1984 writing assignment

Secondary Classrooms 7 Lesson Planning Resources to Bolster Your Novel Study on 1984

Chelsea Nuesi

Elevate your book unit on George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 with informative and engaging texts for high school students.

CommonLit’s free online reading program offers more than 100 Book Pairings, which are complementary resources that encourage students to make connections across specific texts to build their reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.

CommonLit’s Book Pairing for 1984

In this blog post, we’ll review the Book Pairing for George Orwell’s novel 1984. The Book Pairing provides a summary for each text, explains how the text relates to the novel, and suggests where in the book teachers can introduce the text.

Set in a futuristic London, 1984 follows the story of Winston Smith, a man who attempts to rebel against a totalitarian government, known as “Big Brother.” Big Brother controls many aspects of its citizens’ lives through censorship and fearmongering.

Build Background Knowledge on Dystopian Literature

In the novel, Orwell presents government surveillance and social conformity as components that create a dystopian society. As students prepare to read the novel, they can learn more about the dystopian genre through the following texts.

“ Someone Might Be Watching — An Introduction to Dystopian Fiction ” by Shelby Ostergaard

In this informational text, Shelby Ostergaard explains the elements of dystopian fiction and how the genre originated. Ostergaard also highlights other dystopian novels, like Brave New World , The Handmaid's Tale , and The Hunger Games .  

This text is a great choice to introduce students to dystopian literature. After students finish reading the text, lead a classroom discussion on the elements of dystopian fiction and how they relate to the real world. Ask students the following questions: “How are fictional worlds able to comment on the real world? What types of connections are typically drawn and what kind of commentaries are made?”

“ Why Do People Follow the Crowd? ” by ABC News

Dr. Gregory Berns, a behavioral scientist, conducted social experiments to understand why humans conform. ABC’s Primetime recreated these experiments with unsuspecting participants and concluded that humans conform in order to belong.

Similarly, in Book One: Chapter One, Winston participates in the “Two Minutes Hate,” during which the government presents the image of the enemy on a screen, requiring people to yell and curse at it. Initially, Winston is stunned by how people immediately get upset by the image, until he finds himself imitating their behavior.

After students finish reading this chapter, encourage them to identify evidence from the article to explain why Winston mimics the actions of the people around him.

Explore Real-World Examples of Themes from the Novel

In 1984 , Big Brother limits and manipulates information to drive fear and obedience in its citizens. The following informational texts provide real-world examples of censorship and propaganda, which teachers can use to challenge their students to make text-to-world connections.

“ I Am Very Real ” by Kurt Vonnegut

In November 1973, author Kurt Vonnegut wrote this letter to an English teacher who burned 32 copies of Vonnegut’s novel Slaughter-House Five due to its use of obscene language. Vonnegut criticized the teacher’s actions, arguing that humans have fought for free speech throughout history.

When students reach Book One: Chapter Four, ask them to take notes on the ways Big Brother controls information. Also, encourage students to examine the connection between the central idea of Vonnegut’s letter and the events of the chapter in the novel.

“ Total Control in North Korea ” by Jessica McBirney

This informational text describes life in North Korea, where the government holds total control of the economy, the military, and education, driving mass obedience among its citizens.

Both 1984 and this article present life under a dictatorial government that maintains power through deception. In the novel, Winston serves as an employee for the Ministry of Truth, a bureaucracy that spreads misinformation.

When students finish Book One: Chapter Four, have them compare and contrast how the totalitarian governments in both texts influence citizens to be obedient.

“ The Daisy Girl Ad ” by CommonLit Staff

Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson launched the controversial “Daisy Girl Ad,” which harnessed people's fear about the Cold War. Many attribute his victory in the 1964 presidential election to this persuasive ad.

Throughout 1984 , the government uses propaganda and fearmongering to maintain power. After students finish reading the novel, ask them to compare and contrast Big Brother’s propaganda with the “Daisy Girl Ad.” Then, lead a classroom discussion with the following questions: “How are people’s actions and beliefs influenced by propaganda? How does the government, and O’Brien in particular, influence Winston's beliefs through the use of fear and propaganda?”

Make Text-to-Text Connections about the Human Experience

As Winston defies Big Brother by breaking the government’s rules, he embraces the human experience by following his desires, starting a romantic relationship, and gaining new knowledge. Guide students as they explore the themes of love and knowledge through the following texts.

“ Sonnet 18 ” by William Shakespeare

One of Shakespeare’s most famous love poems, “Sonnet 18,” describes the beauty and wonders of love.

In the middle of 1984, Winston begins a romantic relationship with a woman named Julia, breaking government laws. After reading Book Two: Chapter Two of 1984 , students can compare and contrast Winston’s romantic experience with the speaker’s in “Sonnet 18.” Ask students the following question: “How does love affect them both?”

“ Allegory of the Cave ” by Plato

In this philosophical text, Plato explores the importance of knowledge for society and the human soul.

Towards the end of 1984, Winston is captured and forced to abide by the government’s tyrannical ruling. After students finish reading the novel, have them compare and contrast the experiences of the prisoners in Plato’s cave and Winston in Orwell’s dystopia . Invite students to discuss the following questions: “How are the journeys of Winston and the humans born in the cave similar? In our modern society, how can we avoid a fate similar to Winton’s?”

Check out CommonLit 360 if you want a complete unit plan for 9th graders that is centered on the theme of conformity . This unit includes full lesson plans, writing prompts, and much more. CommonLit 360 is a free, comprehensive ELA curriculum that has engaging, grade-level aligned units. Each unit includes complete lessons with pacing options, so teachers can save time on curriculum planning and focus on classroom engagement.

Looking for more book pairings on CommonLit? Browse the CommonLit Library !

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Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)

by George Orwell (1903-1950)

Mr. Chilton, AP Lit

One person’s life will be changed by this book. Let me know when you discover it’s you.

Novel Website Tour

What is a dystopia? Utopia?

Etymology of “dystopia”

“Dys”: ill, bad, abnormal

e.g. dysfunctional

“Topia”: place

e.g. topography

“U”: no…no place...hmm.

List examples of “dystopian” movies, shows, books, etc.

Tell your partner

Canonical dystopian works of literary merit.

Judge a book by its cover...

What predictions can you make based solely on the artwork? Discuss in small groups...

Highly recommended for Independent Reading Project. I have multiple copies of all on the book return cart.

Supplementals?

Literary merit

Drawing Time!

What’s your personal dystopia?

In your journal, draw a quick sketch of a dystopia.

What causes fear / anxiety / injustice?

What’s limited / banned / outlawed?

Be prepared to share with group of four.

Bullet points and/or images.

Why Dystopia?

What do we have to learn from the extremes ?

Why fiction? Why not sermon, essay, or speech?

Why young adult?

Awareness of the “normal” through seeing the extremes.

James Garfield

Historical Fiction/ Critique:

�Don’t see it from the “normal” but from the...

Parodies and Satire

Bookmark Essay

Let’s read together!

Homework Reading

Day 1 Review:

• Journal entry # ____ (10)
• Copy of 1984
• Homework: ch. 2-3

Individually:

• Draw and label a minimum of 10 unique features of the dystopian world of the novel
• What makes this fictional world a dystopia?

Check out Chilton’s skeelz on the whiteboard

Turn to a partner :

What are the three most terrifying aspects of this dystopian world?

Describe / Justify why you chose those three over the others you drew.

What is the most disturbing features of this dystopia?

Whole class discussion

Put on your tin foil hat...

• Tell your group a minimum of 5 similarities between our own world and the dystopian world.
• How is this book still relevant to our world today?

Vocabulary Review:

Alternate with partner explaining what each of these terms mean in 1984 :

• Hate Week / Two Minutes of Hate
• Big Brother
• The Party Slogan
• Emmanuel Goldstein
• Thought Police
• Ministry of Truth, Peace, Love, Plenty
• INGSOC (Pronounced “Eng-Soch”)
• Oceania, Eurasia, Eastasia

Discussion Questions:

• What view of human nature is embedded in the policies of the Party?
• How is writing an act of rebellion? Sedition?

