StudySync Lesson Plan
1984
Objectives
1.
Engage students in the story and themes of an excerpt from George Orwell’s classic
dystopian novel 1984, preparing them to discuss and write critical responses to the text.
2. Practice and reinforce the following Grades 9-10 ELA Common Core Standards for
reading informational text, writing, and speaking and listening:

READING: LITERATURE – RL.9-10.1-7, 10

WRITING – W.9-10.1-10

SPEAKING AND LISTENING – SL.9-10.1-6
Time
140 minutes (with an additional 240 minutes of extension possibilities)
Materials
SyncTV Premium Lesson on George Orwell’s 1984
Overview
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, a sign reads in the opening chapter of 1984, thus introducing
us to the future dystopian nightmare of Oceania, George Orwell’s vision of a totalitarian state run
amok. Living through the first and second World Wars, Orwell was a British author who feared the
eventual spread of totalitarianism throughout Europe and turned this anxiety into a classic
science fiction narrative that has captivated readers worldwide ever since its publication in 1948.
The novel introduced many terms and concepts to the popular lexicon, including the adjective
Orwellian, now commonly used to describe an invasive and oppressive government regime.
Students will likely be already familiar with some of these terms and concepts as they read and
analyze this excerpt from the first chapter of 1984, which introduces us to Orwell’s protagonist
Winston Smith, a government man who slowly begins to question the society in which he lives.
After reading, students will participate in class- and group-led discussions and write critical
responses consistent with the ELA Common Core Standards for Grades 9 and 10.
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Lesson Plan: 1984
Background (10 minutes)
1.
Watch the Preview (SL.9-10.1-2). As a group, watch the video preview of the premium
lesson. After viewing, use the following questions to spur a discussion:
a. What (and where) was the Iron Curtain? What is a totalitarian government? Briefly
discuss these terms introduced in this preview of George Orwell’s 1984.
Thematically speaking, how might these events and ideas have influenced postWWII authors?
b. What is a dystopia? What can we infer about the world of 1984, based on knowing
the definition of this term? Why might a government want to control its citizenry?
Why would “free thought” be considered an act of rebellion?
c. As the preview states, 1984 is partly a cautionary tale, but do you see any parallels
between the world of 1984 and the world of your own? Is “Big Brother watching
you?” Is free thought an act of rebellion? Are these ideas merely that of science
fiction, or have some of the things Orwell cautions us against actually come true?
Extension (additional 60 minutes)
d. Think (SL.9-10.1, 3 and W.9-10.4). Have students imagine life 36 years from now.
What will the world be like? Ask students to write a paragraph with at least five
examples of things that will exist (or no longer exist) 36 years in the future. Share
these lists as a class. What things did most students have a consensus on? What
were some more unique examples?
e. Blast! (W.9-10.4, 7). What does freedom of speech mean? How “free” are we to
say what we want against a government or a body in power? Create a Blast Topic
asking students to contribute their thoughts on the subject of freedom in today’s
world. Is freedom of speech limited or suppressed by governments? Think about
both your own government and others in the news.
f.
Timeline (W.9-10.7 and SL.9-10.1-2, 5). Students will find it helpful to have a little
historical context before diving into 1984. Either in class or as a homework
assignment, familiarize students with major historical events in and around the
time 1984 was written. Have them work together in groups to create a visual
timeline of the 1940s, incorporating images and writing short descriptions of the
major events.
Engaging the Text (130 minutes)
2. Read the Text (30 minutes)
a. Read and Annotate (RL.9-10.1-6). Have students read and annotate the
introduction and excerpt. If students are completing as a homework assignment,
ask them to write any questions they have into the annotation tool – these
questions are visible to you after the students submit their writing assignments or
beforehand if you use the “Mimic” function to access the students’ accounts.
b. Discuss (SL.9-10.1, 3). Have students get into small groups or pairs and briefly
discuss the questions and inferences they had while reading. As a class, discuss
the following: Is anything in this excerpt from 1984 relevant to us today? Have any
of the invasions of privacy or violations of freedom that Orwell depicts come to
fruition? Why or why not?
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Lesson Plan: 1984
Extension (additional 20 minutes)
c. Listen and Discuss (SL.9-10.1-2). As a class, listen to the audio reading of the text.
Ask students to share how their understanding of the text changed after listening.
What additional images came to mind? What words did the author use to develop
the setting?
d. Comprehend (RL.9-10.1-6, 10). Have students complete the multiple-choice
questions. Collect papers or discuss answers as a class.
