The main text to be examined in this unit is George Orwell’s
Animal Farm.
Due to the complex nature of the text for the middle school student, it is important to present clear-cut, incremental steps as a way of demonstrating the intricacies of the narrative. Because my students can “read” visual images with ease, I will start with a visual lesson presenting several scenes from the Sistine Chapel, adding background knowledge to expand understanding and appreciation of a piece of art. Next, I will show the literary counterpart, the metaphor. From here, my students will be exposed to the critical approaches to literature through the use of brief selections chosen for their obvious demonstration of the approach. Segueing into our main text,
Animal Farm,
will occur through a discussion of allegory present in the novel. Student groups will be assigned chapters. They will be required to present the chapter as a power point presentation, demonstrating understanding of the critical approach concepts using evidence from the text. They will also be asked to highlight vocabulary that is new or interesting in some way and develop an assessment of the chapter for fellow students to complete.
Finally, this unit will culminate in a written critique of the text using the various approaches as its basis as well as a visual project, perhaps a series of comic strips, capturing the essence of each chapter.