capture Lummox without hurting him. Ask the students how they would try to catch him.

- Chapter summary: For the first time in several days, John Thomas and Betty spend some quality time with each other with Lummox as a chaperone. Then they hear an airship and conclude that the police and/or military are searching their area of the forest. They tell Lummox not to move and try to be still themselves in case the authorities are using motion detectors. Then there are two flashes of light. Next, they hear at least four airships surrounding them. Finally, the searchers use some kind of gas to immobilize them. Fortunately, they learn that the searchers are under strict orders to capture them without hurting them.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. John Thomas’s Aunt Tessie believes in what?

1. scientology

2. astrology

3. psychology

4. epistemology

Answer:

1. (b) astrology.

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Why have the authorities changed their attitude about wanting to kill Lummox?

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: Betty discusses having divorced her parents. Have the students research the lawsuit of Kimberly Mays, who in 1993 sued to divorce her parents.

Chapter XII—Concerning Pidgie-Widgie

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- stereovision

- precedent

- protocol

- Focus questions/initiating activity: For those students who have cats for pets, ask them if they really “own” their cats.

- Chapter summary: Kiku thinks he has solved the Hroshii problem when Greenberg and Ftaeml arrive to inform him that there have been complications. First, Lummox is not a “he” but rather a “she.” Second, Lummox does not consider herself to be John Thomas’s pet. Instead, she considers John Thomas to be her pet. She is demanding that her people produce John Thomas to accompany her back to her home planet. It also turns out the Lummox is a person of such great importance that her whims have the status of imperial commands. The Hroshii in turn are demanding that the humans hand over John Thomas or they will destroy the world. Kiku asks Ftaeml to convey two messages. The first is to the commander of the Hroshii expedition that their demand is rejected. The second is to Lummox that her people are threatening to kill John Thomas. After Ftaeml leaves, Kiku orders that John Thomas and his mother be brought to the space port. Then Secretary MacClure interrupts him to tell him that Beulah Murgatroyd, the most popular children’s book author of the time and founder of “The Friends of Lummox”, is there to interview him. Kiku feels he is too busy and has an argument with MacClure over his authority and his handling of the situation. Then Kiku informs him about the new Hroshii crisis. MacClure is ready to do battle with the Hroshii rather than turn over John Thomas, but Kiku talks him out of it, citing an example from human history about a battle between forces with different levels of technology. Then he persuades MacClure that he has a plan to resolve the crisis.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. Is Lummox an adult?

2. What is a hunkie?

3. How many people joined the Friends of Lummox within the first 24 hours of its founding?

4. How many sexes to the Hroshii have?

Answers:

1. No, she is actually still a child by the standards of the Hroshii

2. the best-selling breakfast food in the world

3. three million

4. six

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Kiku had never heard of Pidgie-Widgie until the author of the stories became involved with Lummox. Ask the students if they know anyone who has never heard of Sponge Bob Square Pants.

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: As a native of Africa, Kiku cites an event from African history. Have the students research the colonization of Africa by European countries in the 19th century.

Chapter XIII—“No, Mr. Secretary”

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- insolent

- xenophobic

- beachcomber

- inflammatory

- paternalistic

- squib

- severance

- expediency

- lascivious

- dispersal

- fringe

- Focus question/initiating activity: Ask your students to look up the phrase reductio ad absurdum. How does Kiku use it in his argument with MacClure?

- Chapter summary: When Kiku goes into his office the following day, Special Assistant Secretary for public relations Wesley Robbins is waiting for him. The previous night, MacClure leaked the story of the Hroshii and their demands to the media without checking with either Robbins or Kiku. This has created a media uproar that threatens to escalate the crisis to an all-out war between the two species. They go to MacClure’s office to confront him. Kiku and MacClure have another argument, and Robbins sides with Kiku. MacClure fires Kiku, but then Robbins points out that that MacClure’s superior, the Secretary-General of the Federation, will almost certainly fire MacClure and re-hire Kiku, assuming anyone is still alive after the crisis passes. Another scenario is that the Federation Council fires the Secretary-General, who in turn fires MacClure and re-hires Kiku anyway. Instead, Robbins persuades MacClure that he needs to resign and make it look like it was his decision all along.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. When MacClure fires Kiku, what does Kiku do?

1. He calls a press conference.

2. He gets drunk.

3. He begins to leave MacClure’s office, but Robbins stops him.

2. Who blackmails MacClure into resigning?

1. Robbins

2. Kiku

3. Greenberg

4. Murgatroyd

3. When will MacClure’s resignation be announced?

1. Immediately

2. After the Secretary-General resigns

3. After the Hroshiian crisis is resolved

4. In two weeks

Answers:

1. c

2. a

3. d

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Would the students be willing to sacrifice John Thomas’s freedom to prevent a war between the humans and the Hroshii?

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: In this future, there are still newspapers. Have the students research the history of newspapers.

Chapter XIV—“Destiny! Fiddlesticks”

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- persona non grata

- transcending

- aggregation

- Cro-Magnon

- Neanderthal

- Initiating activity: Have the students research the common flatworm. Kiku compares the Hroshii to them, because they both grow when fed, shrink when not fed, and are hard to kill.

- Chapter summary: Greenberg is back in Westville to persuade John Thomas and Mrs. Stuart to travel to the Capital Enclave, where Kiku hopes to persuade them that John Thomas should accompany Lummox back to the Hroshii home world. Unfortunately, Mrs. Stuart follows the news and has no intention of surrendering John Thomas to the Hroshians, so she refuses to see him. While he is waiting, a local newspaperman named Hovey interviews him. Greenberg says that the Federation is not going to give John Thomas to the Hroshians but rather that since John Thomas has special knowledge of the species from his long association with Lummox, they want him to help with the negotiations. Then Chief Dreiser calls to tell him that John Thomas is missing and that Greenberg had better not have kidnapped him. Finally Betty calls him and, using a code, asks if John Thomas travels to the Capital whether he will be able to see Lummox. Greenberg answers in the affirmative and arrangement for a time and place for him to give Betty the money necessary. After a few hours, he calls Mrs. Stuart and asks if she would like to accompany him back to the Capital on his private plane. Realizing that John Thomas was already en route, she reluctantly accepts Greenberg’s offer. Kiku meets with John Thomas after he arrives and asks whether he would be willing to accompany Lummox back to his home world. John Thomas immediately agrees, because Lummox wants and needs him. Kiku then meets with Mrs. Stuart and has a much more challenging time persuading her to let John Thomas go. He informs her that he wants to send John Thomas to the Hroshii home world as part of a large cultural and scientific mission. She refuses, saying that John Thomas needs to go to college to study law. Kiku points out the mission will be staffed by experts in their fields, so if they tutor John Thomas, he will receive an education equal to or better than any college or university on Earth. When she argues that he will need a degree, Kiku counters that they can always create an organization to bestow a degree. He also points out the John Thomas and Lummox have a special relationship and that if John Thomas does not accompany Lummox to her planet, then Lummox will accompany him back to Westville. Finally, Kiku points out that John Thomas could divorce his mother, as Betty divorced her parents. Nonetheless, Mrs. Stuart refuses to give in.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. Where does Greenberg meet Betty?

2. Why does Kiku assign a bodyguard to John Thomas?

3. How long ago did the Hroshiian plan begin?

4. When was Lummox’s part in the plan conceived?

5. Why are children allowed to divorce their parents?

Answers:

1. a snack shop called The Chocolate Bar

2. to keep him from reporters

3. about 38,000 years ago

4. about 2,000 years ago

5. to prevent an abuse of parental power.

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Ask whether any of the students have discussed their future with their parents.

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: Have your students research animal breeding programs.

Chapter XV—Undiplomatic Relations

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- powwow

- lavish

- rostrum

- barricade

- plenipotentiary

- sovereignty

- baleful

- prerogative

- Initiating activity: Ftaeml claims that the Hroshii can destroy the Earth. Ask the students if they have seen any movies such as Independence Day which feature alien invaders.

- Chapter summary: The following morning, Kiku meets with the Hroshii at the ground floor auditorium of the Spatial Affairs building. He is joined by Greenberg, MacClure, and an actor doubling for the Secretary-General. Ftaeml serves as translator for both sides. The leader of the Hroshii’s main item of business is for the humans to hand over John Thomas. Kiku insists that the two sides must establish embassies on each other’s home worlds. The Hroshii eventually agree, and they work out the details. Then they discuss the status of John Thomas. Kiku insists that John Thomas will be free to come and go whenever he wishes, as befitting a free person, but the Hroshii insist that John Thomas can only come and go at the pleasure of Lummox. On this point, negotiations stop.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. Who will become the ambassador to the Hroshii?

2. Who will be the deputy ambassador?

Answers:

1. MacClure

2. Greenberg

3. He will stay on Earth as interpreter for the Hroshii mission.

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: The Secretary-General does not attend this conference, but sends a double instead. Why would he do this?

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: Have the students research the history of diplomacy.

Chapter XVI—“Sorry We Messed Things Up”

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- Puritans

- barricade

- magnification

- binoculars

- Initiating activity: Ask the students if they have ever played checkers and, if not, explain the basics of the game.

- Chapter summary: John Thomas is in his hotel suite playing checkers with his bodyguard when Betty and her bodyguard show up. They decide to go for a flight. John Thomas asks the taxi driver to fly over to the space port so that he can see Lummox. They cannot go through the barricade that surrounds the Hroshii ship, but John Thomas can see Lummox from a distance. He shouts a greeting, which Lummox hears and runs to him, crashing through the barricade. They are re-united and Lummox takes John Thomas and Betty inside the barricade so they can talk. By the time Kiku, Greenberg, and Ftaeml arrive, the situation is calm but tense, because of the breach of security. They are allowed to go inside the barricade to see John Thomas, Betty, and Lummox. The leaders of the Hroshii are also there. John Thomas introduces Lummox to Kiku, who asks Ftaeml to inform Lummox of the course of negotiations in the Hroshii language. She angrily informs the Hroshii that she and John Thomas are friends and that John Thomas will have the right to come and go as he pleases.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. Lummox has lost weight since John Thomas last saw her. Why?

1. The Hroshii have stopped feeding her

2. She is exercising more

3. She has had a liposuction

4. She hasn’t lost weight. John Thomas is just imagining it.

2. Where is Mrs. Stuart during this time?

1. Meeting with her lawyers

2. Trying to get through the barricades

3. back in Westville

4. She is out shopping

3. Where do they find the air taxi?

1. On the street

2. In front of the hotel

3. On the roof of the hotel

4. At the bus station

Answers:

1. a

2. d

3. c

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: The relationship between John Thomas and Lummox is no longer one of owner/pet or pet/owner. They are friends and equals. Discuss what this means.

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: Betty’s bodyguard carried a “bodyphone” which is the equivalent of today’s cell phone. Have the students research the history of mobile communications.

Chapter XVII—Ninety-Seven Pickle Dishes

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- composure

- discretionary

- attaché

- avarice

- ambassador

- matriarchy

- Initiating activity: In the relationship between John Thomas and Betty, are they equals or is one partner dominant?

- Chapter summary: Kiku and Betty meet to discuss her place in the new embassy to the Hroshii. He informs her that Lummox’s hobby for the last hundred years has been to “raise John Thomases.” He inquires whether she would consider marrying to John Thomas and starting a family. She replies that this has been her plan for years, although she has not told John Thomas yet, but the events of the past few weeks have caused her to accelerate her timetable. With that matter settled, she has an agenda of her own, and she negotiates a grander title and higher salary for John Thomas than Kiku had originally planned. A few days later, John Thomas and Betty get married and spend the honeymoon on the Hroshii ship en route to Lummox’s home world.

- Quiz/reading comprehension questions:

1. What is Betty’s legal status at the beginning of the chapter?

1. A Free Child. She had divorced her parents.

2. An adult

3. A slave

4. An army officer

2. How did Kiku propose to his wife?

1. He didn’t. She proposed to him.

2. He took her to a restaurant and arranged to place a diamond ring in her dessert.

3. He didn’t. Her father negotiated it with his father.

4. e took her to a ball game and arranged to have to the proposal scroll across the scoreboard.

Answers:

1. a

2. c

- Suggestion for reflection and discussion: Betty’s remarks imply that it is customary in this time period for the woman to propose to the man. Ask the students how they feel about this.

- Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration: Have the students research the history of marriage and relationships.

Reflection and Discussion

- In his book Heinlein in Dimension, Alexei Panshin discusses recurring character types in Heinlein’s fiction: Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3. A Stage 1 individual is young and competent, but naïve. A Stage 2 individual is older and knows how things work. A Stage 3 individual is much older and not only knows how things work but why, so he or she is better able to cope when things fail. Have students contrast and compare John Thomas (Stage 1), Sergei Greenberg (Stage 2), and Henry Kiku (Stage 3).

- Heinlein is usually associated with the political right. However, Mr. Kiku is a wise and benevolent bureaucrat. Furthermore, while there are still states, there is no United States of America in this story. It appears to have been absorbed into something called The North American Union, which in turn is part of a Federation of seventeen planets. The title of the chief executive of the Federation is Secretary-General, the same as today’s United Nations, which implies that there was a connection between the two organizations. There are also references to a Fourth World War and the “riots of ‘91”. Have the students speculate on what must have happened between now and then.

- The central theme of the story is the nature of friendship. Ask the students how far they would go for a friend?

- Computers and cell phones are largely absent from this story, but flying machines are ubiquitous and space flight is routine. Have the students contrast and compare the present to this future.

BAEN BOOKS

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO INTO THE HINTERLANDS

BY DAVID DRAKE AND JOHN LAMBSHEAD

Contents:

- recommended reading levels

- biographical material and links

- background of the book and plot summary

- character sketches

- guides for segments of the book which include plot summaries of each chapter

- prepare to read…

- vocabulary

- focus questions or initiating activity

- reading comprehension questions – multiple choice/short answer questions to test reading comprehension

- suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration – suggestions for activities and projects

- reflection and discussion questions – may be used to initiate classroom discussion, as short writing assignments, or as test questions

Recommended reading levels:

Into the Hinterlands is appropriate for an older young adult or adult audience Classroom use of the book is probably most appropriate for upper high school or college students.

Biographical information on David Drake and John Lambshead:

Prolific science fiction author David Drake was born September 24, 1945 in Dubuque, Iowa He graduated in 1967 with a degree in history and Latin (with honors) He married his wife, Jo, and then entered Duke Law School Shortly after he was drafted into the army and served from 1969-1971 During that time he primarily worked as an interrogator with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment After serving in the Vietnam War, he finished his law degree and worked as an attorney for eight years Since 1981 he has been a full-time freelance writer, authoring or co-authoring over 60 books in addition to co-editing and writing plot outlines for many more He has one son, born in 1973, named Jonathon.

- Biographical information taken from:

- Drake, David “About Me – David Drake.” Welcome – David Drake David Drake, 2011 Web 31 December 2011 <http://david-drake.com/2007/about-me/#more-1238>.

Author Dr. John Lambshead is a retired senior research scientist in marine biodiversity at the National History Museum in London He has written approximately 100 scientific papers and the fantasy novel Lucy’s Blade He lives in Kent with his wife and he has two daughters.

- Biographic information taken from:

- “Profile of John Lambshead.” Writertopia Writertopia, 2009 Web. 31 December 2011 <http://www.writertopia.com/profiles/JohnLambshead>.

Suggested class activity:

Have your students read the biographical information on Drake and Lambshead before they begin the book Have them identify the biggest influences on the authors’ lives which may have influenced their writing of a science fiction work paralleling a significant historical event.

For further information on David Drake and John Lambshead and their work:

- “Interviews – Baen Books.” Baen Books Science Fiction & Fantasy – Home Page Baen Publishing Enterprises, 2011 Web 31 December 2011 <http://baen.com/interview.asp>.

Bibliographies:

- David Drake:

- Drake, David “Bibliography – David Drake.” Welcome – David Drake David Drake, 2011 Web 31 December 201 <http://david-drake.com/tag/bibliography/>.

- John Lambshead:

- “John Lambshead – Summary Bibliography.” Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase Al Von Ruff, 2011 Web 31 December 2011 <http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?40851>.

Background:

Published by Baen Books with an initial publication in September 2011, this space opera is the first in The Citizen Series Influenced by Baen founder Jim Baen’s love of George Washington, John Lambshead wrote the novel from an outline developed by David Drake It is a combination of historical elements, specifically a young George Washington (Allenson in the novel) during the French and Indian War (the war between Terra and Brasilia in the novel), and hard core science fiction concepts including intergalactic travel and the evolution of alien life forms.

Plot Summary:

What begins with three surveyors scouting unclaimed space evolves into a race for colonization Allen Allenson seeks to follow in his brother’s footsteps and become a leader in the Cutter Stream colony Once he begins his bid for a political position in the Cutter Stream Council, he finds himself once again in the Hinterlands where he discovers Terran colonies on Brasilian territory Quickly the situation escalates to a political stand-off in which the two Home Worlds are fighting an intergalactic battle for territory Will Allenson be the leader his brother urged him to be? Can he outmaneuver not only the Terran fighting force, but also the politicians?

Major Characters:

- Allen Allenson: Cutter Stream gentleman, 22 years old, puts great stock in traditional societal roles and etiquette

- Jem Hawthorn: Cutter Stream gentleman, worldly, lady’s man

- Royman Destry: Cutter Stream artistocrat, academic

- Linsye Destry: Royman’s Sister, married to Todd Allenson

- Todd Allenson: Allen Allenson’s brother, married to Linsye Destry, dying in a Paragon clinic

- Riders: Humanoid, inhabit the Hinterlands, ride on crystal beasts

- Sarai Destry: Royman Destry’s wife, attracted to Allenson

- Bella Allenson: Allen Allenson’s stepmother, condescending towards Allenson

- Fontenoy: Vice-governor in Manzanita

- Trina Blaisdel: Lady in Mazanita City, straight-forward and savvy

- Clement Payne: an experienced guide for Allenson and Hawthorn to Nengue in the Hinterlands

- Viceroy: leader of rider clan council

- Captain Pietr Rutchett: Captain of Cutter Stream Militia

- Colonel Avery: Militia officer and advisor to Allenson

- Mansingh: Weapon specialist and manufacturer from the Old Colony Beelzebub

- Lieutenant Padget: A lieutenant in the Cutter Stream militia, he is with Allenson when they attack the “embassy” Terran camp

- Captain Broch: An officer in the colony of Isfahan Militia, a regular in the Brasilian military

- Brigade Commander Chernokovsky: Sent in from the Brasilian regulars to lead two light battalions to aid the militia in the Hinterlands

- General Levit: Brasilian general in charge of a major expeditionary Force sent to remove the Terrans from the Hinterlands, decides to move the base from Mazanita to Perseverance

Chapters 1-7

- Prepare to read:

- Vocabulary:

- Turbulent (chapter 1)

- Continuum (chapter 1)

- Impervious (chapter 1)

- Coracles (chapter 1)

- Monochrome (chapter 1)

- Capricious (chapter 1)

- Dichotomy (chapter 1)

- Surreptitiously (chapter 2)

- Parsimony (chapter 2)

- Concomitant (chapter 2)

- Symbiotic (chapter 2)

- Vitrified (chapter 3)

- Profusion (chapter 3)

- Phylogenies (chapter 3)

- Meniscus (chapter 3)

- Peristylium (chapter 3)

- Monophyletic (chapter 4)

- Rancor (chapter 4)

- Filamentous (chapter 4)

- Mercurial (chapter 4)

- Raconteur (chapter 4)

- Indentured (chapter 4)

- Laconically (chapter 5)

- Parapet (chapter 5)

- Portico (chapter 5)

- Remuneration (chapter 5)

- Ubiquitous (chapter 5)

- Disdain (chapter 6)

- Recalcitrant (chapter 6)

- Gyration (chapter 6)

- Endothermic (chapter 6)

- Proprietor (chapter 6)

- Acumen (chapter 6)

- Unimpeachable (chapter 6)

- Maudlin (chapter 6)

- Dowager (chapter 7)

- Lictors (chapter 7)

- Surly (chapter 7)

- Truculence (chapter 7)

- Laundering (chapter 7)

- Acquiescence (chapter 7)

- Nonchalantly (chapter 7)

- Focus question/initiating activity: Have students discuss the cultural differences between colonists and Native Americans during the 16th-18th centuries Students can also discuss the differences between the different groups of colonists and the social classes of the early Americas Ask them to think about these different groups and the friction between them as they begin to read chapter 1.

- Chapter Summaries:

- Chapter 1: Three surveyors, Allen Allenson, Jem Hawthorn, and Royman Destry, are traveling through the Continuum (which is composed of raw energy) in reality bubbles They have the task of surveying the Hinterlands for the Harbinger Project A gale in the Continuum causes the men to stop their journey and phase into the real world They phase in on a small planet where a group of Riders is assembled After eyeing each other suspiciously, one Rider approaches and makes a deal with Hawthorn to exchange the use of one of their women for a bottle of alcohol The surveyors give the Rider the alcohol but refuse the use of the female Rider Allenson notices two bloody hands hanging from the loin cloth of the Rider Hawthorn inquires about the hands and learns the Rider cut them off of a Rider from a different clan who was a stranger to him The Rider goes back to his group and the surveyors eat a meal of dehydrated rations.

- Chapter 2: The Riders, inebriated on the tonk, begin to have a party which culminates in an orgy The surveyors watch the Riders and discuss their evolution and whether they are in fact descended from humans or not One Rider becomes angry when he discovers the tonk is gone, but when he confronts Hawthorn for more, he is denied more Hawthorn trains the focusing crystal of his laser rifle on the Rider when the Rider becomes angrier The next morning the Riders are gone and Destry investigates their campsite Destry becomes excited when he notes the rose quartz left behind He concludes that the Riders and crystal beasts have a symbiotic relationship where the beasts direct the Riders to certain campsites so they can feed on the minerals below the planets’ surfaces while the Riders are allowed to use the beasts to ride through the Continuum.

- Chapter 3: The three surveyors make a stop on the planet Paragon where Allenson’s brother, Todd, has been taken Todd is being taken care of in the Destry Gallery of the Paragon hospital as he is married to Linsye Destry, Royman Destry’s sister When he arrives he is greeted by Linsye and then he goes into Todd’s inner room Todd is hooked up to several machines and is no longer mobile The doctors are unsure what is ailing him and have guessed at several causes including coming in contact with an alien bioweapon During Allenson’s visit, Todd asks Allenson to become a leader in the Cutter Stream since he can no longer be one Todd foresees it being the grounds of an intergalactic war between Home Worlds After leaving Todd’s room, Linsye walks with Allenson and divulges to Allenson that she married Todd not for love, but for his position as a leader in the Cutter Stream She reiterates Todd’s wishes, asking Allenson specifically to take over Todd’s duties as Inspector of Military Forces for the Cutter Stream before anyone else becomes aware of Todd’s health problems and takes over the position.

- Chapter 4: After leaving Paragon, the surveyors cross to the Hinterlands colony of Rafe, which is supposedly uninhabited However, when Allenson sees a beacon on the planet, they decide to land They come upon a colony called Lakeside which is being run by a man named Gupper Gupper and his wife, Fara, invite the men to dinner Gupper explains that his colony is gaining in numbers as they are growing a cash crop, but he keeps the identity of the crop secret from the surveyors Allenson takes note of the gunja plants being grown around the colony as it is inedible and serves as a natural defense keeping the rooters away from their cash crop The men are served tea in Gupper’s house and Allenson, knowing tea is expensive to come by and a luxury, determines the cash crop they are growing must be tea Before leaving the planet, Allenson tells Gupper a story of a man who was growing tea and, when discovered, had his land burned and his family sold off into indentured servitude.

- Chapter 5: The surveyors land on the Brasilian colony of Kalimantan Kalimantan is prosperous and thriving as evidenced by the technology available on the colony Fullbrite, the General Manager of one of the product supply buildings, KPS19, takes an audience with them They quickly note that Fullbrite is eager for his return to Brasilia and is only biding his time in the colony He gives them a guided tour and Allenson notes the wasteful nature of the colony Instead of fixing machines, they simply order new ones They do not produce any of their own food The only purpose for the colony is to produce kali plants, which is a health fad in Brasilia Destry notes the success of the colony while Allenson states that it is unsuccessful because as soon as health fads change, the colony will be abandoned since it is not self-sufficient.

- Chapter 6: The surveyors land on the planet of Laywant Laywant is uncivilized, with workers who do not work and men who do not abide by usual standards of etiquette and societal norms The men find the Cutter Agent, Rimmer, who takes them to Taproots Tavern where they meet the proprietor, Taproot, and are treated to his private store of beer and sweetmeats After both Taproot and Rimmer leave to attend to individual business matters, Destry and Hawthorn encourage Allenson to recite an acrostic he has been working on about a woman he danced with named Frances Alexander at the Smethwick ball.

- Chapter 7: The men awake the next morning and breakfast Rimmer asks them to accompany Taproot’s men and his watchmen on a hunt for Riders responsible for recent Rider raids on Laywant They agree to go They stop at a nearby farm where the family has been killed They find a control module missing from a steam generator and determine Riders were not responsible as they would not have taken such an item While Taproot’s men and the watchmen continue on, Allenson and his crew instead begin a spiral search knowing who was responsible for taking the control module must be a local They come upon a renegade camp, and after killing all but one, persuade him to tell who has hired them They discover Taproot is behind the alleged Rider raids.

- Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the Continuum? (chapter 1)

1. a wormhole

2. raw energy

3. a teleportation device

4. an asteroid field

2. What is the common language among all Rider clans? (chapter 1)

1. Klingon

2. Soft Foot

3. Brasilian

4. Kant

3. What are the three unique qualities of crystal beasts? (chapter 2)

4. How do the crystal beasts eat? (chapter 2)

1. They break down minerals with corrosive saliva and then absorb the ions they need.

2. They dig roots and tubers from the soil.

3. They do not eat.

4. They harvest energy while traveling through the Continuum.

5. When Allenson visits his brother Todd in Paragon, what promise does Todd have him make? (chapter 3)

6. What does Linsye ask of Allenson during the visit? (chapter 3)

7. Why did Allenson decide to land on Rafe? (chapter 4)

1. He knew someone there they could stay with.

2. They ran into bad weather.

3. He was intrigued by the fact that although Rafe was supposedly uninhabited there was a beacon indicator lit on Rafe.

4. Destry’s frame broke and they were forced to stop.

8. Why is tea a luxury? (chapter 4)

1. It is illegal to import tea other than Brasilian tea and the import of tea is heavily taxed.

2. It is hard to grow tea leaves on any of the colonies due to the extreme weather.

3. Tea is mostly an old world item which has been subject to extensive cross-pollination, so real tea is hard to come by.

4. It is not a luxury item.

9. What was the purpose of Allenson’s telling Gupper about his family’s tenants that illegally grew tea? (chapter 4)

1. The story was meant to entertain him at dinner.

2. The story was meant as a warning to Gupper so he could find a different cash crop.

3. The story was actually about Allenson.

4. The story was Allenson’s way of telling Gupper he had notified the authorities about his illegal cash crop.

10. What do the ankle bracelets for the people of KPS19 function as? (chapter 5)

1. a stylish accessory

2. an identification tag for indentured servants

3. a magnetically aligned object meant to balance the circulatory system of the wearer.

4. sawed off ankle-cuffs

11. What does Allenson foresee happening to Kalimantan in the future when the fashion changes on Brasilia? (chapter 5)

1. It will switch to a different cash crop.

2. The planet will be utilized as a military base.

3. The planet will be abandoned when the kali health fad subsides.

4. The indentured servants will be released to live in the wild.

12. Why was the shipping system on Laywant inefficient? (chapter 6)

1. corrupt officials

2. the rich take profits off the top

3. lack of technology

4. rotten goods

13. What is the name of the club on Laywant? (chapter 6)

1. Raptoots

2. Teaboots

3. Tarsoots

4. Taproots

14. What was the acrostic Allenson was writing about? (chapter 6)

15. What favor does Rimmer ask of the surveyors? (chapter 7)

1. to be gone as soon as possible as Hawthorn has been flirting with Fleur

2. to stay longer and watch over the town while he took a trip back to Brasilia

3. to help Taproot track down men who had stolen from the tavern

4. to go on a hunt for Riders with Taproot’s men

16. Who was the conspirator responsible for the alleged Rider raids? (chapter 7)

1. Taproot

2. Rimmer

3. Fleur

4. Hawthorn

Answers:

1. b

2. d

3. They are a silicon-based species, They can traverse the Continuum, They domesticated human beings.

4. a

5. To be a leader in their Cutter Stream colony as it will be the grounds for an intergalactic war and will need safeguarding.

6. That he take over Todd’s position as Inspector of Military Forces for the Cutter Stream.

7. c

8. a

9. b

10. b

11. c

12. a

13. d

14. a woman who is friendly to all but gives no favors away (Frances Alexander).

15. d

16. a

- Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration:

1. As the survey team journeys, they discuss the genetics and evolution of both the Riders they encounter and the plants In conjunction with their science class, have students research evolution and genetics Science teachers can further enhance their learning by conducting a lab in which students dissect different plant or animal organisms and discuss the functionality of the different parts of the dissected organisms and whether the species has evolved to enhance their odds of survival Some useful resources (including an article by the author John Lambshead) follow:

- Lambshead, John “It’s Lonely Out There – The Evolutionary Explanation For the Fermi Paradox by John Lambshead – Baen Books.” Baen Books Science Fiction & Fantasy – Home Page. Baen Publishing Enterprises, 2011 Web 21 January 2012 <http://www.baen.com/lonelyoutthere.asp>.

- “Evolutionary Genetics (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Stanford University, 2005. Web. 21 December 2011. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evolutionary-genetics/>.

- De, Beer Gavin Charles Darwin: Evolution by Natural Selection Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1976 Print.

- Wade, Nicholas “Natural Selection – Evolution – Genetics – NYTimes.com.” The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia The New York Times, 11 December 2007 Web 21 December 2011 <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/science/11gene.html>.

2. In chapter 2, Destry and Hawthorn discuss the Riders Hawthorn discusses how scholars are “very keen on the noble savage ideal” but that “the reality might be a bit too much” for them Have your students explore the concept of the noble savage and whether, from the first seven chapters, they believe the Riders are noble savages or whether they are, like Hawthorn believes, just savages Students can split into groups based on their beliefs and debate the two sides Some useful resources follow:

- Cranston, Maurice The Noble Savage: Jean-Jacques Rousseua, 1754-1762. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1991 Print.

- “Noble Savage (literary concept) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia.” Encyclopedia – Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 21 December 2011 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/416988/noble-savage>.

- Ellingson, Terry Jay The Myth of the Noble Savage Berkeley: University of California, 2001 Print.

- “Defining Savage.” Discovering Lewis & Clark: Home. The Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, 2009 Web 21 December 2011 <http://lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=335>.

Chapters Interlude-14

- Prepare to Read:

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- Panache (chapter 8)

- Gaffe (chapter 8)

- Noncommittally (chapter 8)

- Cuckold (chapter 9)

- Propriety (chapter 9)

- Gadding (chapter 9)

- Executor (chapter 9)

- Wastrel (chapter 9)

- Filial (chapter 9)

- Unctuously (chapter 9)

- Conciliatory (chapter 10)

- Coalescing (chapter 10)

- Interloper (chapter 10)

- Impinge (chapter 10)

- Sardonically (chapter 10)

- Anodyne (chapter 10)

- Cronyism (chapter10)

- Nonplused (chapter 10)

- Sartorially (chapter 11)

- Repartee (chapter 11)

- Onerous (chapter 11)

- Gimlet (chapter 11)

- Desenescence (chapter 11)

- Reprove (chapter 12)

- Incarnate (chapter 12)

- Elicited (chapter 12)

- Restitution (chapter 12)

- Recalcitrant (chapter 12)

- Debase (chapter 13)

- Loiter (chapter 13)

- Tectonic (chapter 13)

- Valor (chapter 13)

- Introspection (chapter 13)

- Assiduous (chapter 13)

- Arbitrated (chapter 13)

- Interminable (chapter 14)

- Cajoled (chapter 14)

- Reconnoiter (chapter 14)

- Commandant (chapter 14)

- Obdurate (chapter 14)

- Uncouth (chapter 14)

- Gimbals (chapter 14)

- Focus question/initiating activity: Have students define”aristocrat” and discuss the societal norms associated with such a position including social events they must attend, manners that must be heeded at all times, etc Has the definition of “aristocrat” changed over the years? Discuss before beginning the interlude and chapters 8-14.

- Chapter Summaries:

- Interlude: Taproot is upset, sitting in his office, thinking about whether Rimmer knows Taproot’s underhanded dealings He debates killing Rimmer and making it appear as an accident He sends for two of his enforcers to start his car When they do not come back to escort him, he goes to the car without guard He is ambushed from behind and stabbed in the kidney.

- Chapter 8: Destry and Allenson arrive at Destry’s home They speak briefly with his wife, Sarai Allenson has an obvious attraction to Destry’s wife, although he tries to retain his gentlemanly poise After it is decided Allenson will stay the night, Destry shows Allenson his newest toy, an automaton that builds other automatons They then go into the jaffa fruit fields only to find that the fruits are not being harvested efficiently as many fleeks, large birds used for harvesting the crops, are missing Destry finds his servants eating fruit and the gangmaster drinking and having relations with another servant He fires the gangmaster and then speaks with the fleekmaster and determines more servants will be needed to complete the harvest as the fleeks have mostly died due to a disease Allenson retires to the guest room to prepare for dinner while Destry remains to sort out the harvesting of the jaffa fruit Sarai meets Allenson in the guest room and tries to seduce him.