3. Watch SyncTV (30 minutes)
a. Watch Either watch the SyncTV discussion as a class or ask students to watch it
on their individual computers.
b. Focus (SL.9-10.1-3 and RL.9-10.1-2). At both 1:24 – 2:27 and 6:31 – 7:15, the SyncTV
students argue whether the society depicted in 1984 bears some exaggerated
relevance to our own. Pay attention to the terms (e.g., satire, cautionary tale) and
examples that they use in debating this issue.
c. Focus (SL.9-10.1-3 and RL.9-10.2, 4). From 2:52 – 4:16, the discussion ventures into
an analysis of the three party slogans. Model how the SyncTV students closely
analyze the three phrases and discuss their meaning, as well as the connotations
and implications they draw from the text.
d. Focus (SL.9-10.1-3 and RL.9-10.1-2, 6). Finally, from 7:15 – 8:00, Jess brings up the
connection between a policy in Orwell’s 1984 and Stalinist Russia. Consider how a
text engages with current and past historical events, and how 1984 functions as
both story and commentary.
e. Discuss (SL.9-10.1-5 and RL.9-10.1-6, 10). After watching the model discussion,
have a conversation with the class about the ideas discussed in the SyncTV
episode. What new thoughts do they have after hearing the students' discussion?
Next, divide students into small groups (3-4 students). Move around the room
monitoring groups as students follow the SyncTV episode as a model to discuss
some of the following questions:
i.
Whose side of the debate are you on: Jess’ or Asher’s? Is the world of
1984 overblown, exaggerated, and less relevant now? Or does the future
Orwell imagined resemble the world today? Why?
ii. The SyncTV students discussed “war is peace” and “freedom is slavery.”
Using their discussion strategies as a model, share your thoughts on
“ignorance is strength.” Does this oxymoron have a deeper significance,
akin to the other two? What might this be?
iii. How would you describe Winston’s attitude towards Big Brother? At this
point in the story (Chapter 1), where do you think he stands? Why might
Orwell have chosen to begin the narrative of 1984 here?
iv. Can you spot any other elements in this excerpt from 1984 that bear direct
or indirect connection to its historical context? Think of how Jess brings up
the example of the Gulag, and try to brainstorm possible others.
v. Consider how Winston’s diary is described in the excerpt. Why do you
think Winston felt compelled to buy it? What about the physical
characteristics of the book that may have intrigued him?
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Lesson Plan: 1984
vi. Why would Big Brother go to such lengths to monitor and indoctrinate a
society? Why is Winston’s decision to keep a diary such a subversive act?
Use real-world examples of how and why governments or people in power
have attempted to suppress the populace.
Extension (additional 60 minutes)
Record (SL.9-10.1, 4-6 and RL.9-10.1-2). Have students record a podcast in small
groups discussing one of the controversial topics surrounding 1984 and its
themes: Is 1984 “just a novel” or is it an ominous foretelling of our time? Could it
ever happen? How would a government go about suppressing thought and action
in its populace? How have governments done this in the past?
g. Connect (W.9-10.7, 9 and SL.9-10.1-4, 6). As a homework assignment, have
students read about recent news involving the NSA and the controversy over its
surveillance program. Have a class debate about this development and its relation
to the portents of 1984. Is this an example of “Big Brother” in the 21st century?
Sensationalism by the media? A necessary step in the fight against terrorism,
crime, etc.? Use 1984 as a framework: where do we draw the line?
f.
4. Think (10 minutes)
a. Respond (W.9-10.1, 4). Ask students to read the “Think” questions, watch the
corresponding video clips, and respond to the questions, either in class or for
homework.
5. Write (60 minutes)
a. Discuss (SL.9-10.1). Read the prompt you have chosen for students, and then
solicit questions regarding the prompt or the assignment expectations. Whichever
prompt you have chosen, make sure you are clear about the assignment
expectations and the rubric by which you and the other students will be evaluating
them.
b. Organize (RL.9-10.1-5, 10 and W.9-10.1-2, 5). Ask students to go back and annotate
the text with the prompt in mind. They should be organizing their thoughts and the
points they’ll address in their writing as they make annotations. If you’ve worked
on outlining or other organizational tools for writing, this is a good place to apply
them.
c. Write (W.9-10.1-2, 4-6, 8-10). Have students go through the writing process of
planning, revising, editing, and publishing their writing responses.
d. Review (W.9-10.4-6). Use the StudySync “Review” feature to have students
complete one to two evaluations of their peers’ work based on your chosen
review rubric. Have the students look at and reflect upon the peer evaluations of
their own writing. What might you do differently in a revision? How might you
strengthen the writing and the ideas?
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Lesson Plan: 1984
Extension (additional 100 minutes)
e. Write (W.9-10.1-2, 4-6, 9-10). For homework, have students write an essay using
one of the prompts you did not choose to do in class. Students should publish
their responses online.
f.
Write Creatively (W.9-10.3-4, 9-10). Dim the lights and have students pretend that
they are in Winston’s shoes, hurriedly writing in a diary in Oceania. Have them
write his diary entry on April 4, 1984. To continue this assignment, have students
write a future diary entry—weeks or months or even years later.
g. Write Argumentatively (W.9-10.1, 4, 7-9). What kind of a role does technology play
in 1984? How does technology enable Big Brother to keep its populace at bay?
