Animal Farm

George Orwell penned a brilliant allegory filled with satire when he wrote Animal Farm.  As the 8th grader students read this novel, we are also learning about the Russian Revolution and how the characters in the story and the story itself parallel the events that took place in Russia in the early 1900s.

Students will be learning and applying terms like allegory, satire, propaganda, and motifs.  Connections to Social Studies will be made when we discuss types of government including communism, socialism, totalitarianism, democracy, and monarchy.  We will also be using the novel to connect with science when we discuss "green" issues (using some wonderful lesson plans from the K-12 Environmental Education Program - KEEP).  One of these plans includes making a miniature windmill and in doing so, we will draw connections to the story.