the fun they had class 9 study material please consider to follow it gives me education only 1 % of viewers are following its free !

1. THE FUN THEY HAD
ISAAC ASIMOV

2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Isaac Asimov (1920- 1992) was an American
writer and professor of Biochemistry at Boston
University. He was known for his works of
Science fiction and popular Science. Asimov
was a prolific writer who wrote or edited more
than 500 books and an estimated 90,000
letters and postcards. Isaac Asimov was the
Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of
America, the founder of robot ethics, and one
of the world’s most prolific authors of fiction.

3. CENTRALIDEAOF THE STORY
The central idea of the story 'The Fun They had' is to build a comparison between the
method of education used in the past and the present. The importance of the traditional form
of education has been highlighted in the story. The computerized form of education had
replaced the traditional form. This has increased the gap among the students. The story also
focuses on preserving the things which have happened in the past.
It is rather interesting to read about the conversation between the little kids. They get
fascinated by the concept of ‘school’ which prevailed in the days of their grandparents.
Moreover, they also talk about how those days were much more fun. ‘The Fun They Had’
does show us the reality of technology taking over in the near future.

4. THEMEof the story
• 'The Fun They Had' is a short story that falls in the category of Science fiction and has the
future year 2157 as its background setting. It takes us into a world where computers would
play a major role in educating children. Isaac Asimov wrote this story in 1951 for a
syndicated newspaper page. Later, 'The Fun They Had' was published in 'Fantasy and
Science Fiction' magazine.
• The main theme of this story is that of education. More specifically, the narrative deals
with the future of education which will become increasingly Computerized and estranged
from social interactions.

5. MESSAGE
• ‘The Fun They Had’ throws light on an interesting aspect of the technological world
we will have in the future. Consequently, it is set in the future where two children
discuss the way things functioned in the earlier days.
• The author's message is a kind of warning against the dangers of computerized
homeschooling. This deprives children of the benefits of the personal interactions
between the students and the teachers, which help them to develop many social
skills.

6. CONTENT ANALYSIS
• The story begins with two children named, Margie and Tommy. It takes place in the world
of the future where computers dominate everything. Moreover, it also shows how the
concept of schools and classrooms has transformed completely.
• It’s the year 2157, and Margie is writing in her diary about how Tommy found a book. This
book was of Tommy’s grandfather when he was a little kid. Margie learns about how they
used to print all the stories on paper back then.
• Further, they read the book themselves and find the feeling of turning pages over rather
funny. It was funny because they were not in the habit of reading still words, only ones in
motion that too on a screen. We learn that in the future, the tele-books would come into
existence instead of ordinary books. They store them in TV sets and computers.

7. CONTENT ANALYSIS – continues…….
• After that, it takes an interesting turn when they discuss about schools. Margie learns that schools
were very different back then. They had actual persons who were teachers. It is surprising because
she has only robots which teach her. Moreover, she does not like school because of a lot of
reasons. The school she studies does not have any classmates. In fact, it doesn’t even have recess
or playground.
• Margie and Tommy study in a virtual classroom. They have robots as teachers. Most importantly,
her ‘school’ is next to her bedroom only. It is a room full of electronics, robots, and gadgets. The
computer software teaches her everything. When Margie attends her school after learning about the
earlier ones, she starts wondering. When she starts studying, she cannot help but think about the
earlier days.
• Margie wonders about the fun her grandparents would indulge in. She imagined kids from different
neighbourhoods coming together merrily to attend school. Moreover, the fact that they were taught
the same thing amused her. It was because everyone would help each other out with the
homework. Thus, in the end, she is left wondering about the fun they had.

8. ASSETQUESTIONS
1. The synonym of the word ‘Nonchalantly’ is _______
a) carelessly
b) interestingly
c) appreciatingly
d) fascinatingly
2. The genre of the story is _______
a) motivational
b) Science fiction
c) horror
d) mystery

9. ASSETQUESTIONS
3. He added loftily, ‘Centuries ago’. The word 'loftily' here is a/an __________
a) verb
b) adjective
c) adverb
d) noun
4. It's good for plenty more. Antonym for the underlined word here means _______
a) array
b) range
c) abundant
d) few

10. Answer the following questions briefly.
1. “Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”
(i) Who does ‘they’ refer to?
(ii) What does ‘regular’ mean here?
(iii) What is ‘it’ contrasted with?
2. What a waste!” What is Tommy referring to as a ‘waste’? Is it really a waste? Why/Why
not?

11. Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words.
1. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?
2. How does Tommy describe the old kind of teachers?
3. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?

12. Answer the following questions in about 40-50 words.
1. Describe Margie and Tommy’s first experience of reading a printed book.
2. Why did Margie hate school?

13. Answer the following question in about 100-120 words.
1. Given a chance to design your mechanical teacher or robot, how would you like it to be?
Why? Explain with reference to the story ‘The Fun They Had’.