Chapter 2-3

Day 2 Review:

Chapters 2-3

• Journal entry # ____ (5)
• Homework: chapters 4-5

Quote Reflective Journal:

Pick one of the following quotes from ch. 2 and discuss your philosophical and personal connections to this passage.

No need to write out the passage.

If it doesn’t strike you personally or philosophically, simply describe why it is so important to our understanding of Winston’s character.

• “On the contrary, they adored the Party…” (top page 24)
• “He felt as though he were wandering…” (page 25)
• “Nothing was your own…” (¼ way down page 26)
• “He wondered again for whom…” (halfway page 26)
• “He was a lonely ghost…” (bottom page 26)
• “To the future or the past...” (very bottom page 26-7)
• “Now that he recognized himself…” (halfway page 27)

Chilton will read...you contemplate and consider which you’d like to write about.

Personally: “I think…” “This reminds me of…”

�Philosophically: “The idea of this quote is…” “Orwell is showing…”

Literarily: “This demonstrates Winston’s…”

Group Discussion

• Frosh/Soph: Read your writing to each other, no response

Varsity: Read quote, everyone turns to passage, elaborate your sophisticated thoughts without simply reading, group members respond, ask questions

Chapter 2 Review Discussion:

How does Winston Smith contrast with each member of the family living across from him, the Parsons (Mr., Mrs., child)?

The Children:

“...they adored the Party and everything connected with it. The songs, the processions, the banners, the hiking, the drilling with dummy rifles, the yelling of slogans, the worship of Big Brother--it was a sort of glorious game to them.”

Hitler Youth

Chapter 3 Discussion:

• What is the symbolic significance of the dream?
• How has the present stripped him of what is important?
• Why the sexual imagery?
• Why wake up with “Shakespeare” on his lips?

What are the

“Physical Jerks”?

How are they used by Big Brother to “condition” the People in multiple ways?

WW2 Propaganda Poster

What is “doublethink”?

Doublethink:

“to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again: and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself. This was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word ‘doublethink’ involved the use of doublethink.” --End of ch. 3

Current applications?

“...War had been literally continuous.”

“The enemy of the moment always represented absolute evil, and it followed that any past or future agreement with him was impossible.”

“‘Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.’”(page 34)

“The past, he reflected, had not been merely altered, it had been actually destroyed.”

Unfinished discussion from last class / chapter 1?

Chapter 4-5

Day 3 Review:

Chapters 4-5

You’ll need:

• Journal entry # ______ (10)
• Group of four with desks turned
• Initially working with partner
• Homework: chapters 6-7

Foundation of Today’s Activity:

Investigation

What is the purpose of Winston’s job / the Ministry of Truth?

Prosecute / Defend

Decide which side you and your partner on vs. the larger group

Prosecute Defend

• You are in charge of investigating the Ministry of Truth and their alleged abuses of power.
• What does Winston/the Ministry do?
• Why do they do it?
• Have 10+ pieces of evidence with page numbers, quotes, short jabs, examples.
• The Ministry has been accused of abuses of power/truth. Defend them.

Opening argument for both sides, rebuttal, closing argument/open discussion.

Time to prep?

Responses in your journal:

• When the party does _____, it demonstrates… (p.34)
• The reason for this is ______. I think…(26).
• The purpose is to ____.
• When ___ happens.
• ___ (p.25) is similar to when ___ happens in history/current events.

The journal is notes for what you’ll say later...compose as such.

Abandon your given position, informal debate:

• What do you really think?
• What is the function of “minitrue”?
• How is this relevant in our world today?
• How do you deal with this reality in the world of such terms as “fake news,” “alternative facts,” “fair and balanced,” “liberal mainstream media,” etc.

News Comparison:

Chapter 6-7

Day 4 Review:

Chapters 6-7

• Journal entry # ______ (5)
• Homework: book 1, chapter 8, book 2, chapter 1
• Multiple discussion/writing prompts on screen
• Choose one to write about
• Later we’ll discuss one you didn’t write about with a partner
• Incorporate a minimum of 3 quotes, short jabs, or ellipsis passages (...)

Brainstorm with a partner :

different ways to write a sentence that incorporate quotes

For example : When “X” occurs, it shows...

Examples of how to incorporate quotes

There are many ways in which this is shown, such as when "X"...

Winston is blank ("X").

"X" demonstrates blank.

Winston is alternatively described as “X,” “Y,” “Z” but ultimately he is blank.

It becomes apparent that Winston is blank when he says "X".

Because of blank's "X," a different blank is forced to "X".

How many quotes / short jabs should be incorporated into writing?

Questions (chapters in parentheses)

• How does the Party use sex to control the people? (6)
• How is sex a liberating revolt against the Party? (6)
• How are the proles the key to revolution? (7)
• Why will the proles not revolt? How are they being controlled? (7)
• How is Winston’s or Orwell’s attitude towards the proles elitist or unrealistic? (7)
• Discuss the symbolism of a particular moment in the chapter. (6 & 7)

Discuss with a partner your written responses.

Discuss a question that neither of you wrote about too.

• How is Winston’s / Orwell’s attitudes towards the proles elitist or unrealistic? (7)

Alternative Review

Focusing in on chapter 7

With a partner and a white board:

• Draw and label a stereotypical “prole”
• Identify 10 key features or behaviors of the proles
• Must have a short quote or page number for each of the 10 points

Chapter 8 and

Book 2, ch. 1

Day 5 Review:

Chapter 8 & Book 2, ch. 1

• Turn desks into groups of four
• Number off 1, 2, 3, 4
• Homework: Chapters 2-5

How is the connection to the past/memory integral to the Party’s control/rebellion?

Essential Question

Journal on one of these examples:

How do specific examples address this question:

• Winston’s diary
• The coral paperweight
• Picture of church of St. Clement
• The private room Winston is shown

You’ll want to incorporate quotes, evidence from the book

How is the connection to the past/memory integral to the Party’s control/rebellion? (5)

3 Day Break for Language and Thought Socratic Seminar

Read through Book 2, ch. 5

On Tuesdays!

Day 6 Review:

Book 2, Chapters 2-5

• Get together with group of four
• Number yourselves off 2, 3, 4, 5
• Book and journal
• Homework: chapters 6-8
• Start with a quick quiz in your journal:

Quiz : (Fewest words possible to be specific enough to prove you read)

• What does the note say that Julia slips Winston when she falls?
• What do Julia and Winston do when they meet in the woods/bushes?
• Where specifically does Winston rent a room to continue seeing Julia?
• What are some of the illegal goods Julia brings Winston?

Get together with your group of 4.

Number off 2, 3, 4, 5

Two Truths and a Lie

About your chapter

You’ve played this right?

Two Truths and a Lie:

• Two plausible truths and a convincing lie
• Try to trick your group who did or did not read your chapter
• For example...

Two Truths and a Lie for Mr. Chilton

• I have eaten fried scorpion
• In junior high, I was in a boy band called “The Spice Boys”
• I grew a beard in 8th grade
• ____ minutes to review and compose before we quiz each other and discuss these chapters

Discussion:

• Share your truths and lie with your group one chapter at a time
• We’ll discuss as a whole class after each chapter, don’t move on

Passage Analysis:

• Turn tables to group of four
• Assigned chapter from Book 2 (1-5)
• Find 1+ paragraph / passage / quote to discuss
• Create 3+ discussion questions from different levels of Bloom’s Questions
• Chilton will model Book 1, chapter 8 on next slide

“They were like the ant...could be tested”

How are the “ants”?

Explore this metaphor.

How are they like the ant?

What are the conditions which caused them to be ant-like?

Why is this a particularly apt metaphor?

• Look at quote together
• Lead them through discussion with increasingly complex questions
• When finished with chapter 1, move to chapter 2

Book 2, Chapter 6-8

Day 7 Review:

Book 2, chapters 6-8

SKIP CHAPTER 9!

Read Sparknotes if you feel compelled or read it if you must…

Basically: it’s a long complicated backstory / history of the Party from Emmanuel Goldstein’s book on the rise of Big Brother.

• Journal entry #____ (3+2+1=6)
• Desks together with group of 4
• Each group will be given a chapter:
• You’re the expert for now, we’ll mix later

Label the left margin of your paper.

