Fachdidaktik English II, Hansjürg Perino Flavio Serino, Evelin Gabriel-Zeyrek, Carmen Caderas

Fachdidaktik English II, Hansjürg Perino Flavio Serino, Evelin Gabriel-Zeyrek, Carmen Caderas

FS 2009FLesson Plan: George Orwell’s 1984

Lesson Plan

Date: 17-04-2008Duration: 15 lessons (3 double lessons)& 1 double lesson to watch the filmLevel: AdvancedTopic:1984 by George Orwell
Class Profile / 24 students, mixed class (Maturaklasse: can choose 1984 as a book for the Matura Exam)
Timetable Fit / Students have read and dealt with George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm during the last couple of weeks and start now with 1984, can choose the book for their Matura exam
Terminal Objectives / 1. Through reading 1984 students will analyse characters and their situations to better understand the themes of the novel.
2. Students will enrich their vocabularies and improve their understanding of the novel
3. Students will answer questions to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the main events and characters in 1984.
4. Students will practice writing through a variety of writing assignments.
5. Students will read aloud, report, and participate in large and small group discussions to improve their public speaking and personal interaction skills.
Lesson / Aim / Procedure / Anticipated Problems and Solutions / Material&
Homework
1 / -Understand the importance to individuals and to society of personal rights such as freedom of thought and conscience, privacy and personal autonomy / - Introductory activity: “Freedoms”.
-T asks Ss whether they keep or have ever kept a diary: discuss the purpose of a personal diary. T explains that the main character starts to keep a diary: political act of rebellion. Suggests to Ss to keep a diary when reading Part I to exercise their privacy and freedom of expression and also to understand Winston's process of self-awakening that the diary begins.
-Discuss how language is important to freedom. / -Ss don’t provide ideas: T encourages them by giving an example and asking questions / HW: read Part I, ch. 1&2 answer the questions, write down a few notes
2&3 / -Understand the role of Big brother and the Party's mottos / -Discuss questions.
-In groups, Ss design a Big Brother poster with a new slogan. T remembers the idea is to convey power and friendly support at once.
-Think about what kind of friendship and protection Big Brother is really offering.
-The ones, who already finished the poster, can go on reading.
- While students are working on the poster teacher always takes a group of 4-5 students to do some group reading: focus on reading and pronunciation / -Not enough time to finish the poster: Ss finish it at home / -Sheet of paper, pencil
HW: read Part I, ch.3,4&5 answer the questions and translate messages into Oldspeak
4 / -Ss know the concepts of Newspeak and doublethink
-Ss are able to apply the rules they have read in the text / -Discuss questions. Correct messages in Oldspeak.
-Talk about the purpose of Newspeak. --T hands out Language Handoutand introduces Activity 6for the Ss (exercises 1&3) / -Ss have difficulties to write in Newspeak
-Ss don’t understand activity: T explains it once more / HW: read ch. 6, 7&8, answer questions
5&6 / -Students will understand the following:
The historical context of1984is based on
Thepolitical climate of 1949 Europe.
Modern privacy issues and the justifi-
cations behind privacy violations are
subject to debate.
/ -Group work to discuss answers from their homework first
-discuss answers in plenum
-Discuss questions, especially: role of women
2. Lesson: T divides class in 4 groups, collect information on the computer or from provided booksabout: What is Utopia? What is totalitarianism? Who was Stalin? Find out about the geography of 1984. Discuss results / -Very complex historical context
-New terms and topics, Ss maybe havenever heard of before
-T helps with new vocabulary and difficult concepts / HW: read Part II, ch. 1, 2& 3, answer questions and think about the relationship between Winston& Julia
7 / -Know about the relationship between the two protagonists
-Understand the difference in the protagonists’ attitude towards the Party
-Understand why love is a disadvantage for the Party / -T introduces Activity 1 about the relationship between JuliaWinston, Ss do exercise in small groups, discuss answers
-In parallel columns list the attitudes expressed by J&W towards rebellion. Discuss the differences.
