Animal Farm by George Orwell Over the next few weeks you will not only be reading a revolutionary novel, but you will be learning how the novel can be used to critically examine a government. Animal Farm by George Orwell is much more than just the story of how a group of farm animals take over their own farm; it is the story of the Russian Revolution, a story of the corrupting influence of power, and the story of a government that ultimately fell apart as a result of the same problems that its formation had attempted to solve. This is a story that functions on several levels of meaning. To get below the surface story, one must first have some basic background knowledge of the author and the historical events and personalities that inspired him. Ultimately, you will be writing an essay examining how one of the characters from the story symbolizes one of history's political players and reflects Orwell's views on the Soviet form of Communism. In order to do this well, you will need to begin some informal research and planning before you ever even begin to read the novel. | |
Prereading Preparation View the video below to make yourself aware of some of
You may find the Prezi below helpful as well as it breaks down the revolution into bite size chunks.
Once you have made your decision, you will probably benefit from revisiting the links to the Russian Revolution. You should make yourself the expert on related the historical connections and concepts that are most closely linked to your character. You may also find the links below helpful in increasing your preparation for experiencing this novel.
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![]() Assignment # 2 Since you will use a minimum of three such passages in your essay, you will need to copy at least five relevant passages. Make sure that you use your classroom copy of the text to include the actual page number of your passage, and make sure you write a brief paragraph explaining the significance of the passage below each passage you copy. | |
Assignment # 3 |
Complete a comparison/contrast essay examining the differences between either of the cinematic versions of the story and the original. Students who select this alternative should make sure to not only examine the relationship between the two stories but examine the historical/political statement that is reflected in those differences. This assignment will be evaluated with the Informational/Explanatory Evaluation Rubric adapted from the State of Florida. |
Click here to access project | |
Click the icon above for a large scale poster of common logical fallacies.
Navigate through the Prezi Presentation on the left for an overview of Logical Fallacies.
Additional Research Links on
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This page and the study guide resources for the novel have been designed by me (Greg Ott) for the use of my students at Azalea Middle School in St. Petersburg. Visitors are welcome to use these materials and/or this site to enhance their own study of the novel. I am always interested in the successful use of these materials and am likewise interested in suggested improvements. Please direct questions and/or comments to me at greott@myfitz.net . Thank you for stopping by. Return to Greg Ott's Homepage