3. Summarize the 3 most important events of this chapter.

2. Formulate 2 thought-provoking discussion questions. (need help with questions? Bloom’s questions posted as “ Today’s Link ”)

1. Thesis: a nalyze the significance of 1 of the events or answer one of your own questions.

• Number off: 1, 2, 3, 4→ Regroup
• Start with chapter 6
• Begin with quick summary
• Discuss your questions
• Move on when you’re ready to next chapter

Book 2, chapter 10,

Book 3, Chapter 1-2

Day 8 Review:

Book 3, chapters 1-2

• Copy of book
• Journal entry #_____ (10 + 5)
• Homework: Read Book 3, chapters 3-4

RAFT Journal (10)

Role : Winston or O’Brien

Audience : Julia, Big Brother, or reader of novel

Format : Letter or Diary

Topic : What occurs to Winston in chapters 1-2

Must use at least 2 “short jabs” of quotes

10 minutes max

• Feeling brave? Read your creative writing!
• Feeling less than brave? Summarize what you wrote and read aloud your best sentence
• Discuss the significance of this section and why this is important for the novel

No possible segue...

Journal Entry # ______ (5 bulleted points)

NB Chilton: Skip “Hatred and Love” section--Spoilers!

• Homework: Chapters 3-4

Partner Discussion:

• What does the Ministry of Love/O’Brien do to Winston?

What is torture?

Describe to a partner.

U.N. Conventions Against Torture

For the purpose of this Convention, the term "torture" means any act by which severe pain or suffering , whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him, or a third person, information or a confession , punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in, or incidental to, lawful sanctions .

Map of the world with parties to the Convention against Torture

signed and ratified signed but not ratified not signed and not ratified

Goals for today:

• To be aware of the real history and implications of the Ministry of Love’s techniques
• To understand the psychological impact of O’Brien’s actions on Winston
• To stay woke

Journal Entry # ____ (5)

Choose one to analyze in writing:

What does O’Brien reveal about the true function of the interrogation techniques of the Party?

How does the Ministry of Love play an essential function in the perpetual reign of the Party?

Please share your thoughts with a partner.

Basic Question Plaguing Me:

How could O’Brien do this? What lead him to be able to do this?

How could one individual human being really do this to another?

sadistically torture

and inflict physical

and psychological

Stop the euphemistic newspeak!

�“I am human.

Therefore, nothing that is human is foreign to me.”

Roman philosopher, Terence, 185-159 BCE

Related ideas:

• Authority ( Milgram Experiment )
• Stockholm syndrome
• Enlightening article

Etymology of “torture”:

early 15c., "con tort ion, twisting, dis tort ion; a disorder characterized by contortion," from Old French torture "infliction of great pain; great pain, agony" (12c.), and directly from Late Latin tortura "a twisting, writhing," in Medieval Latin "pain inflicted by judicial or ecclesiastical authority as a means of punishment or persuasion," from stem of Latin torquere "to twist, turn, wind, wring, distort" (see torque (n.)). The meaning "infliction of severe bodily pain as a means of punishment or persuasion " in English is from 1550s.

The theory behind judicial torture was that a guilty person could be made to confess, but an innocent one could not, by this means . Macaulay writes that it was last inflicted in England in May 1640.

Witches Logic?

The “logic” of medieval torture

Torture devices?

Name one or more to a partner and their purpose.

• List of methods from Wikipedia
• Torture Museum Website
• Human Rights Watch on Torture: Website
• History Channel Documentary Video
• Too long to watch in class, but very informative

What are its goals?

Why is it used? What are its psychological impacts?

Describe to a different partner.

“Believe Me, It’s Torture”

Christopher Hitchens

Vanity Fair, July 2008

Article Link

For homework if we don’t finish in class.

Also posted on 1984 webpage.

Book 3, Chapter 3-4

Day 9 Review:

Book 3, chapters 3-4

• Homework: Finish novel with chapters 5-6

Musical Mingle

• Music plays : you walk around
• Music stops : partner up with closest person (not the same person, or just a nearby friend)
• Question will be on board
• Discuss with partner
• Music will play again...

What has been your favorite / least favorite part of reading this novel? Why?

Give specific examples

Tallest person goes first

How has O’Brien and Winston’s relationship changed as the torture continues?

Shorter person goes first

What is the end goal of this torture?

Why is it necessary for the perpetuation of Big Brother?

Longer hair goes first

How will the novel end?

Why do you think this?

Person who loves English class more

The Unknown Citizen

W. H. Auden

Q1 Practice:

• What are some strategies you should use when approaching the poem essay?
• What should you do before writing?

Discuss with a partner.

What’s the first thing you do when you receive your prompt?

Write the time + 40 minutes (x3)

Trick question!

From your cheat sheet:

Annotate prompt : a) look for identifying info about author, date, genre, title,

b) number tasks the prompt is asking for (e.g. analyze X=1, work as a whole=2, etc.) c)label literary terms with letters to search for (D for Diction, I for Imagery, T for tone)

Annotate Passage : Throughout the passage in the margin, number based on tasks in prompt, label literary terms with letters, circle possible quote “short jabs,” underline or bracket important sections you want to analyze in-depth, after reading entire passage draw lines to divide into “sections” for a chronological reading

Outline : Use bubble map or outline equation. Do NOT write your essay without a plan or an outline. 2-3 minutes will pay off tremendously.

If you follow the following techniques, you don’t necessarily need to outline→ Just write the essay following the “Chronological / Analyzing Passage Paragraph Formula” on your Essay Cheat Sheet

Justify why you divided it into sections as you did.

What is each section about?

Analyzing the Passage (on cheat sheet)

Chronological / Analyzing Passage Paragraph Formula :

1. 1st Sentence: What occurs in this section? Summarize with adjectives to make claims and analyze.

2. 2nd-4th: How did the author do this? Prove your point with evidence and examples. Ideally, I’d start sentences with author / character names or “The narrator”

3. Last sentence or 1st sentence of next paragraph: So what ? What effect does this have on the book or how does it lead to the next section / paragraph idea? Try starting sentences with conjunctive adverbs on back.

The narrator begins with exposition about the ideal citizen’s moral character.

In the bureaucratic language of “statistics” and “reports,” the unknown citizen had “no official complaints” against him and he was characterized, in a word, as a saint. �

His upstanding character is the foundation of this dystopian society’s ironically terrifying “perfect person.”

Tell your partner:

First thing you do?

What are the letters and numbers? What do you do with them?

Divide the passage into _____

1st sentence answers which question?

2-3 sentences answers which question?

Final sentence answers which question?

Book 3, Chapter 5-6

Day 10 Review:

Book 3, chapters 5-6

• Scoot desk hip to hip with a partner
• Socratic Seminar numbers: check with your group of four
• Don’t forget book review in journal for next journal check day

Whisper answer to your partner ...

What are the final words of the novel?

“He loved Big Brother.”

Why end that way?

How else could it have ended?

How is it different than most dystopian stories?

�What is Orwell’s chilling final message?

What remains to be learned from 1984 ? ��Why is it still relevant in today’s world?

Partner discussion and then Chilton presentation

Timeless truths:

The power and persuasion of words

Tell a partner real quick…

We’ll do this each time...

The sedation / distraction of the masses

The slogans of the Party

War is Peace

Freedom is Slavery

Ignorance is Strength

The suppression of sex, the perversion of sex, the control of women’s sexuality

The intrusion of authority into our lives

The loss of the individual’s rights and autonomy to the larger group

The loss of the individual’s rights and autonomy to the collective

Time remaining:

• Book Review prep
• Socratic Seminar prep
• Explore current events linked on 1984 webpage

Extras and Projects

• Handout ( page 1 and page 2 )
• Take notes as desired, not required
• Understanding of homework
• Read a political speech of your choice. I'd recommend you search for "speech transcript". If you must have help here's some famous political speeches to choose from:
• Donald Trump speech transcripts
• Barack Obama speech transcripts
• Hillary Clinton speech transcripts
• Bernie Sanders speech transcripts
• George Washington's Inaugural speech
• Gettysburg Address
• Emancipation Proclamation
• State of the Union speeches
• Adolf Hitler speech transcripts
• Kim Jong Un speech transcripts
• Malala Yousafzai speech transcripts
• Dr. Martin Luther King speech transcripts
• Analyze it in terms of Orwell's essay " Politics and the English Language " OR “ Chilton’s Annotated Copy ” with a minimum of five quotes or references
• 10 sentence analysis as journal entry
• Must have 5 quotes or page references to Orwell .
• For example: “This quote (“x”, p. 3) relates to Orwell’s concept of a ‘dying metaphor,’ because…”
• If you'd like to really challenge yourself, I'd recommend doing multiple speeches by extremely different people (e.g. Malala vs. Hitler).