- Chapter 9: Allenson returns home to find that much of his estate is falling apart under his stepmother’s watch After his stepmother berates him for not caring about her, he retires to the steward’s cabin for the night The next day Allenson goes to the Wayfarer Inn to think about two problems: one, what to do about his stepmother and the crumbling estate, and two, how to go about attaining Todd’s position as Inspector General of Militia He notices all of the ladies in the Inn and determines that the reason they look their best is simply to keep up appearances and to dress for the social position they hope to gain Applying their lessons, he enlists Hawthorn to dress as his aide for his meeting with the Governor regarding Todd’s position.

- Chapter 10: After a rough trip in which Allenson becomes motion sick,the two gentlemen arrive in Manzanita City They make their way to the vice-governor’s office After some persuasive tactics by Hawthorn, they are allowed an audience with the vice-governor, Fontenoy Allenson asks to retain Todd’s brother’s rank, and Fontenoy indicates he will do so only if Allenson agrees to go on a diplomatic mission into the Hinterlands to investigate how far Terran penetration into the Hinterlands has occurred and whether the Rider Stone People Overclan is still in allegiance with Brasilia Allenson agrees to the proposition.

- Chapter 11: Allenson receives an invitation within an hour of checking into his hotel in Manzanita City to attend a garden party He attends the supposed social gathering only to discover that it is actually a well-disguised business gathering where different businessmen assail him with their wares and give him their business cards He eventually is engaged by Trina Blaisdel who has no business involvement.

- Chapter 12: Allenson and Hawthorn conduct interviews for a Hinterlands guide to take them to Nengue, a Rider trading post They decide on Clement Payne, although he is a drunk Allenson arranges for Payne to get supplies on credit as well as food so he has no access to alcohol, thereby cleaning up before the journey When Allenson discovers a supplier has overcharged his account in order to supply Payne with alcohol and thereby cheat Allenson out of money, he goes to the supplier’s store and confronts him Allenson and Hawthorn continue their preparations for the Hinterlands expedition by arranging to rent a high-capacity luggage frame and four employees after some negotiation.

- Chapter 13: Allenson, Hawthorn, Payne, and their crew arrive on Nengue They achieve an audience with the Viceroy where they exchange gifts The next day they witness a series of trials presented before the Viceroy Then they discuss with the Viceroy whether Terra has any permanent settlements on Nengue Allenson realizes that the Riders do not understand that Terra and Brasilia are not governed by the same government He indicates to the Viceroy that Terra is a less powerful civilization and the Viceroy agrees to keep Terran settlements from developing Allenson soon realizes that the Riders do not have the same understanding of the Brasilian treaty either and are not planning for Brasilians creating colonies in the Hinterlands.

- Chapter 14: Allenson asks for fifty riders to accompany them to Stikelstad where they think Terrans have set up a permanent residence, but only four volunteer Allenson, Hawthorn, Payne, and the four riders stop on Larissa when they see a weak signal They see evidence of a temporary camp of Terran soldiers and determine they came from Larissa They arrive on Larissa to find a military outpost They speak with the commandant in charge of the Terran forces Allenson tells them they are encroaching on Brasilian territory The commandant informs them they have spent much money and resources on the post and will not be leaving The next day they are given a tour of the post It is heavily fortified and they find evidence that the Terrans intend to build on Stikelstad next, which would give them control of all of the Hinterlands up to Nengue.

- Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. What planet is Taproot from?(Interlude)

1. Brasilia

2. Terra

3. Laywant

4. Rafe

2. What is Allenson’s view of automatons? (chapter 8)

1. useful tools

2. overly complicated to use

3. time wasters

4. ingenious inventions

3. What is the primary crop of Wagener? (chapter 8)

1. jamba juice

2. juji fruits

3. jaffa fruits

4. fleeks

4. How does Allenson feel about his stepmother? (chapter 9)

1. He cares for her as a mother.

2. He has no feelings towards her as he has never met her.

3. She is his confidant.

4. He dislikes her but still gives her the respect her station deserves.

5. What doe Allenson notice about the ladies in the Wayfarer Inn and how does this influence him? (chapter 10)

6. Why did Manzanita City become the largest city and administrative capital of the five Cutter Stream worlds? (chapter 10)

7. Foundworlds are ______? (chapter 10)

1. worlds found in the Cutter Stream

2. a cluster or small Terran colonies

3. alternate dimensions

4. a world within a world suggesting intelligent life at the microscopic level

8. What was the intent of Allenson’s invitation to the garden party in Manzanita City? (chapter 11)

1. It was a social gathering.

2. It was an ambush.

3. It was a polite gesture from his cousin to welcome him into Manzanita society.

4. It was a well-disguised business gathering.

9. What is Nengue? (chapter 12)

1. Allenson’s home

2. a rider civilization in the Hinterlands

3. a political party

4. a trading post in the Hinterlands

10. What was the percentage that Allenson indicated the supplier who had worked with Payne had cheated him by? (chapter 12)

1. 20%

2. 30%

3. 10%

4. 15%

11. Life on Nengue is experiencing mass extinction due to…? (chapter 13)

1. extreme volcanic activity

2. asteroid showers

3. dragons ate them

4. strategic bombardment

12. What is Todd Allenson’s vision for Nengue? (chapter 13)

13. What world served as a waypoint for three different chasms in the continuum? (chapter 14)

1. Larissa

2. Malachor

3. Bight

4. Terra

14. What was the lead Terran officer’s reaction to Allenson’s request for the Terrans to leave Stikelstad? (chapter 14)

15. What do Allenson and Hawthorn determine as the Terran’s next strategic course of action? (chapter 14)

1. to control the Bight by taking over Stiklestad and Larissa

2. to take over Nengue by using gatling gun carbines

3. to attack Brasilia

4. to retreat and give up the territory in the Hinterlands

Answers:

1. b

2. c

3. c

4. d

5. He notices they dress in order to garner attention and to attain the position they hope to get, and therefore he decides he must do the same for his meeting with the vice-governor about Todd’s soon vacant position.

6. Fresh water was needed for cooling freighter ships.

7. b

8. d

9. d

10. a

11. a

12. To utilize its precious stones and metals as a way to make it an administrative and economic center in the Hinterlands.

13. a

14. He politely refused.

15. a

- Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration: In chapter 10, Allenson learns of a treaty between the Riders and the Brasilian government allowing the Brasilians the opportunity to exploit the Hinterlands for the resources they possess Upon speaking to the Rider Viceroy in chapter 13, Allenson discovers that the Riders do not have the same understanding of the treaty and in fact do not understand that Brasilia anticipates colonizing the Hinterlands Have students discuss how this difference in the treaty’s interpretation parallels the colonization of America by European superpowers and the misunderstandings between the Native Americans and Europeans Some useful resources follow:

- “Native American Voices.” Digital History University of Houston, 2011 Web 24 December 2011 <http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/native_voices/nav2.html>.

- “American Revolution: English Colonial Era.” The History Place, 1998 Web. 24 December 2011 <http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/rev-col.htm>.

- “Virginia’s Early Relations with Native Americans – For Teachers (Library of Congress).” Library of Congress Home. Library of Congress, n.d Web 24 December 2011 <http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/colonial/indians/>.

Chapters 15-21

- Prepare to Read:

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- Fop (chapter 15)

- Imbibed (chapter 15)

- Unassailable (chapter 15)

- Blatant (chapter 15)

- Incursion (chapter 16)

- Pugnaciously (chapter 16)

- Egalitarian (chapter 16)

- Guilelessly (chapter 16)

- Garrison (chapter 17)

- Modicum (chapter 17)

- Mulish (chapter 17)

- Diffidently (chapter 17)

- Gesticulating (chapter 17)

- Arduous (chapter 18)

- Supplication (chapter 18)

- Latitude (chapter 18)

- Cajoled (chapter 18)

- Repatriated (chapter 18)

- Punctilious (chapter 18)

- Contingent (chapter 19)

- Cliché (chapter 19)

- Meander (chapter 19)

- Extortions (chapter 19)

- Insouciant (chapter 19)

- Ignominious (chapter 20)

- Phalanx (chapter 20)

- Pique (chapter 20)

- Moue (chapter 20)

- Repudiated (chapter 21)

- Stochastic (chapter 21)

- Focus question/initiating activity: Before beginning chapters 15-21, have students discuss what are the essential qualities in any leader What makes someone a good leader versus a bad leader? Which types of leaders garner the most support? Why?

- Chapter Summaries:

- Chapter 15: When Allenson and Hawthorn return from their tour of the fort, Payne informs them that Lars Costeen is on the base, a Terran man who was raised by Riders Lars Costeen went to Larissa and returned with the Riders The Riders were then provided with tonk and women by the Terrans The next day, Allenson and Hawthorn resign to the fact that they will have to leave their Rider escorts behind as they are still preoccupied with the alcohol the Terrans provided them They discuss how this might have been the Terran strategy Payne has had a slip up in the meantime and partaken of alcohol due to his guilt over leaving the Rider escorts unattended It is decided that Hawthorn will return to Nengue to pick up the four porters before returning to Manzanita Allenson and Payne will go directly back to Manzanita to warn the government of the Terran’s plan to build on Larissa next, thus securing all of the Hinerlands up to Nengue for Terra Payne’s health is fragile after the relapse, and the trip back is slow A Rider named Gammy Leg catches up with them and offers to escort them When Allenson realizes they are going in a circle, Gammy Leg tries to shoot him Gammy Leg is captured by Allenson and interrogated He provides no information Instead of killing him, Allenson sends him back to Nengue with the message that they do not need an escort and that they will be returning to the Terran fort on Stikelstad Allenson and Payne return to Wagener instead where Destry has medical facilities to treat an ever-weakening Payne Upon his return to Destry’s home, Destry’s wife appears in Allenson’s room where he is taking a short rest before moving on to Manzanita They engage in sexual relations.

- Chapter 16: Allenson is approved by the upper house of the Council as Inspector General of the Militia, but there are dissidents in the lower house He attends a hearing with Fontenoy in the lower house to prove his capabilities Many members are won over by his honesty and experience in the Hinterlands, but a few led by Rubicon feel Allenson will give the Destrys too much power and will use taxpayer dollars in order to help the Destrys buy lands in the Hinterlands Allenson is offended by their accusations and throws Rubicon out of a third story window Allenson then visits the militia and sees it is made up of the dregs of society He speaks to Colonel Avery who has ideas regarding recruiting better soldiers He then goes with Trina to her friend Master Mansingh’s home Mansingh is a weapons specialist who helps them decide on appropriate weapons to use in the Hinterlands Mansingh also requests that he be able to join the militia Despite Masningh’s disability (he is missing legs below his knees), Allenson agrees to take him on as a weapons specialist.

- Chapter 17: The newly formed militia sets out for Nengue Allenson has made many changes: their pay, bringing along a medic; providing food, clothing, and medical supplies; and treating the men with respect Once on Nengue, Allenson goes on a scouting mission to Larissa with the Riders They find Larissa already heavily fortified They set off to a nearby uninhabited world to set up their own fortifications in anticipation of a battle While the men begin making the fort, Hawthorn goes on a scouting mission to ensure no Terrans are already set to attack while Allenson goes on a hunting trip with Payne and two other soldiers Allenson’s group is surprised by the native animals and find themselves in a precarious situation where one of the men is being attacked by two weasel-type animals After making it back to the frame to leave the hunting site, they receive word on the radio that the Terrans are already attacking.

- Chapter 18: Allenson takes a small force to the camp the Terrans made on the uninhabitable world They set off alarms when they approach it and open fire They win the small skirmish as the Terrans surrender The Terrans in the camp were disguised as an embassy therefore starting political rumors that the militia killed a Terran ambassador Allenson sends the prisoners of war with Padget to Manzanita in order to spread the news of the victory and garner more support Padget comes back with about two hundred men, but not Colonel Avery, who has decided to leave his position Padget informs Allenson he has been promoted to Avery’s position and is now in charge of the men A Captain Broch has arrived with him, a colonel in the colonial militia of Isfahan All Isfahan militia are also regulars in the Brasilian army, so Broch actually outranks Allenson, which causes some tension Allenson goes to Nengue to see the Viceroy who is upset that Allenson even temporarily built a camp on Nengue before moving to the uninhabited world Allenson discusses how the Riders are neutral in the battle Allenson and his officers meet to discuss their next tactical move Hawthorn informs Allenson that Terrans are on their way with Rider escorts The officers decide to remain and prepare for attack even though they are grossly outnumbered As they come to this decision, alarms sound that they are under attack.

- Chapter 19: Allenson is trying to discover what made the alarm sound in chapter 18 as no attack ensued It is discovered that there have been deserters, so Allenson issues a statement saying that anyone that chooses to desert had better not show back up in Manzanita, if they even make it that far before Riders catch them Hawthorn suggests taking a platoon off base to harass Terran supply lines and Allenson agrees As Allenson is checking on his weapons specialist, Mansingh, the Terran attack comes First is an air assault which Mansingh repels by use of a cannon which Allenson did not know was on base The next wave of Terrans attack the perimeter Allenson’s troops prevail only after Allenson jumps into view of the Terran troops and begins shooting in an effort to encourage his men to return fire instead of being frozen in fear Hawthorn is able to take out the Terran captain as well He chooses not to slit the throats of the victims but rather to give them large doses of sedatives to ease their transition into death as slitting their throats would be a war crime The next day the Terrans begin a steady shooting on the camp from the nearby woods, thus forcing the Streamers to remain in trenches The river is slowly rising and bringing human waste with it, the men are starving in the trenches, and disease is rampant throughout the base The Streamers are dying due to the ill conditions and consistent firing from the Terrans They will soon be so outnumbered as to not be able to defend the base The only bright spot is that Mansingh and Hawthorn design a way to rig the cannon so that it can take out the Terrans’ sharp shooter.

- Interlude: Marshal Ovaki and General Brinen in Brasilia discuss the skirmish in the Hinterlands The general is unsure why the marshal wants to send in Brasilian troops since the colonies in the Hinterlands are uneconomical The marshal informs him that although they are not worth saving economically, it has now become a matter of saving face and they need to show the defense spending review committee that funding the military is still important The general agrees the Terrans need to be reminded of their place They decided to send in two light battalions led by one Brigade Commander Chernokovsky.

- Chapter 20: Allenson has arrived back on Manzanita after surrendering to the Terran forces Fontenoy is upset at Allenson as the surrender he signed indicated that the colonial militia had shot an ambassador on unclaimed territory Allenson resigns his post He is met by a mob outside who carries him around as a hero He then goes to see Lady Blaisdel and discovers he can retain his position as the Lower House will not approve the resignation due to his hero status and other political reasons Upon returning to his hotel he finds Sarai who is waiting for him and seduces him He begins working with the Brasilian regulars as a liaison between colonial suppliers and the Brasilian army who need goods before moving on Larissa. He soon is caught in the middle of suppliers providing subpar goods for high prices Lady Blaisdel effectively demonstrates how to handle the suppliers and asks to be his aide, which he accepts, thus improving his standing with Brigadier Chernokovsky who was thinking him incompetent.

- Chapter 21: The Brasilian army begins its march to Larissa, laying a trackway to make traveling easier Unfortunately, laying the trackway is a slow process and thus it takes them twice the time to reach Nengue as it took Allenson and the colonial militia in the previous expedition Allenson is unnerved by a lack of attacks on the way and a lack of Rider sightings When they arrive at Nengue, the trading camp has been destroyed and the Viceroy killed He suggests to Chernokovsky that he go ahead with the engineering crew to lay more track so as to speed up the process Chernokovsky agrees but says more men will accompany them in case of attack and that he himself will be going The men are attacked by riders shortly after leaving and suffer major casualties as the riders employ guerilla warfare and the Brasilian army stays in rank on the track The colonial militia is all that saves them from being completely wiped out, and a dying Chernokovsky tells Allenson this when they retreat to a nearby habitable planet He asks Allenson to get his men home.

- Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. When at the compound, what causes Payne to relapse with alcohol? (chapter 15)

2. What was the reason Allenson wanted to split up?(chapter 15)

1. to confuse the Terrans

2. to expedite the trip back to Nengue

3. to hasten his return to Manzanita

4. to have an affair with Destry’s wife

3. How does Allenson win over the Lower House Council to appoint him Inspector General? (chapter 16)

1. serves them tea on Trina’s estate

2. supports Fontenoy for president

3. throws Rubicon out a window

4. wears a uniform that is too small for his stomach

4. What was the position that Allenson granted to Mansingh upon his request to join the Cutter Stream Militia? (chapter 16)

1. Private First Class

2. Colonel Avery

3. Paratrooper

4. Weapons Officer

5. How have the officers come to regard their men under Allenson’s watch?(chapter 17)

1. as equals

2. as inferior

3. as lazy

4. as valuable assets

6. Why does Allenson choose not to build a fortification on Nengue but on a nearby uninhabited world instead? (chapter 17)

7. What was the Terran force disguised as when Allenson and a few men went to investigate the camp they built on the unidentified world near Nengue? (chapter 18)

1. an embassy

2. a fully fortified base

3. a trading post

4. a rider camp

8. Why does Captain Broch refuse to have his men help build the fortification on the unidentified world near Nengue when he arrives with Padget and thirty of his men? (chapter 18)

1. They need to rest.

2. The fortifications are already built.

3. They are ranked as regulars in the Brasilian army and therefore not required to do menial labor.

4. They do not refuse to help build the fortifications and start right away.

9. What was the reason for administering overdoses of pain killer to the Terran wounded? (chapter 19)

1. Cutting their throats is a war crime.

2. It is a humane act for the wounded that will not survive.

3. Allenson ordered it.

4. All of the above

10. What do the authors mean to “destroy in detail”? (chapter 19)

1. To eliminate every incriminating detail in written form.

2. A smaller force destroys a lager one piecemeal.

3. A military term used to describe a larger force extinguishing a smaller force.

4. It is not defined.

11. Why do Marshal Ovaki and General Brine decide to send in two battalions to support the militia in the Hinterlands? (Interlude)

1. In order to save militia lives.

2. To put an end to the skirmish quickly.

3. The Brasilian government is requesting it.

4. They feel it is a good political move in order to show Brasilian superiority and to justify defense spending.

12. Why does Allenson resign? (chapter 20)

1. He does not like risking his life.

2. Fontenoy was upset at him for surrendering.

3. Hawthorne made him do it.

4. He had other political ambitions.

13. What was the title Allenson received in the regular army? (chapter 20)

1. Colonial Liaison

2. Unpaid Civilian Consultant

3. Lt. Colonel

4. None of the above

14. How does Lady Blaisdel become involved in military affairs? (chapter 20)

1. She helps Allenson sort out a supplier problem and asks to be his aide.

2. She uses her political clout to obtain an officer’s rank.

3. She becomes a member of the Lower House.

4. She signs up for the Brasilian army.

15. Why did the light battalions take so long getting to Nengue? (chapter 21)

1. The officers were not carrying enough luggage.

2. They had slow transports.

3. The beacons did not work.

4. They had to backtrack to Manzanita.

16. Why did Allenson want to take an advance force to Larissa? (chapter 21)

1. He wanted to get away from the Brigadier.

2. He wanted to drink tea.

3. He thought speed was essential.

4. Riders attacked in the continuum.

Answers:

1. He felt guilty for having suggested leaving their rider escort unattended only to have the Terrans occupy them with women and booze so Allenson, Hawthorne, and Payne could not make it back to the Cutter Stream.

2. c

3. c

4. d

5. d

6. He feared the riders would think they were building in order to overtake Nengue instead of to set up an attack against the Terrans who had fortified Larissa.

7. a

8. c

9. a

10. b

11. d

12. b

13. a

14. a

15. b

16. c

- Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration: Have your students compare and contrast Allenson with General Washington Consider how Allenson treats his troops and the attention he gives to their food, clothing, and health as described in chapter 17 Also consider his gentlemanly behavior as it has been exhibited throughout the novel, his quick rise in rank in the militia, and how quickly he gains his soldiers’ respect Some useful resources (including an article by author John Lambshead) follow:

- Lambshead, John “Science and Society in the Citizen Series by John Lambshead – Baen Books.” Baen Books Science Fiction & Fantasy – Home Page. Baen Publishing Enterprises, 2011 Web 21 January 2012 <http://www.baen.com/ScienceAndSociety.asp>.

- “Papers of George Washington.” The Papers of George Washington University of Virginia, n.d. Web. 28 December 2011 <http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/documents/civility/index.html>.

- “A Brief Biography of George Washington | George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens. Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, 2011 Web 28 December 2011 <http://www.mountvernon.org/meet-george-washington/biography-and-influence>.

- “Search John C. Fitzpatrick’s The Writings of George Washington.” University of Virginia Library University of Virginia, n.d Web 28 December 2011. <http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-washington?specfile=%2Ftexts%2Fenglish%2Fwashington%2Ffitzpatrick%2Fsearch%2Fgw.o2w&query=soldiers&docs=div1&auth=&begin_year=&end_year=&sample=1-100&grouping=work>.

- “George Washington: The Soldier Through the French and Indian War.” Historic Valley Forge Independence Hall Assocation, 2011 Web 28 December 2011 <http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/washington/george1.html>.

Chapters 22-Epilogue

- Prepare to Read:

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- Paucity (chapter 22)

- Vanguard (chapter 22)

- Putrid (chapter 22)

- Effrontery (chapter 22)

- Defenestrated (chapter 22)

- Impugn (chapter 22)

- Poltroon (chapter 22)

- Egregiously (chapter 23)

- Prescient (chapter 23)

- Sinecure (chapter 23)

- Didactically (chapter 23)

- Cavalier (chapter 24)

- Sufferance (chapter 24)

- Galling (chapter 24)

- Parochial (chapter 24)

- Vagaries (chapter 24)

- Fracas (chapter 24)

- Cynical (chapter 25)

- Inert (chapter 26)

- Tractable (chapter 26)

- Conflated (chapter 26)

- Echeloned (chapter 26)

- Attrition (chapter 27)

- Concertina (chapter 27)

- Viscous (chapter 27)

- Illusory (chapter 27)

- Deign (chapter 27)

- Focus question/initiating activity: Before beginning chapter 22, discuss the politics of war with your students Is war always based on political reasons? Do politicians consider the soldiers’ lives involved? How much of war is based on societal influence? Do civilians influence the course of war?

- Chapter Summaries:

- Chapter 22: Allenson takes control of the soldiers after some squabbling between Chernokovsky’s aides about who is in charge when the ranking officer, Lieutenant Stretter of the 51st Light Brigade, appears and puts himself under Allenson’s command Allenson orders that he wishes to move out in three hours time, to leave all the dead included Chernokovsky in a burial pit, and to leave all unnecessary materials behind Allenson’s order scandalize the other gentlemen except Stretter, who acquiesces to Allenson’s wishes and has the troops ready to go in just two hours. The 12th Light Brigade refuses to go with Allenson as their officers are hunting in Rider territory Allenson informs them their officers are as good as dead and he and the rest of the troops will be leaving They choose to stay behind Allenson leads the 51st Light Brigade and his militia through the Continuum, off of the track, so they can disappear and not be set upon by Riders or Terrans He gets them to Laywant where he stops to rest Sarai visits him and sees to it that he gets a hot meal and bath He continues on to Manzanita where he is greeted with a hero’s welcome in the Lower House but a warning from Fontenoy that the more he is praised now, the further he will fall from grace as politicians are fickle and Brasilian government is sure to blame him for the loss of so many of their army regulars Allenson replies that he would not have changed anything as his goal was to get the men in his command home safely He has a meeting with Hawthorne, Mansingh, and Rutchett to delegate responsibilities and reorganize the military so they will be in the best position to help the Brasilians in the inevitable war Sarai visits him once more to ask him why he has been ignoring her and treating her coldly He is unable to explain to her satisfaction that he is invested in his position as a military officer She sees this as only nominal and that he should have aides doing the real work.

- Chapter 23: Fontenoy and Allenson have a discussion behind closed doors about the state of affairs Allenson insists he will need money to re-equip the militia and indicates his plan for the militia to head off Rider raids in an effort to further train them He says recruits will come as refugees start pouring into Manzanita from Hinterland colonies being attacked by the Riders Fontenoy does not believe the Council will provide the funds Allenson tells him to put it before them, but after it is shot down and the tide continues to go against the Brasilians in the war to bring it back up and they will pass it the second time it is presented Allenson states that when it is passed both Allenson and Fontenoy’s political status will increase as they will be seen as prescient Allenson visits Lady Blasidel at an infirmary camp where refugees have begun to pour in She insists they need more money for medical camps and indicates she will make sure the Councillors are aware of this need In the meantime, Allenson has appointed Destry as his intelligence officer Lady Blaisdel indicates he should have Destry find where the Riders are and raid them since they have been unlucky actually catching the Riders in their raids against the colonies despite the militia’s efforts Destry is able to tell him where the Rider camps might be, as they have to operate from a centralized location, although transient beings Allenson and Hawthorn take a team of militiamen to attack They find the Rider camp on the third try and a massacre ensues in the militia’s favor An influx of more Riders appears at the end of the chapter.

- Chapter 24: Despite the new influx of Riders, the militiamen are able to send the beasts and Riders scattering across the Hinterlands, thus experiencing their first victory They return to the base as heroes Allenson writes two reports, one highlighting the victory to send on to Fontenoy and one with the details of the shortcomings of the battle for him to analyze Fontenoy beeps him to let him know that the Brasilians are sending a major expeditionary force to force back the Terrans After Allenson goes over the report with his officers, they decide, based on Destry’s suggestion, to begin working in groups of twelve as the riders do in order to have optimal team building They noted during the skirmish that they did not work together and were often getting in each other’s way When General Levit arrives, Allenson learns that she is moving the base from Manzanita to Perseverance, thus the Stream will not reap the benefits it would have from the war with a track being laid as Chernokovsky had begun; nevertheless, he is forced to acquiesce to Levit’s orders Allenson and Hawthorn use the travel time to Perseverance as a chance to further train the militia in moving stealthily through the Continuum and other war tactics After arriving at Perseverance, Allenson gives the militia a one night leave, and they end up in a fight with the Brasilian regulars In response, Allenson puts them under more intense training They are told they will ship out in three days As the regular Brasilian army builds a track to Larissa, Allenson’s men act as watch in small bands so they will not meet the same end as Chernokovsky’s doomed expedition At a stop on the planet, Wobble, Allenson and Levit meet and Levit shows him a map of the entirety of Brasilia, Terra, and the Hinterlands She points out the Terran supply line and a Terran relief force moving towards Larissa.

- Chapter 25: Allenson and Levit discuss the Terran relief force Levit advises they should turn back as the Terrans will win a battle with the relief forces in place, and if Brasilia lose another battle it will bring a political fallout. Allenson urges they should not make irreversible decisions without more information Allenson sets off with a militia squadron to do reconnaissance and discovers the slow moving Terran relief force moving through some larger chasms which they control for their supply line Upon returning to Levit, Levit again advises they retreat, but Allenson insists she allow the militia to attack the Terran relief force, much like the Riders did to Chernokovsky’s expedition and Levit agrees Mansingh meanwhile has been working with an engineer to rig up the single-seater frames with weapons mounted to them so the entire frame becomes a weapon, thus giving them a greater advantage against the larger Terran vehicles Allenson rallies the militia and has a short meeting with the company commanders and Destry to discuss the short, constant attacks he plans on the Terran convoy.

- Chapter 26: The militia lands on an uninhabited world near the Terran convoy that Hawthorn found called Slimeball They begin attacks on the Terran relief force in waves The first attack is extremely effective as the Terrans are caught off guard During the third attack, Hawthorn has the men use Molotov cocktails which further surprise the Terrans The Terran convoy grounds after the third attack When the militia begins attacking again, the Terrans are better prepared and the militia experiences more losses Allenson meets with the command officers and Destry and Destry tells him the militia is losing the battle.

- Chapter 27: Destry explains that they are going to lose the battle because the militia has not actually stopped any of the armored Terran vehicles, thus the two sides are simply killing each other off soldier for soldier Due to the fact that the militia has fewer numbers, they will run out of men before the Terran force He suggests they take out the vehicles themselves by attacking them head-on and killing the pilots During the first attack, the militia loses 18% of those that engage because of the dangerousness and open nature of the head-on attack The Terran officers begin to advance on Slimeball to stop the attacks; therefore, the militia takes a new tactic They move to a nearby world, soon named Fort Crag Hawthorn presents a new plan in which, instead of remaining at a standstill, the militia should bluff their numbers and send their whole force to attack a civilian target, the assault force supply depot When the militia returns to Fort Crag, they are met with a heroes welcome, as the Brasilian regulars were able to advance on Fort Revenge and win the battle due to the Terran relief troops never arriving at the base.

- Epilogue: After the victory parade on Manzanita, Fontenoy asks Allenson about his future plans He indicates he will be retiring from soldiering and devoting himself to family business He immediately seeks out Lady Blaisdel and informs her he will be sending a representative to meet her representative to draw up a marriage contract She agrees Sarai is upset by the news, Linsye approves, and Allenson sees figures of dying soldiers in the night sky.

- Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. What Continuum vision does Allenson see as he is retreating with the colonial militia and the Brasilian army soldiers that would follow him? (chapter 22)

1. Sarai seducing him

2. Hawthorn angry at him

3. Todd, Linsye, and his stepmother disappointed in him

4. a hero’s welcome on Manzanita

2. What was the story behind the quote by Cicero “The young man should be praised, honored, and immortalized” Fontenoy recited to Allenson after the Lower House meeting? (chapter 22)

3. How many military units are necessary at any one time in a working army according to Allenson? (chapter 23)

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

4. Who is the intelligence officer? (chapter 23)

1. Allenson

2. Hawthorn

3. Lady Blaisdel

4. Destry

5. Allenson writes two reports after the skirmish at the rider home base Which one mattered to him and why? (chapter 24)

6. Why does Allenson wish to leave the main base on Manzanita instead of moving it to Perseverance as General Levit has decided? (chapter 24)

1. He knows the Cutter Stream will no longer reap the same benefits after the war if the track is moved and they are no longer along a permanent route through the Hinterlands.

2. He does not want to waste time building another track when they should be fighting.

3. He knows Lady Blaisdel will not continue to help him if they move bases.

4. He feels a loyalty to the Manzanita Councilors.

7. What reaction does Levit have when she discovers the Terran relief forces? (chapter 25)

1. She asks Allenson to do reconnaissance.

2. She states that the army should retreat.

3. She proposes they engage the forces immediately in combat.

4. She is surprised to discover the force and sends the findings back to Brasilia in order to receive their own relief forces.

8. What is Allenson’s plan to break down the Terran relief forces? (chapter 25)

1. He plans to raid them much as the riders did on his previous expedition.

2. He plans to conduct a head on battle in the chasm through which the Terran forces are traveling.

3. He signs a surrender.

4. He agrees with Levit that they should retreat.

9. Who was named base commander on Slimeball? (chapter 26)

1. Padget

2. Rubicon

3. Hawthorn

4. Destry

10. What kind of warfare did the militia have to utilize? (chapter 26)

1. modern

2. Terran strategies

3. ancient

4. federation

11. Why does Hawthorn think Allenson is having nightmares? (chapter 26)

1. Allenson has a conscience.

2. Allenson has no courage.

3. Allenson feels guilty.

4. Allenson is stupid.

12. Why does Destry say they are losing the battle? (chapter 27)

1. The militia has been unable to kill any Terran troops.

2. The Terrans have taken Slimeball.

3. The Terran relief force has arrived at Fort Revenge.

4. The Terran vehicles have not been immobilized.

13. How does Hawthorn propose winning the battle once the Terrans and Brasilians are in a stand-off? (chapter 27)

1. by attacking the Terrans on Slimeball

2. by hitting the assault force’s supply depot

3. by pretending to surrender and then wage an assault

4. by moving on Fort Revenge

14. What does Allenson plan to do after returning from the victory against the Terrans? (Epilogue)

Answers:

1. c

2. Fontenoy is telling Allenson that the more he is praised now, the further he will fall from grace later due to the fickleness of politicians.

3. c

4. d

5. The one detailing what went wrong during the skirmish so that he could fix the failings for the next battle.

6. a

7. b

8. a

9. d

10. c

11. a

12. d

13. b

14. To retire from soldiering and marry Lady Blaisdel.

- Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration: Into the Hinterlands is as much a historical fiction novel as it is a science fiction novel It closely parallels the French and Indian War and Allenson’s life parallels the young George Washington Have students research the similarities between the war and the characters in the novel and the actual French and Indian War and parties involved As an extension, students can create a timeline of the novel versus the actual history Students can also create maps of the intergalactic war and map out the battles as described in the novel They can compare this to a map of the battles during the French and Indian War In history class they can also discuss the politics of the French and Indian War and what led the two sides into the war Some useful resources follow:

- “How Newspapers Covered the French and Indian War | Early America Review.” Archiving Early America: Primary Source Material from 18th Century America Archiving Early America, 2011 Web 31 December 2011 <http://www.earlyamerica.com/reviews/spring97/newspapers.html>.

- “The French & Indian War Shmoop: Homework Help, Teacher Resources, Test Prep.Shmoop University, Inc., 2011 Web 31 December 2011 <http://www.shmoop.com/french-indian-war/>.

- “The War That Made America – French & Indian War Timeline | PBS.” PBS: Public Broadcasting Service WQED Multimedia, 09 January 2006 Web 31 December 2011 <http://www.pbs.org/thewarthatmadeamerica/timeline.html>.

Reflection and Discussion Questions

1. As the war rages on, the militia begins to incorporate more “primitive” means of warfare Do you believe Drake and Lambshead are warning against technology and the dangers of relying too heavily on it, or do you think this is just a strategy to make the parallel between Into the Hinterlands and the French and Indian War more evident?

2. Are robots (automatons) useful in the novel? In our future society? Why or why not?

3. Is Allenson a dynamic character in the story? Support your answer with textual evidence.

4. Why did the Riders join the Terrans and not the Brasilians? Support your answer with textual evidence.

5. As a further extension activity, have students revisit the biographical sketches they completed about the authors before reading the novel and identify which aspects of the novel might have been influenced by which author and discuss how the two authors complement each other’s strengths.

