Warning: You are now entering 1984!

Topics on the Page

1984, the Novel

• George Orwell's Biography

• Lesson Plans for Teaching 1984

• Exploring Political Language

Animal Farm

• Historical Context 

• Lesson Plans for Teaching Animal Farm

 eBook Link: Persuasion, Propaganda, and Political Language in Elections

1984

1984, a satirical novel written by George Orwell in 1948, features a dystopian world filled with telescreens, Thought Police, and totalitarianism as the form of government.

Winston Smith, the protagonist, lives in constant fear of being detected by the dreaded Big Brother for his curiosity about the "Brotherhood" as well as his Thought crimes.

Students will reflect on the freedoms they are currently entitled to in contrast to the simulated 1984 environment they recreate

  Dramatic Reading of the entire 1984 book from the Orwell Foundation; Reading begins at 13:44

Map of 1984's Political Landscape

George Orwell Biography and 1984 Book Summary

Book Summary: A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of George Orwell's 1984 from Penguin Books

George Orwell Biography from The Orwell Prize

• See also George Orwell (1903-1950) for a short biography from the BBC

• For more background, see George Orwell page on Facebook

For a definition of dystopian, see The Dystopian Novel from H2G2.com, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

• 1984 Movie Trailer from YouTube

• Go here for a link to 1956 movie based on the novel directed by Michael Anderson and starring Edmond O'Brien, Donald Pleasence, Jan Sterling and Michael Redgrave on YouTube

• Go here for a link to the 1984 movie based on the book starring John Hurt and Richard Burton

George Orwell's 1944 letter on why he wrote '1984' from George Orwell: A Life in Letters reprinted by The Daily Beast

Lesson Plans for Teaching 1984

For teaching ideas, see Teaching Orwell and 1984 with the Times from the New York Times.

Apple Macintosh Computer, 1984

• This includes a link to the famous Macintosh Computer commercial that aired during the Super Bowl in 1984.

• Here is a link to dialogue in the 1984 Macintosh commercial as well as Apple ads and Saturday Night Live parodies

• For teachers to understand before discussing with students: An article on the relevance of this book today 

Big Brother vs. Little Brother: Updating Orwell's '1984' also from the New York Times

I Always Feel Like, Somebody Watching Me . . .Teaching 1984 and the Power of Government, posted on the University of Georgia English Education website

Actors from 1953 CBS TV production of 1984

Use a fishbowl-style activity to get the students involved in a 1984 discussion.

• Make name tags for the major and minor characters (listed in document). 

• Create a circle with the desks--one desk per character.

• The rest of the class will sit in an outside circle and look on. They are the public and have the opportunity to pose questions also. When the characters in the middle have responded three times, they may exit the circle and hand the name tag on to someone in the outer circle who will then resume the character's position in the activity. 

• This document holds questions for the teacher to pose to the class. 

• Allow the students who are role playing to hash-out the question for as long as they want. When conversation is dying out or becoming redundant, the teacher should pose a new question. This activity will take a full period.

Exploring Political Language

Go here for the text of George Orwell's famous essay, Politics and the English Language (1946)

Examples of Doublespeak from the Center for Media and Democracy

Simpler Term: If It's 'Orwellian', It's Probably Not from the New York Times, June 22, 2003

The Limits of Clear Language. Nicholas Lemann, Columbia Journalism Review, November/December 2007

Book Review: Homage to Catalonia

Teaching the Book Animal Farm

1950 anti-communist cartoon from England

Historically Contextualizing Animal Farm: The Russian Revolution 

Ted Ed video historically contextualizing Animal Farm:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIZ8i9UUQMI&feature=youtu.be

Crash Course European History “The Russian Revolution and Civil War”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6KR4cLLVzQ

 Animated movie adaptation of Animal Farm

 Reading Animal Farm (Audiobook format designed for ESL students)

• This resource will read the story to students, giving both audio and word formats.
• Students have the ability to change the audiobook speed to make it as fast or as slow as they need. 

 Learning Plans

Animal Farm Teaching Guide from Penguin Books