Teaching Harrison Bergeron

"Harrison Bergeron" is much like Harrison Ford. It's timeless (included in many an anthology), pairs well with sci-fi and robots, and is...much beloved by the Shmoop staff.

In this guide, you'll find

• thoughtful examination of equality, through the novel's characters and themes.
• student-powered debate and research about competition and motivation.
• communal groupwork about Utopia, naturally.

We may not be able to actualize our Utopian dream of nightly cheeseburgers with Han Solo and Kurt Vonnegut, but this guide is as close as you're gonna get. Enjoy it.

What's Inside Shmoop's Literature Teaching Guides

Shmoop is a labor of love from folks who love to teach. Our teaching guides will help you supplement in-classroom learning with fun, engaging, and relatable learning materials that bring literature to life.

Inside each guide you'll find quizzes, activity ideas, discussion questions, and more—all written by experts and designed to save you time. Here are the deets on what you get with your teaching guide:

• 13-18 Common Core-aligned activities to complete in class with your students, including detailed instructions for you and your students. 
• Discussion and essay questions for all levels of students.
• Reading quizzes for every chapter, act, or part of the text.
• Resources to help make the book feel more relevant to your 21st-century students.
• A note from Shmoop's teachers to you, telling you what to expect from teaching the text and how you can overcome the hurdles.

Want more help teaching Teaching Harrison Bergeron?

Check out all the different parts of our corresponding learning guide.