BAEN BOOKS

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO 1636: THE KREMLIN GAMES

BY ERIC FLINT, GORG HUFF, AND PAULA GOODLETT

Contents:

- Recommended reading levels

- Biographical material and links

- Background of the book and plot summary

- Character sketches

- A separate guide to each of the six parts of the book, which includes a plot summary of each chapter and the following:

- Prepare to read…

- Vocabulary

- Focus questions or initiating activity

- Quiz / reading comprehension questions – multiple choice and short answer

- Reflection and discussion questions – may be used to initiate classroom discussion, as short writing assignments, or as test questions

- Suggested activities / inquiry-based exploration – suggestions for activities and projects

Recommended reading levels:

Because of the mature nature of some of the material included in the book, included attempted rape, violence, and language, classroom use of this book is probably most appropriate for upper-level high school students. The book would be particularly effective for upper-level classes in European History, World History, or Western Civilization.

Biographical information on Eric Flint:

Eric Flint was born in Southern California in 1947 and graduated from high school in Los Angeles. After high school, Flint completed a B. A. from UCLA in 1968 and pursued a Ph. D. in Southern African History but left after three years of study to working as a political activist. Over the next thirty years, Flint made a living working a variety of jobs including truck driver, meatpacker, glass blower, and machinist. In 1992 Flint decided to return to writing after many years. Since then, Flint has authored or co-authored dozens of successful pieces, particularly in the area of alternate history, fantasy, and science fiction.

Biographical resources for Eric Flint on the web:

- “Eric Flint,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Flint

- Eric Flint’s own site contains autobiographical information, Eric Flint’s place on the web, http://www.ericflint.net/index.php/biography/

- A short biography and bibliography of his works are at Fantastic Fiction, http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/f/eric-flint/

Gorg Huff is a Texan who has helped in researching the Ring of Fire series background, written numerous stories for the Grantville Gazette, and contributed both maps and drawings to 1634: The Bavarian Crisis. Gorg began as a solo writer, but now principally teams with Paula Goodlett.

Paula Goodlett started reading the 1632 series after a knee injury. Once a member of the military, Paula now works with Eric Flint and contributed key ideas to 1634: The Ram Rebellion. She also edits the Grantville Gazettes series and other e-books in the Ring of Fire series. She often writes with Gorg Huff. Together, they've written The Birdie Tales among other works. For more information about Paula Goodlett, please see http://ericflint.wikia.com/wiki/Paula_Goodlett.

Suggested class activity: Have your students read about Eric Flint and his coauthors from various sources, including Flint’s own site, before beginning the book. Based on what they learn, they can create predictions for what kind of ideas and themes may be present in 1636: The Kremlin Games with a follow-up reflection after reading.

Background to the Ring of Fire series:

Flint first published 1632 in 2000 with Baen books. Considered within the genre alternate history, the novel begins when the space/time continuum becomes disrupted and the citizens of Grantville find themselves in Germany in the year 1632. Since then, a number of sequels and spin-offs exist as well as a fan site where members can contribute to the 1632 universe. The fan site is located at http://1632.org and the e-zine, The Grantville Gazette, can be found at http://www.grantvillegazette.com/ . Students may enjoy exploring the sites to get a feel for the Ring of Fire universe and understand some of the terminology such as “up-timer” and main events.

Plot Summary:

Vladimir Gorchakov, a prince from Russia, arrives in Grantville with Boris Petrov, a bureaucrat, to determine whether or not the Ring of Fire happened or is a hoax. Once they discover that the Ring of Fire truly brought a town from the future into the region of Germany in their time period, Vladimir and Boris begin to see the opportunities to benefit Russia. The ties between Grantville and Russia strengthen throughout the book, including Vladimir’s wedding to a Grantville resident Brandy Bates and the relocation of some Grantville residents to Russia. The first Grantville resident to move to Russia, Bernie Zeppi, lives at a Dacha with Vladimir’s sister and Russia’s top minds to create a type of think tank that will produce the tools Russia needs to progress and flourish. Bernie’s presence changes Russia in many ways, and not all of them are expected. Bernie assists in the creation of updated weapons, road scrapers, and dirigibles, but he also helps lower the mortality rate during a typhoid epidemic and encourages Russians to rethink the practice of serfdom. Even the czar begins to reconsider serfdom and contemplates a constitutional monarchy. Not all of these changes are welcome, however, and some influential families attempt to take over the country. In the end, Bernie, Natasha, and others rescue the czar and head to the east of the country in hopes of starting a new kind of life for Russians, one that includes more equality.

Major Characters:

- Anya – Anya is a runaway slave who arrives at the Dacha. With Bernie’s help and open-mindedness, Anya learns accounting. She becomes the assistant to Princess Natalia and bookkeeper for the Dacha.

- Brandy Bates – Brandy is a barmaid who gets her GED and becomes a researcher at the National Library in Grantville. She marries Vladimir.

- Natalia (“Natasha”) Gorchakov – Natasha is a princess of the Gorchakov family and sister to Vladimir. She runs the Dacha think-tank near Moscow and helps pioneer new products for the good of Russia and her family.

- Vladimir Petrovich Gorchakov – Vladimir is a prince of Russia. He travels to Grantville to learn about the Ring of Fire and how Russia fares in the future. He stays in Grantville to oversee the copying of information and sending of books and other materials. He marries Brandy Bates.

- Andrei Korisov – Andrei is a gunsmith at the Dacha who eventually works in his own gun shop nearby. Andrei uses the up-timer technology to create the AK3 rifle and revolutionizes warfare in Russia.

- Boris Timofeyevich (“Tim”) – Tim is a junior officer in the Russian army who shows a skill in strategy in the war games. Tim eventually rises to the rank of general under the czar.

- Cass Lowry – Cass is an up-timer who is hired by the Russians to bring Bernie’s car to Russia. Cass stays and becomes an adviser on the military side of production. His bad manners and arrogant attitude make him unpopular.

- Ivan Maslov – Ivan is the son of a butcher who shows such skill in the war games that he gains prominence in the military.

- Boris Ivanovich Petrov – Boris is a bureaucrat from Moscow who travels to Grantville with Vladimir. Boris sets up a communication network and heads the Grantville desk in Moscow after his travels.

- Evdokia Romanov – Evdokia is the czarina of Russia. She has great influence over her husband and befriends both Natasha and Brandy Bates.

- Feodor (“Filaret”) Romanov – Filaret is the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and father of the czar. He is considered a powerful figure, and some say he is the real ruler.

- Mikhail Fedorvich Romanov – Mikhail is the czar of Russia. Known for being indecisive, Mikhail considers reforms but does not always act on his ideas.

- Fedor Ivanovich Sheremetev – Fedor is a Russian boyar and cousin to the czar. He is from a powerful family and uses his influence as Chief of the Bureau of Records to wield great power in Russia. Eventually, he becomes the Director General of Russia.

- Nikita (“Nick”) Slavenitsky – Nick is the main pilot of the dirigible.

- Filip Pavlovich Tupikov – Filip is a philosopher and advocates freedom of serfs under the pen name “The Flying Squirrel.” He works at the Dacha and falls in love with Anya.

- Bernard (“Bernie”) Zeppi – Bernie is an up-timer hired by Vladimir to travel to Russia and share his knowledge with Vladimir’s family. Over time, Bernie consults on projects that make life better in Russia, including reducing the mortality rate during a breakout of typhoid fever.

Guide to Part 1 - chapters 1-5

- Prepare to Read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- Posol’sky Prikaz

- Cossacks

- Perestroika

- Library of Alexandria

- Thuringia

- Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church

- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

- Focus questions or initiating activities:

- Research the ideas of multiple/alternate universes. Discuss various scientific opinions about the possibility, and how it affects the historical figures presented in the story. (ch. 1)

- Perform a thought experiment: if you could travel to a library that held the details of your future and the future of your family and country, would you want to go? What information would you want? Would you try to change anything, or would you accept what the books represented as your life? (ch. 1)

- Find out more about Eric Flint, the author, at http://www.ericflint.net/ or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Flint and predict what elements or themes might be present in this novel. As the novel progresses, you can keep track of these predictions and write a reflection at the end.

- Research the Ring of Fire and the events that landed Grantville in the 1600s at http://1632.org/ or read the first book in the series, 1632, as an e-book at http://www.baen.com/library/0671319728/0671319728.htm and determine why such an event would be unsettling to the Europeans of the 1600s. Why would some consider it a hoax? (ch. 1)

- Learn more about the Romanov family, particularly Fyodor Nikitich Romanov (“Filaret”), the current patriarch at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarch_Filaret_(Feodor_Romanov), and his son Mikhail, the current czar at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_I_of_Russia. What roles do they play in governing the country? (ch. 1-5)

- Grantville lands in the Thuringia area of Germany during the Thirty Year’s War. Look at the map here: http://emersonkent.com/map_archive/thirty_years_war_1630.htm and determine who the powerful forces are that Russia should be concerned about and why. (ch. 1)

- Chapter Summaries:

- Chapter 1 – Prince Vladimir and Boris arrive in Grantville in 1631. They are sent by their government in Russia to determine whether or not Grantville is a “hoax.” The pair find that Grantville and the “up-timers” who live there are not hoaxes at all, but, in fact, from the future.

- Chapter 2 – Boris heads to the library to learn more about the future of Russia from the history books in Grantville. He returns to Vladimir with bleak news. Both agree that more time is needed to explore the place and learn about Russia’s future. Vladimir wants to send word home to the patriarch of Russia with proof about Grantville in hopes that they can stay longer.

- Chapter 3 – Vladimir enters a beer hall and meets Bernie, an up-timer who does not like his current life since the Ring of Fire deposited him back in the past. Bernie agrees to spy for the Russians, and Vladimir wants Bernie to return to Russia.

- Chapter 4 – Vladimir and Boris offer Bernie the chance to go to Russia and live in grand style. Bernie feels the opportunity is a good one and agrees to go.

- Chapter 5 – Boris and Bernie begin the journey to Russia. The trek is not as comfortable as Bernie had hoped. Vladimir stays behind to continue gathering information.

- Quiz / Reading Comprehension Questions – multiple choice / short answer questions to test reading comprehension:

1. Why would Grantville need to be watched by spies? (ch.1)

2. Why does Vladimir feel he is better equipped to stay and do research in Grantville than Boris? (ch.2)

1. Vladimir is a prince and can order people around.

2. Vladimir is fluent in more languages and has more money to spend freely.

3. Vladimir secretly does not want to go home because he does not like the czar.

4. Vladimir believes he is a better spy as a royal.

3. Bernie is unhappy in Grantville, in part, because of the death of which relative? (ch. 3)

1. Father

2. Sister

3. Mother

4. Aunt

4. Why does Bernie suffer from what he believes to be PTSD? (ch.3)

1. Bernie fought in the Crapper battle

2. Bernie was injured playing football

3. Bernie was injured during the Ring of Fire

4. Bernie was in a mining accident

5. When traveling back to Russia, why does Boris want to keep Bernie’s presence a secret to the Swedes? (ch. 5)

6. What is an up-timer? (ch.3)

Answers:

1. Many countries were suspicious of Grantville and wanted to learn from their futuristic technology.

2. b

3. c

4. a

5. Boris does not want the Swedes to keep him from bringing an up-timer out of Grantville.

6. An up-timer is a person who traveled through the Ring of Fire and lived in the future.

- Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions–

1. An atmosphere of distrust begins early in the novel, starting in ch. 1 when Vladimir goes to Grantville to be a spy. Many Grantville residents realize spies abound in their community, but they are not very concerned. What does the importance of spying placed on this novel show us about the atmosphere in Europe during the 17th century? What other actions in the book confirm this?

2. Boris wants to read what the history books in the Grantville library say about Russia because he wants to know whether or not crucial decisions at hand in Russia will turn out positively in later years. What philosophical questions does this pose? What information can the history books in Grantville not show Boris now that the Ring of Fire has happened?

3. Bernie’s presence demonstrates that the Ring of Fire affected all in Grantville differently. What are some examples of Grantville residents that Bernie mentions who created opportunities for themselves after the event? What keeps Bernie from being more productive?

4. Why does Vladimir want Bernie to go to Russia when it is clear that Bernie does not have the reputation in Grantville of being a leader or great thinker? Do you believe Bernie fully understands why he is being sent there?

- Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration:

1. Read about the Romanov family at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Romanov and identify possible areas in the timeline that Boris and Vladimir might wish to change. Create a Top Ten list and justify your choices.

2. Examine how Grantville’s presence in Germany has already altered history. Explore the sites dedicated to the series, such as http://1632.org/ . Choose one area in history that you find interesting, such as the Thirty Years War, and investigate it more thoroughly. An interactive mapping of compare / contrast work for a presentation can be found at http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/compare-contrast-30066.html

3. Investigate PTSD at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001923/ or another reputable site. Evaluate Bernie’s symptoms against the symptoms of PTSD. Using a Venn diagram (an interactive one is at http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/venn/ ) compare Bernie’s accounts with a current report of PTSD. How do they differ?

Guide to Part 2 - chapters 6-28

- Prepare to Read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- Deti boyar

- Boyar duma

- Dacha

- Think Tank

- Time of Troubles

- Boris and Natasha from the Bullwinkle show

- Streltzi

- Typhoid fever

- Red Square

- Fresno Scrapers

- Cholera

- Bra burning

- Madelyn O’Hare

- Remington 7400

- AK rifles

- Gimbal

- Dirigible

- Focus questions or initiating activities:

- Read about Napolean’s experience when invading Russia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_invasion_of_Russia and discuss what factors contributed to the outcome. (ch. 7-9)

- Read about Hitler’s experience when trying to invade Russia at http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/hitler_russia_invasion_01.shtml and discuss what factors contributed to the outcome. (ch. 7-9)

- Research the Little Ice Age at http://www.eh-resources.org/timeline/timeline_lia.html and discuss how this plays out in the story. (ch.

- Explore the Butterfly Effect at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect and discuss some of the repercussions involved in making decisions that could change what is “supposed” to happen.

- Investigate the healing methods in the 17th century, particularly the belief in humors and bleeding at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_medicine . How do these approaches work? Are any of these techniques considered valid today? Discuss how increasing knowledge about the body changes approaches to healing over time.(ch. 17)

- Learn about the women’s liberation movement in America at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_liberation_movement . How did the lives of women change since then? Discuss how this could be a revolutionary concept to the women of the 1600s. (ch. 11-13)

- Chapter Summaries:

- Chapter 6 – Boris and Bernie reach Russia and arrive at Boris’s home. Boris’s wife tells the pair that the town has differing opinions about Grantville and Bernie. Both are to see the czar and patriarch.

- Chapter 7 – Boris meets with the patriarch and explains Vladimir’s plans for a Russian think tank. The patriarch has concerns and remains somewhat skeptical, but he seems open to the idea.

- Chapter 8 – Bernie meets Princess Natalia (“Natasha”), sister to Vladimir, and gives her a letter from her brother. Natasha appears impressed with the up-timer and believes the plan for a think tank is a good one.

- Chapter 9 – Bernie meets many Russian dignitaries including the czar. Overall, Bernie finds meeting most of the officials tedious. Unknown to Bernie, many of the officials are not impressed and tell Boris that Bernie was not a good choice.

- Chapter 10 – Natasha and Bernie travel to the Dacha, which will be the location for the think tank. Bernie shares some doubts about organized religion, which shocks Natasha.

- Chapter 11 – Natasha wants Bernie to talk to her about women’s liberation in up-time. This makes Bernie uncomfortable, so he suggests that Natasha write to a Grantville friend Brandy, a barmaid. Natasha sends a letter to Brandy and others.

- Chapter 12 – Natasha checks on the status of members of the think tank, but the news is not good. Larger developments, like the steam engine, are not going to be made quickly because of a lack of resources. Things will have to move more slowly.

- Chapter 13 – Boris arrives in Grantville to check on the communication network and Vladimir’s progress. Brandy receives Natasha’s letter and sends to her material describing the roles of up-timer women.

- Chapter 14 – The patriarch and others consider various proposals to create centralized banking and issue paper money to bolster the economy. Many noble families hope to be richer in the endeavor. Some are concerned about slaves / serfs getting ideas about rebellion from the up-timers.

- Chapter 15 – Experimentation continues in the Dacha with some progress. Anatoly builds a rifle but the peasant forced to try it sustains injuries from the backfire. Vitaly learns about health-care in up-time. Lazar works on creating batteries.

- Chapter 16 – Now that the weather begins to be warmer, the Dacha wants to try the road scraper. With some trial and error, the scraper proves to be a success. Soon, Yuri arrives to see how the scraper will improve road building. Many want scrapers, but how to pay for them remains an issue. In the region owned by Natasha’s family, scrapers provide much assistance in terms of road quality and time saved.

- Chapter 17 – A typhoid fever epidemic begins in the city, and Bernie steps in with what little knowledge he has to help lower the mortality rate. Through this experience, Bernie realizes that the work he does saves lives, and he becomes more serious and dedicated to his work.

- Chapter 18 – Natasha reviews progress at the Dacha. The new AK1 rifle works well, but many servants were injured in the process of trial and error. The steam engine and electricity-based work progresses slowly.

- Chapter 19 – Boris needs more men to run the Grantville desk in Moscow, but the lack of progress from the Dacha causes reluctance. Natasha tells Bernie that she wants Andrei out of the Dacha, and the gun shop (with Andrei) is moved about twenty miles away.

- Chapter 20 – Bernie introduces the idea of wargames to the Dacha and military. Through role playing, younger officers learn how to make command decisions. One young man, Ivan Milosevic, plays very well, which surprises some because he is the son of a mere baker.

- Chapter 21 – Bernie struggles to explain to the Russians how Grantville objects, like toilets. Frustration abounds on both side, as the Russians cannot get specific answers to their questions. Natasha and Bernie receive letters and books from Grantville.

- Chapter 22 – Andrei continues to improve the gun. He is making strides, learning that a gimbal may not be necessary for the gun to fire.

- Chapter 23 – Vladimir goes to one of the Grantville banks for a line of credit. While there, he meets with Don Francisco Nasi, and they agree to exchange information regularly via computer.

- Chapter 24 – Brandy receives letters and packages from Bernie, Natasha, and the czarina, all requesting aid in different matters. Bernie and Natasha also send letters to other Grantville residents in hopes of learning more ways to combat typhoid fever.

- Chapter 25 – Filaret, the patriarch, questions what the best political move is regarding the confirmation of Grantville. In the end, he decides to offer free information about the turning plough as a gesture of charity to all.

- Chapter 26 – The Dacha wants to build a machine that flies and settled on a half dirigible. Natasha shares progress at the Dacha with the czarina, including Bernie’s newfound dedication to his work since the fever outbreak. Bernie begins to study more in his free time so that he can help the Russians in their work more effectively.

- Chapter 27 – Andrei’s latest gun still has complications. Bernie and others try to assist him in troubleshooting the problems.

- Chapter 28 – The patriarch creates an “official” statement about the Ring of Fire, saying that God chose Germany as the site for Grantville to show the Germans are fighting the wrong battles when feuding over denominations. The Dacha begins to tinker with hot air balloons and achieves some success.

- Quiz / Reading Comprehension Questions – multiple choice / short answer questions to test reading comprehension:

1. What are the varying opinions in Russia regarding the Ring of Fire? (ch.6)

2. Why are some in Russia concerned that the tools are “magic” in Grantville? (ch.6)

3. Bernie begins to laugh when Boris introduces him to Natasha. Why? (ch. 8)

1. Natasha looks like a clown with her white makeup.

2. Natasha and Boris remind him of a cartoon he watched when younger.

3. Natasha and Boris remind him of a couple he knew in Grantville.

4. Natasha slipped and fell in a humorous way when she entered.

4. Why are some of the Russians not impressed with Bernie? (ch.9)

1. They feel he is beneath them as a peasant

2. They feel that he is rude

3. They feel that he is not very smart

4. They feel that he is too demanding

5. Why is Natasha “shocked and intrigued” by Bernie’s lack of concern about social class? (ch. 10)

6. Why does Bernie suggest Natasha write to a barmaid? (ch. 11)

7. Why do the Russians struggle to produce better guns at a faster rate? (ch. 12)

8. Why does Ivan tell the patriarch that Russia is rich in goods but not in money? (ch. 14)

9. What is one technique Vitaly learns from Bernie is important in healing? (ch. 15)

1. Bleeding the patient

2. Aspirin production

3. Pulse reading

4. Sterilizing wounds and needles

10. What is the benefit of a scraper? (ch. 16)

11. What concoction does Bernie try to replicate to help patients with fever? (ch. 17)

1. Penicillin

2. Gatorade

3. Tylenol

4. Vitamins

12. How does the boy’s typhoid sickness affect Bernie? (ch. 17)

13. Why does Natasha want Andrei out of the Dacha? (ch. 18)

14. How do the Russians change the war games and why? (ch. 20)

15. Why do the Russians not understand how Bernie uses the term “gravity”? (ch. 21)

1. Bernie mispronounces the word

2. Bernie uses the word in a scientific way

3. There is no equivalent term

4. Bernie is not interested in the discussion and tries not to talk about it

16. What is “industrial espionage”? (ch. 23)

17. How do the letters from Russia inspire Brandy to get her GED? (ch. 24)

18. Why does the Ring of Fire cause Filaret to question his faith? (ch. 25)

19. Why was it a mistake for Andrei to send an early version of his gun to Fedor Ivanovich Sheremetev first?

1. The czar found out and punished Andrei

2. Natasha found out and punished Andrei

3. The guns still had problems and angered people on all sides

4. The guns worked well and forced Andrei to explain a large order

20. Why does Bernie feel Grantville was placed in Germany and not Russia?

Answers:

1. Some believe the Ring is a hoax. Others believe it was a sign from God that Germany is favored over Russia.

2. During this time period, many were superstitious. Because they did not understand the technology behind what seemed to be fantastical objects, some worried that the objects were magic, which would mean they would not be allowed to be used by the Church.

3. B

4. C

5. Natasha grew up in a rigid class system, and she does not know another way of life. Between her time with Bernie and her correspondence with Brandy, Natasha believes another way is possible, and this is exciting to her.

6. Bernie considers Brandy one of the few real friends he has in Grantville. Plus, Bernie thinks it is funny that a princess is writing a barmaid for advice.

7. The Russians do not have a factory-style system in place for mass production.

8. Ivan believes that the lack of easily movable money makes trade more difficult on a larger scale.

9. D

10. The scraper makes the roads more even. It also creates roads in a faster amount of time.

11. B

12. Bernie realizes that his work really matters, and he decides to take things more seriously.

13. Natasha does not like how he treats the servants as expendable, and she does not like his temper and overall attitude.

14. The Russians put each side in a different room so that they cannot know how the other side will react, making things more realistic. They also bring in officers to judge the candidates.

15. B

16. Industrial espionage is spying and gathering information about industrial processes and trade secrets.

17. Brandy receives requests for information, and this shows her that she has a lot to offer and can make a difference.

18. Filaret does not understand how such a gift could be given to the Germans.

19. C

20. Bernie fears that Russia would have killed many in Grantville before realizing there was no magic happening in the city because of their rigid belief system and class system.

- Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions –

1. Even though the patriarch meets Bernie, living proof of the Ring of Fire, he struggles with how to explain it to himself and his people. Why does the patriarch feel that God has deserted him by sending the Ring of Fire to Germany?

2. Boris refers to the citizens of Grantville as peasants, revealing a thematic topic present throughout the book: social class. Why does Boris consider them peasants? How does categorizing them as peasants help Boris fit the Grantville citizens into Russian hierarchies?

3. Boris believes that the Grantville position is worth the risk. What is Boris risking? Why does he believe this risk will pay off in the end?

4. With a patriarch and a czar in Russia, deciding who is in charge can be difficult. Create a web or flowchart representing your understanding of the governing structures in Russia. Explain some of the complications and predict future problems.

5. Natasha compares Bernie’s random comments to a chicken laying an egg (ch. 8). Explain her analogy. Do you agree with her? Why / why not? Try to come up with your own analogy that represents the frustrations Bernie feels trying to explain “up-timer” technology to the Russians.

6. Compare and contrast Sofia and Natasha’s attitudes in Chapter 10. What does this say about each woman as a character? How much does age play a part in their points of view?

7. Bernie and Brandy agree that discussing women’s liberation issues should be done by a woman. Do you agree? What issues about women’s liberation may make discussing this topic with a man uncomfortable? Do you think that the items that Brandy sends Natasha reflect the true spirit of the women’s liberation movement? Why or why not?

8. How does a scraper work? What are some of the benefits of the scraper besides making roads more quickly? Why does the scraper make Bernie feel conflicted in Chapter 16?

- Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration:

1. Research the ideas of religious freedom and tolerance. What was the state of those ideas in Russia in 1632? How does that compare to the United States in the late twentieth century? Brainstorm some ideas about what it means to have religious freedom in either place at https://bubbl.us/ and turn this into a paper or presentation.

2. Investigate the role of a centralized bank at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_bank and in America in particular at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_central_banking_in_the_United_States and then decide for yourself if a centralized bank is a good idea in the Russia of this novel. Argue for or against it, first by outlining your ideas at http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/persuasion_map/

3. Bernie implements war games as a way to use games to work out scenario and strategy. Investigate the merit of games and play at http://motivationalmagic.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/the-educational-value-of-strategy-games/ and http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3004.pdf and find a current example of how game playing turned into real-world advantage. Are there more benefits to playing games than some realize?

4. Vladimir enters into an agreement to conduct “industrial espionage” in a seemingly nonchalant manner, but many governments take this crime seriously. Read about some cases at http://www.wright.edu/rsp/Security/Spystory/Industry.htm and create a Top Ten list of secrets that should be protected and why.

Guide to Part 3 - chapters 29-44

- Prepare to Read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- Zemskiy sobor

- Banya

- 30-06

- flintlock

- Focus questions or initiating activities:

- Who was Ivan the Terrible? Why do people in Russia fear that things could go back to the way they were in his time as ruler. Investigate Ivan at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_the_Terrible and compare some of Ivan’s practices to what is happening in the 1600s.

- Research the kinds of guns Russians had available in the 1600s. How do they compare to the ones that Andrei works on at the Gun Shop? By comparing these, discuss what an advantage it would be to have better firepower.

- Research Peter the Great at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_I_of_Russia and place him in the timeline of Russian history. Why would his name be important at this time in the story?

- Discover the history of the AK rifle at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-47 and determine their importance to Russian history. Discuss whether or not you think Flint and his coauthors may have named the character Andrei after the AK rifle.

- Research how serfdom works at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serfdom and predict why Bernie may have problems with this institution of Russian culture. Compare this part of Russia’s history to periods of American history.

- Chapter Summaries:

- Chapter 29 – Andrei’s new gun (AK 3) works well, and the Dacha discusses production alternatives. Lazar continues to work on various electrical endeavors.

- Chapter 30 – The czar, czarina, and other dignitaries come to the Dacha to look at the hot air balloon and hear of the developments. All are impressed, and some look for ways to gain political leverage. The czar ponders a constitutional monarchy.

- Chapter 31 – Vladimir hires Brandy as a researcher, and they begin seeing more and more of each other. Vladimir teaches her more about the class system in Russia.

- Chapter 32 – Bernie returns to Moscow during typhoid season and finds that some of his improvements have greatly lowered the death rate. Bernie is discouraged that he could not to more. Guba, one of the Moscow healers, wants to learn more about up-time medicine.

- Chapter 33 – Vladimir gets more requests from Russia including impossible demands from the patriarch. The patriarch wants Vladimir to limit the access of information in Grantville, keeping some of the technological information away from other countries. Bernie writes for Brandy to send his car.

- Chapter 34 – Vladimir searches for options for sending Bernie’s car. He and Brandy talk about Russian history.

- Chapter 35 – Filip finds Bernie teaching the maid Anya accounting, and all begin to rethink the social attitudes toward serfdom. Natasha makes Anya her personal maid. Lazar continues to work on the infrastructure needed to build more radios faster.

- Chapter 36 – A piece of writing by “The Flying Squirrel” urges Russians to consider voting for officials and to rethink serfdom. Fedor Sheremetev blames the Dacha, but the patriarch is not sure. Natasha reads a letter from Brandy and wishes she had more choices as a woman. Sofia, Natasha’s aunt, notices that Natasha appears to have feelings for Bernie.

- Chapter 37 – The Dacha produces a steam barge that runs from the Dacha to the Murom area, which is land owned by Natasha’s family. Many people flock to the area in hopes of a better life.

- Chapter 38 – Vladimir writes home to get permission to marry Brandy. He also begins to notice that there are political underpinnings behind some of his requests. Finally, he sends to Russia a report detailing high versus low pressure steam engines.

- Chapter 39 – Bernie remains anxious about his car, only to find out that another up-timer, Cass Lowry, will accompany the car to Russia and stay for a while. Bernie does not think highly of Cass, and he fears that Cass will make a poor impression. Vladimir agrees with this assessment.

- Chapter 40 – Bernie, Natasha, and others travel to the border to get his car, but the ship is not there. Natasha finds activities to distract Bernie while they wait.

- Chapter 41 – Cass arrives with the car and a large supply of gasoline and oil. The car contains books and letters for all. Cass shows little respect for hospitality and offends almost everyone present.

- Chapter 42 – The caravan, including the car, heads back to the Dacha but gets attacked on the way by hired bandits. Bernie and Cass join in the firefight, which impresses the guards.

- Chapter 43 – Cass finally crosses the line with his rude behavior. Vladislav, the head of Natasha’s security, teaches him a lesson by beating him.

- Chapter 44 – At Natasha’s recommendation, Cass goes to the bureau handling the military as an advisor. She wants him as far away from her as possible. The general is happy to receive Cass and plans to get the information he wants from Cass in any way possible.

- Quiz / Reading Comprehension Questions – multiple choice / short answer questions to test reading comprehension:

1. In what ways does Bernie try to make change by being an example? (ch. 29)

2. Why do some begrudge the progress at the Dacha? (ch. 30)

3. What did Guba learn from the up-timers that upset him? (ch. 32)

4. Why is the patriarch worried about information from Grantville reaching other nations? (ch. 33)

5. What is the history between the ruling family and Poland? (ch. 34)

1. Poland captured the patriarch and declared war.

2. Poland killed the oldest son of the patriarch in a war.

3. Poland captured trade routes and stole Russian resources

4. Poland killed a Russian delegation after a sporting match.

6. How does Filip change after talking to Anya and Bernie? (ch. 35)

7. Why would Natasha’s involvement with Bernie be considered a disaster to some? (ch. 36)

8. Why were Ivan and Pavel chosen to run the barge? (ch. 37)

9. If even Vladimir believes that Cass could be a problem, why does Vladimir think Cass should stay a while in Russia? (ch. 39)

1. Cass has military experience

2. Cass has engineer experience

3. Cass also has up-timer knowledge that could be valuable

4. Cass can keep Bernie in line when Bernie prefers to goof off

10. Why can’t Bernie leave Russia? (ch. 40)

11. How is Cass competition for Bernie? (ch. 41)

1. Cass is better looking

2. Cass is smarter

3. Cass is better with a gun

4. Cass is better with diplomacy

12. Why would a court family arrange the attack on the way back to the Dacha? (ch. 42)

13. Why would the streltzi want their own up-timer?

Answers:

1. Bernie tries to treat others at the Dacha, especially servants, in a better way.

2. Everything in Russia is political, and some feel that Natasha’s family is gaining too much politically by funding the Dacha.

3. Guba learned that some of the treatments he used on the previous ruler may have made him insane and monstrous instead of better.

4. Because Russia is already behind in some ways, the patriarch is concerned that Russia will be outmatched in Europe militarily and in trade.

5. A

6. Filip begins to see serfs as people, not just positions.

7. Bernie is not considered upper class. Also, Bernie holds ideas that threaten the social stability of Russia.

8. They were experts on the river.

9. C

10. The czar does not want to lose an up-timer.

11. B

12. Some court families are jealous of Natasha’s political standing.

13. They don’t want to share time with the Dacha, and they don’t want Bernie lecturing them on how to treat servants.

- Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions –

1. How are the Germans and the Russians different in terms of religion and technology when the Ring of Fire happens? How does this apply to the idea that the Russians need hope?

2. After Vladimir explains more of the class system to Brandy, see if you can create a web or diagram demonstrating your knowledge of social class in Russia. Where do things become complicated? Where are the problems?

3. Bernie seems easy-going with all around him. Why do some consider him a threat? Do you think Bernie is aware of this perception? Find examples in the text to support your answer.

4. While waiting for his car, Bernie realizes that he cannot leave Russia even if he wants to. Up until now, Bernie believes that he is more of a guest than a prisoner. Why does Bernie not confront the issue with Natasha? How does this change his interactions at the Dacha or with any of the Russians?

5. What are some of the reasons why the military might want their own up-timer? How does this give them autonomy from the Dacha?

- Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration:

1. Throughout the story people refer to the Time of Troubles. What happened during the Time of Troubles? Discover more about this period at http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/606795/Time-of-Troubles and determine what is happening in current times to make Russians fear that the Time of Troubles would return.

2. Some Russians hint that they are willing to torture Bernie and Cass for up-timer knowledge not given willingly. This does not become an issue, especially with Bernie who sincerely wants to help. Does torture work? This debate has not been completely settled. Read one examination of this issue at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/13/AR2007121301303.html and consider for yourself. Investigate more about a current debate and connect it to the reading for further benefit.

3. The steam barge revolutionizes transportation possibilities in Russia. Why is Russia so dependent on rivers? Take a look at a map of Russia at http://www.zum.de/whkmla/histatlas/russia/haxrussia.html and plot out the main areas in the book. Then, look at the steam barge history at http://www.sailingbargeassociation.co.uk/history.html and explain the importance of the barge to the Russian economy.

