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Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Decoding the Dystopian Characteristics of Macintosh’s “1984” Commercial

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Known as one of the most iconic advertisements of the 20th century, Macintosh's "1984" commercial has become more of a social statement. Present the ad to a new audience of viewers with a lesson focused on identifying dystopian...
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Study Guide
Penguin Books

A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of George Orwell's Animal Farm

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Not all teacher's guides are equal, but some are pretty good. This guide for George Orwell's Animal Farm includes chapter synopses, chapter-by-chapter discussion questions, journal and essay prompts, and suggestions for various activities.
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Article
The New York Times

Teaching Orwell and '1984’ with the New York Times

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Doublethink and alternate facts? Big Brother and Facebook? 1984 and 2019? Sales of 1984 have surged and so has the use of George Orwell's dystopian classic in classrooms. Whether new to teaching the novel or a seasoned veteran you'll...
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Lesson Plan
The New York Times

Literary Pilgrimages: Exploring the Role of Place in Writers’ Lives and Work

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Do the places you have lived influence what you write? Class members research the lives of writers and look for how places these writers have lived might have influenced their writings. 
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Lesson Plan
The New York Times

Where to Draw the Line: Balancing Government Surveillance with the Fourth Amendment

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The question of how to balance Fourth Amendment Rights with national security concerns becomes critical in an age of planned terrorist attacks, election interference, and fake news. Get young social scientists involved in the debate with...
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Activity
Great Books Foundation

Discussion Guide for 1984

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, published in 1949, can seem strangely prophetic when compared to modern news events and politics. Readers of Orwell's dystopian classic sharpen their critical thinking skills by engaging in a shared...
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Activity
Film Education

Nineteen Eighty-Four: Orwell

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Warning or prediction? Nineteen Eighty Four is the anchor text for a series of tasks that ask readers to compare the novel to the film as well as current events to those pictured in George Orwell's dystopian classic.
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Study Guide
Penguin Books

A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of George Orwell’s 1984

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Whether you're new to using Nineteen Eighty Four in the classroom or you're an Orwell veteran, the materials in this teacher's guide are a valuable addition to your curriculum. The suggested activities prompt readers to create a newspeak...
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Activity
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The depth of Nineteen Eighty Four is in the details. Encourage a close reading of Orwell's dystopian classic with resource sheets that focus attention on the author's stylistic choices that lead to the betrayals that make Big Brother's...
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Activity
Infobased Learning

Bloom's Literature: How to Write about Nineteen Eighty Four

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
A good prompt is hard to find, especially ones that encourage application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of a text. Help is here in the form of a prompt list for George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four that offers essay topics that...
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eBook
Planet e-Book

1984

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
An eBook edition of 1984 is now available for classroom use. George Orwell's famous dystopian novel is downloadable for free for individual computers, tablets, or phones.
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Worksheet
Prestwick House

Animal Farm

For Students 9th - 12th
Events in George Orwell's Animal Farm provide the clues in a 22-question crossword puzzle that tests reader's recall of the allegorical novel.
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Worksheet
Prestwick House

1984

For Students 9th - 12th
Readers of Nineteen Eighty-Four use their answers to questions about George Orwell's tale to complete a crossword puzzle.
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Activity
ReadMagazine

Nineteen Eight-Four

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Nineteen Eighty-Four is a perfect text for an age of fake news and alternative facts. And what better way to introduce a new generation of readers to George Orwell's dystopian classic than with a reader's theatre version of the tale. The...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Animal Farm: Allegory and the Art of Persuasion

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Introduce your class members to allegory and propaganda with a series of activities designed to accompany a study of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Readers examine the text as an allegory, consider the parallels to collective farms and the...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Animal Farm, Chapter 1 Discussion Notes

For Students 8th - 12th
If you are just starting out with Animal Farm by George Orwell, consider this resource. Titled as discussion notes, you might use these questions in a variety of different ways. The questions and prompts start out simple and gradually...
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Worksheet
1
1
Curated OER

Animal Farm Chapter 2 Discussion Notes and Mini-Project

For Students 9th - 11th
Imagine having the opportunity to create your own country. After responding to questions about chapter two, readers of George Orwell's dystopian classic are given a chance to design a utopia for one-million people, complete with...
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PPT
Curated OER

George Orwell: A Brief Biography

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Studying an author can help learners better understand literature. George Orwell's biography is the focus of this presentation, which leads into an activity and discussion about concepts connected to Animal Farm. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Shooting An Elephant": George Orwell's Essay on His Life in Burma

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High school readers examine George Orwell's essay "Shooting an Elephant" for examples of symbolism, metaphor, connotation, and irony. They analyze how these literary tools convey the writer's main point and contribute to the persuasive...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Shooting an Elephant"

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Study selected vocabulary terms in George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant." A chart includes five selections, and learners must record the connotative and denotative meaning for each. A great look at using the context to define vocabulary...
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PPT
Curated OER

Totalitarianism

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Introduce the concept of Totalitarian government. This informative slide show outlines key reasons, events, and rulers that employ a Totalitarian Doctrine.
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Writing
Curated OER

Animal Farm: Theme of Dreams, Hopes, and Plans

For Students 8th - 11th
"Four legs good, two legs bad..." Focusing on the themes from George Orwell's Animal Farm, this reading comprehension worksheet prompts middle schoolers to respond to several short answer and essay questions. They may also complete their...
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Worksheet
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Curated OER

1984 - Chapter 3-4 Questions

For Students 9th - 12th
Why does Winston think sorrow and tragedy are no longer possible? What is a memory hole, and what is its purpose? Although designed as an assessment, these questions on chapters three and four of the Orwell’s dystopian classic could also...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Farm: Chapter 3

For Teachers 8th - 12th
In this Animal Farm comprehension check worksheet, learners respond to 5 short answer questions and define 5 terms pertaining to chapter 3 of Animal Farm by George Orwell in order to help them better understand the novel.