Using the internet, biographical background on the author, George Orwell, will be gathered. We will research and examine the life of Orwell to determine, as we read the text, the relevance, if any, of his life on the story. Graphic organizers will be completed to solidify their understanding of the life and times of the narrative. At the same time we will complete an historic study to see the impact of history on the novel. These two websites provide easy and accessible information to set the stage for the reading of the novel. http://www.george-orwell.org/l_biography.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Orwell
As we begin our exploration of the text, it will be essential to remind the students that they will be applying their new found knowledge of the critical approaches to the text. Groups of three students will work together to analyze assigned chapters. Next year’s eighth grade classes are scheduled to be divided into three groups making each class number eighteen. There will thus be six groups in each class. Each group will be asked to consider and complete four sections for its assigned chapter: to list salient points for a power point presentation using one of the critical approaches as reference points; to highlight the important vocabulary of the chapter; to develop a creative way to present their chapter; and to develop insightful questions to ask of their classmates.
It is my intent to meet with each group before their presentation and review their information, offering help where needed. I will model the first two chapters, showing them exactly what I expect of their power point presentation. I will continue to model both chapters 5 and 8 while providing time for the remaining groups to read and prepare. In the critical approach portion, I will ask them to describe the approach they chose to highlight, and then provide examples from the text where there is evidence that the approach applies. An example of this might be the representation of historical figures as the major characters within the novel; Stalin as Napoleon, Trotsky as Snowball, etc. This information would be gleaned through the historical background we discuss at the beginning of the novel. I would expect my students to be able to show how these characters’ actions mimic actual events in history.
The important vocabulary must first appear on their power point presentation as a list with definitions. The group should provide the class with a written list for their binders. It will then be up to them to decide how the vocabulary will be reinforced. Some suggestion might be a worksheet with blanks to be filled in, a vocabulary game similar to
Jeopardy,
a matching sheet, a synonym/antonym sheet, etc. Some of these can be suggested as homework assignments. It should be emphasized here that the use of vocabulary in their culminating essay will receive extra credit.
The demonstration of the plot line is the creative piece of their presentation. Its form might be a play with a small cast of characters, a poem, or a puppet show. Obviously this section allows those students who are visually, artistically, creatively, and verbally, to shine. A time constraint of 5 - 8 minutes should be set on this activity to allow enough time for all 4 sections to be completed within a 45 minute time period.
Students will next create the final portion of their power point presentation -- an assessment of their choosing. This could be a crossword puzzle, a quick quiz, a
Jeopardy
-like game, or an open-ended question. In addition, students will write a critique of the text using the various approaches as well as creating a visual project, perhaps a series of comic strips, capturing the essence of each chapter. For my ELL students, the plot line should be depicted in these comics. For my advanced students, I will expect the satire to be shown, modeling this with samples of some
New York Times
political cartoons.
The final piece of this unit is undoubtedly the most significant for my students --the discussion of the book as a whole. A series of ethical and literary questions and connections will hopefully be generated and answered. Although I would never use these questions worded as such, these are the essential questions of my unit. Questions such as: Is fiction an issue of “truthfulness” or relevance? Is it important, as Aristotle claims, that there be a certain “distance” between a work of art and life in order to achieve catharsis? Do art and literature necessarily have to imitate life, as a simulated representation or mimesis, in order to give us a way of understanding a character’s feelings? Do stories have irreconcilably contradictory meanings as defined in the deconstructionist approach to literature? Are women relegated to secondary positions, as feminist criticism contends or should Freud be consulted when reading literary works? Should literature be examined historically/economically; is it even a relevant form of criticism? It will be at this point that we will also try to resolve any unanswered questions that have been raised in hopes of satisfying my students’ innate curiosity that they so often display while reading together as a class.
Hopefully this introduction to the critical approaches will spawn awareness of the depths to which literature reaches. This exposure will set the groundwork for high school and beyond.