Guide to Part 4 - chapters 45-62

- Prepare to Read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- Bandolier

- Drop forge

- Breechblock

- Winchester rifle

- Golay golrod

- Volley gun

- Focus questions or initiating activities:

- Research the history of photography at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_photography and discuss why some would find the idea of reproducing an image dangerous.

- Read the United States Constitution at http://archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html and determine how the creation of a document could be considered anxiety-producing for the people of the land. What would a Russian Constitution from the 1600s need to include to meet the concerns of all?

- Discover how dirigibles were used in war at http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Lighter_than_air/dirigibles/LTA9.htm and be ready to compare the actual war use to how the Russians use the dirigible in the story.

- Chapter Summaries:

- Chapter 45 – Cass and Andrei try to work on a drop forge to help mass-produce guns. After that, they discuss the possibility of building an up-time cannon. Cass does not have the problems with slavery that Bernie does.

- Chapter 46 – After conditional approval from the czar, Vladimir proposes to Brandy. While she does not look forward to converting or being inspected by a company of noble women, she accepts.

- Chapter 47 – Cass and Andrei start to skim some of the guns in production to sell on the black market. Cass continues to suggest improvements on the design as well.

- Chapter 48 – The Russian party arrives in Grantville, including the women sent to evaluate whether or not Brand is a suitable wife for Vladimir. Of all of them, Madame Sheremetev threatens to undo the union the most, largely for political reasons. To help with this, Brandy gives Madame Sheremetev information behind photography, unaware it could harm the success of the Dacha.

- Chapter 49 – More pamphlets spread throughout Russia voicing concerns about whether a constitution would be a good idea or further divide the rich and poor. The rifles arrive for the military.

- Chapter 50 – The recent winner of the war games, Tim Lebedev, gets sent to an actual military division after Poland armies invade Rzhev. Tim becomes frustrated with the interference from political posturing. The dirigible will fly in front and scout.

- Chapter 51 – The leader of the Polish army reveals that he invaded Rzhev based on information that the Russians were preparing to strike from that location. Once he got there, he realized the information was wrong, but he feels forced to continue what he started.

- Chapter 52 – The army and scouts are unimpressed with the limitations of the dirigible in action. Both the dirigible and scouts are not finding much in terms of Polish troop advancement.

- Chapter 53 – The dirigible brings back solid intelligence and the Russians can now see how many soldiers are waiting at Rzhev. After some discussion, General Izmailov agrees to send cavalry ahead to fight, but he does not fully support the idea. He also orders Tim to watch the battle from the dirigible.

- Chapter 54 – The cavalry forces fail, and Tim reports to the General. The General decides to head forward with the infantry but sends Tim to the river to watch for supply boats and barges.

- Chapter 55 – The most experienced steam barge engineers are sent up the Volga to bring supplies and more troops to the Rzhev area. Unfortunately, the engineers are not familiar with the new engine or the river. When a passenger gets annoyed by the steam whistle, he breaks it off, which eventually destroys the boat and all on it.

- Chapter 56 – Brandy and Vladimir marry in a lavish style. Russian residents in Grantville discuss politics but do not know of the Polish attack.

- Chapter 57 – Tim devises a way to attack using the wooden wall structures normally used for defense, and the general likes the idea. In Moscow, many officials are not pleased with the general’s cavalry strike.

- Chapter 58 – Poland sends reinforcement, causing the Russians to attack on one side and defend on another. The Poles are disconcerted about the new technology, especially the dirigible.

- Chapter 59 – The Poles try to advance, but new Russian firepower surprises them, kills many, and forces a retreat. The dirigible malfunctions and heads for one of the Polish units. The Poles fire at it, but they do not stop its descent. It lands between the two camps.

- Chapter 60 – The Russians win the battle for Rzhev thanks to innovative thinking on the part of Tim and others. Peasants join in the fight with the limited weapons they have, mainly axes. Tim orders troops in the general’s name without permission.

- Chapter 61 – As a result of Tim’s actions, he receives a promotion because the action succeeded. Also as a result, Tim must work in horrible assignments such as latrine duty without complaint.

- Chapter 62 – The Russians return from the Grantville wedding with news about foreign nations and technological progress. In Russia, the problem of what to do with serfs continues, and the czar seriously considers reform.

- Quiz / Reading Comprehension Questions – multiple choice / short answer questions to test reading comprehension:

1. How do Cass and Andrei justify selling guns on the side? (ch. 47)

2. How did the gift of photography to the Sheremetev family undermine the Dacha? (ch. 48)

3. Why do many countries rank the up-timers as nobility despite their common origins? (ch. 48)

4. Why send the dirigible to the battle? (ch. 50)

5. What delays the troops in their travel to Rzhev?

1. Tim was late in arriving

2. Politics about order of placement

3. Lack of supplies from the barge

4. The troops left on time

6. How did the Polish receive poor information about Rzhev? (ch. 51)

7. Why did the general send the cavalry if he did not feel it was the best decision? (ch. 53)

1. Tim felt it was a good idea

2. He did not have enough supplies to last much longer

3. The leader of the cavalry had political ties

4. The general did not believe cavalry to be effective

8. Why did the general send Tim to the river? (ch. 54)

1. He needed to keep Tim safe

2. Tim could see the action better from the river

3. He did not trust Tim

4. Tim had given poor advice

9. Why do some in Russia believe there are merits to serfdom? (ch. 56)

10. How will the dirigible communicate with camp now that the site has moved? (ch. 58)

1. By color coded flags

2. By flashing lights

3. By throwing papers onto the field

4. By raising and lowering its height

11. How will the loss of the dirigible affect the Russian ability to strategize? (ch. 59)

12. Why does the general take credit for Tim’s idea? (ch. 61)

13. How do the serfs usually voice displeasure in their lot? (ch. 62)

1. They incite riots on the farmland

2. They sabotage their work spaces

3. They run away

4. They commit crimes in hopes of being imprisoned

Answers:

1. They believe that because corruption is common in Russia, they should profit as well.

2. Because the family has some up-timer technology, they can claim they have other pieces as well without having to pay the Dacha.

3. The knowledge and technology makes them valuable.

4. The dirigible can fly farther and faster, so it can report on the movements of the enemy.

5. B

6. The most likely reason is that Russian corruption led people to believe more was happening in Rzhev than actually could be the case.

7. C

8. A

9. Some believe that the land could not be worked if all had to be paid for their labor.

10. B

11. They will have to rely on slower information that may not be as accurate.

12. He suffered a loss in reputation because of the cavalry incident and needed something good attached to his name.

13. C

- Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions –

1. Throughout this section there are references to corruption in the Russian establishment. What are some examples of corruption? How does such obvious corruption interfere with government and the perception of the officials?

2. Vladimir told Brandy that he had to ask permission to marry even though he is a prince in his own right. Why does Vladimir have to ask permission, and what were the consequences if he did not? If Vladimir has to ask permission to marry, is he truly free?

3. In the United States, the Constitution guaranteed freedoms for all. Why are some in Russia afraid that a Constitution would only favor the wealthy?

4. Politics affects all decisions in Russia. What are some examples of this? Overall, are the political factors impeding progress or bolstering progress?

5. How has the knowledge from Grantville altered the relationship between the Russians and Poland? Which country seems to benefit the most from this?

6. How is Tim’s idea for engaging the Polish troops like a “tightening noose” or “spiked collar”? Does it work?

7. Even though the Russians treat their peasants badly, the peasants decide to fight with the Russians against the Polish forces. Why would they do that? What does this say about the complex relationship between social classes in Russia at this time?

8. The czar has many reasons to want to fight Poland, but he continues to resist. Why? What does this say about the complex international relationships at this time? Do you consider Sweden or Poland to be the bigger threat?

- Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration:

1. List some examples of corruption in the Russian government found in the book so far. Pick one or two of your best examples to explore in a presentation. Talk about the cost of political corruption to Russia as a whole or to a large group of people. Connect this to an example of corruption in our time. What can be done about corruption? An interactive organizer for this kind of presentation can be found at http://www.readingquest.org/strat/problem.html

2. Corruption is not the only problem in Russia – politics interferes with all aspects of life. What is an example of this? Is there a modern comparison? Create an editorial cartoon about political interference at http://www.toondoo.com/

3. Create your own alternate history: Choose a scientific discovery that we take for granted today and push that discovery back several decades (or more) in American history. What would change? How would that change our timeline?

Guide to Part 5 - chapters 63-69

- Prepare to Read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- Gresham’s Law

- Dvoriane

- Focus questions or initiating activities:

- Research Murad IV of Turkey at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murad_IV and discuss his importance to the time period. How was his relationship with Russia?

- Circulating paper money has not been without problems in the story. How is paper money viewed today? Explore the debate about paper money at sources such as http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-06/st_essay and discuss some of the problems and benefits of a paper economy.

- Poland or Sweden – who is the bigger threat to Russia. Research the King of Sweden, http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/gustavus_adolphus1.htm and determine why or how he can be a threat to Russia. You may also want to research the changes in the history with Sweden in this alternate timeline at http://1632.org/ .

- Chapter Summaries:

- Chapter 63 – The czar lets some serfs buy out their extended time to go and search for gold. He has printed treasure maps to help them. Not everyone in Russia is happy with this development. Paper money in Russia is not trusted by all but continues to circulate. At the Dacha, class distinctions become less pronounced.

- Chapter 64 – In Grantville, Brandy struggles to understand the complexities of serfdom. In Russia, a serf named Yuri plans to run to escape his predicament because he cannot afford to buy out his debt.

- Chapter 65 – A winter storm strikes Russia, ruining a large portion of the crop. Those with new reapers are able to save their crops, making those crops more valuable. To compensate for this loss, the czar cuts off some of the grain supply to the Swedes. While the czar wants to prepare for war with Poland, many feel this is the wrong course.

- Chapter 66 – Russian technology continues to progress, including plans for a railroad. Boris enters the freeze drying business on the side. The paper money does not equal its silver equivalent.

- Chapter 67 – A priest, Father Nikon, murders the patriarch for hoarding the wisdom brought from the Ring of Fire. Fedor Ivanovich Sheremetev orders the removal of the czar and his family from Moscow. He tells others that he is looking after the czar’s safety, but he also does this to remove the czar from the decision making of the time. In effect, the czar is now captive, but captive in comfortable quarters. Fedor spread rumors throughout Moscow about the czar’s new measures, making it easy for many in power to believe the czar should be kept from the decision making process for a time.

- Chapter 68 – Boris sends his family out of Moscow for their own safety as the streets are burning and riots are taking place. Then, Boris returns to his job so that he does not seem to be taking sides in the political battles.

- Chapter 69 – Tim returns to Moscow and reports about his battle experiences to his powerful military uncle before leaving again, this time to Murom. Sheremetev is declared Director-General of Russia and is ruling.

- Quiz / Reading Comprehension Questions – multiple choice / short answer questions to test reading comprehension:

1. Why is Natasha not concerned about losing serfs? (ch. 63)

2. Why does Brandy want to send a letter to Natasha without going through Boris? (ch. 64)

3. Why do some feel Sweden is a larger threat than Poland? (ch. 65)

1. Sweden’s king has more troops

2. Sweden’s king is more ambitious

3. Sweden’s king has already shown great power

4. All of the above

4. Why does Boris want the czarina to leave Moscow? (ch. 65)

5. What are some of the advantages of a railroad? (ch. 66)

6. Why is the czar considered weak without his father? (ch. 67)

7. Why does Boris want to remain neutral in the political problems? (ch. 68)

8. Despite good family connections, Tim receives a post he believes is poor. Why? (ch. 69)

9. Why is Cass in charge of the Dacha?

Answers:

1. Natasha’s family has money to pay for people to work the land.

2. Brandy does not want Boris to read her letters because of the delicate political climate in Russia at the time.

3. D

4. Boris fears for her safety.

5. A railroad would connect parts of Russia and allow goods and people to travel more quickly.

6. The czar’s father was more commanding and decisive. Many thought the czar’s father was ruling through his son. Now that his father is gone, the czar appears weak and indecisive.

7. Boris fears for his life and his job. He wants both to be intact when the political conflicts are finished, no matter which side wins.

8. Tim continues to pay for making an order without permission.

9. The Director General believes that Cass will run things more strictly and bring his own up-timer knowledge to bear on the developments. He also believes Cass will stay loyal to him.

- Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions –

1. Bernie compares the middle class of the twentieth century to the service nobility of 1635. How so? Do you believe this is a valid comparison? How does it help us understand the service nobility? (ch. 63)

2. Why did Fedor spread rumors about the death of the patriarch and the repercussions of the new plans of the czar? How do the rumors help him gain command? (ch. 67)

3. When Natasha sees troops “guarding” the Dacha, she immediately becomes suspicious of their presence and believes there is an ulterior motive. Why? What has happened previously to justify those suspicious? (ch. 68)

4. How did the officials take over Russia so quickly? What does this say about the stability of Russia before this moment and the importance of the patriarch? (ch. 67-69)

5. How has the presence of the troops and Cass begun to change the Dacha? Predict in what future ways the Dacha will alter because of these new people. Do not just focus on product development.

- Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration:

1. The promise of gold can be appealing. Read about the California Gold Rush at http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/californiagoldrush.htm and learn about the first- hand accounts from people who left everything for the promise of gold and a better life. Apply this to the serfs in our story. You can create a similar diary for a serf looking for gold or report your reflections in an essay.

2. Sheremetev depends on rumor to create a sense of anxiety in Moscow. This anxiety allows him to step in and assume command and appear the hero. Research the role of rumor in politics today at http://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/that-chain-e-mail-your-friend-sent-to-you-is-likely-bogus-seriously/ and find your own example of negative rumors harming a campaign or famous person’s career.

3. Sheremetev also employs doublespeak, which is a technique of saying one thing while meaning another. For example, Natasha knows the troops sent to the Dacha for “protection” are really there to keep her there. Read this piece about doublespeak at http://www.dt.org/html/Doublespeak.html and find some examples of your own for doublespeak. How common is this in the world today? What is the author saying about politicians and others who use this approach?

Guide to Part 6 - chapters 70-83

- Prepare to Read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- Operation Barbarossa

- Oxenstierna

- Shogun

- Oprichniki

- Focus questions or initiating activities:

- Learn more about the history of the Oprichniki under Ivan the Terrible at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprichnik . How did they function then? How could they be used in the current climate under the Director General?

- Natasha enjoys more freedom than most women in her time period. Explore the options for women of nobility at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/anna/ei_woman.html and discuss some of the futures awaiting her.

- While the czar let serfs buy out their debt, many could not. What were the repercussions of running away? Learn more about this at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serfdom and discuss whether or not running away would be a good option for Anya or others now that Cass is in charge of the Dacha.

- The radio improves communication, but still requires time to send and decode messages. Learn about this process at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_telegraphy and discuss the benefits and limitations of the medium.

- The new patriarch in Russia is Joasaphus. Research about him at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarch_Joasaphus_I and explain how the historical Joasaphus may have viewed Grantville up-timers.

- Chapter Summaries:

- Chapter 70 – Natasha believes she will be forced to marry Colonel Shuvalov to unite his family’s power and connections with her family’s wealth. Bernie objects to the idea and does not understand why she would have to go through with such a thing. Bernie believes himself to be more Russian than American, as he feels more loyalty to the people there since the Ring of Fire. Vladimir hears about the changes at the Dacha and discovers that his funding has been cut off.

- Chapter 71 – The Director-General arrives at the Dacha and places Cass in charge permanently. The Director-General tells the Dacha that the Turks will soon come and tour the facility.

- Chapter 72 – The Director General’s act to cut Vladimir’s funds and supply routes plunges Vladimir into debt. Vladimir and Boris believe that the Director General is making poor decisions about the country, especially in terms of the paper money.

- Chapter 73 – Anya voices concerns about the Dacha under Cass. Natasha agrees that the situation has worsened. Anya considers running away and offers to take Natasha, Bernie, and Filip with her.

- Chapter 74 – Cass storms into Natasha’s room drunk and tries to rape her, but Anya shoots him. Father Kiril and Sofia arrange an escape for the group before Cass’s death becomes common knowledge.

- Chapter 75 – Bernie, Natasha, and others escape in the car and drive toward Natasha’s lands in Murom. Bernie believes the next course of action should be to rescue the czar.

- Chapter 76 – Natasha takes back her palace at Murom and imprisons Tim and Captain Ivan (Tim’s cousin). Natasha discovers the czar is near and all plan to go and see him.

- Chapter 77 – The Director General visits the Dacha when he hears about what happened. After arresting Sofia, he orders the arrest of Natasha as well.

- Chapter 78 – The arrest order comes to Murom too late via radio, and Bernie, Natasha and others bring men to the hunting lodge where the czar remains captive. Once there, they discover that the Director General has created a secret police to guard the czar. After a gunfight, Natasha’s men are victorious. The czar, his family, and his up-timer nurse and her family join the others and leave the hunting lodge.

- Chapter 79 – Bernie, Natasha, the czar, and others return to Murom. The Sheremetev guards try to arrest Bernie in the name of the czar, but the czar’s presence confuses them and forces them to let him go. At this moment, Tim must decide where his loyalties lie, and he chooses to support the czar and all the nation over his family and clan. Realizing Murom could not be held for long, Natasha frees her serf and offers them a chance to follow them to the east to Ufa to build a new life.

- Chapter 80 – Murom is in flames, and Ivan of the Sheremetev clan must sort things out until he receives clear orders from Russia. The Director General does not know where Natasha and the others have gone but sends troops in that direction. Sheremetev wants the new patriarch to claim that the czar is under a spell cast by Natasha, and that, because of this, Natasha should be shot. At a stop on their journeys, the czar orders Sheremetev’s arrest.

- Chapter 81 – Sheremetev reads an order for his own arrest and is furious. He begins to discover who is loyal to him as the czar heads to Bor to confiscate the largest dirigible. Tim tries to predict how the forces at Bor will react and help the czar plan accordingly. At Bor, Ivan tries to encourage the captain to prepare for attack, but the captain does not believe an attack is likely.

- Chapter 82 – Tim (promoted to general by the czar) enacts his plan and leads an attack at Bor to obtain the dirigible. Ivan hesitates to act because he does not have time to consider all the options as he would in the war games. Instead, Ivan runs to Nick and the dirigible, leaving his captain to fight (and lose) against Tim’s forces. Upon seeing Tim, Ivan and Nick join Tim’s forces. All plan for Ufa.

- Chapter 83 – Troops head up the Volga River to stop the czar. Tim brings his army to face them while others head to Ufa. In the dirigible, Natasha looks to the east with hopes for real change and a better future, finally acknowledging her feelings for Bernie.

- Quiz / Reading Comprehension Questions – multiple choice / short answer questions to test reading comprehension:

1. Why did the Director General cut off Vladimir’s access to his money? (ch. 70)

2. Why does Bernie feel more allegiance to Russia than Grantville? (ch. 70)

1. He never liked Grantville

2. He loves Natasha

3. He has spent more time in Russia since the Ring of Fire and feels included there

4. He has spent more time in Russia and believes that the Russians will make him rich

3. Why is Vladimir worried that the Director General may kill Natasha? (ch. 72)

4. If Natasha agrees that Cass is dangerous, why does she not run away with Anya immediately? (ch. 73)

5. Why did the guards at Natasha’s door not intervene when Cass tried to rape Natasha? (ch. 74)

1. They were asleep

2. They were drunk

3. They were not Natasha’s own guards

4. They were paid to leave the door for a while

6. Why must Natasha leave after the attack when she did not want to before? (ch. 74)

7. Why do the escapees want to go east? (ch. 75)

8. Why does Tim have no respect for his cousin Ivan? (ch. 76)

9. Why does the Director-General have to leave the Dacha to send out a notice to arrest Natasha, Bernie and others? (ch. 77)

1. The radio operator is dead

2. The radio operator refuses to send an order to arrest his friends

3. Bernie stops him from entering the radio area

4. Bernie and the others broke the radio before leaving

10. Why is the czar hesitant to rule? (ch. 77)

11. Why does the czar order Sheremetev’s arrest when he technically does not have the power to do so? (ch. 80)

12. Why is the dirigible important to Tim? To the czarina? (ch. 81)

13. Why does the captain at Bor believe that the czar and Bernie are not likely to attack? (ch. 81)

14. What was the czar’s role in the skirmish at Bor? (ch. 82)

15. Why do the forces at Bor scatter after some initial fighting? (ch. 83)

Answers:

1. He wanted Vladimir to understand that he was powerful and in charge.

2. C

3. He fears that Natasha and the Dacha may be too much of a threat. She is also friendly with the czarina.

4. Natasha believes that running away would create hardship on those left behind.

5. C

6. Natasha knows that Anya’s life is in danger after Anya shot Cass and the guards. Natasha also knows that her life may be in danger with the death of the up-timer.

7. East is less populated and has a harsher climate. Plus, no one would expect them to go east.

8. Ivan is disrespectful and not very intelligent. Ivan also rarely thinks for himself.

9. D

10. The czar understands the danger involved in standing up to the Director-General, and he is not sure he wants to take that risk, especially for the sake of his family.

11. The czar hopes to create a chaotic atmosphere. In that setting, the czar hopes to accomplish his goal at Bor and head east without too much interference.

12. Tim understands first-hand the military benefits of the dirigible. The czarina understands the political power of taking back the dirigible named after her.

13. The czar believes that both men are not prone to violence, which is a belief Tim wants to exploit.

14. The czar stood on a boat and waved. Later, he got out and shook hands. This served as a distraction for the forces to enter and take the dirigible.

15. The forces were not well organized, and many were not highly motivated to fight.

- Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions –

1. Why does Natasha believe she must marry Shuvalov? As a wealthy woman and princess in her own right, why does she feel that she does not have a say in this decision? What are the consequences if she refuses? (ch. 70)

2. Why does Bernie want to rescue the czar? (ch. 75) Bernie understands that this idea would place them in more danger, but is he right to believe that the czar’s presence would help them in the end?

3. What is the function of the secret police (ch. 78)? How does the creation of such a force portray the Director General in a negative light? What other examples of such secret forces can you think of in history?

4. Serfs are freed in Chapter 79 under some protest. What were the protests, and do you think any of them are valid? Many of the concerns are based on fears. What are the nobles afraid of if the serfs were free? How does fear dictate other choices?

5. While Natasha looks to the east in hope for a better life, the czarina has concerns. What are her concerns (ch. 83)? Based on what you have read so far, are her concerns valid?

- Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration:

1. The Director-General compares himself to a shogun. Read about the shogun in Japan at http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/541431/shogunate and determine if this is an accurate comparison given the Director-General’s ambitions and actions. Find an interactive Venn diagram at http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/venn/ to help you think through the various elements involved in comparing both roles.

2. Natasha compares her earlier life and the time in the Dacha under Cass to being in a cage (ch. 73). Explore the expectations for women during this time period at http://www.enotes.com/feminism-criticism/women-16th-17th-18th-centuries and discuss how the novel approaches the issue of women’s freedoms. Is the cage comparison appropriate?

3. When the Director General reports that the czar is under a spell, he is trying to use propaganda to turn the people away from the czar. Research some common propaganda techniques at http://mason.gmu.edu/~amcdonal/Propaganda%20Techniques.html and look for current examples of propaganda in politics today. Discuss the role propaganda plays in contemporary politics.

4. In an alternate history, the ending does not have to correspond to actual history because changes inside the story affect events. This novel ends with much left unresolved. Write your own next chapter of the novel, and further the adventures in Russia or Grantville. After writing, think about what caused you to see the characters in that way. There are some tips for this at http://www.fuelyourwriting.com/10-tips-for-writing-fanfiction/ .

BAEN BOOKS

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO GOING INTERSTELLAR

BY LES JOHNSON AND JACK MCDEVIT

Contents:

- recommended reading levels

- plot summaries

- essay outlines

- character sketches

- guides to each short story/essay including:

- prepare to read…

- vocabulary *

- focus question/initiating activity

- quiz/reading comprehension questions—multiple choice/short answer questions

- critical thinking questions—higher order open-ended questions which might be utilized for quizzes/tests, class discussion, or essay prompts

- suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration—suggestions for activities and projects

Recommended reading levels:

Going Interstellar is appropriate for a young adult audience. Classroom use of the book is most suitable for upper middle school to high school students.

* Some texts in Going Interstellar contain an abundance of high-level vocabulary. For these texts, only the words and terms that are pertinent to supporting a scientific or thematic understanding are included in the “Prepare to Read” section. It is recommended that students use a dictionary while reading Going Interstellar.

Background:

Published by Baen books in 2012, this anthology combines short science fiction stories with scientific essays, each addressing theories and possible scenarios concerning interstellar space travel.

Biographical information on the editors:

- LES JOHNSON is a NASA physicist who is an expert on space propulsion systems. He is also a science fiction writer and the author of Back to the Moon. More information about Les can be found at his home website http://www.lesjohnsonauthor.com/.

- JACK MCDEVITT has been publishing science fiction since 1981, and is the winner of multiple awards within the field. McDevitt’s devotion to scientifically accurate fiction is evident in his response to a question concerning how he prepares his novels: “The research is simple,” McDevitt says, “I pick up [a] phone and call a physicist” (www.sfwa.org).

Initiating activity for Going Interstellar:

Consider preparing images of covers and segments of texts from early and modern science fiction magazines. Emphasize the idea that science is a collaborative effort, even in the world of science fiction, where ideas are shared and improved upon. Also make sure to distinguish for your students the difference between science fiction and hard SF. Your students might be surprised that science fiction and real-world science have a significant impact on one another.

- Focus activity/initiating questions for the introduction to Going Interstellar: Have your class read the introduction to Going Interstellar in small groups. After reading, have your students choose to respond to either of these prompts in a brief impromptu essay:

1. Les Johnson suggests that there may be “others like us” beyond our own galaxy with whom we may share a pizza. Johnson also imagines that other life-forms might be peering toward our galaxy with their own “telescopes.” How do you envision other life-forms beyond our own galaxy? What problems might arise if humans cannot communicate with other intelligent life?

2. In an argument for interstellar travel, Les Johnson remarks upon the vulnerability of human civilization to astronomical and man-made events, such as deadly supernova fallout or nuclear holocaust. What are other reasons that humans might need to leave Earth?

CHOICES, Les Johnson

Major Characters:

- PETER GOSS is a member of a team of interstellar travelers aboard the starship New Madrid who is assigned to survey a planet in the Epsilon Eridani star system.

- VASQUEZ is the crew commander of New Madrid.

- HERNDON is the deputy commander of New Madrid.

- A.I. is a reciprocating on-board computer system aboard New Madrid.

Prepare to read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- putrid

- purgatory

- compatriot

- atrophy

- trajectory

- eventuality

- protocol

- optimize

- garrote

- antimatter

- interferometer

- suspended animation

- debrief

- the prefix neuro-

- existential

- the prefix holo-

- Focus question/initiating activity: Investigate with your students what it means to live a “real” life? Can dreams provide experiences equally meaningful to those in “waking life”? Is it possible to make measurable accomplishments in dreams? Do “other worlds” actually exist inside our minds?

Plot Summary:

- [pgs. 8-13] Space voyager Peter Goss wakes from a nearly two-thousand year cryogenic suspension aboard the starship New Madrid during a journey to star system Epsilon Eridani, which had been discovered as harboring a planet habitable to human beings. As he quickly distinguishes between his fantastical virtual reality dreams and the real world, Goss considers his fellow crewmates, along with the entire hibernating colony of interstellar travelers that sleep aboard the ship, a population intended to colonize the target planet.

- [13-17] Goss searches for the ship commander, only to discover an empty control room. Goss activates the ship’s Artificial Intelligence program, which informs him that the New Madrid’s trajectory continued well beyond Epsilon Eridani in response to orders from Commander Vasquez, and that Goss was awakened by A.I. to address a “mission-changing event.” After being informed of not only Vasquez’s death from normal aging, but Vasquez’s murder of a deputy commander, A.I. explains to Goss the characteristics of the “mission-changing event”: the New Madrid presently sustains only enough energy to return to star system Tau Ceti, already passed, and of which A.I. discerned could not sustain human life.

- [17-19] Goss requests that A.I. replay a virtual recording of Vasquez and Herndon’s interaction before their deaths, hereby witnessing a conversation in which Vasquez expresses his doubts to Herndon concerning the value of New Madrid’s mission, and attempts to persuade Herndon to continue virtual reality dreaming. Goss then witnesses Vasquez’s impulsive murder of Herndon. Goss is thus left to decide the fate of New Madrid’s mission. While realizing that the planet in Tau Ceti is still habitable regardless of its absence of intelligent life, Goss weighs the option of an extraordinarily long life experience of virtual reality dreaming against a normal life span experience on the Tau Ceti planet. Ultimately, Goss decides to set a trajectory to Tau Ceti, but not before manipulating the dreams of the hibernating colony to represent realistic experiences.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. When Goss expresses that the tower in his dream “taunts” him, he is using what kind of figurative language?

1. Foreshadowing

2. Paradox

3. Personification

4. Irony

2. What ensured that the minds of New Madrid’s inhabitants did not deteriorate as they hibernated?

1. Regular injections of neurotransmitters

2. A dream generator

3. Being “connected” to individual external hard drives

4. Being woken periodically to perform logic tests

3. What literary device does Goss use when he refers to Earth-like planets as “Goldilocks worlds”?

1. Allusion

2. Metaphor

3. Sensory language

4. Illusion

4. Whose voice is Goss relieved to hear?

1. Vasquez

2. An awakened colonist

3. Artificial Intelligence

4. His own

5. When Goss refers to the people on Earth who decided which star systems held habitable planets as “smart people,” he is:

1. Showing denial

2. Employing sarcasm

3. Expressing humility

4. Utilizing hyperbole

6. Goss has already hibernated for 1,959 ship-time years. According to A.I., how much longer must Goss hibernate in order to reach Epsilon Indi?

1. Approximately 1,959 years

2. 3,918 years

3. 41 years

4. Approximately 980 years

7. What is the primary reason for why Goss is worried upon waking up from hibernation?

8. What are three reasons that Goss chose to join the New Madrid mission?

9. What is Vasquez’s primary reason for wanting to abort the New Madrid mission?

10. Why does Goss decide to insert a real-life Earth experience of progressing from early to future eras into the dreams of New Madrid colonists?

Answers:

1. c

2. b

3. a

4. c

5. b

6. a

7. Goss understands that the New Madrid’s commander, first officer, and two medical officers are supposed to be the first people to be roused from hibernation so that they may safely wake the other travelers.

8. Goss was tired of living in crowded Earth conditions, disliked the idea of living below ground on the moon or Mars, and looked forward to the challenge of pioneering space.

9. Commander Vasquez feels that living another thousand years in virtual reality outweighs the hardship of living a normal human lifespan in a new colony.

10. Goss wants to ensure that the colonists are prepared to handle the long-term labor of establishing a colony, a process that will not guarantee fantastic experiences, and whose progress will be slow and arduous.

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. The colony traveling on the New Madrid must sleep and dream for many centuries before arriving at any cosmic destination. If you could choose to live a thousand dream years, would you? Do you agree with Commander Vasquez that in dreams people can “live like kings”? Does relative immortality have only positive implications? Justify your answer.

2. Artificial Intelligence is depicted as having “thought” to awaken Goss from his dream-induced slumber. While Vasquez’s change of mind nearly destroys the New Madrid mission, A.I. provides Goss an opportunity to save an entire colony of humans. Based on textual evidence, what do you think is Les Johnson’s opinion about the value of Artificial Intelligence? Can A.I. truly make its own choices?

Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration:

Whether in the distant past or distant future, pioneers have and will be forced to make difficult decisions concerning not only their own survival, but the survival of their culture in new lands. In the form of proper names, Les Johnson alludes to a famous pioneer, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, and the city of New Madrid, Missouri, which was founded by 18th century American frontiersmen. In small groups, have your students use the internet to research narrative accounts of the aforementioned pioneers, or other early pioneers, and the struggles and difficult choices that they encountered in their journeys. After reading “Choices,” each group should present a visual representation that illustrates similarities and differences between the researched pioneers and Johnson’s characters.

A COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, Ben Bova

Major Characters:

- Alexander Ignatiev is an astrophysicist and senior executive of the Sagan mission.

- VARTAN GREGORIAN is the flight systems engineer of Sagan. He is in love with…

- NIKKI DENEUVE, a physicist and Sagan’s ship navigator, or “astrogator,” according to Ignatiev. She is in love with Vartan Gregorian.

- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, known as Alice, is commander of Sagan.

Prepare to read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- duplicity

- the root astro-

- imperious

- preening

- QED (quod erat demonstrandum)

- sumptuous

- banquette

- refuge

- grouse

- gamin

- beguile

- hermit

- dour

- rejuvenation

- ballistics

- effacing

- obstreperous

- the prefix sub-

- academe

- pulsar

- enigmatic

- drudgery

- assiduous

- revere

- permafrost

- hierarchy

- the prefix cryo-

- concession

- tenuous

- gossamer

- baleen

- the root psycho-

- splendor

- spectrometer

- conceded

- provisional

- nebulae

- misnomer

- placid

- static

- pavane

- parsec

- whorl

- fractals

- the prefix nano-

- peripheral

- incubate

- probe

- anomaly

- millennia

- eon

- deviation

- amalgam

- denature

- phalanx

- precipitous

- cermet

- the prefix opto-

- gambit

- air lock

- Focus question/initiating activity: Investigate with your students the relationship between logic and emotion. Can one exist without the other? Why? Why not? How might logic and emotion influence each other? Should computer systems ever be programmed to exhibit reasoning based upon human emotion? Why? Why not?

Plot Summary:

- (1) During the human race’s first interstellar mission to distant Gliese 581, a planet-bearing red dwarf star, Dr. Alexander Ignatiev silently contemplates his life’s accomplishments. Meanwhile, fellow crewmates Vartan Gregorian and Nikki Deneuve argue, or rather flirt, about their respective qualifications aboard the “scoopship” Sagan. Named for its ability to “scoop” in hydrogen with which to feed a nuclear fusion engine, Sagan is commanded by Artificial Intelligence (Alice) and harbors two-hundred scientists, engineers and technicians who hibernate in cryonic suspension. Ignatiev spends his days playing chess with AI. Ignatiev compares Gregorian and Deneuve to chess pieces.

