Writing | Reading and Viewing | Speaking and Listening | Representing/Drama
1. Upon completion of the first chapter of Animal Farm, write a journal entry describing your thoughts on the animals and their actions in this chapter. Also consider in your journal entry how the actions of the animals at this point will have an impact as the novel progresses.
2. "Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."
The preceding passage is the final paragraph of the novel. From this point, write a final chapter of the novel. Include what the men and pigs are arguing about, what results from this argument between the pigs and the men and how life on Animal Farm is affected from that point onward.
3. Choose a chapter or passage from Animal Farm that is of particular interest to you. Write a critical essay of 1-2 pages on this passage, including points of comparison to other parts of the novel or things outside of the text, and any other points you see fit to include in your essay. Be sure to defend any statements you make by provide supporting evidence from the passage you have chosen.
The essay must be well structured, containing an introduction, body and conclusion. Essays will be marked on structure, content, language, organization and use of appropriate writing conventions.
Felice Holman's young adult fiction novel, The Wild Children, examines the life of a twelve-year-old orphaned boy during the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia, 1917. This novel is often used as a bridging text to our novel of study, Animal Farm, developing an understanding of early twentieth century Russian history and clarifying some of the prominent political aspects of this era.
This first task of this assignment involves reading the novel, The Wild Children as an introduction to our novel of interest, Animal Farm. It is a very short novel, quite easily read in a few hours. Animal Farm should be started immediately after to provide opportunity for comparison. Prior to beginning the novels, the class will be divided into "reading circles". Students will reform into their reading circles in the class time for discussion. Each student will be responsible for reading the novel, and contributing their thoughts, ideas and questions to the reading circle when reassembled in class.
In the reading circles, the following
issues must be addressed:
a) What historical events are described to in this novel (Resources outside of
the text may need to be consulted)?
b) How does this novel relate to the context of Animal Farm?
c) Consider the vocabulary that is used in the novel
The Wild Children. How does this contribute
to the overall meaning and context of the novel?
d) What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this novel as a comparison
to Animal Farm?
The group is required to submit a short written report of issues discussed in reading circles.
Select a character from Animal Farm. Prepare a two- to three-minute monologue that the character may deliver, basing the monologue on an event in the text or on personality traits revealed about the chosen character. These monologues will be presented in class.
Picture this. It is 1944. You and your group have traveled back in time to meet George Orwell while he is writing the novel Animal Farm. Given this wonderful opportunity, it is your task to interview Mr. Orwell to find out his motivations for writing Animal Farm, his views on politics, as well as any other things you think would be important to report to your classmates once you return from your journey in time.
To present your findings to your classmates, you have three options:
1) Prepare a video documentary of your
interview with Mr. Orwell.
2) Invite Mr. Orwell back to your class where you will interview him in front of
the class and entertain questions from your classmates.
3) Construct a multimedia presentation which includes details obtained from your
interview with Mr. Orwell.
| George Orwell | Synopsis |
| Terms and Themes | Activities |
| Bibliographies of Orwell's Work | Related Reading and Viewing |