THE SOUND OF

THUNDER
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT MINI LESSON

SYMBOLISM AND ALLUSION

Symbolism a person, a place, an object,
or an activity that stands for something
beyond itself.
Example
Allusion an indirect reference to a
famous person, place, event, or literary
work.

WHAT IS THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT?

A phenomena whereby even a slight

change to a complex system can lead to
larger, unpredictable changes over time.

WHAT DOES A BUTTERFLY HAVE TO DO

WITH IT?
The term comes from the suggestion that the
flapping of a butterfly's wings in South America
could affect the weather in Texas, meaning that
the tiniest influence on one part of a system
can have a huge effect on another part.
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WHO CAME UP WITH THIS?

The concept of the butterfly effect is
attributed to Edward Norton Lorenz, a
mathematician and meteorologist.

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ACTIVITY
Draw a picture of a butterfly or a dinosaur
If you choose to draw the butterfly, write a paragraph
describing what would happen if you traveled back in
time and stepped on a butterfly. How would it impact us
today?
If you choose to draw the dinosaur, write a paragraph
describing what would have happened in A Sound of
Thunder if they had killed the wrong dinosaur.