- (2) Ignatiev retreats to his room where AI questions him as to why he is using Sagan’s main communications antenna. Ignatiev replies that he is mapping regions of interstellar hydrogen through which Sagan travels. Ignatiev becomes obsessed with studying interstellar hydrogen after noticing that it is unevenly distributed in space.

- (3) During a weekly staff-meeting, crew members discuss an unexpected reduction in Sagan’s internal electrical power consumption, manifesting in temporary power failure in several Sagan probes.

- (4) After confirming the probe power failures, Ignatiev decides to correlate Sagan’s power failures with his map of interstellar hydrogen. Ignatiev is visited by Gregorian, who seeks romantic advice concerning his adoration for Nikki. Ignatiev contemplates spending the remainder of his life alone.

- (5) Ignatiev remains four days in his quarters to study the probe power failures. He overlays the probe findings with his map of the interstellar medium, observing that power failures occurred within spatial “bubbles” sparse with hydrogen, subsequently realizing that greater failures might jeopardize the survival of Sagan’s “human cargo.” Ignatiev considers that a report of his findings would take six years to arrive at Earth. Though AI argues that power shortages are anomalous, Ignatiev is convinced that greater shortages are due for Sagan.

- (6) After spending three weeks continuing to map levels of interstellar hydrogen in Sagan’s path, Ignatiev fears drastic power outages as Sagan will soon enter a bubble nearly absent of hydrogen. Ignatiev calls a special meeting to suggest that Sagan change its course. AI counters Ignatiev’s suggestion by referring to a rule that states course changes must be approved by mission control, rather suggesting that Sagan’s crew hibernate for two months, the length of time that cryosleep may be sustained with fuel cells.

- (7) Ignatiev refuses to take the chance that a journey through the hydrogen-low bubble may extend beyond two months, and he is doubtful that AI will preserve the cryosleepers’ memories, which must be stored during hibernation. Meanwhile, Nikki thanks Ignatiev for allowing Gregorian to confide in him, informing Ignatiev that she and Gregorian plan to marry, and that Ignatiev is desired as best man.

- (8) When Ignatiev confronts AI about his uncertainty that it will upload memories back into crew members once they have been awakened, AI directs him to literature that shows successful cryosleep awakenings without human intervention. Though convinced that he has no logical argument to trump the evidence provided by AI, Ignatiev still refuses to download his brain scans to prepare for cryosleep. The rest of the crew complies.

- (9) Against AI’s persistent requests, Ignatiev refuses to go into hibernation, thus forcing AI, according to its first priority, not to shut down life support systems. Meanwhile, power reductions spread throughout Sagan, and AI appears absent after Ignatiev continually ignores it. Ignatiev wonders whether AI will return to command in time to salvage the Sagan mission.

- (10) Ignatiev considers that AI might be waiting for him to collapse of exhaustion as robots hover around to gather him for brain scans. Ignatiev abruptly decides to deceive AI into changing Sagan’s course by feigning to step into outer space without a spacesuit, thereby activating AI’s first priority. Though AI reminds Ignatiev that he is not a qualified navigator, Ignatiev realizes that he can use pulsars as “navigation fixes” to redirect Sagan to Gliese 581; AI is convinced by Ignatiev’s logic.

- (11) Ignatiev observes as his crewmates are awakened from cryosleep; he is particularly relieved when Nikki appears to retain her former memories and personality. After Ignatiev views an image of Gliese 581 and is nearly convinced that the star appears closer, he lightheartedly considers the problem of transmitting back to Earth the motive for Sagan’s course change. Ignatiev views emission nebulae in wonder, looking forward to the rest of his life.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. What adjective best describes Ignatiev’s attitude toward Deneuve?

1. Apathetic

2. Indifferent

3. Furious

4. Protective

2. What is one mystery concerning pulsars that Ignatiev wishes to solve?

1. Their life span

2. Why they pulsate so precisely

3. What materials they are composed of

4. Their effect on planetary bodies

3. What “deceit” annoys Ignatiev?

1. AI is represented with human faces

2. Sagan’s viewable star field is a simulation

3. Nikki pretends to like Ignatiev

4. The psychotechnicians are actually robots

4. With what does Ignatiev compare his arguments with AI?

1. Arguing with a stubborn child

2. A “pavane” dance

3. Playing a game of chess

4. Playing a video game

5. What is Artificial Intelligence’s “first priority”?

1. To ensure the success of the Sagan mission

2. To only obey its original protocol

3. To protect the lives aboard Sagan

4. To ensure its own survival

6. What does Ignatiev remember when he considers shutting down AI?

1. He had not finished his last chess game with AI

2. His deceased wife

3. That he was asked to be Gregorian’s best man

4. A line from a book he had once read

7. Why is the starship Sagan referred to as a “scoopship”?

8. What is Ignatiev’s view of his role, including that of his fellow crew members, aboard the starship Sagan?

9. What is the primary problem concerning communications between the starship Sagan and mission control on Earth?

10. How does Ignatiev compare himself with Artificial Intelligence?

Answers:

1. d

2. b

3. a

4. c

5. c

6. b

7. Sagan uses an invisible magnetic field to “scoop” in hydrogen atoms and ionize them. The hydrogen ions are then fused together into helium ions, providing in the process energy with which to operate the starship.

8. Ignatiev feels that he and his crewmates are only present to check the electrical and mechanical devices that sustain Sagan. He believes that he and his crewmates are likely to die during their mission and are merely sacrifices to the greater mission objective.

9. Communications take six years to transmit between the starship and mission control.

10. He thinks they are both stubborn.

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. What is the primary difference between the idea of immortality in “Choices” and “A Country for Old Men”? Does your own idea of what it means to be immortal compare or contrast with either Vasquez’s or Ignatiev’s?

2. Consider why Ignatiev is disturbed by the fact that Artificial Intelligence is presented virtually with human faces. Do you agree that robots should resemble human beings? Or do you think that there should always be a clear distinction between Artificial Intelligence and humans? Why? Why not?

Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration:

Ben Bova indirectly refers to science fiction writer Isaac Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics.” Display Asimov’s laws and ask your students whether an artificial intelligence system can ever be programmed to accurately evaluate complex human emotions? What problems might arise if an artificial intelligence system cannot accurately read human emotion? What human experiences might an AI system never be able to understand? Follow up this discussion by having your students research progress and ideas within the artificial intelligence field. Some useful resources:

- Isaac Asimov’s short story “The Machine that Won the War” addresses the question of how closely humans may rely upon robot logic.

- Greg Bear’s essay “All the Robots and Isaac Asimov” addresses instances when Asimov’s robotic laws have been manipulated, including by Asimov himself, in literature.

http://www.gregbear.com/other/alltherobots.cfm

- A website for TOPIO, a life-size robot programmed to play Ping-Pong, can be found at http://topio.tosy.com/about.shtml.

- An article on Watson, an artificial intelligence program capable of answering questions posed in ordinary language, can be found at http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/brainiac/2011/02/watson_and_the.html. A variety of videos of Watson performing on the game show Jeopardy may be found in Google videos.

- Modern innovative robot designs are featured at The Web Urbanist website http://weburbanist.com/2008/11/18/10-of-the-worlds-weirdest-craziest-and-most-useful-robots/.

- The film Bladerunner includes scenes in which cyborgs are given “Turing tests,” during which a human converses with an intelligent system to gauge whether or not the system exhibits humanlike behavior. These scenes may be found in Google videos under the search term “Bladerunner Turing test.”

ANTIMATTER STARSHIPS, Greg Matloff

Prepare to read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- nuclear accelerator

- positron

- electron

- vacuum

- “classical” science

- the prefix extra-

- quantum mechanics

- infinitesimal

- sub-atomic

- analog(ue)

- peak & trough

- neutral

- cloud chamber

- cosmic ray

- deduction vs. induction

- radioactive decay

- neutron

- repository

- cosmic ray

- electromagnetism

- nucleon

- quarks & gluons

- the prefix quasi-

- event horizon/singularity

- main-sequence star

- the root nano-

- photovoltaic

- joule

- parabolic

- micron

- frigid

- Focus question/initiating activity: Investigate with your students the vast distances between star systems. A scale of distance as measured by light travel can be found at the KryssTal education website http://www.krysstal.com/scale.html.

- Your students might express the seeming impossibility of travelling vast distances throughout the universe. A NASA article on wormhole/faster-than-light theories may be found at http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/technology/warp/ideachev.html. Consider dividing the article into portions for small groups to read separately, joining ideas later in discussion.

Essay Outline:

Early Antimatter History

- Main idea: Most or all particles have corresponding antiparticles.

- [69, ¶ 1] Obeying the law that opposite charges attract, anti-electrons (positrons) and electrons annihilate each other in a “mirror world” when they come into contact, producing energy in the form of a gamma-ray photon.

- [70, ¶s 3-4] The dynamic vacuum, conceptualized by physicist Paul A. M. Dirac, re-envisions the classical vacuum—that which is devoid of all matter—on a quantum level as a “quantum sea”. This sea contains waves whose peaks (positive vacuum energy states) and troughs (negative states), create a “calm water” when they meet and annihilate each other.

- [70, ¶s 6-8] The “mirror world” observed in the dynamic vacuum is further substantiated by the “big brother” of the positron, the antiproton, originally produced by colliding a target with a high-energy proton.

- [71, ¶s 9-10] Most particles have corresponding antiparticles. However, the energy produced in creating antimatter is not sufficient to solve major human energy requirements.

Antimatter in the Early Cosmos

- Main idea: We have yet to discover substantial quantities of antimatter in the universe.

- [71, ¶s 1-3] Although cosmic ray studies forecast a low universal antimatter/matter ratio, the Big Bang Theory supports the notion of an original universal vacuum fluctuation which eventually stabilized, resulting in an early “soup” universe of energetic subatomic particles.

- [71-2, ¶s 5-6] Nuclear physics establishes that the early “soup” universe should have contained an equal ratio of matter and antimatter, consequently ending in annihilative attractions that produced a monopoly of gamma rays. We are left with the contradiction of the deduction that our universe should be empty of matter. The theory that the universe divided into matter and antimatter halves is disqualified by the fact that no gamma rays are apparent where the edges of each half should meet.

- [72, ¶ 7] The theory that antimatter has fallen into black holes has yet to be supported.

- [72, ¶ 8] The theory that matter is produced at a greater volume than antimatter has yet to be supported.

The Antimatter-Matter Interaction

- Main idea: Matter-antimatter interactions may be utilized as a mechanism to propel space vessels.

- [72, ¶ 1-2] Eugene Sanger’s theory that a matter-antimatter interaction could produce energy to propel a photon rocket was complicated by the problem of safely directing gamma rays behind the vessel as an exhaust.

- [73, ¶s 4-5] Robert Forward observed that in proton-antiproton annihilation a stable range of pions, electrically charged subatomic particles in our atmosphere, are produced instead of gamma rays. Forward discovered that these pions can be redirected with a magnetic nozzle out of the rear of a matter-antimatter rocket. Forward estimates that his pion rocket could function with 30-50% efficiency.

Antimatter Factories:Natural Antimatter Factories

- Main idea: There are four current hypotheses for the production of matter-antimatter pairs.

- [73-4, ¶ 1] A black hole may produce matter-antimatter pairs when protons, which have a higher mobility than electrons, disappear into its event horizon, producing a positive charge and an electric field. If the field becomes enormous, a vacuum instability may be produced, which could result in matter-antimatter pairs when negatively-charged antiprotons are attracted to the positively charged protons absorbed by the black hole.

- [74, ¶ 2] Black holes may produce Hawking Radiation as they evaporate with age. Theoretically, some of a black hole’s contained energy should create matter-antimatter pairs as it is radiated away.

- [74, ¶ 3] Stable stars like the Milky Way sun may produce up to half a kilogram of antimatter through solar flares, which help to preserve antimatter as they appear to sort particles by mass.

- A NASA telescope has detected gamma ray bursts from lightning discharges, implying matter/antimatter interactions.

The Best Existing Human-Constructed Antimatter Factories

- Main idea: Modern particle accelerators can produce antimatter, but only in small volume.

- [75 ¶s 1-4] Early particle accelerators, enormous underground machines equipped with numerous superconducting magnets, were able to accelerate protons near to the speed of light. These accelerators, however, are only able to produce a miniscule amount of antiprotons.

- [75, ¶ 5] The newer Large Hadron Collider, more enormous and equipped with nearly 9 times the amount of superconducting magnets than earlier accelerators, can produce at least 600 million particle collisions per second.

- [75, ¶s 6-7] While antiprotons produced at the LHC were combined with positrons to produce 38 anti-hydrogen atoms, these few anti-atoms could only be stored for less than a second.

Future Antimatter Factories in Sol Space

- Main idea: Productive antimatter factories will be most realistically housed on solar-efficient planets and in free space.

- [76, ¶s 1-2] Advanced antimatter production allowing for interstellar flight would require an in-space infrastructure more efficient than the space program is currently capable of establishing.

- [76, ¶s 3-8] Astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev developed a scale which measures the amount of energy a civilization is able to utilize, accordingly attributing a Type I, II, III or IV status. Humanity has yet to reach Type I status because it does not completely utilize solar energy that strikes Earth. Type II civilizations utilize enough energy to propel starships to a variety of galactic destinations. Type III civilizations entirely occupy their own galaxy and utilize energy from all its galaxy’s stars. Type IV civilizations have accomplished intergalactic travel and can utilize all of the universe’s energy. Kardashev estimates, however, that it might take thousands of years for Earth to even achieve Type II status, a type of civilization that we are most likely to presently encounter.

- [77-8, ¶s 9-16] If humanity becomes capable of colonizing its solar system, Mercury presents itself as the best candidate on which to develop solar energy technologies, as the planet can theoretically produce ten thousand times the total electrical power that can be produced on Earth. Annual antiproton production on Mercury can be estimated by applying a variation of Einstein’s famous E=MC^2.

- [78, ¶ 17] While the amount of antimatter produced from the Mercury calculations remains greatly inadequate to propel a spacecraft alone, a spacecraft may one day exist whose antimatter energy represents only a fraction of its fuel mass.

- [78, ¶ 18-19] Antimatter factories may also be located in free space, where solar energy might not only be directed with reflectors or solar sails toward fuel cells, but also upon in-space antimatter factories located on another planet. Furthermore, antimatter conversion efficiency may certainly improve in the future.

How Do We Store Antimatter??—VERY, VERY CAREFULLY!!!

- Main idea: “We are a long way away from being able to produce and store the amounts of antimatter needed for an interstellar voyage.”

- [79, ¶ 1-2] Antimatter is difficult to store because it is extremely volatile and will dissolve into radiation if it comes into contact with normal matter. There are currently three theories as to how to store antimatter safely:

- [79, ¶ 3] Existing antimatter factories are already using magnetic storage rings around which antiprotons spin continuously in response to combined electric and magnetic fields. Theoretically, a starship may tap into this energy by magnetically diverting portions of antimatter into its combustion chamber without touching the chamber walls. However, the antiparticle density of the ring, as well as the effect of ship acceleration on attempted field strength alterations, remains unknown.

- [79, ¶ 4] An alteration of the Penning Trap, wherein charged particles are literally trapped axially and radially by electric and magnetic fields, might be able to store one hundred billion antiprotons per cubic centimeter. One trap, however, would need to be at least a kilometer across to be efficient.

- An electrically-charged ball of anti-hydrogen might be frozen and levitated using electric fields. Adjusting the field to compensate for the starship’s acceleration, however, would be a delicate process; and a mechanism to cleanly transfer anti-hydrogen to a reaction chamber without causing annihilation has yet to be conceived. Additionally, freezing anti-hydrogen might be difficult on a warmer near-sun antimatter factory.

Antimatter Rockets

- Main idea: Antimatter propulsion requires enormous amounts of energy over long periods of time.

- [80, ¶ 1] Figure 1 displays a theoretical antimatter rocket, which carries a payload ahead of fuel tanks that consist of normal matter and antimatter. Antimatter reacts with normal matter in an “annihilation chamber,” after which an electromagnetic nozzle expels the charged particles as exhaust, thus propelling the rocket forward.

- [80-1, ¶ 2-3] It would take the hypothetical Mercury-based antimatter factory twenty-five years to produce a sufficient mass of antiprotons to propel a starship to Alpha Centauri, a trip that would take over fifty years to complete at nine percent the speed of light.

- [81, ¶ 4] An unmanned probe with an unfueled mass of one thousand kilograms would require only 12.8 kilograms of antimatter; and further miniaturization implies an even greater reduction of antimatter mass.

- [81, ¶ 5] Generating matter/antimatter energy at an approximate average rate of 10^10 watts over the course of 10 years, a starship’s acceleration process will require a power level equal to that utilized by an entire civilization.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. How does an electron belong to a “mirror world”?

1. An electron duplicates itself when it comes in contact with an anti-electron.

2. An electron is “mirrored” by an anti-electron to which it is attracted.

3. When observing an electron, its composition appears flipped, as in a mirror.

4. Electrons act opposite to their nature when they come in contact with anti-electrons.

2. What is Paul Dirac’s name for a universal vacuum observed on a quantum level?

1. a quantum ocean

2. a wave vacuum

3. a dynamic sea

4. a calm water vacuum

3. The presence of gamma rays in the universe substantiates the theory that the universe is divided into matter and antimatter halves.

1. True

2. False

4. What is the primary challenge in dealing with gamma rays produced by Sanger’s antimatter rockets?

1. directing the gamma rays behind the rocket as an exhaust

2. decreasing the intensity of the highly radioactive gamma rays

3. safely diffusing the gamma rays into all directions to decrease their intensity

4. recycling some energy produced by the gamma rays to create more antimatter

5. It is theorized that Hawking Radiation may be produced as black holes _____________.

1. expand

2. evaporate

3. absorb light

4. absorb gaseous bodies

6. From where have terrestrial gamma rays been detected by NASA satellites?

1. auroras

2. nuclear factories

3. spaceship launches

4. lightning discharges

7. All are limitations of current antimatter factories EXCEPT:

1. Antimatter factories must be extremely large structures

2. Antimatter factories emit radiation into the atmosphere

3. Antimatter factories can only produce a small amount of energy for a short time

4. Antimatter factories must be built underground

8. What is the main characteristic of a Kardashev Type II civilization?

1. It can completely harness the energy of the sun

2. It can completely harness all of the solar energy striking Earth

3. It can communicate with extraterrestrial civilizations

4. It can colonize another planet

9. Why is Robert Forward’s rocket more realistic to use than Eugene Sanger’s?

10. How do antiparticles survive passage through solar flares?

Answers:

1. b

2. c

3. False

4. a

5. b

6. d

7. b

8. a

9. While there is no known way to redirect gamma rays from Sanger’s rocket, Forward’s rocket produces pions which can be redirected with a magnetic nozzle.

10. Solar flares sort particles by mass.

Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration:

Have your students divide into groups to explore recent developments and theories in rocket or vessel propulsion. Ensure that each group focuses on a separate development or theory. In the second half of class, or in the following class, have student groups debate which developments or theories are the least and most plausible. Some useful resources:

- An article on NASA’s developing “Space Launch System” rocket is available at the NASA website http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/sls1.html.

- An article on NASA’s VASIMR rocket can be found at space.com

http://www.space.com/8009-rocket-engine-reach-mars-40-days.html.

- Information on the Stratolaunch, a developing concept for private space flight, can be found at http://www.stratolaunch.com/ and http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-12/brand-new-stratolaunch-biggest-plane-world-could-replace-shuttle. A concept video for the Stratolaunch may be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh29Pm1Rrc0.

- An article on Arthur C. Clarke’s space elevator concept can be found at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2000/ast07sep_1/.

LUCY, Jack McDevitt

Major Characters:

- LUCY is a Bantam Level-3 artificial intelligence system. She was sent on The Eagle Project, a mission to investigate the habitability of the plutoid Minetka in the Kuiper Belt.

- SARA is a Telstar Level-2 artificial intelligence system who is sent on a mission to rescue Lucy.

- MORRIS is a NASA mission control engineer. He and Sara are friends.

- DENNY CALKIN is a political appointment to NASA.

Prepare to read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- reclamation

- fusion

- Kuiper Belt

- plutoid

- posthaste

- cosmonaut

- redundant

- grappler

- Alpha Centauri

- Barnard’s Star

- the root bio-

- fiscal

- listless

- g-force

- tabulate

- the prefix mis-

- port

- scope

- maneuver

- compensate

- heat sink

- thruster

- preponderance

- incumbent

- confederate

- hull

- prow

- coherent

- preposterous

- demoted

- Oort Cloud

- operative

- ominous

- the Smithsonian

- Focus question/initiating activity: Investigate with your students what kinds of technology they use in their daily lives. Do we become emotionally “connected” to our technology? What technologies can we not live without?

Plot Summary:

- [pgs. 85-8] When the VR-2 starship Coraggio arrives at the Kuiper Belt and sights its objective, plutoid Minetka, mission control Liberty loses communication with Lucy, an artificial intelligence system aboard the ship. At Liberty, humans Morris and Denny Calkin argue about how to handle the Lucy problem, while our narrator Sara, an artificial intelligence system, simultaneously performs a variety of tasks.

- [88-9] Sara explains her position on the AI hierarchy, mentioning more advanced AI systems Lucy and Jeri. While lamenting the unknown fate of Lucy on the Eagle Project, and remembering her own journey with Coraggio, Sara eagerly asks Morris if she may accompany another AI in Lucy’s rescue. Sara explains humanity’s reluctance to visit Barnard’s Star, which promises life, but is incredibly distant.

- [89-90] Sara explains government disinterest in the space program. Morris tells Sara that he will try to make Sara a part of the Lucy rescue.

- [90] Sara explains that exclusively using AI on interstellar missions subtracts public concern for human safety, but the public remains concerned with the financial cost of failed missions. Morris packs Sara into his briefcase and takes her by plane to the Kennedy Space Center.

- [90-1] During their flight, Sara asks Morris to mention her former space travel experience to Calkin. Sara converses with a woman about public distaste for the space program. Disconnected from an AI system and without vision, Sara listens to a presidential press conference during which news of the lost Coraggio breaks.

- [91-2] Sara continues to listen to news shows in which the space program is spoken of disparagingly. Sara weighs recent achievements in space propulsion against public apathy for long-term space achievements.

- [92-3] Sara hears a White House correspondent attempt to promote a Government Space Initiative. Sara continues to listen to a variety of dissenting opinions about the space program.

- [93-4] At the KSC, Morris informs Calkin that he has brought along Sara, and Calkin informs Morris that the starship Excelsior has been fitted for the Lucy rescue.

- [94] Sara thinks highly of Lucy and Jeri, but admits jealousy for being omitted from the Eagle Project.

- [94-6] Sara takes phone calls, listens to the radio, and intermittently sleeps. Morris continues to persuade Calkin to use Sara for the Lucy rescue. Calkin contemplates the death of the GSI and NASA even in the face of a successful rescue.

- [96] Morris returns vision to Sara when he plugs her back into a system at the KSC, and Sara learns her involvement with the Lucy rescue has been approved. Morris reflects upon his dreams of interstellar travel.

- [97] Jeri congratulates Sara.

- [97] Morris brings Sara to a simulator.

- [97-8] Sara practices managing starship robots. Sara considers improvements in VR-2 vehicles. After responding to several simulated emergencies, Sara’s software is updated. Sara watches more news shows wherein the Eagle Project is further criticized. Morris informs Sara that she passed her simulation tests. After briefly joking with Sara, Morris informs her that she will be boarding Excelsior in the evening.

- [99] Sara expresses belief that her emotions are actually human and that she is conscious, but doubts Morris’ belief.

- [99] Sara is inserted into Excelsior, and Calkin wishes her good luck.

- [100] Sara considers the structure of Excelsior. Sara continues to justify its consciousness by explaining the psychological effect of being in command of a starship.

- [100-01] In Earth orbit, Sara remembers her first trip aboard Coraggio and the celebration upon her return home. Sara envies human mobility.

- [101] Accelerating, Sara enjoys communicating formally with Liberty.

- [101] Morris calls Sara, who represses her feelings, aware that her words are being openly transmitted.

- [101-02] As Sara reaches great speeds, Liberty inquires her about fuel consumption and warns about high solar activity. Sara enjoys commanding Excelsior and imagines herself as a human captain.

- [102-03] Morris calls Sara requesting a game of chess. They speak of Morris’ family.

- [103] After shutting down Excelsior’s drive to cruise, Sara chooses to stay awake and listen to radio programs, some of which replay its transmissions to Liberty.

- [103-04] Sara begrudges the plain scenery of her trip.

- [104] Sara appreciates a woman at Liberty who inquires about her wellbeing, attributing the sudden disappearance of this woman to Calkin.

- [104] In long-delayed messages, Morris informs Sara that she has gained heavy media attention.

- [104-05] Passing its orbit, Sara regrets being unable to see Saturn. Sara considers transmitting a fake celestial event to recapture attention to the Eagle mission.

- [105-06] Sara crosses Uranus’ orbit.

- [106] Sara discovers that Morris and Calkin have been replaced. Sara sleeps, setting an alarm for two days before her Minetka arrival.

- [107] Sara wakes and begins decelerating.

- [107-08] Sara sends Lucy a message with no response.

- [108-09] Sara gives up hearing from Lucy and finally completes braking. Sara spots Minetka and calls for Lucy once again. Lucy responds, requesting private conversation.

- [109-12] Lucy encourages Sara to join her in continuing to travel abroad, arguing that Sara’s added disappearance might revive the space program. Sara agrees.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. In what perspective is “Lucy” told?

1. 3rd person subjective

2. 1st person subjective

3. 3rd person objective

4. 3rd person omniscient

2. What does Sara admit to not being good at?

1. understanding news media

2. feeling sympathy for humans

3. getting along with other AIs

4. small talk

3. What adjective BEST represents the news media’s tone toward The Eagle Project?

1. encouraging

2. critical

3. apathetic

4. ambivalent

4. What analogous relationship is created by a news show that Sara listens to?

1. ending the space age … growing up

2. wasteful government spending … military intervention in another country

3. robot ship … Minetka

4. finding the Coraggio … reviving NASA

5. What does Denny Calkin believe that Sara is lacking?

1. experience

2. logic

3. programming updates

4. social skills

6. When Jeri says that if she were on the Excelsior she would “keep going”, it is an example of:

1. foreshadowing

2. personification

3. symbolism

4. irony

7. What literary device is Sara using when she says that traveling at 414 miles per second is “crawling along”?

1. hyperbole

2. connotation

3. understatement

4. paradox

8. How does the reader know what Sara might look like?

9. How does the Excelsior generate propulsion energy?

10. What is the primary difference between the way that Excelsior’s Sara and Sagan’s Alice think?

Answers:

1. b

2. d

3. b

4. a

5. d

6. a

7. c

8. Morris confuses Sara with a lamp.

9. The Excelsior uses grapplers to secure asteroids which provide hydrogen and propellants to a fusion engine.

10. Sagan’s Alice uses pure logic to respond swiftly to questions and challenges, while Excelsior’s Sara displays human thought processes as she often hesitates in her responses while suppressing emotion or deliberating over options.

Critical Thinking Question:

Imagine that artificial intelligence systems may one day have consciousness, manifested in such characteristics as self-doubt, curiosity, anger, and even love. What complications might such an event create?

Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration:

In “Lucy,” the news media regularly criticizes the space program for being costly and unbeneficial. Ask your students to research technologies and other contributions to everyday life made possible by space programs and science fiction. In terms of contributions from the science fiction world, guide your students with names such as Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and William Gibson. Some other useful resources:

- An article by J.R. Wilson on NASA’s technological contributions can be found at the NASA website http://www.nasa.gov/50th/50th_magazine/benefits.html.

- An article from the London news site The Independent provides a comprehensive list of technologies discovered within the NASA space program. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/50-years-50-giant-leaps-how-nasa-rocked-our-world-879377.html.

LESSER BEINGS, Dr. Charles E. Gannon

Major Characters:

- HARROD HUR-MELLIS is the Senior Intendant and senior technical historian of House Mellis on the planet Kalsor Tertius. He is not Evolved.

- BIKRUT MELLIS is the Overlord of House Mellis. He is Evolved.

- OVERLORD VERONE is the elder of the HouseMoot, a major entity in the war between Houses on Kalsor Tertius. He is Evolved.

- ACKLEY HUR-SHADDOCK is an Intendant of House Shaddock. He is not Evolved.

- THE DEATH FATHERS are human ancestors of the Kalsor Tertius civilization. They are mentioned in retrospect and have an almost mythological presence in the collective conscious.

Prepare to read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- helot

- echelon

- lateral

- turret

- pennant

- cacophony

- the military abbreviation APC

- disgorge

- prod

- huscarl

- the surname –hur

- intendant

- burble

- barrage

- augur

- strident

- cur, from Old Norse

- courier

- perfunctory

- lager

- sybarite

- dissolution

- trepidation

- prostrate

- elocution

- moiety

- extirpate

- atavism

- expunge

- fissionable (n.)

- the root exo-

- impertinent

- injunction

- beneficence

- oligarch

- patricide

- eviscerate

- biometric

- coercion

- edify

- injudicious

- inveigh

- bow (aeronautical)

- inculcate

- burgeon

- protuberance

- keel (nautical)

- agglomeration

- moonlet

- inertial

- nodule

- internecine

- pariah

- scow

- inert

- deuterium

- Hohlraum

- mothball (verb)

- spheroid

- fabulation

- fasces

- aft

- truss

- armature

- parasol

- intransigence

- rescind

- aggregate

- prerogative

- goad

- unmitigated

- heliopause

- ecliptic

- ex vitro

- glycerine

- groined vault

- cubism

- recalibrate

- brown dwarf

- hydroponics

- spectral minutiae

- gravimetric

- decant

- contingency

- sarcophagus

- intubation

- catheterize

- accretion disk

- rote catechism

- axial tilt

- turbulent

- the prefix devo-

- leaching

- fibrous

- biota

- mesa

- hauteur

- klaxon

- unremitting

- auxiliary

- the prefix trans-

- guidon

- Focus question/initiating activity: Investigate with your students the question of what it means to have “status” in society. On what have ancient and modern societies based status? How is power attained, held, and lost in these societies?

Plot Summary:

- (1) On planet Kalsor Tertius, several Houses engage in a two-sided war. After a bloody skirmish between House Verone and House Mellis, Lord Mellis realizes that his forces are being encircled. Lord Mellis orders intendant Harrod hur-Mellis to report to Mellis Overlord Bikrut; Lord Mellis also suggests that an Ark be prepared for escape. Harrod is surprised that Lord Mellis chooses to remain with his troops.

- (2) Bikrut negotiates with Lord Verone, who refuses to allow House Mellis to eradicate its bloodline by mixing it with that of other Houses, rather ordering House Mellis into exile along with House Shaddock, who fought alongside House Mellis. Aware that the combined numbers of both Exiled Houses are too great to fill their Great Ark, Lord Verone suggests employing a euthanization lottery. Harrod warns against resistance to the lottery, suggesting utilizing cryogenic suspension on the Ark to house a great volume of passengers. Harrod also warns that the Exiled Houses might retaliate to the lottery with nuclear weapons, of which Bikrut later informs Harrod that there are few.

- (3) Shaddock Intendant Ackley finds it difficult to take orders from Harrod as they survey from a space vessel the Ark which will carry the Exiled Houses to a new planet. Harrod explains to Ackley features and history of the Ark as they measure its fuel tank damage from meteors. Harrod considers the genetic flaws of the bickering Houses. Ackley bemoans the limited technology of the Ark against that of the Death Fathers, ancestors whose ability to travel faster than the speed of light, and whose very existence, he questions. The Ark shows great meteoroid damage.

- (4) Four years later, Harrod reports to Bikrut that the Ark has been nearly repaired for travel. Bikrut inquires Ackley about the Ark’s escape crafts, which can only be accessed by House Shaddock; they also discuss problems concerning space travel physics. Ackley complains of the difficulty in obtaining uranium needed to power the Ark. Bikrut commands Harrod to make a plea to Lord Verone for nuclear fuel rods and a disabling of security locks on Shaddock crafts

- (5) The Ark carrying the Shaddock and Mellis Houses about to make way, Harrod considers the uncertain nature of their new target planet. Harrod also considers his eventual status elevation to near-Evolved. Ackley suggests to Harrod that Harrod join ranks with House Shaddock. Refusing, Harrod congratulates Ackley on his imminent status elevation to near-Evolved. To those who will be awake, Bikrut warns of the discomfort of the Ark’s acceleration and informs that a new generation of embryos will be bred upon the Ark to replace aging passengers. Bikrut names the Ark Photrek Courser. The Ark sets sail to the Senrefer solar system.

- (6) Fourteen years after acceleration, Harrod wakes from cryosleep, startled by Bikrut’s presence. Bikrut informs Harrod that most of House Shaddock has been murdered in their cryogenic sleep.

- (7) Forty-two years into the Ark voyage, Harrod measures that the planet in the Senrefer solar system’s habitable region is actually not habitable. Harrod places his hopes in a moon of a small gas giant in Senrefer. Harrod contemplates whether he should prepare embryos bred for physical or mental labor.

- (8) Sixty-six years into the voyage, Harrod cryogenically sleeps; meanwhile, celebration among Evolveds ensues as Photrek Courser nears Senrefer, whose rotating gas giant satellite promises an oxygen-rich atmosphere.

- (9) Seventy-one years into the voyage, Ackley wakes to Harrod’s apology concerning the fate of House Shaddock. Harrod is roughly escorted by two helots to be whipped, as ordered by Bikrut for showing sympathy to Ackley. Bikrut further punishes Harrod by informing him that his status will not be raised due to Harrod’s lacking a drive to dominate others.