-Talk about the purpose of marriage and the disadvantage of love for the Party. / HW: read Part II, ch. 4,5&6, think about the significance of the paperweight for Winston
8&9 / -Ss know the settings
-Understand the symbolic significance of the mentioned objects / -Explore the symbolic significance of the clock, the paperweight¸the song the prole woman sings and the nursery rhyme about the bells: group work
-Setting activity: T hands out Activity 7about the different settings. Ss answer the questions in groups. T goes around and corrects answers.
-In groups: discuss the apparent meanings of the titles of the four Ministries and then talk about what their actual functions might be. / Students do not come up with ideas for the four Ministries: T compares the Ministries to the third Reich (especially, Propaganda Ministry, SS secret files etc.) / No Homework
10 / -Students are able to read and work silently on their own / -Read in class ch. 7,8&9 having the questions&vocabulary sheet in front of them
-While students are reading silently, T always takes a group of 2-3 students to do some group reading: focus on reading and pronunciation / Disciplinary problems: T tells the students that if they work more in class they will have to do less at home / HW: finish reading of ch. 7,8&9, answer questions
11 / -Ss understand the concept of doublethink
-Analyse characters of Mr. Charrington and O’Brien / -Discuss questions in class.
-Discuss the role of Mr. Charrington and O’Brien in betraying the lovers.
-Talk aboutexplain the concept of doublethink. / If students do not participate in the discussion teacher says they should think about themselves: “Have you ever been set up by people you thought they were your friends?” / HW: read part III, ch.1,2&3
12 / -Ss see that the novel 1984 reflects themes that are still of interest today.
- Ss can compare the element of violence from the novel withthe “real” world / - Discuss Orwell’s use of violence. What is the effect of this violence? Which kind is the most shocking? What effect is Orwell seeking?
- Discuss the questions from the homework
- Connection to the “real” world:
1. Teacher hands out a current newspaper article that exemplifies suppression and torturing (e.g. Guantanamo,
2. Where in the world are people being tortured and suppressed right know? What is your opinion of torture? Is there such a thing as justifiable torture? (Think of Guantanamo) / HW: read part III, ch.4, 5&6, think about the questions:
-What are your final thoughts when you read the last four words of the story, He loved Big Brother?
-What does the book say about the human spirit?
-Is Orwell defeated by Winston’s apparent defeat?
130 / - Ss are able to put the quotations from the novel into a larger context / -Discussquestions
-T introduces Activity 12 about quotations and divides class in 10 groups (á 2-3 Ss): each group does another exercise
-Afterwardsgroups present their results followed by a discussion in the plenum
14 / -Improve writingskill
- Ss can use the vocabulary from the text
- Ss can put themselves in the main character’s position / T explains the writing task:
Before Winston is interrogated, he sees many prisoners escorted off to Room 101. What is in Room 101? If you were in Room 101 what would O’Brien present to you? Describe this situation. / If a student doesn’t know what’s in Room 101, he can’t write the essay: Those students would have to re-read the chapter… / HW:
- Finish the writing
- Think about the main character and recall everything we discussed in class about Winston
15 / -wrapping it up
-general review / -T explains Activity 5about the protagonist Winston and hands out the exercise. Ss work as fast and correct as possible
-The best Ss will be rewarded
-Discuss the major themes of the novel with examples drawn from the text. / No homework
16&17 / Final double lesson: Ss have task/questions in their minds while watching the film carefully / -Watch a video production of 1984.
-T asks Ss whether they think 1984 is a novel suitable for a film adaption, why/why not, and take notes on the blackboard.
-Ss get handouts with questions about the film.
-After the film→ questions: How is the book different from the film? Was it easier to understand or more difficult? Were scenes left out or changed, and if so, how did those changes affect the way you interpret the book? / -Ss are bored with question sheets and tasks: If the students worked well with the novel,T could decide to simply watch the film as a reward / -Handouts with questions
-Film 1984 by Michael Radford