SOW: There Will Come Soft Rains - for Mixed-Ability EAL / ESL

Engage your students with Ray Bradbury’s classic short story, There Will Come Soft Rains, a futuristic narrative that explores themes of technology, isolation, and the natural world. Ideal for mixed-ability EAL/ESL secondary classes from A1 to B1+ on the CEFR, this scheme of work combines accessible language practice with thought-provoking ideas about humanity’s future.

What’s Included:

• Differentiated versions of the text: three versions adapted for both beginner (A1-A2) and more advanced (B1) readers, supported by carefully chosen images to aid understanding of the story’s sci-fi setting.
• Prediction task: students are invited to predict the story’s events, sparking interest and encouraging critical thinking.
• Comprehension questions tailored to each version, allowing students at all levels to confidently engage with the story’s main events and themes.
• Graphic novel project: students creatively transform There Will Come Soft Rains into a graphic novel, helping them summarise and visually interpret key moments while reinforcing vocabulary and narrative skills.
• Extension activity on Frances Gabe: students explore a real-world connection with reading about Frances Gabe, the inventor of the self-cleaning house, providing context for the themes of automation and technology in Bradbury’s story.

This scheme offers an engaging way for students to build language skills while exploring timeless ideas about technology and nature. With a focus on creativity and critical thinking, There Will Come Soft Rains is a great addition to any EAL/ESL curriculum for sparking meaningful discussions about the technology.