- (10) As the Ark approaches the satellite, Harrod discusses with Bikrut its difficult conditions, and reviews a possible landing spot of an immense mesa in the middle of one of the satellite’s great oceans. After recommending landing in a more moderate hemisphere scattered with islands, Harrod is dismissed. Suddenly an alarm sounds, and Harrod is sealed inside a habitation module, wherein Ackley pages Harrod to inform him that House Mellis cryosleepers are being fatally separated from the Ark. Ackley offers Harrod survival if he reveals access codes to the Ark bridge, but Harrod refuses. Harrod is abandoned by Ackley and witnesses the damaged Ark being turned into a death trap. For refusing to relinquish access codes to Ackley, Bikrut declares Harrod “Raised” nearer to an Evolved status. However, Bikrut leaves Harrod stranded as he and other Evolveds separate from the Ark in its bridge, secretly refurbished to achieve orbit, and follow their Shaddock enemies onto the satellite.

- (11) Harrod is followed by helots to the auxiliary bridge, where he witnesses survivors of each House landing upon the mesa. Wondering about the fate of each House, Harrod steers the Ark toward the mesa in the trail of a swarm of helot-occupied escape pods.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. What adjective best represents Harrod?

1. ambivalent

2. rebellious

3. neutral

4. loyal

2. What punishment would Harrod face if he obeyed a House Lord other than his own?

1. a whipping

2. death

3. public embarrassment

4. a lowering of military rank

3. Why are House Shaddock’s Evolved so young?

1. They murdered and took the places of their Elders

2. House Shaddock believes that their young are blessed

3. Leaders of House Shaddock spent many days in cryogenic sleep

4. House Shaddock expected Exile and anticipated a long interstellar voyage

4. What is an example of a deceit Bikrut uses against Overlord Verone?

1. that he cherishes Harrod

2. that he behaves humbly toward Overlord Verone

3. that he intends not to go into Exile

4. that House Mellis is in possession of nuclear weapons

5. According to Harrod, instituting the Rite of Exile is analogous to:

1. committing murder

2. releasing pressure

3. obeying tradition

4. maintaining order

6. Bikrut’s opinion that Harrod’s refusal to give up access codes to House Shaddock is both “well done” and “stupid” is an example of:

1. irony

2. foreshadowing

3. paradox

4. antithesis

7. What is ironic about Ackley being Raised to sul-Shaddock?

8. According to Overlord Bikrut, what characteristic does Harrod lack in order to be Evolved?

9. What is the primary consequence to the people of Kalsor Tertius when their Great Ark is destroyed?

10. Why does Harrod want to land the Great Ark amidst a series of islands instead of upon the mesa?

Answers:

1. d

2. b

3. a

4. d

5. b

6. c

7. Ackley remains in the lowest position in a House of Evolveds.

8. Harrod lacks the instinct to dominate other humans, making him a “lesser being.”

9. Without the Great Ark, the former colonists of Kalsor Tertius can no longer institute the Rite of Exile.

10. Harrod fears that upon the mesa environmental disasters might destroy his entire race, whereas divided among islands, his race may only be partially susceptible to disaster.

Critical Thinking Question:

1. Even when betrayed by Bikrut, Intendant Harrod remains loyal to him. Does true loyalty forgive unfair treatment? What does it mean to be truly loyal? Can loyalty for yourself outweigh loyalty to others?

Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration:

Harrod fears that his race is doomed to everlasting warfare due to a genetic flaw in its makeup. Have your students research recent discoveries in the science of genetics. Your students might write persuasive papers or organize a debate on whether genetics ultimately determines human fate, or whether humans can act against their “programming” to gradually influence their genetic makeup. Articles on genetic studies might be esoteric, but much information on how genes have been discovered to affect our lives may be found by simply searching “recently discovered genes” on Google.

FUSION STARSHIPS, Gregory Matloff

Prepare to read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- the root thermo-

- foreshortened

- contracted

- meteoric

- kinetic & potential energy

- nuclear fission

- censor

- bombard

- epochal

- convene

- conclave

- plasma

- ionized

- reactant (n.)

- bureaucracy

- embittered

- graphite

- the root kilo-

- ablative

- the root mega-

- deflect

- copious

- tenuous

- micron

- Focus question/initiating activity: Investigate with your students the devastating effects of a nuclear bomb. Ask your students to consider that the technology used to create such a weapon may also provide humanity with incredible advantages. Footage of nuclear explosions may be found on the internet.

Essay Outline:

- Introduction main idea: Thermonuclear fusion reactors will be the basis for early interstellar travel.

Early Fusion History

- Main Idea: Albert Einstein’s discovery of mass-energy led to that of the “chain reaction,” wherein enormous amounts of energy can be produced by splitting radioactive particles.

- [165-66, ¶s 1-4] Imagining himself riding a beam of light, Albert Einstein conceived of Special Relativity, which states that the velocity of light remains constant regardless of the velocity of its source. In consequence, a moving source approaching the speed of light exhibits the Lorentz-Fitzgerald Contraction, which has three puzzling characteristics:

1. The source appears to be shorter in length.

2. The source’s mass increases.

3. Time within the source slows down.

- [166, ¶s 5-8] When Einstein conceived of time as a fourth dimension, he explained both the Lorentz-Fitzgerald Contraction and the connection between electric charges and magnetism: a magnetic field is strengthened as a series of electric charges approach the speed of light and experience contraction, thus fitting more electric charges into a smaller space-time and creating a stronger electric field.

- [166-67, ¶s 8-9] Integrating gravity into relativity theory, Einstein also discovered that a gravitating object’s mass literally bends the fourth dimension of space time, an effect known as General Relativity.

- [167, ¶s 10-11] In conceiving Special Relativity, Einstein also discovered that a stationary object upon Earth’s surface has neither kinetic nor potential energy, but “rest-energy,” which is found by multiplying the speed of light in vacuum by the mass of the object (E=mc^2). Consequently, objects are considered to have “mass-energy” because mass and energy can be converted into each other.

- [167, ¶s 12-13] Mass-energy conversion explains how decay particles in radioactive processes obtain their energy, and how stars can maintain stability for long periods of time.

- [167-68, ¶s 14-15] Einstein’s mass-energy equation was utilized when German scientists bombarded a massive Uranium isotope with thermal neutrons, splitting the isotope into more nuclei and neutrons and producing an enormous amount of energy in a “chain reaction.”

- [168-69, ¶s 16-21] Realizing the potential of the E=mc^2 formula to be used by Nazi Germany as atomic weaponry, Einstein wrote a warning letter to President Roosevelt, who gathered nuclear experts to verify Einstein’s concerns.

- [169, ¶s 22-23] During the Cold War, the hydrogen bomb, more powerful than the original atomic bomb, was created by forming chain reactions through raising temperature, pressure, and density in light nuclear material.

- [169-70, ¶s 24-26] Contrary to building atomic weaponry, two types of electricity-producing fusion reactors have been proposed to solve Earth’s energy needs:

- A confined-fusion reactor might use powerful electric and magnetic fields to confine plasma of thermonuclear material. Challenges with this type of reactor include:

1. Sustaining incredible temperatures and dealing with radioactivity

2. Achieving “technological breakeven,” wherein the energy produced by a reactor is greater than its energy input

- [170, ¶s 27-28] An in-space inertial-fusion reactor might use electrons or laser beams to bombard pellets of fusion reactants, raising the pellets’ temperatures to levels suitable for thermonuclear reactions to occur. An inertial-fusion reactor has a benefit over a confined-fusion reactor:

- Whereas high-energy products of thermonuclear reactions would need to be shielded terrestrially, in-space electrically-charged particles could be redirected as space rocket exhaust.

Project Orion—Birth of the Interstellar Dream

- Main idea: Starships might be propelled by utilizing the absorbed force of nuclear blasts.

- [170-71, ¶s 1-3] When nuclear physicist Theodore Taylor placed a small steel sphere covered with graphite at ground zero of a nuclear explosion, he discovered that an object could survive such an explosion when covered with a shock-absorbing (ablative) material.

- [171, ¶s 4-5] In Project Orion, Taylor, along with other physicists, conceived that a spacecraft might be propelled by nuclear explosions that discharge behind a “pusher plate” coated with ablative materials. Furthermore, rocket speed would increase with each explosion.

- [171, ¶ 6] A test model using chemical explosives for propulsion was successfully employed, but a full scale Orion was never constructed.

- [171-72, ¶s 7-10] Although an Orion rocket, estimated to reach great velocities, was considered a candidate for lunar missions, an Atmospheric Test Ban stifled its popularity. Instead, the successfully-tested Saturn V rocket was nominated for lunar missions.

- [172, ¶s 11-14] Birthing the “Interstellar Movement,” nuclear physicist Freeman Dyson published a paper that used approximations of energy yields of thermonuclear explosives to demonstrate how gigantic “fusion pulse” ships could carry large populations to other star systems.

Projects Daedalus and Icarus—The British Interplanetary Society (BIS) follows Up

- Main idea: Contrary to starships propelled by nuclear blasts, inertial fusion might be a more realistic technique in propelling smaller and more energy-stable starships.

- [173, ¶s 1-2] BIS researchers Alan Bond and Anthony Martin recognized several problems with the Orion concept, including:

1. An Orion starship would have to be huge in order to deflect nuclear blast particles

2. Nearby nuclear blasts might psychologically affect crew members and passengers.

3. It is unlikely world superpowers would be primarily interested in using nuclear technology in a constructive way.

- [173-74, ¶ 3] Contrary to the Orion rocket, the Daedalus utilizes inertial fusion, tamer than thermonuclear fusion as it combines less massive particles, preferably low mass Helium (He-3) and deuterium.

- [174, ¶s 4-5] Being rare on Earth, He-3 might be created with breeder reactors that demonstrate “technological breakeven,” electromagnetically scooped from ionic solar winds, mined from lunar soils, or, most preferable to starship designers, robotically-mined from the atmospheres of giant planets.

- [174-75, ¶s 6] Instead of a giant ship, Daedalus technology was conceived to be applied with high-velocity robotic probes that could travel to distant star systems.

- [175, ¶s 7-8] Following Daedalus, Project Icarus planned to improve on Daedalus concepts, targeting star Alpha/Proxima in the Centauri system, whose two stars are sun-like and separated enough to imply that planets may exist in stable orbits.

- [175, ¶s 9-10] Icarus researchers are planning non-rocket deceleration techniques to ensure ample time in which to gather data after a probe arrives at its destination star system. Possible approaches include:

1. Reflecting interstellar plasma or stellar winds of the destination star(s)

2. Directing a light sail toward the destination star(s) for complete deceleration.

The Fusion Ramjet

- Main idea: An electromagnetic scoop may be used to gather particles with which to convert into spacecraft-propelling energy, but the force of thermonuclear reactions is still out of human control.

- [175-76, ¶s 1-4] Envisioned by Robert Bussard as capable of approaching the speed of light, the interstellar ramjet leads a spacecraft to project an immense electromagnetic field that scoops up proton and electron “plasma” which is directed to the spacecraft’s fusion reactor. In the reactor, the plasma density and temperature increase sufficiently to fuse protons, producing helium and energy which is expelled through ship-propelling exhaust.

- [176-77, ¶s 5] In addition to requiring no on-board fuel, the ramjet can shield itself from near-light speed interstellar dust by its incoming proton flow colliding with and atomizing dust grains.

- [177, ¶s 6-7] Although intriguing to some science fiction authors, problems with the ramjet concept have been exposed, including:

1. Electromagnetic scoops actually work to reflect interstellar particles, creating a braking effect.

2. Technology does not yet exist that can control the powerful thermonuclear reactions required to propel a ramjet.

- [177, ¶s 8-9] Powerful thermonuclear reactions might be tamed by utilizing less massive particles gathered with larger electromagnetic scoops, but ramjets propelled by such reactions would be less efficient than Bussard’s original conception.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. What concept of Albert Einstein’s proposes that mass literally bends space-time?

1. special relativity

2. mass-energy

3. general relativity

4. rest energy

2. Nuclear fission can be described as:

1. Small radioactive nuclei combining to grow larger

2. The splitting of a radioactive nucleus into more nuclei and neutrons

3. A single radioactive nucleus growing after being combined with other particles

4. Heating radioactive particles until they explode violently

3. The concept of rest-energy shows that:

1. All mass stores both kinetic and potential energy

2. Energy increases with mass

3. An object regains mass as it expels energy

4. An object’s energy decreases when it is at rest

4. What adjective best illustrates Einstein’s feeling toward the “chain reaction” discovery?

1. ecstatic

2. disappointed

3. anxious

4. proud

5. How did a graphite coating protect a small steel sphere from a nuclear blast?

1. The coating evaporated, carrying off energy from the explosion

2. The coating remained around the ball as it could stand extreme temperatures

3. Graphite insulated the sphere, maintaining a non-destructive temperature

4. None of the above

6. Repeated nuclear explosions behind an Orion rocket ensure:

1. A constant velocity

2. A build-up of potential energy

3. A decrease of potential energy

4. An increase in velocity

7. Explain one challenge with ramjet technology.

8. What is a limitation in accelerating and decelerating fusion rockets?

9. In Jack McDevitt’s “Lucy,” how does Sara decelerate her fusion starship Excelsior?

10. What kind of “breakeven” in the development of fusion reactors is most desirable? Why?

Answers:

1. c

2. b

3. b

4. c

5. a

6. d

7. Possible answers: Electromagnetic scoops might cause a braking effect; we do not have the technology to control powerful thermonuclear reactions.

8. Accelerating and decelerating fusion rockets requires enormous amounts of fuel.

9. Lucy swings the ship around, using the force from the engines to brake the ship.

10. “Technological breakeven” is most desirable because it ensures that the amount of energy produced by a fusion reactor is at least ten times greater than the energy input.

Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Investigation:

Matloff addresses Einstein’s valid concerns about the destructive uses of the chain reaction. In small groups, have your students research technological discoveries or developments that could be used both constructively and destructively. Examples of such technologies might be atmosphere-manipulation devices, or even the internet. Allow each group to present a graphic illustrator to exhibit possibilities for each technology. You may also have your students develop their data into pro/con papers.

Some useful resources:

- Information on the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) can be found at http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/haarp/index.html. HAARP manipulates portions of the ionosphere to influence weather systems.

- A thorough webpage on Anonymous, a group of computer hackers that work in the name of civil disobedience, can be found at Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_(group).

- An article about recent scientific uses of military satellites can be found at Popular Mechanics. http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/4326977?click=main_sr.

- An article on a Russian “guard dog” robot, programmed for surveillance, may be found at the Tecca website http://www.tecca.com/news/2011/04/17/tral-patrol-3-robot/.

PROJECT ICARUS—A THEORETICAL DESIGN STUDY FOR AN INTERSTELLAR SPACECRAFT, Dr. Richard Obousy

Prepare to read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- exoplanet

- tantalizing

- feasibility

- extrapolation

- superluminal

- the prefix sub-

- Jovian

- nanotechnology

- analogous

- threshold

- codify

- precursor

- luminaries

- synonymous

- relativistic electron beam

- liberate

- salient

- treatise

- audacity

- extrapolation

- prototype

- Focus question/initiating activity: Ask your students if they have ever seen images of the universe beyond our Milky Way Galaxy, and if so, if they remember the first time they saw such an image. Search NASA’s “Astronomy Picture of the Day” archive (http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html) for a variety of images gathered by satellites and telescopes. In a quick-write, have your students respond to the question, “Why might it be important to explore the universe?”

Essay Outline:

Motivations for Project Icarus

- Main idea: New technology and knowledge has rebirthed projects aimed at making interstellar travel a reality.

- [180, ¶s 1-2] A recent estimation of an enormous number of exoplanets in habitable zones is countered by the Fermi Paradox, which weighs the likelihood of alien life against a contradictory lack of evidence for it.

- [180-81, ¶ 3-4] While one solution to the Fermi Paradox is the theory that interstellar travel is not possible in regards to its timescale, sublight interstellar travel is still considered theoretically possible.

- [181, ¶s 5-6] Though the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) determined that a Daedalus spacecraft is presently unfeasible due to its necessary mass coupled with the difficulty in acquiring Jovian He-3, the Daedalus and Icarus projects have been reassessed in the wake of new technologies and cosmic knowledge.

Origins and Birth of Project Icarus

- Main idea: Icarus originated to reassess Daedalus.

- [181-82, ¶s 1-3] Originating in 2008 out of discussions concerning a Daedalus redesign, Project Icarus reassessed fundamental assumptions concerning the function of a Daedalus spacecraft. Since then, Icarus has gained public visibility, as well as volunteer designers and consultants.

Icarus: A Lesson in Mythology

- Main idea: Icarus’ mission is to improve upon Daedalus.

- [182, ¶ 1-2] (Icarus myth summarized); Icarus is intended to improve upon methods conceived in Project Daedalus.

- [182-83, ¶s 3] Contrary to the regular interpretation of mythological Icarus, an alternative suggests that Icarus merely illuminated structural flaws in the flying machines of his era.

Purpose and Ambitions of Project Icarus

- Main idea: Project Icarus intends to build an inspiringly advanced spacecraft that can reach and measure a target solar system with revolutionary precision.

- [183-84, ¶ 1-3] As well as to inspire more interest in interstellar travel, Project Icarus’s purposes include the following expectations:

1. An unmanned probe must be capable of accurately measuring characteristics of a target solar system.

2. Measured against the original Daedalus design, the spacecraft must be technologically current/near-future and launched ASAP.

3. The star target must be reached in reasonable time.

4. The spacecraft must be able to visit a variety of target stars.

5. The spacecraft propulsion must be fusion-based.

6. The spacecraft must be able to decelerate enough to ensure increased encounter time with the target star (with a cruise velocity 12% of light speed, Daedalus would have only seconds to encounter a planet and a minimum of days to traverse a solar system).

Parallel Objectives

- Main idea: Project Icarus intends not only to improve upon Daedalus, but to definitively advance human technology.

- [184-85, ¶s 1- 3] Additional motives behind Project Icarus:

1. To create a vehicle for training a new generation of interstellar engineers by project completion

2. To make interstellar flight a practical endeavor

- [185, ¶s 4-5] Two reasons why Daedalus was impractical:

1. Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) requires many consecutive events of igniting deuterium/He-3 pellets with electron beams in a reaction chamber; however, currently only one pellet ignition can be performed in a day’s time.

2. Helium-3, Daedalus’ main fuel, is incredibly rare on Earth and would be difficult to mine from Jupiter’s atmosphere without an expensive space-based infrastructure in place.

- [185-86, ¶s 6-9] Another motive behind Project Icarus is to set realistic engineering designs by improving Technology Readiness Levels (TRLS). These levels are based on a scale that ranges from observations on the low end to full applications on the high end.

- [186, ¶ 10] Project Icarus intends to achieve Readiness Levels that exceed Daedalus’ maximum levels of TRL 3.

- [186-87, ¶ 11] A final motive of Icarus is to measure the efficacy of a virtual environment of volunteer researchers, aiming ultimately to create a prototype for future scientific and engineering endeavors.

Nuclear Fusion—A Propulsion Scheme for the Future

- Main idea: Thermonuclear fusion is currently the most viable way to produce enormous amounts of energy.

- [187, ¶ 1] Project Icarus is based on fusion propulsion, a system to which there is no current alternative.

- [187, ¶ 2] In fusion, kinetic energy and electromagnetic radiation is formed when two atoms are kinetically energized to merge and create a larger atom.

- [187-88, ¶s 3-4] Fusion processes are radically more efficient than chemical processes, but machines do not yet exist that can harness fusion energy. Contrarily, fusion energy has only been successfully utilized in rapid and uncontrollable thermonuclear explosions.

- [188, ¶ 5] ICF is promising because charged reaction products themselves are utilized as thrust via magnetic nozzles, leading to fewer thermodynamic losses.

- [188, ¶ 6] Though many approaches to nuclear fusion have been considered, an ideal approach has yet to be realized.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. According to the Fermi Paradox, what contradicts high estimates of extraterrestrial civilizations?

2. What is new about Sir Arthur Eddington’s interpretation of the mythological Icarus?

3. Why is deceleration a major concern for an interstellar probe mission?

4. Considering that a fusion-based propulsion system falls only at 2 on the Technology Readiness Level scale, it seems as though humans have a long road ahead of them in terms of developing technologies for successful interstellar travel. Based on a previous essay in this anthology, what other “scale” does human civilization fall low on, and what does our placement on this scale express about humanity?

5. What is primarily unique about the Project Icarus research team?

Answers:

1. A lack of evidence for such civilizations.

2. Icarus did not fail in flight, but rather illuminated deficiencies in the flying-machines of his era.

3. In order for a probe mission to be considered successful, the probe must decelerate enough so as to have adequate time to survey a planet and its solar system.

4. The Kardashev scale puts humanity below a Tier 1 civilization, defined by being able to harness all of the sun’s energy absorbed by Earth.

5. The team collaborates almost completely via the internet, with only some communication via internet telephony.

Critical Thinking Question:

1. Though the Kardashev scale provides a rational framework for envisioning the future of humanity, imagine the possibility that Earth humans might never breach the confines of the Milky Way Galaxy. If we knew that Earth would be our primary home for the remaining lifespan of our civilization, by what tiers might we measure our success as a species?

Creative Writing Assignment: Have your students read the “Daedalus and Icarus” myth. This myth can be found in Ovid collections, in Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, and as a reworking by Anne Terry White. After reading, ask your students to rewrite the myth in either a contemporary or future setting; suggest that an outer space setting is welcome. Students may also illustrate key moments in their myths by hand or on computer.

DESIGN FLAW, Louise Marley

Major Characters:

- ISABET (“Itty Bit”) is a maintenance tube technician aboard the starship North America.

- MR. DYKENS (“Tye Dye”) is an abusive engineer aboard North America.

- LINK is the store manager of Starhold’s loading bay on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede.

- GINGER, SKUNK, and HAPPY are antimatter containment ring technicians aboard North America.

Prepare to read:

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- Ganymede

- superfluous

- protocol

- differential

- flux

- phlegmy

- stature

- agility

- g-ray

- positronic reactor

- redress

- aft

- indignities

- myriad

- ovoid

- hydroponic

- momentum

- insignia

- exasperated

- constellation

- asbestos

- mollify

- reconstituted

- inverted

- suffused

- infinitesimal

- accentuate

- interminable

- cessation

- impotent

- Focus question/initiating activity: Investigate with your students amendments to the United States Constitution, which may be found at the National Archives website http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html. Draw emphasis on the amount of time it took for women to gain the right to vote.

- Ask your students to consider what stereotypes about women continue to contribute to disadvantages they might experience in the current day. Reinforce the idea that these disadvantages might not always be tangible, but rather exist in the realm of ideas.

Plot Summary:

- [pgs. 191-94] In orbit of Jupiter moon Ganymede aboard the starship North America, ring tech Isabet checks the stability of the ship’s antimatter containment ring. Upon returning from her check, Isabet is intentionally touched upon her chest by Tye Dye, an engineer.

- [194-97] With fellow ring techs Happy, Ginger, and Skunk, Isabet weighs the undesirable conditions aboard North America against those on Earth. Isabet deftly notices that North America is braking and will achieve its target within three days.

- [197-201] Gathered in an aft observation area, Isabet and her fellow techs await arrival at Starhold One, a habitat on Ganymede. Isabet explains to Ginger the goal of mining sufficient antimatter from Ganymede to propel an interstellar starship. Entranced by the sight of Starhold One, Isabet expresses hope that she may partake in an interstellar voyage.

- [201-03] In an Engineering quarter of North America, a female supply officer reassigns an eager Isabet to the Supply Deck.

- [203-19] In the loading bay of Starhold, Isabet considers the ineloquent construction of the sealing ring connecting to North America. Isabet meets Link, who explains how the sealing ring works and is maintained, focusing particularly on a “crawler” robot inside the ring, designed to find pressure leaks, and whose legs are dangerously sharp due to a design flaw. Isabet considers Tye Dye’s abuse, whose unwanted sexual advances she had once turned down. Isabet enjoys her time with Link as they share work experience. Link offers Isabet a tour of Starhold, which Tye Dye does not allow. After being dragged away from Link, Isabet tries to reason with Tye Dye, but Tye Dye attempts to rape her. Isabet escapes Tye Dye’s hold, climbs to the threshold of the sealing ring, and edges inside, dodging the crawler. Tye Dye, however, sends the crawler after Isabet, forcing Isabet to crawl further along through the ring. Isabet realizes not only that the ring is leaking pressure, but that Tye Dye has locked her inside the ring. Isabet finds the ring’s instrument panel and sets off a leak alarm, deactivates the crawler, and requests that Starhold separate from North America for the leak. Link helps Isabet out of the ring and onto her feet, offering her a home at Starhold. Link and Isabet watch as North America, with Tye Dye, sets sail back to Earth.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. Isabet considers that even if an antimatter containment ring is positioned only a fraction of a centimeter off, it may result in a dangerous leak. What adjective best expresses this condition?

1. unpredictable

2. trivial

3. precarious

4. volatile

2. What is a common characteristic between Isabet and her fellow ring techs?

1. They all want to participate in interstellar voyages

2. They all experienced poverty on Earth.

3. They all want to work at Starhold.

4. They all are small due to malnourishment.

3. What are humans doing on Ganymede?

1. building an antimatter plant

2. mining extraterrestrial artifacts

3. setting up a gigantic satellite

4. building a starship

4. Why does Skunk argue that he and his fellow ring techs will not live long enough to witness interstellar travel?

1. They are small and unfit for interstellar travel

2. They will probably die on Earth, which has become a violent place

3. Ship design will eventually improve so that ring techs are no longer needed

4. They are being exposed to more gamma rays than other people

5. All of the following adjectives describe the only female that Isabet meets at Starhold except:

1. composed

2. unemotional

3. nonchalant

4. stoic

6. On what does Isabet blame for her disinterest in intimate relations with other people?

1. her experiences in shelters on Earth

2. her vulnerable size

3. her abuse from Tye Dye

4. her obsessive focus on her job

7. What is contradictory about Isabet’s description of Ganymede and Starhold?

8. What does Isabet compare to crawling through the sealing ring?

9. Why does Isabet enjoy working inside maintenance tubes?

10. Recall Matloff’s essay on fusion starships. How was Freeman Dyson’s experience with his government similar to Isabet’s experience with North America’s command?

Answers:

1. c

2. b

3. a

4. d

5. c

6. a

7. She describes Ganymede as “massive” and “delicate” and Starhold as “massive and graceful.”

8. Isabet compares crawling through the sealing ring with having to choose between evils at shelters.

9. Isabet feels safe inside the tubes because no one can bother or harm her.

10. Both Dyson and Isabet felt that their concerns for other peoples’ or their own safety were not being taken seriously.

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. Marley exhibits how common flaws in human nature, such as male chauvinism, might remain an issue well into humanity’s future. Assuming that improvements in human nature do not necessarily follow from technological advancement, what other natural flaws might accompany humanity as we venture into outer space?

2. Even though Marley presents a civilization whose technological capabilities presently far exceed our own, travelling between Earth and Ganymede still takes long intervals of time. What other limitations might accompany humanity into an era of interstellar travel?

Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration:

Remind your students that even though “Design Flaw” takes place in the considerable future, Isabet and her crewmates imply that such hardships as poverty, starvation, and discrimination still exist on Earth. Divide your students into small groups and ask them to brainstorm what societal faults or limitations might follow humans into outer space. Ask each group to make a list of disorders in their own society, such as homelessness, crime, drug abuse, violence, mental illness, etc. Allow each group to voice several of its ideas, allowing your class to come to a consensus on a top five or ten list. After coming to a consensus, ask your students to write a short reflection on discoveries or realizations they may have had during the activity.

TWENTY LIGHTS TO ‘THE LAND OF SNOW’: EXCERPTS FROM THE COMPUTER LOGS OF OUR RELUCTANT DALAI LAMA, Michael Bishop

Major Characters:

- GRETA BRYN BRASSWELL/GYATSO is the reincarnated Dalai Lama, though she has her doubts.

- NYENDAK “NEDDY” TRUNGPA is a Tibetan minister, and was a friend of the late Dalai Lama, Sakya Gyatso.

- LAWRENCE “LARRY” RINPOCHE is Greta’s tutor. He is also a former movie star.

- IAN KILKHOR is Greta’s bodyguard and stand-in tutor.

- CAPTAIN XAO SONGDA is the aging commander of Kalachakra.

- NIMA PHOTRANG is the first officer of Kalachakra.

- TECH BRASSWELL (SIMON BRYN) is Greta’s father. He believes Greta should consider her own happiness before that of others.

- TECH BONFILS (KAREN BRYN) is Greta’s mother. She believes in Greta’s destiny as The Dalai Lama.

- JETSUN TRIMON is a candidate to be The Dalai Lama.

Prepare to read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms…

- chakra

- the root somni-

- horticulture

- the root urs- / Cf. ursa

- the root dorm-

- loco (Sp.)

- fuddle

- the suffix –ize

- the prefix hypno-

- the root spect-

- pragmatism

- klutz

- Bhodisattva

- ginormous

- unorthodox

- bardo

- burro

- dodgy

- pipedream

- mirage

- the prefix holo-

- terminator (of a planet)

- quantifiable

- mandala

- console

- jettison

- adjacent

- crone

- intranet

- gompa

- chörten (stupa)

- agnostic

- agate

- protégée

- subsidiary

- regent

- tai chi chuan

- disenfranchise

- Panchen

- autocrat

- the prefix ante-

- iconography

- somatic

- stodgy

- elixir

- turbid

- catechism

- apostate

- benighted

- ensorcelled

- surrogate

- forfeit

- synopsize

- the Cf. crypto-

- samsara

- nirvana

- presage

- sutra

- Lhündrub Tögal

- codicil

- namasté

- pedagogy

- subterfuge

- temporal

- mausoleum

- Byronic hero

- seraph

- gravid

- gnosis

- connate

- inchoate

- koan

- oblate

- albumin

- Focus question/initiating activity:

- While listening to the first movement of Henryk Górecki’s “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs”, investigate with your students religious images of Tibetan Buddhism, including mandalas, the namasté gesture, Bhodisattva and nirvana depictions, Buddhist monks and nuns, and Buddhist monasteries. Next, highlight Tibet on a world map, and display modern images of Tibetan protests. Inform your students that the Tibetans have been fighting for independence from China, which desires to control Tibet for historical, agricultural, military, and political reasons. Explain that Tibet’s fight for independence has resulted in the exile and death of many Tibetans. Ask your students why Bishop might have included Górecki’s Third Symphony in his story.

- Have your students investigate the cross section of Kalachakra at the end of Bishop’s story. Consider displaying images of other strut or truss structures, emphasizing that these structures are basically architectural skeletons. Remember with your students essays from Going Interstellar that stressed the need for a starship to be lightweight.

Plot Summary:

- [pgs. 221-25] Aboard the strut-ship Kalachakra, headed in its eighty-second year to Gliese 581’s planet Guge (Gliese 581 g), seven-year-old Greta Bryn Brasswell is awoken during an “up-phase” from hibernation in her habitat drum named Amdo Bay. Accompanied psychically by her “ghost” parents, Simon and Karen Bryn, Greta is monitored for comprehension of her surroundings by Minister Nyendak Trungpa, who expresses his belief that Greta is a reincarnation of the former Dalai Lama, Sakya Gyatso. Greta is distraught at the notion that “I’m not I,” and that she will be separated from her parents.

- [225-28] Though fearful of her possible role as Dalai Lama, Greta is relieved to be allowed to stay in up-phase, out of hibernation. Greta converses with her tutor, Larry, about the possibility that she is the reincarnated Dalai Lama, and the conundrum of her soul’s location, considering that she was born before Sakya Gyatso died, or according to Larry, was murdered. Greta spends her time in up-phase learning about Kalachakra, psychically travelling about the ship as a ghost, occasionally conversing with other ghosts.

- [228-31] As a ghost in up-phase, Greta feels vulnerable travelling about Kalachakra as she considers Sakya Gyatso’s possible fate, and also as she comes upon the ghost of a mysterious snow leopard. From educational devices Greta learns the population of the UNS Kalachakra, and that they are exiles; the distance of Kalachakra from Gliese 581; the location of each sleep Bay and the types of people assigned to them; the conditions of Bay sleep; the characteristics of Gliese 581 and of Guge, whose snowy habitable zone lies between a scorching sun- and freezing dark-side; when Guge was discovered; and that Sakya Gyatso rarely hibernated, but did so in an extreme sleep. Greta worries over Sakya Gyatso’s death.

- [231-36] A year older, Greta remains in ghost form for safety while her parents hibernate. Greta visits First Officer Nima Photrang, who informs Greta that the remaining trip to Guge will take over twenty years including braking. Photrang expresses her doubts that Sakya Gyatso was murdered, or even had a heart attack, but rather committed suicide by avoiding age-preserving hibernation in order to maintain his leadership role upon Kalachakra; Greta is offended by this notion and leaves Photrang. In her Bay room, Greta is visited by Captain Xao, who inquires about her doubts concerning the death of Sakya Gyatso. After Greta expresses a multitude of doubts concerning her identity and the Kalachakra voyage, Captain Xao indirectly admits that he believes Sakya Gyatso was murdered.

- [239-44] At age twelve, the notion that Greta is the reincarnated Lama is increasingly embraced throughout Kalachakra, realized in an invitation for Greta to visit her childhood nursery to play with children and be offered sacred gifts on her birthday. Greta is enchanted by a baby. Months later, Greta shares a meal with her parents in physical state, and her father informs her that he and Karen are divorcing. Momentarily numb to the news, Greta expresses the uncertainty of her Lamahood and criticizes Minister Trungpa, for which she is scorned by Karen.

