Students explore human nature through careful study of the Russian Revolution, focusing on the ways in which leaders manipulated and oppressed their own people.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm has had great international impact for its messages about power and political corruption in the 20th century. Orwell witnessed the atrocities sanctioned by Joseph Stalin under the guise of communism, and his famous novel is a satire of societies that allow leaders to lie, cheat, and oppress the naive, obedient masses. The author’s decision to feature animal characters recalls classic children’s fables, but there is nothing simple or childlike about this story. Orwell’s novel is not intended to entertain; rather, it is a criticism of historical events and a warning to future generations about the dangers of tyranny.
In order to provide students with necessary schema to understand the time period that Orwell satirizes, this unit begins with the nonfiction text Joseph Stalin (A Wicked History), which dives into the history of Joseph Stalin and the Russian Revolution. This text is intended to introduce students to the real-life atrocities committed during this time period and give them a small window into the lives of the tens of millions of people who were murdered, starved, exiled, imprisoned, or killed on the battlefield, all at the instruction of Joseph Stalin.
Through their work with these two texts, students will explore questions about the power of language and draw conclusions about the way it can be used as a method of control. They will dig deeply into the use and impact of propaganda. They will explore the genre of allegory, the impact of satire, and the way that historical knowledge can create dramatic irony within a text. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to think about artistic interpretation through two lenses: they will think about how authors use and interpret historical events in a fictional text and they will analyze how a film interpretation can differ from the source text and evaluate the decisions directors make.
As this unit follows directly behind the unit focusing on Elie Wiesel’s Night, students will continue their year-long study of justice/injustice, particularly in the context of extreme human cruelty and suffering. Much like Elie Wiesel’s message that the stories of human atrocities must continue to be told, so too does Orwell’s text continue to act as an urgent, relevant call-to-action.
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Book: Joseph Stalin (A Wicked History) by Sean McCollum (Franklin Watts, 2010) — 970L
Book: Animal Farm by George Orwell (Signet Classics, 1996) — 1170L
Article: “An Introduction to Communism” by Jessica McBirney
Article: “Capitalism” by Jessica McBirney
Video: “One Human Family, Food for All” by Caritas Internationalis (YouTube)
Article: “Propaganda is Everywhere”
Article: “11 Warning Signs of Gaslighting”
Article: “Types of Propaganda”
Video: “AP English Literature and Composition Terms | SATIRE | 60second Recap®” by 60second Recap (YouTube)
Video: “AP English Literature and Composition Terms | ALLEGORY | 60second Recap®” by 60second Recap (YouTube)
Movie: Animal Farm
This assessment accompanies Unit 3 and should be given on the suggested assessment day or after completing the unit.
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benevolent charismatic complicit dissident eminent envision enmity exile exile ignominious intermediary manipulate morose perception treacherous tyrannical tyranny
allegory dramatic irony satire verbal irony
inter- mal-
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“An Introduction to Communism”
“Capitalism”
RI.8.3
Define and articulate the differences between capitalism and communism.
Joseph Stalin pp. 1 – 31
RI.8.2
RI.8.3
Explain the events, ideas, and social conditions that began to shape Stalin’s behavior and beliefs about the world.
Joseph Stalin — Chapters 4-6
RI.8.2
RI.8.3
Identify the events, ideas, and social conditions that led to the Russian Revolution, and explain Stalin’s role in the establishment of a new communist society and government.
Joseph Stalin — Chapters 7-9
RL.8.2
RI.8.5
Explain the purpose of Stalin’s Five-Year Plan, its impact on the people of the Soviet Union, and how author McCollum uses specific text features to develop key ideas about this time period.
“Propaganda is Everywhere”
“11 Warning Signs of Gaslighting”
“Types of Propaganda”
RI.8.2
SL.8.4
SL.8.5
Summarize information about different types of propaganda and present that information to classmates.
Joseph Stalin — Chapters 10-12
RI.8.2
Identify ways that Stalin used propaganda to control the people of the Soviet Union.
Joseph Stalin — Chapters 1-12
RI.8.2
Determine the central idea of individual chapters of Joseph Stalin (A Wicked History) and the text overall, and explain how the author develops and supports these ideas.
Writing
W.8.7
Conduct a short research project on an element of propaganda.
Writing
W.8.7
Summarize and interpret research through an infographic.
“Satire video” — sections I, II, IV, VI, VII)
“Allegory video” — (sections I, II, III, VI)
“One Human Family, Food for All”
RI.8.2
Define the literary genres of satire and allegory, and explain their purposes.
Animal Farm — Chapter 1
RL.8.4
Explain how Orwell uses descriptive language to develop Old Major’s perspective, and make connections between Old Major’s argument and economic systems.
Animal Farm — Chapter 2
RL.8.3
Identify specific events and lines of dialogue that reveal character traits, as well as identify the impact of events on the plot of Animal Farm.
Animal Farm — Chapters 3-4
RL.8.3
RL.8.4
Explain the impact of different propaganda techniques the pigs use in Animal Farm.
Animal Farm — Chapter 5
Joseph Stalin — pages 44–49, 52–56
RL.8.3
Explain how George Orwell has interpreted individuals and events from the Russian Revolution and portrayed them in his allegorical text, Animal Farm.
Animal Farm — Chapter 6
RL.8.4
RL.8.6
Explain how Squealer uses language and propaganda techniques to manipulate the other animals, and how the author uses this manipulation to develop dramatic irony.
Animal Farm — Chapter 7
Joseph Stalin
“Propaganda is Everywhere”
RL.8.3
RL.7.9
Explain how George Orwell has interpreted events of the Russian Revolution and portrayed them in his allegorical text Animal Farm.
Animal Farm — Chapter 8
RL.8.3
RL.8.6
Explain how the pigs have betrayed the original principles of Animal Farm, and how their betrayal and manipulation of the other animals creates dramatic irony.
Animal Farm — Chapter 9
RL.8.3
RL.8.4
RL.8.6
Explain how Squealer uses language and propaganda techniques to manipulate the other animals, and how the author uses this manipulation to develop dramatic irony.
Animal Farm — Chapter 10
RL.8.3
RL.8.4
Explain the significance of specific lines and events in Animal Farm and what they reveal about characters and the plot.
Animal Farm — Whole Text
RL.8.2
Determine what Orwell wants the reader to understand about the Russian Revolution and human nature more broadly, and explain how he develops these ideas in Animal Farm.
Animal Farm — Chapters 1-2
Animal Farm
RL.8.7
Identify places where the film version of Animal Farm differs from the original text and evaluate the choices that the director made.
Animal Farm — Chapters 3-6
Animal Farm
RL.8.7
Identify places where the film version of Animal Farm differs from the original text and evaluate the choices that the director made.
Animal Farm — Chapter 7 - end
Animal Farm
RL.8.7
Identify places where the film version of Animal Farm differs from the original text and evaluate the choices that the director made.
Socratic Seminar
Joseph Stalin
Animal Farm
SL.8.1.a
SL.8.1.d
Engage in a Socratic Seminar with classmates, using previous feedback to set goals and reflect on their performance in the seminar.
Writing
W.8.1
W.8.1.b
L.8.1.c
Explain the expectations of the writing task and begin to gather evidence from supplemental texts.
Writing
W.8.1
W.8.1.a
Construct a strong thesis statement and compose effective body paragraphs.
Writing
W.8.1
W.8.1.c
W.8.1.d
W.8.1.e
L.8.1.d
Draft an introduction and conclusion and revise essay for clarity, mechanics, and organization.
2 days
Assessment
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