Goal for today and tomorrow:

• To connect the real world to 1984
• To help you understand the importance of words
• To see the political nature of language

Not the goal for today:

• To ignore 1984 and just bicker about politics
• To condemn “kids these days” for killing the language and how it “used to be”

“If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”

--George Orwell

Guiding principle for today

Discuss with a partner your initial thoughts on this issue (using language ...haha).

Why the verb “corrupt”? True? False?

Political slogans?

Advertisement slogans?

What do they say about their thinking/their message?

What are examples by other companies or political slogans?

What’s the idea behind the slogan?

Political Campaign Slogans

2016 Election

Totally Like Whatever You Know by Taylor Mali

Slam “Response”

“Stop Saying ‘I Feel Like’”

As we read today:

• Take turns reading aloud one paragraph a piece
• At the line breaks, discuss:
• Summarize the writer’s argument
• Identify their thesis
• Evaluate objectively its merits

Discuss with a partner how the examples you’ve viewed so far have connected to this dictum.

• Take notes as we progress today

Commercials Analysis:

Link: Click here

Homework (directions on powerpoint link)

Questions to ask:

Political Speech Analysis

• Groups of four
• Round robin all talk
• Frosh: Summarize the speech and essay
• JV: Summarize your analysis
• Varsity: Question each other’s analysis and apply to your own speech

What did we learn from this experience?

Txting is killing the English language. JK!!!

Manoshree Patel Article

Language and Thought

Tell your partner :

What’s your most frequently used emoji?

What does it mean to you?

Why do you use it so frequently?

Tell your GROUP of FOUR :

What is an emoji with a complex meaning or with a meaning that is hard to explain to an “old” person?

Emoji Articles:

You choose one with your group:

Link 1: Emojis don’t mean what they used to

Link 2: Why White People Don’t Use White Emojis

Link 3: The Westernization of the Emoji

Whole Class Discussion:

What did you learn?

How do emojis show the way we think?

What difference does all this make?

1984 “Current Events”

George Carlin and Shakespeare:

“We are oft to blame in this,

'Tis too much proved, that with devotion’s visage

And pious action we do sugar o'er

The devil himself.”

-Polonius, Hamlet 3.1

“And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,

The instruments of darkness tell us truths,

Win us with honest trifles, to betray ’s

In deepest consequence.”

-Banquo, Macbeth 1.3

George Carlin stand-up

Usually NOT school appropriate...edited version: link

Background : Carlin has just gone on a tirade about how there is no such thing as an inherently “bad” word. The N-word, for example, is not bad in an of itself, but is given a context by the person speaking it and the history connected to it. It’s not the word we should be worried about, but rather the racist bigot who just used it.

To Speak is to Blunder

“College Campuses Should Not be Safe Spaces”

Turn desks towards group of four

Today’s Link for essay

PAPA Square

Fold paper:

½ and ½ again to form center “X”

Fold corners in towards center

8 corners to write on, 2 squares inside

How to label the boxes:

Inside Corners/Triangles:

More information: Link

Inside Center Boxes ( reminder of what this is)

2+ quotes for each

College Campuses Should Not be Safe Spaces

Article or Google Drive Saved Article

Round Robin Reading

Read a paragraph a piece aloud and rotate

Feel free to take notes in center boxes as you go or do so afterwards

Outside Labels:

Outside corners:

The opinion of four of your classmates outside your group

Center box:

5 sentence reflection of your own opinion or response to the author

“Words Matter” Essay

Socratic Seminar

Notes, handouts, 1984, essays out on desk.

• Use the examples as a basis for your discussion
• Orwell (essay and 1984) is the foundation for everything today
• Use your questions, take notes in middle box
• I’ll begin us today and then hopefully you’ll lead

Commercial Analysis

• Watch commercials: Youtube Playlist.
• Analyze them using graphic organizer on white boards.
• Discuss in small groups.
• Connect to Dystopian novels.

Techniques:

• Camera Angles and length
• Actors/Actresses
• Specific messages

Everyone needs an individual whiteboard and marker.

Who are your heroes?

Who do you look up to?

What makes them worthy?

Brainstorm individually on your white boards.

Before reading...

List of REAL people

Whither Moral Courage?

Article Link: Click here

Copies in teal notebooks if needed...

Where does moral courage come from?

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1984 by George Orwell Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources

• Introduction This video could serve as a pre-reading activity. It introduces students to the idea of accepting information because Big Brother is the source, even though they know the information to be false.
• Summary/Overview An introduction to plot, character Winston Smith, and theme. Good for pre-reading.
• Character An introduction to 4 characters.
• Symbol 1 This video explores Big Brother as symbol.
• Symbol 2 This video explores the glass paperweight as a symbol of the desire to connect with an authentic past.
• Theme 1 The dangers of totalitarianism.
• Theme 2 "Truth is truth only insofar as we defend it."
• Motifs Designed for post-reading, this video explores Doublethink in the novel.
• Last Word: George Orwell and the totalitarian mind A final word on theme.

1984 Text of the novel in multiple formats: web-based, printable, ePub, and Kindle.

1984 Downloadable audio book, divided by chapter.

1984 Chapter-by-chapter study guides and some vocabulary.

1984 A variety of reading strategies, including an anticipation guide, a biopoem, and a directed reading-thinking activity.

1984 Designed for grades 9 and 10, this site offers a summary, theme openers, crosscurricular activities, research assignments, and suggestions for additional reading.

1984 Anticipation Guide Students respond to 10 statements before and after reading. Access requires MS-Word or compatible application.

1984 : How Much Fact in Fiction? Students explore both historical context and modern society. They also explore themes from the novel. Lesson plans, adaptations, discussion questions, evaluation, extensions, historical and other links, and vocabulary.

1984 Reading Group Guide 20 discussion questions.

An Anti-Hero of One's Own This TED-ED video (4:11) explores the pattern of the anti-hero using references to Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 , among others. Captioned, includes follow-up questions and other support.

Big Brother vs. Little Brother: Updating Orwell's 1984 In this lesson, students compare and contrast the world, people and technologies of 1984 with those of today and create a treatment for a modern film, print or stage adaptation that revolves around current technologies.

Freedom of Speech and Automatic Language: Examining the Pledge of Allegiance Students explore the history and meaning of the Pledge and First Amendment. They consider freedom of speech issues as they apply to fictional characters and their own lives. They write a pledge of their own.

Our Surveillance Society: What Orwell And Kafka Might Say This NPR article was prompted by June 2013 news of government surveillance of phone records and web traffic. It includes links to related stories.

Pizza Palace This fictional scenario explores the possibilities when Big Brother watches an ordinary person who just wants to order a pizza.

Teacher's Guide to 1984 Overview, bibliography, and learning activities. This extensive guide requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.

• Part I, 315 words
• Part II, 312 words
• Part III, 305 words

Nonfiction articles that go with the novel

5 Things You Should Know About the FBI's Massive New Biometric Database A good nonfiction/informational piece to pair with the novel. Part one: can the information be confirmed? Part two: do you agree with the conclusions about civil liberties that this writer draws?

6 News Stories to Connect to Orwell's 1984 News stories, discussion questions, and extension activities.

After Execution of Kim Jong Un’s Uncle, North Korean Media Begins Editing Him Out of History This article dated December 2013 documents a media purge in North Korea that parallels 1984 .

Computers That See You and Keep Watch Over You This article from the January 1, 2011 New York Times explores the impact of computer monitoring.