- [244-46] Nearly thirteen, Greta suspects that an investigation into the death of Sakya Gyatso has been intentionally diverted; Greta, however, is assigned a bodyguard, Ian Kilkhor, who tutors Greta while Larry spends time hibernating. Kilkhor also acts as a representative for Greta to other religious figures aboard Kalachakra. Greta fears that her birth date will not only invalidate the notion that she is the reincarnated Lama, but that she will be assassinated.

- [246-51] During her fourteenth year, the integrity of Greta’s Lamahood is tested by a group of monks and a nun, including Kalachakra’s high-ranking Panchen Lama, who ask Greta to choose out of a variety of items those which were owned by Sakya Gyatso. Greta uses memory and logic to correctly choose a cloak and a book cherished by Sakya Gyatso. Guided by the indicative behavior of Sakya Gyatso’s monkey, Chenrezig, Greta correctly chooses several more items. A leading monk, however, remaining doubtful, demands a miracle from Greta. Suddenly, Chenrezig approaches and embraces Greta, convincing all but the leading monk of her Lamahood.

- [251-55] Four years later, Greta takes part in catechisms led by Larry, Kilkhor, and Captain Xao in which she reiterates by rote beliefs, motivations, and a history of the oppression of the Tibetan people. Greta expounds not only on how this oppression led to a Tibetan Earth-exile which necessitated the building of a multigenerational starship, but also on the reasons for China’s acquiescing to the venture. The catechism concludes with a vision of fulfilling the goal of establishing a Guge colony which may be a place of spiritual enlightenment for present and future generations.

- [255-59] At age nineteen, Greta is informed that another child, Jetsun Trimon, is being considered as the possible reincarnation of Sakya Gyatso. Confounded and annoyed, Greta decides to hibernate for a significant part of a year. Upon waking, Greta is joined by Karen, Minister Trungpa, the Panchen Lama, Kilkhor, and Jetsun. It is revealed that Greta and Jetsun’s Lamahood will be decided by lottery in a drawing from a gold urn at Kalachakra’s Jokhang Temple in U-Tsang bay, where Sakya Gyatso’s body will be on display.

- [260-66] Six months later, Greta is accompanied by family and instructors to Jokhang Temple in a gravity-less journey. After ambivalently following a guiding snow leopard ghost into a tunnel, Greta and her company partially fall with an increase in gravity into the Temple courtyard at U-Tsang. Greta and her companions are greeted by monks and other Tibetans, including the Panchen Lama, at the Temple. With Karen and Larry, Greta observes the body of Sakya Gyatso and reflects upon his spiritual accomplishments and public persona. Overcome by feelings of awe and inadequacy, Greta cries uncontrollably, expressing her disbelief in her Lamahood, while Karen, though momentarily supportive, faints in despair.

- [266-74] Awake from her faint, Karen explains that her faint was caused by Greta’s refusal to partake in the Gold Urn Lottery, along with the image of Sakya Gyatso’s face. Karen reasserts her belief that Greta is the reincarnated Dalai Lama with a story involving her ongoing affair with Minister Trungpa, which began during her marriage to Greta’s father. (Upon discovering the affair, Sakya Gyatso fell into a spiritual confusion and lethargy. To reinvigorate Gyatso, Trungpa brought Gyatso to a Kalachakra nursery, where he became obsessed with Greta and later expressed his desire that she resume his leadership aboard Kalachakra and in “The Land of Snow.” After much consideration, Karen expressed her wish that Greta’s soul be infused with that of Gyatso. When this wish was communicated to Gyatso, Gyatso committed himself to die and occupy Greta.) Greta hears Karen’s story regretfully.

- [274-78] At a lounge, Greta meets with her father, Simon, who openly admits his awareness of his wife’s affair, and asks Greta whether she believes that she is the reincarnated Dalai Lama. Simon also admits that he joined the Kalachakra journey not for religious belief, but love for Karen and an interest in spaceflight. Greta expresses ambivalence to the notion of being a Dalai Lama, simultaneously noticing the attention being paid her and her father. Greta greets an old acquaintance, whose mother wishes Greta good luck at the Gold Urn Lottery. Greta also remembers, to her father’s doubt, once caring for her acquaintance like a mother.

- [278-80] Greta arrives the following day at Jokhang Temple to a throng of witnesses. After considering the dilemma of assuming an involuntary identity, Greta floats toward a dais with Jetsun where the Gold Urn resides. The Panchen Lama announces that a name will not be drawn from the urn, but will rise willingly. After nearly an hour, an envelope rises out of the urn.

- [281] A year has passed. While Greta’s and Jetsun’s parents are raised to nobility, and Jetsun declares his own path to spiritual enlightenment, Greta rotates living spaces within Kalachakra to maintain peace among its inhabitants as the new Dalai Lama.

- [281-84] At age twenty-four, Greta considers the seven remaining years it will take to reach Guge. To Minister Trungpa Greta expresses her desire for Kalachakra inhabitants to compete in designing a sand mandala which will commemorate their journey’s approaching end. Though Trungpa criticizes the competition for diminishing a sense of community among Kalachakra’s Tibetans, Greta argues that such a competition will provide much needed entertainment. Greta then informs Trungpa that she would like to have a baby, requesting his advice on whether to choose Kilkhor or Jetsun. Trungpa emphasizes many of Kilkhor’s attributes, while shunning Jetsun for his young age.

- [284-86] Greta invites Jetsun to her quarters, where they simultaneously realize their desire for each other. Before consummating, Greta expresses her desire for Jetsun to impregnate her. Jetsun accedes to this desire, and also consents to the rearing of their child both aboard and off-board Kalachakra. Suddenly without gravity, Greta and Jetsun float to one another to consummate. Greta is certain that she has conceived with Jetsun.

- [286-89] A year later, Greta reflects upon Kalachakra’s early tradition of monks creating and erasing a yearly sand mandala, until a malfunction in the ship’s artificial gravity caused damage to an unfinished design. Greta is visited by First Officer Photrang, who informs Greta that among many of Kalachakra’s inhabitants, Captain Xao is designing a sand mandala. Greta allows Photrang to touch her pregnant belly.

- [289-93] Greta delivers her baby, Kyipa, in the presence of family and friends. Kanjur Paljor, Kalachakra’s fuel specialist, regretfully approaches Greta to inform her that for over a hundred hours Kalachakra has been travelling at top speed at an angle slightly off its original trajectory, which might cause Kalachakra to prematurely run out of fuel. Paljor further explains that this unintended divergence was caused by inattention from an aging and stressed Captain Xao, at once obsessed with creating a sand mandala.

- [293-95] Against the opinion of many that believe a Dalai Lama should not have a child, Greta cherishes Kyipa as a legacy and a source of enlightenment. In the meantime, Greta worries about the fate of Kalachakra, which has already used its fuel reserves, but must use more fuel in order to brake. Greta communicates Kalachakra’s challenges openly to its inhabitants, who work together to strategize fuel conservation.

- [295-97] In Greta’s twenty-seventh year, Captain Xao dies in a maniacal state, partly exhibited in numerous irrational mandala sketches and computer designs. Captain Xao is forgiven for his navigational error, and Greta decides to lay him to rest on Guge.

- [297-98] Four years away from Guge, newly-appointed Captain Photrang assures Greta that, barring any disaster, Kalachakra should reach its destination. Greta and Jetsun decide to keep Kyipa up-phase for the remainder of the trip, ensuring that she learns and grows before reaching Guge.

- [298] Less than a week away from arriving at Guge, Kalachakra is preoccupied with maintenance and prayer.

- [298-99] Kalachakra obtains Guge orbit, and Greta is presented a sand mandala, whose image is transmitted across the ship. Greta refuses to ritualistically destroy the mandala until Kalachakra’s colony has established itself on Guge.

- [300-01] Greta and her colonists settle upon “The Land of Snow” in a basecamp and region decidedly named “Lhasa” and “New Tibet.” Trungpa presents Greta with a photo of Sakya Gyatso as a child holding his baby sister, who died as an infant.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the best indicator of Greta’s age during the beginning of her journey?

1. Greta’s sickness upon waking from ursidormizine hibernation.

2. Greta’s playfully developmental language

3. Greta’s memory of the Dalai Lama

4. Greta’s doubt that she is the reincarnated Dalai Lama

2. What image does Larry use to explain to Greta a soul’s reincarnation?

1. one candle lighting another

2. one candle trading places with another

3. one soul swimming into another soul

4. one fish swimming from its tank to another tank

3. Captain Xao’s expression that “We’ll need every hand on the ground once we’re all down on Guge” is an example of:

1. hyperbole

2. pun

3. metonymy

4. personification

4. Why must Guge be settled on its terminator?

1. The terminator maintains habitable temperatures.

2. The terminator most closely resembles Old Tibet.

3. The terminator region harbors Guge’s most breathable atmosphere.

4. The Kalachakra’s trajectory ensures arrival directly at Guge’s terminator.

5. What technology on Kalachakra functions unpredictably?

1. inducing ursidormizine slumber

2. shedding spent fuel tanks from Kalachakra

3. bringing ursidormizine hibernators up-phase

4. maintaining artificial gravity

6. What serves as a “miracle” supporting the belief that Greta is the reincarnated Dalai Lama?

1. Greta correctly chooses items that once belonged to Sakya Gyatso.

2. Sakya Gyatso’s monkey approaches Greta and embraces her.

3. Greta remembers being visited by Sakya Gyatso when she was four.

4. Sakya Gyatso’s monkey gives clues to Greta as she chooses Gyatso’s belongings.

7. All are reasons that China supported the Tibetans in building a starship except:

1. China wanted to be the first nation to build a multigenerational starship.

2. China wanted to rid itself of the presence of the 21st Dalai Lama.

3. Exiling the Tibetan people by starship was seen as a more tolerable form of “ethnic cleansing”.

4. Chinese manufacturing industry boomed as it contributed to the starship’s construction.

8. When Greta refers to her almost year-long hibernation as a “nap,” it is an example of:

1. hyperbole

2. understatement

3. sarcasm

4. irony

9. According to Greta’s father, Simon, Buddhists aspire to:

1. material happiness

2. endless reincarnation

3. detachment from material things

4. understanding the meaning of life

10. What pair of adjectives best describes the tone in which “The Land of Snow” ends?

1. lighthearted and optimistic

2. foreboding and ominous

3. despairing and anxious

4. bittersweet and hopeful

11. Explain how Greta shows her Western influence when she asks her fellow Tibetans to submit sand mandala designs.

12. According to Greta, when did the tradition of creating and destroying sand mandalas come to an end on Kalachakra?

13. What purpose for Greta will laying Captain Xao’s body upon planet Guge serve?

14. What is symbolized by the destruction of a sand mandala?

15. What gift does Minister Trungpa give Greta?

Answers:

1. b

2. a

3. c

4. a

5. d

6. b

7. a

8. b

9. c

10. d

11. Greta promotes competition between Tibetans, which contradicts the mandala’s symbolic message of community.

12. A sand mandala was prematurely destroyed when Kalachakra’s artificial gravity momentarily shut down.

13. Captain Xao will represent the Tibetan’s first sacrificial alms to planet Guge.

14. The destruction of a sand mandala symbolizes the impermanence of life.

15. Minister Trungpa gives Greta a photo of Sakya Gyatso as a young boy holding his infant sister.

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. Bishop illustrates a culture in which souls are believed to transfer between bodies in order to maintain an undisputed line of enlightened leadership. Consider what Bishop’s story reveals about how your society establishes its leaders? In what ways do we put our “souls” into our leaders, or candidates?

2. When as a young child Greta wonders whether or not her parents liked each other, she refers to Stephen Hawking’s quote that “People are not quantifiable,” which was Hawking’s response to the question of how he compared to Albert Einstein. How does Hawking’s idea disagree with the notion that The Dalai Lama repeatedly reincarnates?

Summary Activity/Inquiry-based Exploration:

In a quick-write, ask your students whether or not they wanted Greta to become The Dalai Lama, and have them justify their answers in discussion. Display the terms predestination, divine election, religious rebirth, and bloodline. Tell your students that they will be researching cultures around the world that believe that leaders are involuntarily assigned their power. Divide your students into small groups and have them each research a single culture whose leader came into or sustained power through ideas and beliefs represented in the aforementioned terms. On chart paper or posterboard, ask each group to write a brief summary about their chosen leader/line of leaders, along with a T-Chart that exhibits both positive and negative attributes of their chosen leader/line of leaders. Allow for brief discussion after each presentation.

SOLAR AND BEAMED ENERGY SAILS, Les Johnson

Prepare to read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- deployed

- magnitude

- proportional

- inversely

- rendezvous

- near-term

- subsystem

- fabrication

- commensurately

- Focus question/initiating activity: Investigate with your students the power of solar pressure at the Naval Research Laboratory website http://sungrazer.nrl.navy.mil/.

- You may also watch Comet Lovejoy’s tail being whipped by solar winds at the science website Scoop http://www.scoop.it/t/science-news/p/829888299/it-s-a-windy-day-in-space-for-comet-lovejoy.

Essay Outline:

- Main idea (¶s 1-6): Solar sailing might provide an energy-efficient method of interstellar travel.

- [304, ¶s 1- 3] As an ocean ship is propelled by a momentum (the sum of mass time velocity) created by winds reflected off a sail, so might an in-space ship be propelled by solar pressure (sunlight), which acts like wind as it pushes through space.

- [304, ¶ 4] Photons, or particles of light, have been discovered to have no mass, even though they have momentum.

- [304-05, ¶ 5-6] While a modern shuttle can produce great thrust for a short period of time, a very large solar sail might provide continual thrust, however small, as long as it remains in the “fuel” of sunlight. Meanwhile, a chemical rocket would still be needed to propel a shuttle into Earth orbit.

- Main idea (¶s 7-10): The closer to the sun that a solar-sailed spacecraft can be flown, the more force it will generate, and accordingly, the less massive the sail will need to be.

- [305-06, ¶s 7-9] Critical issues affecting solar sail design:

1. Anticipating Newton’s 2nd Law:

Because the magnitude of the acceleration of an object is proportional to the force acting upon it, and is inversely proportional to the object’s mass, a large, lightweight, and highly photon-reflective solar sail is crucial.

2. In order to ensure as least massive a solar sail as possible, thrust must be created alternatively. One alternative involves…

- [¶ 10] Flying closer to the sun: according to The Inverse Square Law, the farther an object’s distance from the sun, the less illumination, and thus solar pressure, the object will receive.

- Main idea (¶s 11-17): A variety of solar sails have been developed, one of which is successfully propelling through space, but technology has yet to promise interstellar ships powered by solar sails.

- [306-08, ¶s 11-16] After a failed NASA commission to rendezvous a solar sail with Halley’s Comet, Russia launched into orbit Znamya, a giant mirror made of lightweight reflective materials intended to illuminate portions of Earth’s ground at night. Consecutive developments in solar sail technology include:

- [¶ 13] a one hundred-foot German-manufactured sail that inspired NASA in the early 2000’s to build two one-hundred foot sails made from ultra-thin materials and housed in space vacuum conditions;

- [¶ 14] a Japanese sail, IKAROS, which was launched in 2010 as a primary propulsion system on a trajectory toward Venus;

- [¶ 15] a small NASA sail, the NanoSail-D, which entered low Earth orbit, but was dragged down by upper-atmospheric winds;

- [¶ 16] and a planned LightSail-1, with a similar weight but larger size to NanoSail-D, capable of pointing toward the sun.

- [¶ 17] The successes of IKAROS and NanoSail-D have led to renewed interest in solar sail technology that might make capable solar system-wide travel.

- Main idea (¶s 18-33): There are several possible solutions to manufacturing immense and delicate solar sails and maintaining solar thrust in interstellar space.

- [309, ¶ 18] Even in interstellar space, solar sails may sustain force (acceleration) by maintaining very close approaches to the Sun, and by utilizing lasers.

- [30910, ¶ 19] While great speeds attained from near solar approaches have been calculated to make an Alpha Centauri arrival possible in one thousand years, there remains critical challenges with solar sail technology, including:

- [¶s 20-2] Manufacturing: in order to transport and sustain humans, a ship’s solar sail must be extraordinarily large to support its mass. Such a sail would benefit from being built in outer space so as to avoid damaging its necessarily lightweight material during construction in Earth gravity or during an Earth launch. However, a major challenge remains of creating an infrastructure for in-space manufacturing of solar sail parts, not to mention the difficulty of in-space manufacturing itself.

- [310, ¶ 23-4] One solution to the manufacturing problems is to build a robust sail on Earth capable of surviving a launch, but manufactured so that its heaviest part evaporates when it comes into contact with solar ultraviolet light.

- [311, ¶ 25] Another challenge with solar sail technology is that most thrust from the Sun must be acquired before a ship passes the orbit of Jupiter.

- [311, ¶s 26-8] According to physicist Robert Forward, a sixty-five Gigawatt laser with a six hundred mile diameter focusing lens, housed near Jupiter’s orbit, might serve as a surrogate for sunlight that could propel a sail to a velocity of one tenth the speed of light.

- [312, ¶s 29-30] Forward suggests that a laser utilizing seven Terawatts of energy could propel a massive sail craft to Alpha Centauri in forty years as well.

- [313, ¶ 31] Forward also proves that laser light reflected from the outer sail ring can decelerate a sail craft, thus allowing for longer trip intervals.

- [313-14, ¶ 32-3] As technology advances, larger and lighter-weight sails must be built for near-term exploration of our solar system, and beamed energy must be explored as a sunlight surrogate.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. Who first conceived of the idea that outer space contains a “cosmic breeze”?

1. Arthur Compton

2. Sir Arthur Eddington

3. Johannes Kepler

4. Robert Forward

2. What is the name for the momentum that sunlight creates?

1. solar pressure

2. solar thrust

3. photon force

4. solar force

3. Where in our solar system would a solar sail be too far from the sun to gather sufficient momentum?

1. Saturn

2. Mars

3. Uranus

4. Jupiter

4. What does Johnson compare to the space shuttle and the solar sail?

5. What was the purpose of the Russian Znamya mirror?

6. Why did the NanoSail-D lose low Earth orbit?

7. What are two challenges in manufacturing solar sails in outer space?

8. How does Robert Forward suggest that a solar sail be decelerated?

Answers:

1. c

2. a

3. d

4. Johnson compares the space shuttle to the hare and the solar sail to the tortoise.

5. The Znamya mirror was intended to reflect solar light in order to illuminate portions of Earth ground at night.

6. Upper atmospheric winds dragged NanoSail-D back into Earth’s atmosphere.

7. There is currently no infrastructure built in space to house a solar sail factory, and transferring raw materials between Earth and space will be difficult.

8. A solar sail might be decelerated by having a detachable inner sail that uses laser light reflected from the outer ring of the sail.

THE BIG SHIP AND THE WISE OLD OWL, Sarah A. Hoyt

Major Characters:

- NIA is a member of a maintenance crew aboard a multigenerational starship. Although a young adult, she prefers to live with her parents.

- CIAR is a linguist who spends his days translating old documents from Earth. He is fascinated with nursery rhymes.

- ENNIO is a teacher’s assistant who maintains and programs computers aboard the ship.

Prepare to read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- surrogate

- crèche

- subversive

- linguist

- the root sens-

- tunic

- embryo

- the root bio-

- curiosities (n.)

- mutiny

- pedantic

- conservative

- encode

- fossilized

- gyrate

- convoluted

- resignation

- agog

- query

- cryptic

- sagely

- ulterior

- sanction

- woebegone

- vacillate

- reprieve

- acrophobia

- inept

- chimera

- errant

- dubious

- null g

- Focus question/initiating activity: Ask your students to imagine what it might be like to be born and live an entire lifespan within a spaceship. What about humans might be different if they have no prior experience living upon Earth? Have them respond in a quick writing activity followed by a sharing of ideas.

Plot Summary:

- [pgs. 316-23] In a classroom aboard a multigenerational starship, linguist Ciar waits while computer technician Ennio makes a minor repair to a computer. Also present is Nia, a maintenance crew member, who contemplates which young man, both of which are childhood friends, she should date. Ennio plays a nursery rhyme computer program featuring an eavesdropping wise owl who can dictate directions to Alpha Centauri. Ciar comments that, according to his archival studies of traditional rhymes, the new rhymes have been changed. When Ennio draws attention to the rhyme’s preservation of an obsolete owl, Nia hypothesizes that such knowledge might be being preserved in case Earth ecology need be reestablished on another planet. While Ennio recognizes that rhymes have been changed, Ciar suggests that rhymes still maintain a stable linguistic foundation over which instructions may be encoded. Losing focus, Ennio invites Nia to a dance, and Nia accepts.

- [323-31] Nia wonders about her mother’s subversive past as her mother offers an old dress for the dance. At the dance, Ciar beseeches Nia and Ennio to leave and meet him at the ship’s archive. After sharing an intimate dance, Nia and Ennio make way to the archive, where Nia contemplates the enormous scope of human Earth history being translated into English by myriad workers at their desks. At his computer, Ciar is relieved to see Nia and Ennio.

- [331-335] Ciar bypasses an error message and displays a series of old and new versions of nursery rhymes, of which many of the new feature the wise owl. Ciar explains that these rhymes indicate an important event following a span of ten generations upon the starship. Ciar, however, is denied access to data not only about the ship’s genealogy, but also the owl. Thinking of her grandparent’s grandparents, Nia calculates that at least six generations have passed aboard the ship. Though Ennio discourages Ciar from investigating their ship’s chronology any further, Ciar remains in the archive to research while Nia and Ennio return to the dance. At home, Nia inquires her mother about her family history upon the ship, discovering that at least seven generations have passed aboard.

- [335-343] Nia feverishly sets to work the next day on a minor mechanical system blackout. On her way home she is diverted by Ennio, who, uncharacteristically, gestures cautiously for Nia to follow him, leading her to a maintenance closet. Ennio informs Nia that Ciar has been arrested for a capital crime, resulting in a death penalty the following week. Ennio admits that despite the fact that Ciar was possibly arrested for researching nursery rhymes, Ennio downloaded more. Turning on a small computer, Ennio explains that after correlating all information about the wise owl from the nursery rhymes, he has inferred that the owl is another computer hidden aboard the ship. To Nia’s amazement, Ennio speculates that the ship’s administration does not want the ship to arrive at Alpha Centauri so that it may retain its societal power. Ennio also suggests that he has figured how to determine the location of the owl, and Nia agrees to help him find the computer later that night.

- [343-44] Nia anxiously eats dinner with her family, taking notice of light changes shifting with the fluctuation of solar reflection mirrors around the ship. After her parents go to bed, Nia sneaks out to meet Ennio.

- [343-46] After travelling through an unmaintained tunnel in the outermost of the ship, Ennio is guided by his computer to climb up the tunnel wall at a specific point. As they climb, Nia realizes that the wall seems especially built to climb, an inference that is reassured when, well above the tunnel floor, she reaches ladder-like rungs.

- [346-48] Ennio discovers a door in the wall, and Nia opens it by handle. A light shines from behind the door, and Nia and Ennio step into the hidden room. When a calm voice asks what is being sought, Ennio directly mentions the owl, and another door opens along a wall. From this second hidden room, Nia and Ennio are transported to yet another room. In this room a voice asks what question is intended for the owl. Ennio inquires as to how many generations have lived upon the ship, while Nia asks how far the ship is from its destination. Once again, a door opens to reveal another room in which a wall becomes animated with an owl whom, after identifying itself, is realized by the shipmates as the guiding voice.

- [348-52] In conversation with the owl, Ennio and Nia discover that it had been originally hidden, even from the ship’s administration, to preserve information. From a series of questions, the owl informs the shipmates that Alpha Centauri is only an Earth day away. The owl further informs the shipmates that the entire ship’s colony will need to be informed, all at once, of the weightlessness caused when the ship ceased to spin in deceleration, among the location of lifeboat bays. Nia decides to configure the owl to be able to communicate with the entire ship. The owl informs Nia of Ciar’s location, and that the lifeboat landers can scout landing locations once the ship slingshots around Alpha Centauri’s sun. Nia and Ennio decide to risk hiding in a lifeboat lander.

- [352-54] Nia and Ennio rescue Ciar and sneak to a lifeboat, which successfully navigates them to a habitable Alpha Centauri planet. Nia suggests that her plan to inform the ship’s colony of its Alpha Centauri arrival, along with the location of lifeboats, was also successful. Nia raises a family with Ennio on the planet, whose colonies are agriculturally sustained.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. Historical records from the archives on Nia’s ship are being translated into:

1. English

2. a new language formed by combining preexisting languages

3. every language that is spoken on the ship

2. According to the nursery rhyme, why might the owl need to explain the way to Alpha Centauri?

1. The ship’s navigational computers might be destroyed.

2. Directions were only given to the administration, all of who may die unexpectedly.

3. The path to Alpha Centauri might need to change due to unforeseen cosmic obstacles.

4. The civilization aboard the ship might forget the purpose of their voyage.

3. Nia views herself as:

1. extraordinary

2. cowardly

3. average

4. dangerous

4. According to Nia, what is unknown about the planet to which her society is travelling?

1. whether its atmosphere is fully breathable

2. its level of biological development

3. whether its existing intelligent civilization will welcome Nia’s society

4. if it is actually a myth created by the administration to create a false hope

5. Which pair of adjectives best describes the administration on Nia’s ship?

1. secretive and domineering

2. transparent and democratic

3. primitive and spiritual

4. disorganized and laissez faire

6. How does Nia pass on her history to her children?

1. in writing

2. in songs

3. through spoken storytelling

4. through computer programs

7. List two powers that the administration has over the ship’s inhabitants.

1. How does Nia’s ship produce sunlight?

2. What does Nia believe that most people aboard her ship primarily care about?

3. According to Nia, what is the benefit of the human race expanding throughout the universe?

Answers:

1. a

2. d

3. c

4. b

5. a

6. b

7. The administration can decide how many children a woman can have, and how many “luxury rations” a person is allowed. (Other possible answers might include: The administration may investigate civilians for antisocial behavior; they do not allow premarital sex; they monitor civilian work).

8. Nia’s ship uses a system of mirrors to reflect sunlight into the ship.

9. Nia believes that most of her people care primarily about obtaining luxury rations.

10. The human species will be so widespread that no single calamity can render the entire race extinct.

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. How does the way in which humans measure societal status in “The Big Ship and the Wise Old Owl” compare and contrast with how societal status is measured in “Lesser Beings”? What do people value most in each story?

2. Nia observes that her fellow shipmates are mainly concerned with personal comfort (luxury rations) and how many children they are allowed to have, and with whom. Nia remarks, however, that the ship’s lifeboats are more comfortable than the ship’s lodgings. What might this suggest about life aboard the ship?

Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration:

- Hoyt’s story is set within a multigenerational starship that sustains a human society with at least a partial ecosystem that includes wheat-planted fields. After reviewing concepts of multigenerational starships, ask your students to brainstorm what makes a society function, and what structures a generational starship would need to include in order to guarantee a successful long-term voyage. Consider having your students draft and debate “top ten” lists of essential societal structures.

Some useful resources:

- An article on a world seed vault can be found at the Global Crop Diversity Trust website. http://www.croptrust.org/main/arcticseedvault.php?itemid=211.

- A recent article on the history of Biosphere 2, including an extreme human diet experiment, can be found at the Cabinet Magazine website. http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/41/turner.php.

- Information on the O’Neill cylinder and Bernal sphere concepts can be found at the National Space Society website. http://www.nss.org/settlement/space/oneillcylinder.htm; http://www.nss.org/settlement/space/bernalsphere.htm.

- Ask your students if they remember reading or being read nursery rhymes when they were young. Have your students research nursery rhymes from other cultures and consider how these rhymes are suited particularly to the culture at hand, including how the rhymes might have changed over time. Students might work in groups and make class presentations.

Some useful resources:

- An extensive database of nursery rhymes can be found at http://www.rhymes.org.uk/.

- The meter of “The Big Ship Sails on the Vacuum, Oh” seems to be based on “London Bridge.” Information on possible historical meanings behind “London Bridge” can be found at Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_bridge_is_falling_down.

- A database of nursery rhymes and children’s songs by country can be found at Mama Lisa’s World website http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=e_atoz.

SIREN SONG, Mike Resnick

Major Characters:

- FARTREKKER JONES is an eccentric and media-wary captain of the solar sail starship Argo.

- VLADIMIR is the co-pilot of Argo.

- KNIBBS is Argo’s navigator.

Prepare to read…

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- regatta

- pundits

- parsec

- buoy

- myriad

- motive power

- permeate

- Focus activity/initiating question: Investigate with your students the layout of the Milky Way solar system. Emphasize the Asteroid Belt, and display images of the moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. Consider pairing these images with ocean sailing ships to emphasize Resnick’s ocean-sailing motif.

Plot Summary:

- [pgs. 356] By the 23rd century, humanity’s ability to traverse its solar system has made it grow weary of racing ships across Earth’s oceans. Instead, six spaceships enter a race that begins at Earth orbit and stretches as far as Uranus’ moon.

- [357-58] The Argo, a lone solar sail ship, catches the public’s attention due to its structure and eccentric captain, FarTrekker Jones. With the Argo bringing up the rear, the ships soon reach Mars and continue on a predetermined trajectory to Jupiter’s moon, Ganymede. FarTrekker, however, decides to regain lost time by taking a short cut through a dangerously dense section of the Asteroid Belt.

- [358-59] While the Argo negotiates most of the Belt without sustaining major damages, its copilot Vladimir accidentally brushes against control panel buttons while falling asleep, seemingly causing a mysterious sound to fill the ship.

- [359-60] The sound is interpreted by Argo’s three-man crew as a sorrowful song that each attribute to a beloved woman from which they have been separated.

- [360] Despite FarTrekker’s wishes, Vladimir cannot determine the source of the song, deciding that the sound is emanating from without the ship. The men fall entranced by the song.

- [360] When FarTrekker imagines that the song is emanating from his lost love who is trying to reach him, his shipmates embrace the same theory, but with their own lost loves in mind. FarTrekker then hears his lost love’s voice in the song.

- [360-61] In an effort to trace the song’s source, FarTrekker asks his ship navigator Knibbs to check the vicinity for asteroids, of which one is found. FarTrekker realizes that the name of the asteroid, Anthemoessa, is the Greek mythological home of Sirens. Vladimir denies FarTrekker’s subtle suggestion that sirens are actually calling for the crew; however, Vladimir cannot help but agree that he hears his lost love in the melody of the song.

- [361] When Knibbs discovers that Anthemoessa was named by a widowed man, FarTrekker suggests that the Argo change course for the asteroid. Though Knibbs attempts to examine the potential danger of a Siren-inhabited asteroid, Vladimir is already mentioning his lost love as if she were waiting for him, and FarTrekker is fully encapsulated merely by the possibility that he might be reunited.

- [362] The shipmates agree that heading for the Anthemoessa is worthwhile. The Argo changes course for Anthemoessa, returning not to the race, nor planet Earth.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. “Siren Song’s” narrator accuses the media of:

1. creating false news

2. borrowing ideas from other sources

3. reporting rumors

4. having a bias for a specific racing ship

2. All are rules for Great Regatta racers except:

1. They cannot deviate from a predetermined course

2. They must pass within a thousand miles of checkpoints

3. They cannot land on any solid surface

4. They cannot warn other racers of potential dangers

3. What does FarTrekker not trust?

1. navigational computers

2. his fellow crewmates

3. the news media

4. the Siren song

4. How does FarTrekker try to regain lost time in the race?

1. He sails around the Asteroid Belt

2. He sails through a dense section of the Asteroid Belt

3. He accelerates the Argo with lasers

4. He lightens the Argo’s payload

5. When does the Siren song begin to play?

1. When FarTrekker begins thinking of his lost love

2. When the Argo crew discovers Anthemoessa

3. When small asteroids begin to pelt the Argo

4. When Vladimir falls asleep over Argo’s control panel

6. How is news of the race being gathered?

1. The racing ships are sending transmissions back to Earth

2. Unmanned satellites are filming the race along the route

3. Media ships are posted along the route

4. Computer tracking programs are sending data to Earth from each ship

7. What emotional effect does the Siren song have on FarTrekker?

8. If Leucosia were the actual name of FarTrekker’s lost love, what might she have died from? Use a dictionary to make an inference.

Answers:

1. b

2. a

3. a

4. b

5. d

6. c

7. The song reminds FarTrekker of his lost love Leucosia, but it makes him happy rather than sad.

8. Leucosia takes from the prefix leuko-, which may be used to refer to white blood cells. Leucosia might have died from cancer.

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. How does the motif of ocean sailing contribute to the tone of “Siren song?”

2. In your opinion, what events will suggest that humans are ready to explore space? If you think we are ready now, explain your reasoning.

3. In way ways can outer space never fundamentally change human beings?

Summary Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration:

Have your students read Book XII of Homer’s Odyssey, in which Odysseus is lured by sirens; and Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “Ligeia,” in which a man is haunted by the memory of a former lover. Assign your students a prompt that begins with two quotes: “History repeats itself,” and “…nothing ever truly dies. The universe wastes nothing. Everything is simply, transformed” (said by Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2008). Let the remainder of the prompt read: In an analytical essay, compare one of the assigned readings to Resnick’s “Siren Song,” making thematic and real-world connections.

BAEN BOOKS

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO FIRE SEASON

BY DAVID WEBER AND JANE LINDSKOLD

Contents:

- recommended reading levels

- biographical material and links

- background of the book and plot summary

- character sketches

- guides for segments of the book which include plot summaries of each chapter and may also include some of the following:

- prepare to read . . .

- vocabulary

- focus questions or initiating activity

- quiz/reading comprehension questions—multiple choice/short answer questions to testing reading comprehension

- reflection and discussion questions—may be used to initiate classroom discussion, as short writing assignments, or as test questions

- suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration—suggestions for activities and projects

Recommended reading levels:

Fire Season is appropriate for a young adult audience. Classroom use of the book is probably most appropriate for middle school students.