Do you think technology serves a similar purpose in our own lives? Have students
write a 300-word argumentative essay weighing in on these issues. Are we all
under surveillance? As technology advances, does privacy disappear? Why or
why not? Point to passages from 1984 and compare them to real-world examples
(e.g. Facebook, NSA, etc.)
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Lesson Plan: 1984
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
Key Vocabulary
1.
contrived (adj.) – Skillfully or cleverly pre-planned, engineered
2. oblong (adj.) - Rectangular
3. sanguine (adj.) – Optimistic, cheerful
4. corrugated (adj.) – Having ridges or grooves
5. sordid (adj.) – Dirty or disreputable
6. ramifications (n.) – Consequences, both direct and indirect
7. alcove (n.) – A nook or corner
8. furtively (adv.) – Secretly
9. tableaux (n.) – An image or a series of pictures
10. archaic (adj.) – Old-fashioned, not used today
Reading Comprehension Questions
1.
From the first three paragraphs we can infer that Winston Smith is _____________.
a. a wealthy man
b. a fugitive
c. no longer a practicing Christian
d. not in the best health
2. The “Big Brother” mentioned in the text is representative of _____________.
a. God
b. the Ministry
c. the media
d. all of the above
3.
Winston Smith works for _____________.
a. the Ministry of Truth
b. the Ministry of Peace
c. Parliament
d. the newspaper
4. The fictional city of Oceania is located in present-day _____________.
a. France
b. Scotland
c. London
d. Ireland
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Lesson Plan: 1984
5. Winston Smith is seemingly bothered by ______________.
a. his inability to remember his childhood
b. the possibility of people watching his every move
c. the city where he lives
d. all of the above
6. Which of the following is true about the four Ministries of the government?
a. Their titles are directly or indirectly opposed to their functions
b. They are controlled by one Great Leader
c. They are all housed in the same tall building at the city’s center
d. all of the above
7.
Winston hides when he begins to write in his diary because ______________.
a. writing in a diary is illegal
b. he fears punishment for his actions if seen
c. he doesn’t want his wife to know his secrets
d. he isn’t really writing in his diary
8. All of the following are branches of the Oceania government EXCEPT _______________.
a. Ministry of Truth
b. Ministry of Plenty
c. Ministry of Love
d. Ministry of War
9. We can infer that Winston was compelled to purchase the book because
_______________.
a. he saw it as a relic of a forgotten past
b. he remembered owning it once
c. he liked the owner of the store
d. he would have felt guilty not buying it
10. The “telescreens” are conceivably intended for _______________.
a. relaying information to people in their homes
b. government surveillance
c. indoctrinating citizens with propaganda
d. all of the above
e.
Answer Key
1. D
2. B
3. A
4. C
5. D
6. A
7. B
8. D
9. A
10. D
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Lesson Plan: 1984
Further Assignments
1.
Have students read the entirety of George Orwell’s 1984, keeping a diary of their own as
they read about Winston and Big Brother and Oceania. Continue to foster in-class
discussion about the themes and issues in Orwell’s novel, as well as the characters and
their motivations. Have students write essays using the prompts they did not respond to
before, drawing examples from the whole text, or have them come up with their own.
(RL.9-10.1-6, 10 and W.9-10.1-6, 9-10)
2. Screen for the class the 1984 movie version of 1984. After the screening, discuss the
filmmakers’ interpretation of Orwell’s text, asking students: How close is it to the author’s
original? Were any elements of the story changed or removed? How successful are the
respective versions? Which do they prefer? (RL.9-10.7 and SL.9-10.1, 3-4)
3. Ask students to research a historical figure famous for an act of dissent against a
government or power. The list of possible choices can be broad, from Aung San Suu Kyi
to Malcolm X to Edward Snowden, and so on. Students should prepare a maximum-fiveminute presentation about their figure, incorporating video, audio, and other multimedia
wherever appropriate. (W.9-10.7, 9 and SL.9-10.4-6)
4. Read “Shooting an Elephant” or Animal Farm, or both! (Some are likely to have read
Animal Farm already.) Have students focus on Orwell as a writer, and write an essay
response about Orwell’s style and thematic concerns, comparing and contrasting these
works with 1984. How do these individual works form a larger oeuvre, or collection, of
Orwell the auteur? More simply put, what makes Orwell Orwellian? (RL.9-10.6 and W.910.4, 9)
5. As a class, discuss the idea of Doublethink. What is it? How does it contribute to the
fictional totalitarian society of 1984? How does it enable Big Brother to control the
populace? Why is it such a particularly powerful tool in Oceania? Can you think of
examples of your own that could be examples of Doublethink? In your society? How?
Create a Blast Topic asking students to share some of these examples. (RL.9-10.1-2 and
W.9-10.4, 7, 9)
6. Split the class into small groups and have students create a timeline of the important
events in George Orwell’s life. Some Internet research will be necessary. Students must
include 10 important points on their timelines with a short summary description with each.
(ELL)
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Lesson Plan: 1984