Abusing Power: Animal Farm and Wicked History

Lesson 24
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ELA

Unit 3

8th Grade

Lesson 24 of 32

Objective


Engage in peer feedback with a partner and present narratives to the class.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Animal Farm by George Orwell 

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

A common experience for people reading Animal Farm is feeling frustrated with the animals not doing or understanding things that seem obvious to the reader. If only the animals would just think harder or speak out or fight back, maybe things could be different. 

In this short narrative writing task, you will explore this idea. Rewrite one of the following scenes answering the following "what if…" questions:

  • What if Boxer broke out of the carriage that was taking him to the knacker (pp. 122–123)?
  • What if the animals took action against the pigs in the final scene (pp. 140–141)?

Your "rewrite" should be at least 250 words long and include original dialogue and descriptive language. It should demonstrate an understanding of the text and the characters.

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Common Core Standards


  • SL.8.4 — Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
  • W.8.3 — Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
  • W.8.5 — With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

Supporting Standards

L.8.1
L.8.2
L.8.3
L.8.6
W.8.3.a
W.8.3.b
W.8.3.c
W.8.3.d
W.8.3.e
W.8.4
W.8.6
W.8.10

Next

Identify places where the film version of Animal Farm differs from the original text and evaluate the choices made by the filmmakers.

Lesson 25
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