6-2 The War of the Worlds Broadcasting Hoax

Part One: Warm Up

1. Have you ever heard, read, or seen some news story that you thought was too absurd to be true? What was it?
2. What would you do if you couldn’t determine if something were false information?

Part Two: About The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

The War of the Worlds is a science fiction story by popular English author, H.G. Wells. It was written in 1898 and one of the earliest stories about conflict between extraterrestrial beings and humans. Over the years, it has been adapted into video games, movies, comic books, television series, and radio dramas.

The most famous adaptation of the book was a 1938 radio broadcast narrated and directed by Orson Welles. It became one of the most well-known radio broadcasts in United States history because it led to millions of people panicking over the radio broadcast thinking it was a real alien invasion. In the broadcast, Orson Welles used fake news reports, sound effects, radio actors, and staged radio interruptions to create a realistic sound environment.

Part Three: Vocabulary / Listening / Further Discussion