Edits to Wikipedia pages on Bell, Garner, Diallo traced to 1 Police Plaza A good article for how information can be presented to fit an agenda. An analysis of who edited Wikipedia information and how sources can be traced.

How Companies Learn Your Secrets This 2012 New York Times article by Charles Duhigg outlines how corporations monitor and influence the purchasing decisions of customers without the customers' knowledge. Don't miss the part where Target knew a 15-year-old was pregnant before her father did.

Meet the Big Brother Screening Your Social Media for Employers A thought-provoking article about employers checking an applicant's social media activities prior to hiring.

Stealing J. Edgar Hoover's Secrets This video from the New York Times (13:36) explores the 1971 revelation of FBI surveillance abuses.

We're living 1984 today This 2013 editorial compares the novel and today.

Photo Manipulation

$30,000 Watch Vanishes Up Church Leader's Sleeve Digitally altered image involving an expensive watch on the arm of the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Manipulating Truth, Losing Credibility In 2003 photographer Brian Walski was fired for manipulating photographs he took during the Iraq war. This article includes the originals, the altered version, and commentary.

Photo Tampering throughout History Examples and explanations of how famous photographs were altered.

Soviet Photo Manipulation — Lenin Primary source document: photos of Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Lev Kamenev, before and after Trotsky and Kamenev were "purged" during the Russian Revolution.

Snow-Wash: North Korea Doctored Photo Of Kim's Funeral Primary source document: evidence of a manipulated photograph from the 2011 funeral of North Korean President Kim Jong-Il. Commentary mentions similar activity during the Russian Revolution.

Your Favorite Historical Moments were Photoshopped A collection of historical images and an explanation of how they were altered. Don't miss the cover of the Beatles' album, Abbey Road .

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Teaching Orwell and ’1984’ With The New York Times

By Katherine Schulten

• Feb. 9, 2017

In 1949, when George Orwell’s “1984” was first published, The New York Times book reviewer wrote that, though it was “not impressive as a novel about particular human beings,” as a “prophecy and a warning” it was “superb.”

Right now, many seem to agree. The novel, about a dystopian future where critical thought is suppressed under a totalitarian regime, has seen a surge in sales this month, rising to the top of the Amazon best-seller list in the United States and leading its publisher to have tens of thousands of new copies printed.

Sales of George Orwell's '1984' surge after Kellyanne Conway's talk of 'alternative facts'. Now No. 6 on Amazon list https://t.co/PkeTUc3db7 pic.twitter.com/s7aVCGXQIr — Michiko Kakutani (@michikokakutani) January 24, 2017

Teachers, too, are seizing the moment. The Huffington Post writes that “ High School Students Reading ‘1984’ See A Mirror, Not Science Fiction .” The piece begins:

A dystopian world in which war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength doesn’t seem all that far-fetched to some students now studying George Orwell’s “1984.” Teachers who have assigned the classroom staple this year report that teenagers’ reactions to the text are different than in years past. All of the sudden, they say, students are recognizing their own country in Orwell’s work of fiction.

Below, a few ideas for pairing the themes in “1984” with what’s happening in the world today, along with a full list of resources for teaching Orwell in general.

Are you teaching the novel right now? Are your students’ reactions different than in years past? What ideas should we add to our list? Let us know in the comments.

Teaching Ideas

Keep a Running List of Parallels Between the Novel and Our World Today

Before your students do any of the exercises below, invite them to first work in pairs or small groups to create as rich a list as they can of all the parallels they see between “1984” and the world around them, perhaps creating something like this simple chart we suggesting in a 2010 lesson plan on the novel.

As they do the exercises below, have them continue to add to the chart. Then, whether they’re writing a final essay or doing some other culminating project, they can draw on these lists of detail, quotes, observations and ideas they’ve recorded.

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How to Teach George Orwell’s 1984

Secondary Literacy

I try to read George Orwell’s 1984 every year. This novel is captivating from the very first line; Orwell’s composition never ceases to amaze me. But what I find most fascinating about this novel is that it becomes seemingly more relevant as time goes on. As our world continues to change, I begin to notice more parallels between society and Orwell’s 1984 – all the more reason to introduce this novel to your high school students.

Whether you’re teaching 1984 for the first time or, like me, turn back to it year after year – I trust that this blog post will have lessons and activities applicable to your unit. Feel free to adapt these lessons to your students and to your own style of teaching!

What grade should I teach 1984 ?

Are your students the right match for Orwell’s 1984 ? This depends on a few factors. First, it is worth considering your students’ cultural backgrounds and familiarity with socialism and communism . If you teach English at a school located in a nation that was formerly a part of the Soviet Union or Eastern Bloc, your students will have a considerable amount of background knowledge for this novel.

Students studying in countries located in the global East may also have pre-existing background knowledge. This is because of their geographical relationship with the communist countries of Asia. But a word of caution if you teach at an international school : if you’ve never read 1984, keep in mind that it is a harsh critique of socialism . You may wish to take this into consideration if the demographic of your classroom is entangled with the communist or socialist nations of today.

Another consideration is your students’ understanding of “ fake news “. Are your students familiar with the spread of false information in mainstream media? Nowadays, media literacy is an important component of almost any curriculum. However, depending on where you live, your students may have abundant experience with this concept. This will help them better understand 1984 .

Generally speaking, the Lexile level of 1984 indicates that this novel is best suited for 9th and 10th grade . Given the novel’s artful composition, I’d also recommend it for students enrolled in AP Language and Composition .

What can we learn from 1984 ?

Orwell’s 1984 is more than just dystopian fiction. This is because you can make endless parallels between society in the novel and the real world today. It doesn’t matter what “today” is – somehow, this book remains relevant.

Overall, 1984 is a novel about class society , the overstep of the government , and the implications of language . It tells the story of Winston Smith, a middle-aged man in search of self-realization . He is held back by the society in which he lives, which robs him of the joys of life and the inherent tendencies that come with them.

The novel depicts communism in Europe through a critical eye. Orwell magnifies propaganda , herd mentality , and social stratification to comment on repeated dynamics of power and oppression throughout human history. The government in 1984 also uses fear to oppress the lower classes within society. 1984 therefore also serves as a window into psychology and mass manipulation .

COVID-1984 : Orwell’s 1984 and the Pandemic

When I taught 1984 three years ago, my students incorporated many views about the Trump administration and the conversations of “fake news” in the media. Had I taught it ten years ago, I might have focussed on technological advances and their implications on privacy. Teaching 1984 in 2022, one cannot ignore the parallels between the novel and the COVID-19 pandemic .

Writer and performance poet Probably Tomfoolery goes so far as to brand these parallels “ COVID-1984 ” in the following mini-film production:

Tomfoolery’s film is thought-provoking and sure to start a discussion with your students. Your students may even have controversial opinions about this film, or about parallels between 1984 and COVID-19 in general. With any novel, my aim is never to make connections for my students or force conclusions upon them. The goal is to allow them to make these conclusions themselves.

Is 1984 a prophecy come true ? It’s startling, as the years go on, how the relevance of this novel evolves. Given this, your students are sure to witness both the pertinence and evolution of this novel and analyze it from their individual perspectives. Either way, these concepts will definitely spark some conversations in your classroom!

More Modern Parallels to Orwell’s 1984

One of my students’ favorite 1984 lessons involves making musical connections. You can prompt students to find parallels between 1984 and modern music . I like to introduce this lesson after Part 2, Chapter 4 of the novel when Julia and Winston first hear the prole woman singing. This is a great way to underscore the significance of music in 1984 .

You can start this lesson by exploring Rage Against the Machine’s “ Testify ” or Radiohead’s “ 2 + 2 = 5 .” Scaffold annotating the lyrics by modeling the process as a class. Your students can collaborate to find parallels between these examples and the novel. Then, you can challenge students to find their own songs for comparison .

Another approach is to challenge students to find their parallels using the main concepts from the novel. For example, I start this activity by having students define “ Doublethink ,” “ The Ministry of Peace, ” “ The Ministry of Truth ,” “ The Telescreen ” and “ Big Brother .” Then, I’ll explore five pre-selected articles and have students connect one of the terms to each example. If my students are particularly keen on being challenged, I’ll have them find their own examples too.

