Illustration of alien robots using lasers to burn down a city
Illustrated by Berat Pekmezci
Earth and Space,

The War of the Worlds

Can humans survive an alien invasion?

By H.G. Wells, Adapted by Cody Crane, Illustrated by Berat Pekmezci
From the February 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will integrate information from a video and text to create their own piece of science fiction.

Key Focus Area: Solar System and Universe,
Other Focus Areas: Technology, Measurement & Data
Standards
  • NGSS
    Core Idea: ESS1.B, ETS2.B
  • CCSS
    Reading: RL.4; Writing: W.3; Speaking and Listening: SL.4; Math: 4.MD, 5.MD, 6.SP.B.5
  • TEKS
    Science: 3.9B, 4.4A, 5.4A, 6.4A; ELA: 3.3B, 4.3B, 5.3B, 6.2B

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The science fiction novel The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells was published in 1898.

At that time, many people believed aliens lived on Mars. That’s because a few years earlier, an astronomer thought he saw line-like structures on the planet’s surface. He called them channels. People thought Martians had built these structures. (With modern technology, we know this isn’t the case.) Inspired by the thinking there was life on Mars, Wells wrote a book about a scary idea: What if these aliens invaded Earth?

Maybury, England, 1897: One night, villagers notice what appears to be a meteor streaking across the sky.

The next morning, they discover a crater in a nearby field. But instead of a crashed space rock, the crater contains a huge metal cylinder.

"Oh my! It’s opening!"

"What is that creature?"

"Everyone, keep back!"

Scientists believe the strange creature in the capsule is an alien from Mars. Townspeople return to the crash site, waving a white flag as a sign of peace. They quickly discover the being isn’t friendly.

"The Martian has some sort of heat ray!"

"Run!"

"Ahhh!"

None of the townspeople who went to the crash site make it out alive.

Over the next few days, more capsules fall from the sky and land nearby.

"The capsules keep landing, but the aliens aren’t coming out."

"Perhaps their bodies aren’t used to Earth’s stronger gravity."

"They might have trouble moving around."

Despite not moving from their capsules, the Martians still do damage. They use their heat rays to destroy the town. Soon the military arrives.

"Thank goodness you’re here!"

"No need to worry, these monsters are no match for us."

"We’ll just blast them where they lie."

But gunfire does little against the Martians. They simply vaporize any approaching artillery or soldiers with their heat rays.

Over the next few days, the people of Maybury hear hammering and see smoke rising from the craters. The Martians are building machines.

"CLANK! THUD! WHACK!"

Riding inside the machines, which move using three long legs, the aliens invade the town.

"They’re capturing people—and feeding on them!"

"We need to get out of here!"

London, England: The Martians advance on the country’s capital, armed with another deadly weapon.

"What’s that strange fog?"

"It’s not fog, it’s toxic gas!"

"The Martians are trying to suffocate us."

"Evacuate the city!"

Survivors fleeing the Martians seek refuge in the countryside. There, they find a red weed has spread over every surface.

"Is this some form of Martian plant?"

"Maybe it was carried aboard the aliens’ capsules."

As quickly as the red weed grows, it begins to die. And soon, so do the Martians.

"Did they die from some sort of disease?"

"Their bodies probably didn’t have defenses against our germs."

The Martians have been stopped . . . for now. But will they return? The world must watch, wait, and prepare.

Fact or Fiction?

NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

A newspaper article claimed the 1938 radio broadcast scared listeners.

In the 1930s, most American families gathered around their radios to hear news, music, and shows. Most people didn’t have TVs until decades later.

One night in 1938, Americans tuned in to a shocking story. They heard Martians had invaded Earth! According to some news accounts, people panicked . . . until they learned the story wasn’t real. It was a radio play based on The War of the Worlds, a novel by H.G. Wells.

Ever since the book came out 126 years ago, people have been fascinated by the idea of aliens visiting Earth.

In reality, scientists have not found evidence of life on other planets. That could mean aliens don’t exist. Or perhaps they do exist but don’t have technology advanced enough to communicate over long distances—let alone to visit in person. Either way, scientists keep looking.

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Activities (6) Download Answer Key
Skills Activities
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Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
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1. PREPARE TO READ (15 minutes)
Use a 3-2-1 graphic organizer to summarize a video about science fiction.

  • Ask students: What do you think would happen if aliens landed on Earth? Do you think they would be peaceful or dangerous? How might people react? How might we communicate with them? Let students discuss in small groups before reconvening and discussing as a class.
  • Explain that science fiction writers think about these kinds of questions and then create stories in books, movies, or television shows. Play the video “What Is Science Fiction?” Have students complete the “3-2-1 Video Recap” graphic organizer to help them make connections and summarize the video.
  • Ask: Has anyone read a science fiction story or seen a science fiction movie? If so, how did it mix real science with fiction? Select a few students to share their examples with the class.  

2. READ AND React (15 minutes)
Read the mini graphic novel and discuss.

  • Tell students that they are going to read an illustrated story based on a famous work of science fiction called The War of the Worlds. Share the vocabulary activity “Identifying Important Words.” Preview the vocabulary, discussing examples as needed. Then play the video read-aloud for a dramatic reading. Have students complete the vocabulary activity, finding and defining two more words from the text.
  • Reconvene as a class. Remind students that the author of The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells, wrote this story more than 120 years ago. Ask: What would be different if the book were set in modern times? Could misunderstandings about a TV broadcast or social media post cause a panic today? Why or why not? Discuss as a class.

3. RESPOND TO READING (45-60 minutes)
Demonstrate understanding and inspire creativity with a choice board.

  • Have students choose an activity from the “Science Fiction Choice Board” to complete independently or in a small group. Check in with students to see how they plan to do their projects. You can provide time over several teaching blocks or have them complete the activity at home. Then have students present their work.

STEM INTEGRATION

WRITING: Argue from evidence about alien life (CCSS ELA: W.1; NGSS: ESS1.B, LS1.C)

Share with students that H.G. Wells incorporated real scientific ideas about the planet Mars in his writing. Many of those ideas are now known to be inaccurate, as scientists have learned more about Mars with powerful tools for studying space. Scientists have also learned more about what alien life would need to survive and where it might exist. Share the activity “Make a Claim: Do Aliens Exist?” and support students in recording evidence from the text and from reputable online sources. Then have students finish the activity, explaining whether they think aliens could exist.

MATH: Analyze a line graph about UFO sightings (CCSS Math: 4.MD, 5.MD, 6.SP.B.5)

Distribute the “Line Graph: UFO Sightings” activity. Review the parts of a line graph and its definition (a data display that shows changes over time). Explain that UFO is an abbreviation for unidentified flying object. This graph tracks the number of times people reported seeing things in the sky that they couldn’t explain or identify. Have students complete the activity on their own or work through the questions together as a class.

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