Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you know about the nuclear arms race in the aftermath of World War II? If you’re not familiar with this era, answer this question: How do you imagine people might respond to the invention of increasingly deadly nuclear weapons?

Teaching Suggestion: Understanding the fear that many people experienced with the proliferation of nuclear weapons is paramount in understanding the context of “There Will Come Soft Rains.” Having students access their background knowledge or imagine what people felt at that time may help them understand the story.

• This site from the Wisconsin Historical Society provides insight into the fear that was common after the United States dropped the first atomic bomb.
• This timeline of the development of nuclear weapons from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons shows how the weapons became increasingly destructive.

2. Are you familiar with the life and work of Ray Bradbury? Can you name any of his short stories or novels? What genres did he write, and what kinds of imagery come to mind with his name?