Mondays Made Easy offers a 1984 Modern Parallels resource with five examples of the concepts listed above. These examples include links to recent news articles . Additionally, there are worksheets that prompt students to both define and further examine each concept in relation to our modern world.

Activities to Teach The Book by Emmanuel Goldstein

Did you know that the “Theory of Oligarchical Collectivism” is the only part of Orwell’s first draft of 1984 that made it into the final cut? This important chapter might feel like an interruption to the story, and your students might find it challenging . It reads like a manifesto, so it might help students to explore it like one.

In light of this, I don’t assign the whole chapter in one sitting . I want to avoid overwhelming my class; to be honest, it’s a little overwhelming for just myself! Make sure you spend some time exploring this chapter together. I also remind students that the plot is about to get really thick after this chapter. This helps to build on the suspense that Orwell was surely trying to create.

It might be helpful to develop prior knowledge of manifestos with your students. You can explore the definition of a manifesto or research examples. Students can also complete a WebQuest on a single manifesto to explore its significance.

I find that many of my students are visual learners and like to explore this chapter with a map . I assign them a blank map with a key that includes the three superstates in 1984 . Students can use this to gain a geographic understanding of the novel.

This text is also a great assignment for AP Language and Composition students. Orwell is an exemplary writer, and examining his figurative style makes for a great lesson. To do this, you can assign students the task of exploring the literary devices in this chapter. make them look for literary devices. Some noteworthy examples include analogy, personification, metaphor, paradox, aphorism, and conceit.

Mondays Made Easy offers a Close Reading Activity for “The Theory of Oligarchical Collectivism.” This resource includes comprehension questions, an interactive map, and a list of literary devices to explore within this chapter. I’ve also included a comprehensive answer key to help you consolidate this activity.

Teaching Symbolism in 1984

1984 is rich with symbolism, and these symbols become more complex over the course of the novel. You can prompt students to search for these symbols and consider the way they evolve over the novel. I assign a symbol tracking activity and have students explore the symbols I’ve provided to them.

You can divide students into groups and assign each group a symbol. Alternatively, you can have students track these symbols independently. Students can then select one of the symbols as the topic of a presentation or an essay . This is a great way to assess students’ understanding of the symbol and the relationship to the novel as a whole.

Orwell’s 1984: A Classic for High School English

The only thing I enjoy more than reading this novel is teaching Orwell’s 1984 . With the help of the activities and ideas in this blog post, I hope you enjoy teaching it as well. If you’re looking for more resources to teach 1984, be sure to check out Mondays Made Easy’s 1984 Novel Study Unit . This unit includes digital and ready-to-print activities for both remote and in-person learning. In addition to the resources mentioned in this blog post, this bundle also includes bell ringer assessments , chapter-by-chapter comprehension questions , additional reading activities , and more! Click here to preview the bundle in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

• Introduction
• Before Reading the Novel
• While Reading the Novel
• After Reading the Novel
• Bibliography
• About the Guide Author
• About the Guide Editors
• Buy this Book!

Enter promo code TEACH for 15% off.

George Orwell’s 1984 offers a thought-provoking learning experience for high schools students. It provides challenging reading, stimulating themes of dehumanization, isolation, repression, loneliness, social class disparity, and abuse of power, and a basis upon which students can form their own opinions about today’s society. 1984’s relevance to today’s world makes it an excellent choice for secondary school readers who hold our future in their hands, whether as tomorrow’s leaders or as followers.

Some years ago, Americans envisioned a future that would evolve predictably from the past as a type of extension of the familiar. With the sixties, however, our idyllic dreams were shattered and new visions began to form. 1984 , written in 1948 and published in 1949, was intended as a warning against totalitarian tendencies rather than as a prophetic work. Now that the year 1984 has passed, many may scoff at the warning, but those who do would be wise to look at the present a bit more closely. Currently, we have subliminal messages, two-way televisions, computer viruses threatening to endanger our much depended-upon information systems (with possible global impact), and countries all over the world committing atrocities against their own people. Recent political campaigns have shown us explicitly the extent to which propaganda has corrupted our own language. Politicians have perfected their own type of "Newspeak."

Examine our postmodern style in literature and you will find themes of isolation, repression, and loneliness. The characters of postmodern literature lead surface lives that are mere facades put up for the benefit of appearances. Unfortunately, this is the only fantasy to be found in the writing. It is as if imagination has given up, crushed by the weight of the world’s problems. Like the citizens of Oceania, many postmodern writers have become mere recorders of a hopeless world rather than creators of a new one.

Of those of us who do not scoff at the warning, few think that we will actually be overtaken by a totalitarian intruder; rather, it is the creeping, small things that scare us. Like spiders and snakes, they approach unnoticed. 1984 depicts a dystopia, a world that went wrong, a world of manipulation and control which uses its people against themselves like pawns. A look at our corporate business world today provides a startling comparison to 1984 ’s world of control and power plays. On the international scene, it has always been easier for us to sit back and criticize the Soviet Union than to deal with our own problems. Perhaps the changes coming about in that country and in the other Soviet bloc nations will force us to be introspective. In the meantime, we should remember that the mindless citizens of Oceania are given neither the opportunity nor the encouragement to think or read. With a study of 1984 , we have a chance for both.

As the book opens, Winston Smith, the protagonist, is entering his dismal apartment in London. The opening paragraphs convey the depressing tone of the book with a description of the squalid living conditions. The world is divided into three superpowers: Eastasia, Eurasia, and Winston’s homeland, Oceania. Each superpower is always at war with at least one of the others. The perpetual wartime conditions provide a convenient way for the government of Oceania to keep its citizens repressed. Supplies for party members are always scarce and surveillance is a perfected art.

In private rebellion against the government, Winston, an Outer Party member, starts keeping a diary. This small, forbidden step begins his life as an enemy of the party he serves. He purchases the diary on one of his forays into the proletarian section. Outside the antique shop where he bought the diary he later encounters a young woman who he has observed watching him for the last few days at his office. Knowing he is not supposed to be there and suspecting she is a spy, he quickly avoids her.

The next day, much to Winston’s surprise, the woman, Julia, slips him a note which says "I LOVE YOU." They arrange to meet secretly and soon become lovers. They rent a room above the antique shop from the kindly owner, Mr. Charrington.

At the height of Winston’s affair with Julia, he is approached by an Inner Party member named O’Brien whom Winston has long suspected of being a subversive. On the pretense of discussing one of Winston’s Newspeak articles, O’Brien invites him to his home. When he arrives there, Winston is amazed at the amenities available to the Inner Party about which Outer Party members might only dream. One of these luxuries is a telescreen that can actually be turned off for privacy. O’Brien reveals to Winston that the Brotherhood, a mutinous underground organization, does exist, and he makes arrangements to give Winston a copy of a book which details the control techniques that Party uses. Excited about the prospects of helping overthrow the government, Winston takes the book to the room above Mr. Charrington’s shop. However, before he can make any plans or even finish the book, he and Julia are arrested in the room that had been their refuge. They discover that quiet Mr. Charrington is actually a member of the Thought Police. He and O’Brien had been working together to trap Winston.

Winston and Julia are separated and taken to the Ministry of Love where Winston is physically and psychologically tortured by O'Brien until he finally accepts the Party's views. In a moment of utter terror, Winston betrays Julia, something he was convinced they could never make him do. The final lines of the book show Winston's complete transformation into a model Party member: "...Everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother."

In This Article:

Featured high school resources.

Related Resources

About the author.

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Teacher Guide

1984 lesson plan.

• Introduction to 1984

Written in the shadow of World War II and the many Fascist and Communist revolutions that preceded it, 1984 is a dystopian novel, set in a terrifying imagined future—in this case, the imagined year 1984. It tells the story of Winston Smith, who is a citizen of Oceania, one of the three superstates that control the globe; the novel follows his struggle against its ruling body, the Party, and its symbolic leader, Big Brother. The Party aims for absolute power over its citizens, whom it controls through constant observation using "telescreens" and through cruelty enforced by social norms and orthodoxies rather than formalized legal codes. Winston feels a desperate need to resist this...

