DVD Learning Guide
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Animal Farm (1999)
®
A Homeschool Learning Network Learning Guide
Format:
Age Levels:
Genre:
Category:
Rating:
Length:
Producer:
Warnings:
DVD
Middle School, High School
Entertainment
English : Literature
NR
91 minutes
Robert Halmi, Sr. Hallmark Entertainment
Some violence
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Summary
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This 1999 Hallmark Entertainment adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm utilizes the latest in
entertainment technology to bring the classic tale to life. When the animals of Manor Farm join in
revolt, chaos ensues. Realistic animatronics combined with computer animation and live action
sequences bring the viewer into the barnyard with what appear to be live, talking animals. The
allegorical tale of the rise of Communism is as timely now as it was when the book was published in
1945. Voices are provided by Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Peter Ustinov, Julia Ormond, and
many others. Interviews with the performers and Robert Halmi personalize this DVD. There are
several special features, including a listing of the symbolic characters in the story and their real life
counterparts, and the parts they played in the Russian Revolution.
Vocabulary (Grades 6-12)
Try the following activities with the vocabulary words to the right. Depending
on the age and ability of your students, they may be able to complete
assignments from multiple grade levels.
6-8:
Write a description or review about this DVD using the vocabulary
words. Above each vocabulary word, write N if it is a noun, V if it is a
verb; ADJ if it is an adjective; ADV if it is an adverb.
6-12: Copy the vocabulary words onto a sheet of paper. What do you think
each word means? Write down what you think the words mean from
your own knowledge. Now, look up each word in a dictionary, and
compare definitions. How close were you? Write each word in a
sentence, or write a paragraph or DVD summary using the words.
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Vocabulary
Revolution
Dictator
Communism
Czar
Enemy
Freedom
Oppress
Windmill
Equal
Propaganda
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9-12: Write down words you hear in the video you don’t understand. Break the words into parts
and see if you can determine the meanings. Look up the meanings.
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Discussion Questions
Ask students to read through their questions carefully before watching the film, and take notes
during the film. After watching it, ask students to write their answers to the following questions on
a separate piece of paper.
Learning Styles: Auditory, Verbal
Intelligences: Verbal/Linguistic, Interpersonal
Intermediate
1. What is the DVD about? What are the animals trying to do?
2. What happens when the animals are in charge?
3. Could this happen with people? Has it ever happened?
4. How could the animals have done things differently to make their plan a success?
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5. What is an allegory? What is Animal Farm an allegory for?
6. Why was Animal Farm an important book in its time?
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7. What were some of the Animal Rules?
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8. How did the story end? Were the animals happy? Did things work out for the animals when
they had their freedom and were in control?
1. Why is Animal Farm a timeless story? Does it apply to any governments today? In the past?
2. Why did the animals allow Napoleon to make all the decisions? Did they respect him? How
did he keep the animals under control?
3. What happened to animals that dared to disagree with Napoleon?
4. Which animal told the story? In what way did that animal suffer under Napoleon’s rule?
5. What do you think George Orwell was trying to say about socialism and communism?
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Lessons & Activities
Animal Farm: George Orwell’s Parable of the Russian Revolution.
Subjects:
Grades:
Style:
Political History
5-12
Visual/ Experiential/Kinesthetic
Concepts:
Learn about communism and socialism, how they started and what happened when those
philosophies were put into practice in Russia and Eastern Europe. Learn what the author George
Orwell was trying to tell the rest of the world with his novel, and how symbolism was used in the
story.
Lesson:
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In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the animals of Manor Farm rebel against their human oppressors
and take over the farm. The entire story is an allegory of the Russian Revolution and subsequent
communist regime in Russia and Eastern Europe.
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Socialism is defined as a system of social reform that tries to completely reconstruct society, with a
more just and equitable distribution of property and labor. Communism is defined as a system of
government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian
party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are
equally shared by the people.