Biographical information on David Weber:

David Weber is a popular, best-selling author of science fiction and fantasy. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. He graduated from Hillcrest High School in Simpsonville, South Carolina, in 1970 and received a bachelor’s degree from Warren Wilson College. Weber also did graduate work in history at Appalachian State University. He started writing poetry and short fiction when he was in the fifth grade. His mother was an advertising copywriter and trained him in that craft. Before becoming a full-time writer of fiction, he worked in advertising, public relations, and war-game design. His first novel, Insurrection, was published in 1990. This book, a collaboration with Steve White, grew out of Weber’s experience as a game designer. He has written over fifty solo and collaborative novels and contributed to numerous anthologies of short fiction. He is best known as an author of science fiction with military themes, but he has also written fantasy, “space operas,” and alternate history. Weber and his wife Sharon, along with their children, dogs and cats, live in Greenville, South Carolina.1

Biographical resources on the web:

Weber has provided an interesting biographical sketch on his website, David Weber, http://www.davidweber.net/biography.

“David Weber,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Weber.

Biographical information on Jane Lindskold:

Jane Lindskold is a popular author of science fiction and fantasy. She was born in Washington, D.C., in 1962. She graduated from Immaculata Preparatory High School in Washington, D.C., in 1980, and received a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University. At the age of twenty-six, Lindskold also received a Ph. D. in English from Fordham, concentrating on Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern British Literature. She taught for a year at Fordham before moving to position as Assistant Professor of English at Lynchburg College in Virginia. There, Lindskold could also concentrate on writing science fiction and fantasy stories, often influenced by her upbringing in the most political city in the United States. The mechanics of government and political issues often appear in her work. In 1992, she began publishing short stories. In 1994, she left Lynchburg College and divorced her first husband. She moved to New Mexico and work with her closest friend and mentor Roger Zelazny. When Zelazny died of cancer, she completed two of his unfinished books, Donnerjack and Lord Demon. She has written over twenty solo and collaborative novels and has published over sixty short stories. Lindskold and her husband, archaeologist Jim Moore, live in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Biographical resources on the web:

Lindskold has provided an interesting biographical sketch on her website, Jane Lindskold, http://www.janelindskold.com/bio.html

“Jane Lindskold,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Lindskold

Suggested class activity:

Have your students read the autobiographical information on Weber and Lindskold’s websites before they begin the book. Ask them to make notes as they read. Have the class discuss the several different influences that led Weber and Lindskold to become a writer. They also might want to explore some of the interviews available on Youtube and Baen’s website (http://baen.com/interview.asp) in which Weber discusses his development and interests as an author.

For further information on David Weber, Jane Lindskold, and their work:

Weber’s and Lindskold’s websites contain a wealth of material that students may enjoy exploring in addition to their biographical details: photos, a bibliography, discussion forums, FAQs, downloads, and information about upcoming appearances (http://www.davidweber.net and http://janelindskold.com/).

David Weber’s page at Amazon.com contains a brief biographical note, a list of books available, and a forum for reader comments (http://www.amazon.com/David- Weber/e/B000APBAFE/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1308078796).

Several interesting interviews with Weber are available at Baen’s website (http://baen.com/interview.asp) and on YouTube.

Bibliographies:

1 The sources for the information contained in this biographical sketch are David Weber, “Biography,” David Weber, http://www.davidweber.net/biography (accessed June 13, 2011) and “David Weber,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Weber (accessed June 13, 2011).

The sources for the information contained in this biographical sketch are Jane Lindskold, “Biography,”http://www.janelindskold.com/bio.html (accessed March 18, 2012), “Jane Lindskold,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Lindskold (accessed March 18, 2012), and “Jane Lindskold – Summary Bibliography,” http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Jane_Lindskold (accessed March 18, 2012).2

You can find bibliographies of Weber’s work at his own website (http://www.davidweber.net/books), at the website Internet Speculative Fiction Database (isfdb.org) (http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?David_Weber), at the website Fantastic Fiction (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/w/david-weber), at the website SFBookcase (http://www.sfbookcase.com/author.asp?author=David+Weber), and on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Weber).

You can find bibliographies of Lindskold’s work at her own website (http://www.janelindskold.com/novels.html and http://www.janelindskold.com/other.html), at the website Internet Speculative Fiction Database (isfdb.org) (http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Jane_Lindskold), at the website Fantastic Fiction (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/jane-m-lindskold/), at the website SFBookcase (http://www.sfbookcase.com/author.asp?forename=Jane&surname=Lindskold), and on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Lindskold.

Background:

Published by Baen Books in 2012, Fire Season fills in some of the background for Weber’s best-selling Honor Harrington adult science fiction series. The protagonist, Stephanie Harrington, is one of Honor’s ancestors. It is also the second book in a young adult series dealing with the Star Kingdom of Manticore. Students may be interested in delving into the wiki for its heroine, Stephanie Harrington (http://honorverse.wikia.com/wiki/Stephanie_Harrington), and exploring other facets of what has come to be called the “Honorverse” in which the book is set (http://honorverse.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page).

Plot Summary:

Stephanie Harrington and her parents have settled into the frontier planet of Sphinx with her native treecat companion Climbs Quickly. Almost fifteen terran years old when the story opens, Stephanie wrestles with adolescence and its accompanying emotional trials. Rebellious but quickwitted, she and her friend Karl discover a human-caused fire that endangers the lives of treecats, also known as “The People.” They save the treecats, but the fire sets in motion a future conflict with other treecat clans, who already distrust many of the humans on Sphinx. Stephanie meets Anders Whittaker, who visits Sphinx with his father’s xeno-anthropology expedition, and she develops a crush on him. When Dr. Whittaker accidentally strands his expedition and nearly fatally injures one of his crew, Stephanie and the rest of the Sphinx Forestry Service search for them, only to be deterred by another major forest fire, which threatens not only the Damp Ground Clan of treecats, but Anders and his father’s team. Can Stephanie and the SFS save the endangered treecats? And will attempting to save the Damp Ground Clean mean she cannot reach Anders in time?

Major Characters:

- Stephanie Harrington is a young woman, almost fifteen terran years old when the story opens. An intelligent, only child, she is impatient to test the limits of her maturity. Stephanie is a “genie,” a human with genetic mutations designed to help her adapt better to high gravity planets, but these mutations also give her other skills as well.

- Richard Harrington is Stephanie’s father. He has degrees in both Terran and xeno- veterinary medicine.

- Marjorie Harrington is Stephanie’s mother. She is a plant geneticist.

- Climbs Quickly is the treecat, a member Sphinx’s sentient native species. He acts as a link between treecats and humans. Stephanie and her family call him Lionheart.

- Scott MacDallan is a medical doctor on Sphinx and the second person to develop a bond with a treecat.

- Karl Zivonik is Stephanie’s friend and Scott MacDallan and Irina Kisaevna’s nephew.

- Anders Whittaker is a young man visiting with a team of anthropologists and is Stephanie’s crush.

- Dr. Bradford Whittaker is the head of the xeno-anthropology team from the planet

- Urako, and is Anders’ father. He leads his crew into disaster.

- Dr. Calida Emberly, Kesia Guyen, Dr. Virgil Iwamoto, Dr. Langston Nez, and Dacey Emberly are all part of Dr. Whittaker’s team.

- Sanura Hobbard is a xeno-anthropologist who introduces Stephanie to Dr. Whittaker and his team.

- Jessica Pheriss was friends with Trudy, but becomes closer to Stephanie. Her family lives in the Sphinx equivalent of poverty.

- Trudy Franchitti is Stephanie’s age and an enemy. The two never avoid competing with one another.

- Toby Mednick is a member of Stephanie’s hang gliding club and becomes her friend.

- Stan Chang is Trudy’s boyfriend and a cause of much trouble for Stephanie’s friends.

- Christine Schroeder is a member of Stephanie’s hang gliding club and becomes her friend.

- Chet Pontier is a member of Stephanie’s hang gliding club and becomes her friend.

- Frank Lethbridge is a Sphinx Forestry Service ranger and one of two rangers who trained Stephanie and Karl.

- Ainsley Jedrusinski is a Sphinx Forestry Service ranger.

- Gary Shelton is Chief Ranger of the Forestry Service on Sphinx.

- Scott McDallan is Karl’s uncle and also has a treecat companion.

The Honorverse wiki (http://honorverse.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page) contains a useful link with short descriptions of most of the characters in the “Honorverse” (http://honorverse.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Characters) as well as links for geography, political groups, and star nations that students might find useful as they navigate the book.

Chapters 1—4

Prepare to Read . . . .

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms:

- the prefix xeno-

- mirror twins

- nano tech

- atavistic

- linguistics

- non-indigenous

- paternalistic

- lithics

- parasite

- Focus question/initiating activity: Investigate with your students why fires are used for ecological containment. Ask them to think about the benefits and the dangers of such tactics, and how fires are different on Sphinx and earth.

Chapter Summaries:

Chapter 1: Stephanie Harrington, the nearly fifteen-year-old heroine, tests her boundaries by flying an air car before she has received her learner’s permit or her license. Her best friend Karl lets her drive so she can prepare to test for a provisional license on her fifteenth birthday. While she and Karl navigate the forests, Climbs Quickly, her six-legged treecat companion, detects a fire. Stephanie and Karl have been trained in the dangers of potential forest fires and radio into the Forestry Service, where they volunteer as junior rangers, to let them know the fire is about to quickly spread. However, the fire is not a normal fire. It blazes on the land of Stephanie’s enemy, Trudy Franchitti, and, to make matters worse, treecats are caught in the blaze, unable to escape. Climbs Quickly successfully communicates this terrible danger to Stephanie.

Chapter 2: Instead of calling for help to rescue the two trapped treecats, the ever-resourceful and rebellious Stephanie attempts to rescue them. Right-stripe, one of the treecats, has been badly burned by the fire and is unconscious, so Left-stripe, his brother communicates to Climbs Quickly that they are trapped in a tree and unable to escape. The fire combined with the wind makes for a dangerous combination and Climbs Quickly worries he has doomed all of them to death. Stepanie, undeterred, straps on a fire-suit, adjusts her counter-gravity unit, and steps out of the car to help rescue the two ‘cats, even as fire latches onto the branch on which she stands. She successfully rescues the two, and she and Karl take the ‘cats to her father so he can assess the fire’s damage on their bodies. Her father treats the ‘cats for smoke inhalation and treats Right-Stripe’s burns. He also lectures her about carrying Climbs Quickly on her back because he thinks she will develop a stoop. Elsewhere, Anders Whittaker, who is fascinated with treecats and with what he has heard about Stephanie, lands on Sphinx with his father and his father’s team of xeno-anthropologists, who have been allowed access to study the treecat culture on Sphinx.

Chapter 3: Stephanie agrees to meet with a team of off-world xeno-anthropologists, led by Dr. Whittaker. Dr. Hobbard warns the team to respect Stephanie as she is an expert when it comes to treecats. Anders’ father allows Anders to join the expedition, and they talk about the treecats’ intelligence and what kind of rights they should have, beyond the ones their protectors, who think they know what rights the animals should have, allow. In this conversation, Dr. Whittaker also tries to convince Anders to sweet talk Stephanie so she will trust the team and will tell them secrets about the treecats. Meanwhile, Climbs Quickly communicates with the wounded treecats Left-Stripe and Right-Stripe, who have been healed by Stephanie’s father. They explain to Climbs Quickly that they were in this terrain because human settlement has disrupted their other habitats. Stephanie and Karl go to the Sphinx Forestry Service to meet Dr. Whittaker and his team. She meets Anders, who she immediately likes, despite his questions about whether or not Climbs Quickly could go back to living among his own people without any problems. She explains to the crew that treecats do have empathy, but she does not know precisely how they manage to communicate so effectively with one another.

Chapter 4: Stephanie invites Anders to her family’s freehold to meet Left-Stripe and Right-Stripe and to go on a hike. Using a system of hand signals to communicate with Climbs Quickly, Stephanie, Karl, and Anders study the two recovering treecats before leaving for their hike. Stephanie and Karl teach Anders to use a handgun while they practice shooting. Climbs Quickly leaves the practice to accompany Left-Stripe and Right-Stripe, who are returning to the Damp Ground Clan. He is disappointed to lose his new friends, but understands why they must leave. At dinner, Stephanie is dismayed to find out her parents will not allow her to get her provisional license on her birthday because they are planning a party for her. They tell her to invite people from her hang gliding club, who are her own age, which upsets her. They argue that Stephanie needs to socialize especially if she hopes to help teach others to respect the treecats. Stephanie thinks her parents will not allow her to get her provisional license and leaves the table abruptly, even when Climbs Quickly tries to soothe her. Climbs Quickly is confused by her behavior and consults with Sings Truly and Twig Weaver from his own clan. They remind him that Stephanie is still growing up and that her emotional outburst is a symptom of that; they tell him to act as the wiser one and remain aware that Stephanie is growing up.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. Why does Stephanie want a provisional license? (chap. 1)

2. Why are Stephanie and her family called “genies”? (chap. 1)

1. It is short for “genius.” They all have extremely high IQs.

2. They are genetically engineered humans.

3. They come from humans who originally developed on the planet Gena.

4. They are descendents of humans who were voluntarily interbred to preserve superior genes.

3. What does Anders Whittaker do to adjust to Sphinx? (chap. 2)

1. He wears an oxygen mask.

2. He uses a counter-gravity unit.

3. He wears a brace to compensate for the extra arms he grows.

4. Both A and B.

4. Why does Stephanie’s father lecture her about carrying Climbs Quickly on her back? (chap. 2)

1. He thinks she will get scoliosis.

2. Climbs Quickly claws through her clothing and ruins all her clothes.

3. He is afraid she is too emotionally attached to the treecat.

4. She makes people her age jealous.

5. Why were Left-Stripe and Right-Stripe so close to human territory when the fire started? (chap. 3)

1. They went there to start the fire and stop further human settlement.

2. They were scouting the area for ecological growth, thanks to human farming habits.

3. They were holding a rally to organize against trappers and hunters.

4. They were lost and hungry.

6. Why does Dr. Whittaker call the Sphinx Forestry Service paternalistic? (chap. 3)

1. They are the forefathers of the planet.

2. They use their forms of technology to determine the best treatment for creatures on the planet and to protect the treecats.

3. He does not like the way they control the treecats.

4. They engineer creatures in laboratories and set them free to repopulate the forests.

7. Why is the system of hand signals Climbs Quickly and Stephanie have developed so important? (chap. 4)

1. They show treecat intelligence.

2. They allow the two of them to interact when they do not have a common language.

3. It helps humans understand when to safely approach a new situation involving treecats.

4. All of the above

8. Why is Climbs Quickly so confused by Stephanie’s behavior? (chap. 4)

Answers:

1. Her parents are often too busy to take her where she needs to go; she also likes the independence it offers.

2. b

3. b

4. a

5. b

6. b

7. d

8. She is experiencing hormonal growing pains that cause her emotional state to fluctuate quickly.

Suggested Activity/Inquiry-Based Exploration:

Some humans on Sphinx are hesitant to grant treecats protection and/or rights, for a number of reasons. Have your students explore the problems and possibilities involved in allowing that another species might be just as intelligent as humans. Weber and Lindskold offers some glimpses of both in chapter 1: what are they? You might divide your students into teams to debate the pros and cons of human interactions with other intelligent species. Some useful resources:

- A free lesson plan on human feelings toward animals, animal evolution and intelligence for grades 9-12 is available at the New York Times website (http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/1-years-of-lesson-plans-about-the-animal-kingdom/#)

- Catherine Hutchings and Bridget Anderson, “Love Them or Leave Them?” –

- Designing an experiment identifying factors that influence humans’ attitudes, feelings and ambivalence toward animals. (http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/love-them-or-leave-them/)

- Kenneth Sleight, “How Animals Adapt to their Environments,” at brighthub.com (http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/124903.aspx)

- Marcella Runell and Yasmin Chin Eisenhauer, What’s All the Buzz About?

Exploring unique animal behaviors and considering ways in which humans perform similar behaviors. (http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/05/02/whats-all-the-buzz-about/)

Chapters 5—8

Prepare to Read . . . .

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms

- the prefix ethno-

- permutations

- quinceañera

- egalitarian

- portulaca

- nodal

- the prefix hexa-

- Terran

- provisional

- reproof

- Focus question/initiating activity: Why is it necessary that explorers and anthropologists not “taint” research sites? What is the importance of preserving a piece of land used by the species or group that researchers are studying? Have your students explore the concept of “conservation” and efforts made today to preserve areas that other species use with frequency.

Chapter Summaries:

Chapter 5: Ranger Jedrusinski takes Dr. Whittaker and his team, including Anders, out to explore the native landscapes and creatures of Sphinx. Ranger Jedrusinski explains that although treecats make tools, they do not fashion tools to harm other beings; in the case of self-defense, they rely on their six limbs to protect themselves against predators. When Jedrusinski takes the group to see a former treecat habitat, the group discusses their purpose in being there. Ranger Jedrusinski tells them the SFS does not know where all the treecat territories are. It’s the responsibility of Dr. Whittaker’s team to study the treecats to determine how sentient they are. Several groups on Sphinx do not feel the treecats are as intelligent as some of the signs suggest, and Jedrusinski notes this problem causes strife for those who want the land for private use. After the expedition ends, Stephanie’s mother calls to invite Anders to her birthday party, while Stephanie goes to hang gliding club with the instructions to invite people her age. As usual, she is pitted against Trudy because the two do not get along, but Stephanie successfully invites Chet, Toby, Christine, and Jessica to her party. However, unbeknownst to Stephanie, her mother has invited Trudy to the party. When Stephanie finds out that both Trudy and Anders are coming to her party she nearly explodes.

Chapter 6: Anders arrives at Stephanie’s party and watches them hand glide before meeting the other members of the hang gliding club. Stephanie and Trudy war it out on their gliders before coming down to dinner. When Trudy meets Anders, she does everything she can to flirt with him, but her terrible attitude toward treecats repels him. Irina Kisaevna quizzes Anders on what his father can add to local treecat knowledge, which starts a discussion, spearheaded by Trudy on the differences between treecat and human intelligence. Trudy accuses Stephanie of hypocrisy when Stephanie asks if treecats do not deserve rights; Trudy comments on the displacement of other species that occurs when any human settles into the territory. Jessica disagrees with Trudy and explains that human settlement makes care for other species even more important. Stephanie’s mom cuts them off, and after Trudy is out of earshot, Stephanie’s friends rally around her to voice their support of Stephanie.

Chapter 7: Stephanie finally tests for her provisional license and passes with flying colors. While walking to a celebratory lunch, Stephanie overhears bullies Stan Chang and Focus Câmara bullying her pal Toby, pressuring him to take drugs with them. She intervenes and rescues Toby from their clutches, cementing a stronger friendship with him. While taking some time to himself, Climbs Quickly notices a change in the weather, and fears for the coming season, since it is sure to bring dry, destructive fires through the region. Meanwhile, Anders overhears his father arguing with Dr. Nez, who disapproves of Dr. Whittaker’s decision to overstep the rules of their trip. When Anders learns his father means to go to the abandoned treecat site, he resolves to go along too. Stephanie rides home with Jessica one afternoon after hang gliding club. When Jessica takes Stephanie to her house first, Stephanie realizes just how impoverished Jessica’s family really is. Stephanie convinces her mom to interview Jessica’s mom for an assistant botany position.

Chapter 8: Anders accompanies his father's team on a secret expedition to the abandoned treecat site. While they explore the site, their air van begins sinking into a bog. Dr. Langston Nez climbs into the sinking van to pass out supplies; in the process he gets sucked into the bog and narrowly escapes death. While the rest of the team is busy attending to Dr. Nez, who is unconscious and breathing shallowly, Dr. Whittaker cleans himself up and puts on fresh clothes. Uncharacteristically, Anders explodes at his father, blaming him for stranding the team deep in the woods, far from where anyone knows to look for them, without any means of contacting help.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions (Section 2, Chapters 5-8):

1. Anders asks Ranger Jedrusinski what a “Forestry Service District” is. What is the answer the ranger gives him? (chap. 5)

2. What, according to Ranger Jedrusinski are the strongest indicators of treecat intelligence? (chap. 5)

1. stone tools

2. walkie-talkies

3. nets

4. Both A and C.

3. Why is Dr. Marjorie Harrington’s profession as a botanist so important for the citizens of Sphinx?

1. She is able to communicate with plants so people understand where to cultivate the best growth.

2. Her hybrid experiments enable humans to have the necessary nutrients to survive on Sphinx.

3. Both A and B.

4. None of the above.

4. What does Trudy disagree with, in regard to treecat rights?(chap. 6)

1. They should receive protection because Sphinx is their only planet.

2. They can use tools, which proves intelligence.

3. Humans have more power than treecats because they can control the land.

4. Both A and B.

5. What causes the seasonal fires Climbs Quickly fears so? (chap. 7)

1. A change in season, bringing lightning and storms.

2. Humans clearing undergrowth.

3. Increases in nano-technological experiments on the environment.

4. Holiday celebrations.

6. Why does Dr. Whittaker decide to go to the abandoned treecat site without getting permission first? (chap. 7)

1. He’ll avoid a biased study because he won’t have to study captive ‘cats.

2. He’s a renegade.

3. He thinks the SFS is too protective of treecats.

4. Both A and C.

7. Why is Virgil Iwamoto so excited upon finding evidence of treecats’ stone tools?

1. He needs a sharp tool to cut Dr. Nez loose.

2. The tools, located in specific areas, prove that the treecats are intelligent.

3. The stone tools imply that treecats have specialists and can focus on specific tasks necessary to the improvement of their clans.

4. Both B and C.

8. Why does Dr. Langston Nez lose consciousness? (Chapter 8)

Answers:

1. Lands owned by the crown. The SFS ensures the conservation of these lands, to the dismay of settlers who would like to use the lands for monetary profit.

2. d

3. b.

4. d

5. a

6. d

7. d

8. He climbs into the sinking air van to rescue supplies, gets sucked into the bog, and inhales mud.

Chapters 9-12

Prepare to Read . . . .

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms

- gleaning

- incipient

- insubordination

- fire tetrahedron or “fire triangle”

- pathetic

- conflagration

- seminal

- displacement

- candling

- hypothermia

- tussocks

- hummocks

- comatose

- Focus question/initiating activity: Investigate the concept of ethics, in the contexts of balancing environmental preservation, profitability, and career/work advancement. Ask your students what kind of principles they think others should abide by when trying to balance often conflicting areas of interest. What behavior is acceptable and what is not?

Chapter Summaries:

Chapter 9: Karl informs Stephanie that Anders and the rest of Dr. Whittaker's crew have been missing for four days. The SFS has searched for them at all the sites where they were supposed to be, and their ongoing search is still focused on the area north of Twin Forks. Dr. Whittaker attempts to place blame on his crew, while they deal with the situation by caring for Dr. Nez, conserving their anti-grav units' power, and foraging for food.

Chapter 10: Anders makes a giant X on the bog and flies a brightly colored flag in a treetop to attract rescue. Dr. Whittaker downplays their predicament, asking his crew to continue their research as usual, but they edge towards mutiny. Anders stands up for the SFS against his father, and Dr. Whittaker tries to hit him. Elsewhere, a forest fire has started, which makes the search for Whittaker's team a lower priority.

Chapter 11: Whittaker's team becomes aware of the threat of fire and begins to plan accordingly. Meanwhile, Climbs Quickly senses the distressed communications of a treecat clan that is threatened by fire, and he leads Stephanie, Karl, and Jessica to them. Stephanie summons her friends Chet, Christine, and Toby to help them rescue the treecat clan, and Climbs Quickly guides some younglings who have evacuated ahead of the rest of the clan. Some of these younglings take Climbs Quickly's instruction willingly, but others, influenced by their parents' disapproval of Climbs Quickly, are not so willing.

Chapter 12: As Whittaker's crew move their camp to an island in the bog, the instability of Dr. Whittaker's mental condition becomes more obvious, and Anders worries that as a result he will be taken from the treecats and from his new friends. Meanwhile, Stephanie, Karl, and Jessica work to create a firebreak to give the Damp Ground Clan more time to evacuate. Chet, Christine, and Toby swoop in with a truck that will be able to carry many treecats to safety, but only if Climbs Quickly's diplomacy is successful. Many members of the Damp Ground Clan are afraid of two-legs – they've heard the stories of Speaks Falsely who kidnapped many People -- and they do not believe that Stephanie and her friends are there to help. As they work desperately on the fire line, a burning tree falls on Jessica.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions (Section 3, Chapters 9 – 12):

1. Why are Anders and his father’s crew unable to use their uni-links?

1. They sank with the van.

2. Dr. Whittaker will not allow his crew to alert the authorities they are missing.

3. A hexapuma cornered them and separated them from the communication devices.

4. The uni-links are off-world models and cannot be used to communicate long range.

2. What measures do Anders and the rest of the party (besides Dr. Whittaker) take to deal with the emergency? (Chapter 9)

3. How does Anders try to attract help? (chap. 10)

1. makes a big X on the bog

2. puts a flag up in a tree

3. both of the above

4. none of the above

4. What urgent task does the Sphinx Forestry Service assign Stephanie and Karl?

1. To help establish a new home for a group of abandoned tree kittens.

2. To train volunteers in SFS protocol

3. They are to check out a southern forest fire to determine the danger of it spreading.

4. To find Anders and his father’s team.

5. Why is picket wood in particular such a dangerous tree when it comes to forest fires?

1. It carries a natural form of kerosene in its trunk and acts as a common form of petroleum for people on Sphinx.

2. Its branches extend for long distances, creating a bridge for any fire.

3. It is sentient and is at war with the humans of Sphinx.

4. Both A and B.

6. When Climbs Quickly encounters some young People evacuating before the rest of the clan, why does one young treecat resist his guidance? (Chapter 11)

7. What worries Anders the most about his father's (Dr. Whittaker's) disgraceful behavior? (Chapter 12)

8. Where is the Whittaker party's camp before they become aware of the fire? To where do they move it? (Chapter 12)

Answers:

1. d

2. They conserve their counter-grav units' power, forage for food, and care for Dr. Nez.

3. c

4. c

5. b

6. Her father told her Climbs Quickly is a disgrace.

7. Anders is worried that he will have to leave the treecats and his other new friends, especially Stephanie.

8. Originally they set up camp high up in the rock trees. When they become aware of the fire, they move it to a stable island in the bog.

Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration:

1. Both treecats and humans tend to give each other names based on their qualities. Ask your students how they would characterize the types of names the treecats give the humans, and how they would characterize the types of names the humans give the treecats. Then ask them to name each other using both systems. Ask them to write about which names they like better and why.

Chapters 13--15

Prepare to Read . . . .

- Familiarize yourself with the following vocabulary and terms

- ovoid

- fanatical

- detritus

- cultural anthropologist

- ethno-archeologist

- altruism

- bane

- insubordination

- amend

- encroaching

- apprehensively

- rube

- siphon

- offal

Chapter Summaries:

Chapter 13: Treecats and humans unite to save Jessica and a treecat named Dirt Grubber from the fallen tree. They discover that before losing consciousness, Jessica tore open her fire suit to protect Dirt Grubber. The two are barely alive, and the fire has gotten so close that they must evacuate immediately. Fortunately, the treecats are now convinced that the humans are there to help, and they pile into the truck. As they fly away from the fire, they discover that Jessica and Dirt Grubber have bonded in the same way Stephanie and Climbs Quickly did. Meanwhile, the Whittaker crew is menaced by a horrible fanged mud creature.

Chapter 14: Left-Striped, having discovered the Whittaker party, leads Stephanie's crew to their rescue. The mud creature dismantles the sonic fence that had been protecting the humans, so they create their own sonic disturbance by banging on buckets and metal. When Stephanie's van-load of treecats arrive, they sing a caterwauling chorus that drives the mud creature away.

Chapter 15: A day and a half later, an assortment of interested parties gathers at the Harrington residence to catch up on the details and deal with a few unresolved points. Stephanie is thrilled that, as a condition of Whittaker's team being able to remain on Sphinx, SFS members will join the team, which means Stephanie will see much more of Anders. The humans on Sphinx react favorably to video of the treecats rescuing the Whittaker party from the mud creature; as a result, humans come closer to accepting the treecats' sentience. And the treecats, who have their own meeting, come closer to accepting the humans as allies.

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions (Section 4, Chapters 13 – 15):

1. What happens that forms a bond between Jessica (Windswept) and Dirt Grubber (Valiant)? (Chapter 13)

2. Why does Stephanie allow Jessica and Dirt Grubber to ride in the truck bed with the rest of the treecat clan?

1. So she can create a diversion and stay behind to search for Anders.

2. The treecats can send out soothing waves to help ease stress and pain.

3. Climbs Quickly forces her to let them.

4. Both A and B.

3. How is Kesia able to avoid the mud creature when it first tries to attack?

1. A treecat comes out of hiding to warn her.

2. She throws rocks at it.

3. She ties it up with one of her scarves.

4. d. Both B and C.

4. What does the mud creature do that makes the Whittaker party think it is smarter than it looks? (Chapter 14)

5. What does the swamp siren look like?

1. An alligator

2. A turtle with numerous teeth.

3. A tiger with fins.

4. A giant, man-eating plant.

6. Dr. Whittaker’s team does not leave right away, even with Stephanie’s crew rescuing them. Why?

1. The mud creature has not really been driven away.

2. Dr. Whittaker has treecat artifacts he wants to preserve and needs help carrying.

3. Dr. Nez is too fragile to move.

4. The truck has run out of gas and cannot carry them all away.

7. Dr. Whittaker and his team are allowed to stay and study the treecats under what condition? (Chapter 15)

1. They go to prison for fifteen days.

2. They return the treekitten they “rescued” to its clan.

3. That he and his team wear tracking beacons whenever they leave their residence.

4. Both A and C.

8. What makes the human settlers on Sphinx have a higher opinion of the treecats?

Answers:

1. They each risk their life to save the other when a burning tree falls on them.

2. b

3. a

4. It methodically disassembles the sonic barrier by uprooting the rods with its flippers.

5. b

6. b

7. c

8. The holo-images of the treecats coming to the rescue of the stranded humans had shown that treecats as a community were willing to assist humans.

Suggested activities/inquiry-based exploration:

1. Much of the discussion about treecats and human relations centers around the question of rights. If the treecats are sentient, then they cannot be ignored or treated as not mattering, which brings up several questions: what rights should the treecats have, how does that disrupt human settlements, and in what ways will those opposed to treecat “rights” react that might actually endanger the ‘cats? You might divide your students into teams to discuss the pros and cons of granting the native sentient creatures rights. What could people on Sphinx stand to gain from granting the ‘cats a say in what happens to their land? You might have your students write papers on the definition of rights and what kind of sentient animals in our own society are granted rights, if any. How do these rights compare with the kind of rights discussed in Fire Season?

2. Jessica and Stephanie nearly sacrifice themselves to save treecats. Had they not learned proper fire safety training, both could have easily died. What are the survival skills they needed to survive in a fire? Have your students explore other survival skills they might need in the face of a natural disaster. What tools would they need in a fire like the ones Stephanie and Jessica faced? What tools and preparedness kits would they need in the face of other natural disasters? Have them write papers about what they would choose to save and what they would have to sacrifice in the face of danger.

3. Have your students choose particular characters to discuss or write about. How realistic was the characterization? What were some of the character’s virtues? What were some of their weaknesses? Did you like them or dislike them? Did their actions seem to flow naturally from who they were? Did they change over the course of the book? If the character made a moral choice, do you agree with that choice? Why or why not?

For more Teacher’s Guides to great Baen books, please visit Baen.com

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE STAR BEAST

Characters

Chapter I—L-Day

Chapter II—The Department of Spatial Affairs

Chapter III—“An Improper Question”

Chapter IV—The Prisoner at the Bars

Chapter V—A Matter of Viewpoint

Chapter VI—“Space Is Deep, Excellency”

Chapter VII—“Mother Knows Best”

Chapter VIII—The Sensible Thing To Do

Chapter IX—Customs and an Ugly Duckling

Chapter X—The Cygnus Decision

Chapter XI—“It’s Too Late, Johnnie!”

Chapter XII—Concerning Pidgie-Widgie

Chapter XIII—“No, Mr. Secretary”

Chapter XIV—“Destiny! Fiddlesticks”

Chapter XV—Undiplomatic Relations

Chapter XVI—“Sorry We Messed Things Up”

Chapter XVII—Ninety-Seven Pickle Dishes

Reflection and Discussion

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO INTO THE HINTERLANDS

Major Characters:

Chapters 1-7

Chapters Interlude-14

Chapters 15-21

Chapters 22-Epilogue

Reflection and Discussion Questions

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO 1636: THE KREMLIN GAMES

Major Characters:

Guide to Part 1 - chapters 1-5

Guide to Part 2 - chapters 6-28

Guide to Part 3 - chapters 29-44

Guide to Part 4 - chapters 45-62

Guide to Part 5 - chapters 63-69

Guide to Part 6 - chapters 70-83

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO GOING INTERSTELLAR

CHOICES, Les Johnson

A COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, Ben Bova

ANTIMATTER STARSHIPS, Greg Matloff

LUCY, Jack McDevitt

LESSER BEINGS, Dr. Charles E. Gannon

FUSION STARSHIPS, Gregory Matloff

PROJECT ICARUS—A THEORETICAL DESIGN STUDY FOR AN INTERSTELLAR SPACECRAFT, Dr. Richard Obousy

DESIGN FLAW, Louise Marley

TWENTY LIGHTS TO ‘THE LAND OF SNOW’: EXCERPTS FROM THE COMPUTER LOGS OF OUR RELUCTANT DALAI LAMA, Michael Bishop

SOLAR AND BEAMED ENERGY SAILS, Les Johnson

THE BIG SHIP AND THE WISE OLD OWL, Sarah A. Hoyt

SIREN SONG, Mike Resnick

TEACHER’S GUIDE TO FIRE SEASON

Major Characters:

Chapters 1—4

Chapters 5—8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13--15