Oct. 22 - 26: Animal Farm

Parent/Student/Teacher interviews: Thurs. Oct. 25 2-4 and 5:30-7:30

Fri. Oct. 26 - Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged)
- It's / Its and You're / Your review.
- Review the vocabulary and answers to the Ch. 7 chapter questions.
- Review the Animal Farm character comparison chart and watch the Russian - Revolution (Part 1) video.
Russian Revolution (Part 1)
What happened to Nicholas II and the Romanov family?
- National Geographic "Tsar's Family's Death."
- 2008 Russia Today news story.
- Read chapters 8 and 9.  
 
Thurs. Oct. 25 - Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged)
- Review the vocabulary and answers to the Ch. 6 chapter questions.
- Review the Animal Farm character comparison chart and watch the Russian - Revolution (Part 1) video.
Russian Revolution (Part 1)
What happened to Nicholas II and the Romanov family?
- National Geographic "Tsar's Family's Death."
- 2008 Russia Today news story.
- Read chapters 7 and 8.  
 
Wed. Oct. 24 - Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged)
- Review the vocabulary and answers to the Ch. 4 - 5 chapter questions.
- Review the Animal Farm character comparison chart and watch the Russian - Revolution (Part 1) video.
Russian Revolution (Part 1)
What happened to Nicholas II and the Romanov family?
- National Geographic "Tsar's Family's Death."
- 2008 Russia Today news story.
- Read chapters 6 and 7.  
 
Mon. Oct. 22 - Tues. Oct. 23- Animal Farm online novel / Animal Farm Audio Book (abridged)
- Review ch. 1 - 3 Animal Farm questions. 
- View George Orwell biography.  Review questions and answers.
- Continue reading to the end of chapter 6.

Animal Farm by George Orwell is a novella that can be described as a roman à clef (French for "novel with a key"), which is a work describing real-life behind a façade of fiction.
Although Animal Farm is short, it can be read and interpreted on several levels:

A "fairy tale" or "fairy story" can mean any far-fetched story that may feature folkloric characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and talking animals, and usually enchantments, often involving a far-fetched sequence of events (Wikipedia).

A fable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, that features animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given human qualities), and that illustrates a moral lesson (a "moral"). Fables can be described as a didactic mode of literature. They frequently have as their central characters animals with the ability to reason and speak (Wikipedia).

In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods, ideally with the intent to bring about improvement.Although satire is usually meant to be funny, the purpose of satire is not primarily humour in itself so much as an attack on something of which the author strongly disapproves, using the weapon of wit (Wikipedia).

An allegory is a form of extended metaphor in which objects, persons, and actions in the narrative are equated with meanings that lie outside the narrative itself (Microsoft Encarta).

To appreciate the deeper satirical and allegorical elements within Animal Farm, it is important to have an understanding of the author, George Orwell, and the historical and political dynamics of his time.

View parts 1 -5 of George Orwell's biography and complete the questions (see Assignments and Handouts link):
George Orwell - Part 1
George Orwell - Part 2
George Orwell - Part 3
George Orwell - Part 4
George Orwell - Part 5