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1984 Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for 1984 is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Describe O’Briens apartment and lifestyle. How do they differ from Winston’s?

From the text:

It was only on very rare occasions that one saw inside the dwelling-places of the Inner Party, or even penetrated into the quarter of the town where they lived. The whole atmosphere of the huge block of flats, the richness and...

What was the result of Washington exam

Sorry, I'm not sure what you are asking here.

how is one put into the inner or outer party in the book 1984

The Outer Party is a huge government bureaucracy. They hold positions of trust but are largely responsible for keeping the totalitarian structure of Big Brother functional. The Outer Party numbers around 18 to 19 percent of the population and the...

Study Guide for 1984

1984 study guide contains a biography of George Orwell, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• 1984 Summary
• Character List

Essays for 1984

1984 essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of 1984 by George Orwell.

• The Reflection of George Orwell
• Totalitarian Collectivism in 1984, or, Big Brother Loves You
• Sex as Rebellion
• Class Ties: The Dealings of Human Nature Depicted through Social Classes in 1984
• 1984: The Ultimate Parody of the Utopian World

Lesson Plan for 1984

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• 1984 Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for 1984

• Introduction
• Writing and publication

Introductory Lesson Plan for Orwell's "1984"

• Gillian Hendrie
• Categories : High school english lesson plans grades 9 12
• Tags : High school lesson plans & tips

This lesson is mainly a discussion and sharing session, to be done before the students have begun reading “1984”, if possible. It serves as an introduction to the concept of Big Brother, someone or something with power over our lives. Suitable for Grades 8 - 10.

Only paper or students’ notebooks required.

Lesson Plan

WRITING: Students write a list of things they are planning to/would like to do this coming weekend.

SPEAKING: A couple of students share what they have written. [Allow this to lead to short discussions.]

DISCUSSION: Will your parents/guardians allow you to do everything on your list? If not, why not? What might they say? (e.g. “Be home by 10pm.”) Why do you think they say these things?

a) One student role-plays the other’s parent, finding an argument against each item on the list. (The funnier, the better!)

b) Swap roles.

c) A few students act out their role play for the class.

(This may now lead naturally to a discussion about having power over someone else’s life. Is it necessary to have a power structure in society? etc - depending on the class.)

5. DISCUSSION:

When do you expect your parents to stop “controlling your life”? Who has control over adults’ lives?

Writing for Homework

TASK: Imagine it’s twenty years from now and you have children of your own. What kind of parent would you like to be? What would you worry about? Write a journal entry describing a typical day for you and your family.

EXPECTED RESULTS: The journal entry should describe a day in the life of someone of about 35 years old. The relationship between the adult and the children should come through, mentioning worries that the adult has in relation to each child. They could also mention disputes they have had when a child wanted to do something that the adult did not allow, and how those were resolved. Other members of the household (such as a spouse) may also play a large part in the journal entry.

Part 2 goes on to consider the concept of being under observation 24 hours a day.

This post is part of the series: George Orwell’s 1984

This is a series of lessons for teaching and discussing the concepts contained within Orwell’s “1984”. It includes introductory lessons for use before reading begins, some chapter specific ideas and activities, and essay topics. Intended for Grades 8 - 10.

• Introductory Lessons to George Orwell’s “1984” Part 1: You’re Not the Boss of Me!
• Introductory Lessons to Orwell’s “1984” Part 2: Big Brother is Watching You!
• Introduce Critical Reading With a Lesson Plan on 1984 by George Orwell

You Do Hoodoo

Bare ruined choir practice, an approach to teaching 1984.

What struck me when rereading the novel is its high artistic achievement.   For whatever reason, I remembered it as being more polemical than artistic; however, I now consider 1984 as a beautifully synthesized work in which setting, character, plot, symbolism all reinforce one another to create a devastatingly powerful whole.

But where in the hell to begin? There’s so much there: the geographic dynamics of the three superstates, the concept of doublethink, the linguistics of Newspeak, the pervasiveness of totalitarianism, the structure of the novel — not to mention characterization and symbolism.

I begin with characterization, with Winston, the protagonist. The first reading assignment is short, the first seven pages of the Signet Classic edition, the assignment ending when Winston writes the date April 4, 1984 in his diary. [1]

In our close reading, we focus on Winston’s fragility, how his overalls symbolically swallow him, much as his dystopian world has swallowed him. We discuss the setting and especially the tone.

The second assignment is to finish “Section 1.” In the subsequent class, we focus on O’Brien, who, of course, takes over the narrative at the end of the novel. I especially note the initial description of O’Brien’s person:

O’Brien was a large, burly man with a thick neck and a course, humorous, brutal face. In spite of his formidable appearance, he had a certain charm of manner [. . .]. Winston had seen O’Brien perhaps a dozen times in almost as many years. He felt deeply drawn to him, and not solely because he was intrigued by the contrast between O’Brien’s urbane manner and his prizefighter’s physique.

Note that prevalence of negativity in that ambiguous description and how O’Brien’s very appearance calls to mind doublethink , the paradoxical juxtapositioning of antithetical elements.   WAR IS PEACE. O’BRIEN’S UGLY MUG IS ATTRACTIVE. During Winston’s interrogation near the end of the book, we return to this passage. Obviously, Winston “misread” O’Brien.

In the passages describing “the flicks” and the Two Minutes of Hate, we explore how the violence involved in the movies and the “two minutes” might negatively condition even intelligent contrarians like Winston, which sets up later revelations like his regret over not killing his wife when he had the opportunity or his blithely promising to throw sulfuric acid into the face of a child. Of course, contemporary phenomena like violent video games offer correlations students can relate to.

Sections 3 and 4 provide elaboration and an opportunity to discuss the modus operandi of the State, the barbarism of the children, the undermining of basic human instincts like filial love. We also discuss the ubiquitous surveillance of Outer Party members and how telescreens and hidden microphones create paranoia and why a paranoid populace would be less inclined to rebel.

In Sections 4 and 5, we tackle Newspeak. I encourage students to record Newspeak vocabulary in their notebooks, and on our once-a-week block day (85 minutes as opposed to 45), I have them translate the first sentence of A Tale of Two Cities into Newspeak.

What a wonderful opportunity to discuss language and how the specificity of vocabulary sharpens perception. We talk about the role that language plays in shaping what we call reality. I ask them to visualize an oleander. If they don’t know the word, I tell them an oleander is a bush. Then I compare descriptions between a student who knows what an oleander is and a student who describes a bush. (Or you could have one student sketch an oleander and another a bush). We discuss how eliminating words and simplifying vocabulary help to restrict thought in Oceania.

Section 8, the last section of Part One, is particularly important as Winston enters the prole ghetto, visits a pub, and discusses the past with a senile old man. We debate the pros and cons of being a prole versus a party member. Here also is a chance to question the relationship between human cognition and our understanding of history.

At the end of Part 1, I show the movie trailer for the 1984 version starring John Hurt.

Part 2 deals with Winston’s and Julia’s love affair. Here we have the dichotomy of thoughts versus feelings highlighted by Winston’s inner proclamation at the very end of “section 7”:

They could not alter your feelings; for that matter you couldn’t alter them yourself, even if you wanted to. They could not lay bare in the utmost detail everything you had done or said or thought; but the inner heart, whose workings were mysterious even to yourself, remained impregnable.

Obviously, a comparison and contrast between Winston and Julia is a potential subject for discussion or a paper.

Although I’m a frequent quizzer, I don’t quiz them on the contents of “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism,” the treatise written by Inner Party Members but attributed to the fictitious Emmanuel Goldstein. This part of novel is not nearly as popular with the students and difficult for many of them to comprehend.

We do discuss the geopolitical configuration of the planet, but spend most of our time exploring how the ubiquitous slogans (IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH, etc.) work as paradoxes that can contain some elements of truth.

At this point, on Block Day, I divide students into groups and have them discuss the following topics and to record in writing their conclusions:

• It is vitally important to the Inner Party that the people of Oceania be kept in a perpetual state of paranoia. Discuss how this is achieved and, most importantly, why it is so important to the party’s system of control.
• Discuss the use of technology to control public and private behavior in 1984 .
• How does Newspeak enable the Party to control thought and limit emotion?    How important is Newspeak in the plan for perpetual Party power?
• Would you rather be a prole or a Party member in 1984 ? Why or why not? Provide examples from the novel to support your argument.

