1. We continued reading to the end of the short story “Escape” and soon after wrote comparisons on the board the students generated. They wrote down the similarities between this short story and the novel, Animal Farm, they have just finished reading. There are some striking similarities, mainly focused on the idea that the animals, like the main character of the story, were given a sense of freedom they had not had before even though it was short-lived.
2. Students were then given the task of writing a formal paragraph with two integrated quotes, one from Animal Farm and the other from the story “Escape”. We haven’t done any formal writing for several months and with the departmental exam looming in a month or so we want to start getting back into shape. Training season begins! 😀

animal-farm-ch-8-10-questions.doc 

1. Students discussed the questions for ch 8-10 together and composed responses as a class.
2. We moved straight from that discussion to list several possible themes of the novel on the board. I gave five examples and explained how they were themes matching the novel. Students had to figure out three other themes on their own. We compiled them all on the board and looked at the list of themes as a whole. All of these themes are applicable to any story, poem, play, or essay we have taken in this semester of English. They are all elements and conditions of being human.

1. Students followed along in the reading of Chapter nine of the novel. We got to the end and discussed how students felt about the ending, whether it was unsatisfactory, realistic, tragic, etc.

chapter-questions-ch-5-8.doc 

1. Students were given a handout of the questions for ch 5-8. Once finished, we began again with our reading, beginning at Ch 9. We stopped occasionally to discuss the paralells of the story to actualy History.
   The major point of the discussion was to point out who the voice of Benjamin symbolizes. He symbolizes the scoffers and people who were skeptical of Stalin’s propaganda tactics and plans, but he also represents the voice of the Author, Orwell.

1. We picked up right where we left off, I explained what happened in yesterday’s reading for those who were missing, and we read through to the end of Ch 8. It is very clear by now in the reading that Napoleon uses Squealer’s techniques to spin the truth and recreates a version of history and asserts it as fact.
2. It is nice to have the 7 Commandments up on the barn background at the back of the room. We can look to it to remind ourselves of the 7 rules the animals have to live by.

1. Students continued reading along with the tape through Chapter 5. This is a slightly longer chapter but a fairly critical event has just happened in the beginning of the chapter: Snowball was run off the farm by Napoleon’s attack dogs.

1. Students discussed and wrote down the advantages the pigs have taken by the end of Chapter 4.
2. We read through the Ch 1-4 questions together and responded to them as a group.
3. We continued on with our reading into Chapter 5 then. I continued to stop at a few parts of the novel to point out how the story is mirroring history and the Russian Revolution. (I am trying to do it as seldom as possible to not interupt the flow of the novel too much.)
4. Note: The narrative essays were due to be handed in today. The posters for Animal Farm were also due today.

1. Students have a poster assignment due for Monday.
2. In today’s class, students were merely asked to follow along in the reading as they listen to the narrator tell the story. (I have a wonderful version of this novel narrated by a well-known English actor. He does a super job of creating a unique and believable voice for each of the characters of the story.)
3. There are only ten chapters of this novel so we should run through it fairly quickly with hour-long classes. If you have missed a class and want to continue listening to the narrated version of the novel, contact Mrs. Sand in the library. I will leave a copy of the cd with her.

animal-farm-novel-study.doc
 animal-farm-comparison-of-characters-to-russian-revolution.doc
chapter-summary-chart.doc

1. Students were given a handout that introduces the novel study for Animal Farm. We read through the first few pages together that focused on:
   1.  Questions about power and control in societies.
   2. A discussion about revolutions in the past and the people involved in the Russian one.
   3. A definition and explanation of what an Allegory is.
   4. A reading about propaganda and its use to manipulate and control the mindset of people.
2. We went into the projector room and looked at the clip, attached below, that gives a general introduction to the novel’s story plot and tone.
3. We also looked at examples of propaganda Stalin and his followers used to control the Russian people. He removed people from historic photographs and reprinted them as being the true image, so for example there was a picture where he had Trotsky removed from the photograph to make it seem as if Lenin favored Stalin over Trotsky.
   We looked at a video clip, as well, of the “Mission Accomplished” propaganda created by the American government in 2003. The President originally gave a speech in front of a huge banner that read “Mission Accomplished” however that video or picture has since been altered to remove the banner because the war still continues on. If the mission were accomplished, as they claimed on that day, the President would have to account for why they are still over there fighting.
4. Students each signed up for a character or historic figure from the novel. They have to create a paper poster for display in the classroom. When they are completed, we will put them up to show the comparison of which characters from the novel mirror which historic figures in reality. These posters are due on Monday.

   [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/aybo5lYPx4s" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
This video gives a background to the historic figures refered to by the novel.

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This video gives an overview of the novel's plot. The music and editing does a great job to show the sad / miserable tone of the story.

   [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/-u2ITs4yIAE" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
This is the video that shows clearly how the Bush video was altered on the Whitehouse Website.

1. We discussed the different in how government control is used in a Totalitarian government vs. a Democratic one. We also talked about how the basic human nature (first response to situations) would be different for people living in each type of country. This preceeded the reading of the story as the science fiction story was a satire mocking the human nature of people in a dictator-controlled country.
2. We read the story aloud with students each taking turns reading. We stopped occasionally to discuss parts of the story that had some reflection of actions by the Nazis in WWII. Even the word choice was cautious to hint at some criticism of the Nazis but to not do it so overtly that his writting would be censored by them.
3. Once finished, we added to our list on the board of examples of human nature highlighted by the story and examples of how a totalitarian government controls.
4. I passed out the novels so everyone has a copy of Animan Farm. Students were asked to be sure to put their name in their copy so their copy is clearly the one they hand in at the end of the unit.Here is a trailer / introduction to the novel we will be studying.

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Watch this synopsis that connects the history of Russia, what the book was written in response to, to the characters within the novel.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/aybo5lYPx4s" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]