The Marxist-Leninist version of communist doctrine advocated the overthrow of capitalism by the
revolution of the common people. Orwell used animals to represent different people in the story of
the Russian Revolution, humans to represent the evils of capitalism, and the farm to represent
Russia. Orwell showed how the ideals of socialism and communism that were put forth by Karl
Marx and Vladimir Lenin were corrupted by Joseph Stalin for his own personal good and for the
benefit of those who followed him unquestioningly.
Grade 5-9 Activities:
•
Go on a journey with this ThinkQuest entry: http://library.thinkquest.org/10775/ and learn
about the fall of the Communist regime in the Soviet Union. More information can be
found at http://www.sociologyonline.co.uk/global_essays/Fall.htm
•
Using the map link below, discover Where in the World was the Soviet Union of Socialist
Republics (USSR)? What countries were included in communist controlled Eastern
Europe? Draw a map that includes Russia and the other countries. Try to include the
names of the countries before and after the fall of the communist regime.
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Map – Eastern Europe:
http://www.ibrc.bschool.ukans.edu/country_resources/eeurope/dw_eeurope.htm
Grade 9-12 Activities:
List all the main characters in the DVD Animal Farm. Read about the Russian Revolution and
subsequent Communist government, and try to match the animals in the movie with their real
life counterparts. Construct a presentation on the symbolism in Animal Farm in easy-tounderstand terms. You can write an outline and report, or create a PowerPoint presentation.
•
Create a report about the Communist government and look at the role of the former Soviet
Union as a leader of world Communism. Examine what life was like in pre-communist times in
Russia and compare it to life in post-communist Russia. Talk about the advantages of living in a
communist society as well as the disadvantages. Include in your report the following tenets of
communism and whether or not they were successful:
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o Health care
Describe how the following results of Communist rule affected the people of the USSR and how
each may have led to the downfall of the communist regime:
o Abuse of power
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o No unemployment
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o Equality for all
o Restrictions
o Censorship
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Explore the life of George Orwell. Write a biography of Orwell using some of the following links.
Be sure to include his political philosophies and a bibliography of some of the books he wrote.
o http://library.thinkquest.org/27864/data/orwell/golinks.html
o http://www.levity.com/corduroy/orwell.htm
•
Read a searchable version of the book Animal Farm Online at the following link:
o http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/animalfarm/
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Learn More! Books and Online Resources
BOOKS
Orwell, George; Animal Farm by Signet Classic; ISBN: 0451526341; 50th anniv edition (1996)
Orwell, George; 1984 Signet Classic; ISBN: 0451524934; Reissue edition (1990)
Orwell,George; George Orwell: An Age Like This 1920-1940: The Collected Essays, Journalism &
Letters (Collected Essays Journalism and Letters of George Orwell, Vol 1)David R. Godine, ISBN:
1567921337; (2000)
Marx, Karl, Engels, Friedrich; The Communist Manifesto Signet Classic; ISBN: 0451527100;
Reprint edition (1998)
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Pipes, Richard; Communism: A History (Modern Library Chronicles) Modern Library; ISBN:
0679640509; 2001 edition
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Shelden, Michael; Orwell: The Authorized Biography Harperperennial Library; ASIN: 0060921617;
Reprint edition (October 1992)
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Rodden John (Editor) Understanding Animal Farm: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and
Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press 'Literature in Context' Series) Greenwood Publishing
Group; ISBN: 0313302014; (2000)
ONLINE RESOURCES
Animal Farm, Internet Movie Database Page listing:
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0204824
Learn about the DVD from Hallmark/TNT including synopsis, cast, etc.
Charles’ George Orwell Links
http://pages.citenet.net/users/charles/links.html
A page with many links to George Orwell information.
Political Writings of George Orwell
http://www.resort.com/~prime8/Orwell/
A site dedicated to the politics of George Orwell.
Introduction to Marxism
http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/intros.html
Learn about Marxism and the birth of Communism.
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