I allow students to choose whatever topic interests them the most, and at least this year, the groups broke down remarkably well into units of three and four. These topics end up being the basis of a writing assignment, which I’ll reproduce at the end of the post.

In Part 3, I introduce students to the three elements Aristotle’s rhetoric: ethos , logos , and pathos and argue that O’Brien’s interrogation is an act of persuasion that utilizes these three elements. Here, I’m indebted to Emele Brax’s dissertation “A Rhetorical Reading of George Orwell’s 1984,” which you can find here .

We discuss how O’Brien establishes his credibility and Winston’s ambiguous feelings toward him ( ethos ), how O’Brien manipulates logic to convince Winston that Winston is wrong ( logos ), and how appeals to pathos , i.e., comfort, protection, and family [2]  help to convert Winston into a believer.

We also talk about O’Brien’s contention that reality only exists in the minds of right-thinking Party members. I introduce them to the concept of existentialism.

Once we have finished the novel, I go subversive and claim that it has a happy ending, that the protagonist’s conflict is successfully resolved in a way that makes him happy. After all, “two gin-scented tears of joy” are “trickling down” his cheeks as we learn that Winston “had won the victory over himself.”

Of course, the students disagree, so I take on O’Brien’s persona, hold four fingers up and ask how many they see, explain to them they’ve been brainwashed by Western humanism.  I ask them to imagine that they’re North Koreans and how might their interpretations differ if that were the case. This play acting leads to a summing up discussion, so all that’s left is the paper.

1984 Essay Assignment (based on the 4 topics listed above)

Your first sentence should mention the title and author and convey that 1984 is an important dystopian work about totalitarianism.

The next three or four sentences should provide a short summary of the culture of Oceania.

Then depending on your topic, you should pivot towards your thesis.

For example, for topic number 1, you might say something to the effect that because of constant surveillance and the tendency for neighbors and children to inform on their parents and friends, paranoia runs rampant among Party members.

The thesis comes next.

For number 2, you might say something to the effect that being under constant surveillance controls both public and private behavior, which makes rebellion next to impossible.

For number 3, you’d mention Newspeak as a major factor in limiting Party members ability to reason and experience emotions before stating your thesis.

For number 4, your pivot should mention the distribution of the prole and Party population and how they’re treated by the Inner Party before stating your thesis.

Each body paragraph’s topic sentence should reflect an idea in your thesis and should be debatable (in other words not a statement of fact). You need to demonstrate that the topic sentences are true by providing examples from the novel via direct quotations.

• When incorporating quotes, provide context (where and when the quote appears, and if it comes from a character, tell us who says it).
• Fluidly incorporate quotes into your own prose.

You don’t want long quotes but to break quotes into small segments and “sandwich” them into your analytical sentences.

For example, rather than writing, “Party members have it better than proles. ‘They were born, they grew up in the gutters, they went to work at twelve, they passed through a brief blossoming period of beauty and sexual desire, they married at twenty, they were middle-aged at thirty, they died, for the most part, at sixty,’” it’s better to slice the quote into more digestible bites like this:

All Winston seems to know about proles is that they grow “up in the gutters” and go “to work at twelve.” Even though they enjoy “a brief blooming period of beauty,” they end up “middle-aged at thirty” and “dying for the most part, at sixty.”

End your paper with a conclusion that doesn’t merely summarize your argument but pivots to another related aspect of the novel. For example, if you argue that being a Party Member is better than being a prole, you might end the paper by discussing what a terrible choice it is because Party members lead wretched lives given that . . .

[1] 4 April was coincidentally the day the reading assignment was due.

[2] Both O’Brien and Big Brother are father figures.

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17 thoughts on “ an approach to teaching 1984 ”.

Hey, I like the lesson plan post! My 3rd trimester is PBL with philosophy class (Plato’s Republic), Spanish Literature (Asturia’s El Senor Presidente), Estudio Sociales (Guatemalan constitution), and English (Huxley’s Brave New World). Students have to combine one theme and three sub-themes from each of their classes and create a game or booth that might be found at a Guatemalan fair (Feria Chapina) in the future. Next year, I want to use 1984 as well. Thanks and happy getting-close-to-the-end-of the-year to you!

Hey, Russell. It’s so challenging teaching something for the first time. Sounds as if y’all got a great, challenging program down there. Please, if you’re ever up this way, get in touch.

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Sheesh, Wesley! You hit the jackpot for the creativity gene.

Thanks, Rodney! Happy holidays!

Thanks, Rodney! By the way, Merry Christmas.

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Are the four questions discussed on Block Day, the actual essay prompts to which the students wrote?

Yes, Matthew. They write on the prompt they discussed. Thanks for reading.

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This post came up with a Google search for ideas for teaching the novel. Thanks for typing this up and sharing it! I am planning to use a lot of these ideas with the 11 homeschooled high school kids I’m teaching this year. Great work!

So glad you found it useful. Good luck with your eleven. Best wishes, Wesley Moore

I last taught 1984 in 1984 so I too am in desperate need of help. Wish I’d found this before isolation left teaching remote the only possibility. It’s hard to “discuss” with a class online.

I can imagine. If you have any questions, hit me up.

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Go Deeper with Writing Assignment Revisions, Discourse, and Feedback using Submit

Screencastify is a powerful ally for students looking to enhance their communication and share thought processes with their teachers. With Screencastify, students can capture their screens while narrating their actions, making it ideal for demonstrating changes and revisions made to writing assignments.

Imagine this scenario: you've diligently worked on a writing assignment, refining your arguments and polishing your prose. Instead of just submitting the final document, you decide to use Screencastify to record your screen as you navigate through the revisions for your teacher. Here’s how it works:

• Capturing the Process : With Screencastify, you can record yourself revising your document in real-time. This includes editing sentences, restructuring paragraphs, and adding citations—all while explaining your thought process aloud.
• Narrating Your Edits : As you go through each revision, you can verbally articulate why you made certain changes. This narration helps your teacher understand your reasoning and the effort you've put into improving your assignment.
• Providing Context : Sometimes, the changes made in a document are not immediately apparent from the final draft alone. Screencastify allows you to highlight specific sections and explain the evolution of your ideas, providing valuable context to your teacher.
• Receiving Feedback : After recording, you can easily share the Screencastify video link with your teacher. This direct visual and verbal feedback often leads to more insightful critiques and a deeper understanding of your writing process.
• Enhancing Learning : Beyond just showcasing revisions, using Screencastify fosters a culture of transparency and accountability in your academic work. It demonstrates your commitment to improvement and allows you to reflect on your own writing strategies.

By leveraging Screencastify, students not only present their work more effectively but also engage in a richer dialogue with their educators. Whether in remote learning environments or traditional classrooms, tools like Screencastify bridge the gap between written assignments and meaningful, interactive feedback and discourse. So, next time you're polishing up that essay or research paper, consider giving Screencastify a try—it might just make all the difference in how your revisions are understood and appreciated!

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Academic Writing - Tips Editing and Managing Text in Microsoft 365 Word

Date: 2024-10-04 Time:09:00 – 12:00 Place: The Language Lab, J441 (Library Campus Borås)

Most examinations involve written assignments and often they require collaboration with others. Knowing how to handle and work with text is vital to be able to facilitate the learning process and achieve a smoother study experience. This lecture/workshop gives you hands on advice on some useful formatting and editing features in Word that can help you when dealing with templates or large quantities of text. You will be able to try out your skills during the session. We will work on computers equipped with relevant software. However, if you are a student at University of Borås you have access to Office 365 and may download the Office programs to your computer. Read more here:  Microsoft 365 

The activity is held in English.

Note! This is a generic session for all interested students at UB. Some programmes also have integrated sessions on academic language in their syllabus. Contents might be overlapping.

Registration: Registration required. Last day of registration is 13 September. Confirmation of registration is sent within a week before the activity is held.  Welcome!

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Please note that the activity will be cancelled if the number of participants is less than 5.

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