Analyzing Animal Farm

Analyzing Animal Farm

In this unit students will become more knowledgeable about historical events as well as infer/identify elements of a fable narration. Within the text, they will take three reading check quizzes via Google Forms. Students will partake in an Escape Room for a final assessment of the book. At the end of this unit, after reading the book, students will create their own ideal society.

This unit was created by Emily Iverson in the ESUCC Nebraska BlendEd Learning Group.


Content Area Skill:

Infer and identify a clear purpose of more challenging passages and how that purpose shapes content and style, analyze the overall structure of more challenging passages, provide ample development in support of ideas; substantiate ideas with precise use of specific, logical reasons and illustrative examples, understand implied or subtly stated comparative relationships in somewhat challenging passages, and identify clear central ideas or themes in more challenging passages or paragraphs

Digital Age Skill(s):

Communicating complex ideas clearly and effectively, and Creative Communicator

Duration of Unit:

8 weeks


Empower Learners:

Content Area Skills: 

Student Friendly Learning Objectives:

LA 12.1.6.l Build background knowledge and activate prior knowledge to clarify text, deepen understanding, and make connections while reading complex text.

I can activate my prior knowledge by completing an anticipation guide and discussing belief statements with others.

LA 12.4.1.a Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from print and digital resources to create new understandings and defend conclusions.

I can locate and use information found online to create writing that integrates text from the book and non-fiction online research.

LA 12.1.6.i Construct and/or answer literal, inferential, critical, and interpretive questions, analyzing and synthesizing evidence from the text and additional sources to support answers.

I can answer comprehensive questions within a journal as well as in quizzes.

LA 12.1.6.d Summarize, analyze, and synthesize the themes and main ideas between multiple literary and informational works (print, digital, and/or other media).

I can create satirical or fable-like memes using themes from the novel.

LA 12.1.6.o Demonstrate an understanding of complex text by using textual evidence to support analysis, reflection, and research via multiple mediums (e.g., writing, artistic representation, video, other media).

I can show my understanding of the novel’s themes by creating my own Ideal Society 

Empower Learner Activity:

Students will begin the unit with an anticipation guide over debating live before the reading of Animal Farm. This will be a live debate where students can take a stand about whether they agree or disagree to the following questions. The students will stand on either the ‘agree’ side or the ‘disagree’ side of the room, then rationalize their choice one at a time.

Students will deepen their prior knowledge of characters in the text by reviewing the Animal Farm PDF This looks at fable characters from the book as well as historical figures that fable characters are based on. Students will find three facts about the historical figures assigned.When both tasks are completed the students state their historical figure, plus facts on Padlet.

Download: Animal_Farm_Anticipation_Guide.pdf


Download: Animal_Farm_Characters.pdf


Knowledge Application Artifact:

Title of the Artifact:

Animal Farm Ideal Society

Detailed Description:

  1. Student will create their own Ideal Society just as Animal Farm had done. They will create their own map of their society, propaganda pieces, constitution, set of laws. See full directions in the PDF below.


Download: Ideal_Society_Project.pdf


Content Area Skills Addressed:

LA 12.1.6.o Demonstrate an understanding of complex text by using textual evidence to support analysis, reflection, and research via multiple mediums (e.g., writing, artistic representation, video, other media).

Digital Age Skills

Creative Communicator

Link to Rubric

Provide either a link or the rubric

Knowledge Deepening Tasks:


Title of the Artifact: Animal Farm Fable Memes

  1. The student will then create their own Satire Fable memes using meme generator to show their understanding of the difference between the historical people in the book compared to the fables. Meme Generator.  Example: Student’s Meme

  2. Students will upload the memes to Google Classroom

Content Area Skills Addressed:

LA 12.1.6.d

Digital Age Skills Addressed:

Creative Communicator




Title of the Artifact: Animal Farm Seven Commandments

Detailed Description: Students will create the Seven Commandments/Rules of Animal Farm on Canva. They will then use this as a reference as we read to see the progression of the plot elements.

    1. Each time a rule/commandment changes students cross it out and state the page number.

    2. At the end of the novel the students will compare to visually see how the plot changed.


Content Area Skills Addressed:

LA 12.1.6.l

Digital Age Skills Addressed:

Creative Communicator



Title of the Artifact: Animal Farm Final Test/Escape Room

Detailed Description: Students will take their final assessment for the book by participating in an Escape Room. Each student will have to have knowledge of the book as well as inference the locations in the high school to go to.


Content Area Skills Addressed:

12.1.6.i

Digital Age Skills Addressed:

Communicating complex ideas clearly and effectively

Link to Rubric: 

Escape Room (PDF found below)


Download: Animal_Farm_Escape_Room.pdf


 

Direct Instruction Learning Path:

 

Day #

Description

Blended Model

Resources

1

Debate-Introducing Animal Farm

Whole Class

Google doc

2-6

Animal Farm Characters

Day 2: Background on George Orwell

Day 3: Character Maps to Historical Figures

Day 4-6: Themes in text

-Manipulation

-Power

-Pride

-Corruption

-Religion

Flex Learning

Character Information and Padlet

7

Animal Farm Memes: Incorporate one theme seen in text thus far

Flex Learning

Meme Generator

8-11

Animal Farm, Chapters 1-4. Read aloud

Whole Class

Litcharts


 

12

Animal Farm Reading Quiz, Chapters 1-4

Flex Learning


13

Animal Farm Commandments

Flex Learning



14-18

Animal Farm Read Aloud Chapters 5-8

Day 14: Squealer portrayed as propaganda

Day 15: Examine propaganda in society today

Day 16: Connect propaganda in society to that in the book and identify types of bias and manipulation

Day 17:Meme Project (create your own in small groups)

Day 18: Present Memes

Whole Class/Small Group

Litcharts


 

19

Animal Farm Reading Check Quiz Chapters 5-8

Flex Learning


20-22

Animal Farm Read Aloud

Chapters 9-10 

Whole Class

Litcharts

23

Animal Farm Reading Check Quiz Chapters 9-10

Flex Learning


24

Animal Farm Escape Room/Final Assessment

Whole Class

Escape Room Essentials

25-40

Ideal Society Project

-Create your own rules, government, constitution, education plan, societal hierarchy, maps

Flex Learning

Resources may vary. Possibilities include:

Canva, Google Docs, iPad-iMovie, Google drawings, and EBSCO

41

Ideal Society Presentation

Whole Class



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