20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

By Jules VerneAdapted by Judith Conaway

About the AuthorOften called the founding father of science

fiction, French writer Jules Verne published his first novel in 1863.

For the next 40 years, Vern published at least ONE BOOK PER YEAR, many of which reflected his interest in scientific progress and inventions.

Several of his ideas were prophetic and have become factFor example, the Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues

Under the Sea predated modern submarines by almost 30 years.

Exploring the Genre: Science Fiction

Science Fiction books are:1) made up2) can be based on real or imaginary scientific discoveries3) have two kinds of events or details

-things that could happen in real life-things that couldn’t possibly happen

(fantasy)4) often take place in the future

What are your favorite Science Fiction stories/movies?

Complete page 3 in your Student Journal.

Preview and Predict1) Look at the front cover2) Read the title3) Read the summary on the back coverThink about where the characters are, where they go, and what they do. Why do you think this story is science fiction?4) Read the Exchange Question on the Title Page. Turn to a partner and share your thoughts:

Do people’s actions tell who they are? How?

Reading Strategy: Story MapAs we read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,

we will use a Story Map to show the adventures the characters have at the beginning, in the middle and in the end.

We will add to each section as we finish reading sets of chapters.