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Lesson 11

We will discuss Chapter 5 and examine the purpose of Newspeak. We will also explore the relationship between language and thinking.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I attend to details in 1984 to make inferences about the novel?

  • Can I analyze and explain nuances in word meaning in the informational text “Critical Thinking for College, Career, and Citizenship”?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • 1984, George Orwell, Signet Classics, 1949
  • Unit Reader
    • “Critical Thinking for College, Career, and Citizenship,” Diane F. Halpern, Brookings Institute, 2016

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Discuss – Write

We will work in groups to review our answers to the guiding questions for chapter 5 of 1984.

In a small group, discuss the questions below. Use your annotations to help guide your discussion.

  1. Considering Chapter 5, what do you find most thought provoking?

  2. What is the impact of propaganda on the people of Oceania? What evidence from the text supports your response?

  3. What connections can you make between 1984 and present-day society?

Activity 2: Read – Write

We will closely read a select passage from chapter 5 to examine the purpose of newspeak.

Reread and annotate the passage in which Winston and Syme discuss Syme’s work on the latest edition of the Newspeak dictionary. Start with the paragraph on page 50 that begins, "How is the dictionary getting on?" and read through the paragraph that starts with, "The proles are not human beings" on page 53.

Use the following questions to guide your annotations:

  1. What is the purpose of Newspeak? What evidence from the text supports your response?

  2. How does it support the Party’s bigger goal?

Activity 3: Read – Discuss – Write

We will reread a select sentence from chapter 5 to examine Orwell’s use of juxtaposition.

Reread the following sentence from Chapter 5 of 1984.

It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words. (p. 51)

This sentence is an example of juxtaposition. Juxtaposition is the placing of two images, words, or phrases near each other for contrasting effect. In this case, Orwell contrasts the positive word beautiful with the negative phrase destruction of words to emphasize the absurdity of the idea.

Closely reread the examples of juxtaposition on the Section 1 Question Set.

With a partner, discuss the following questions for each example:

  1. What two things are being contrasted?

  2. What effect does the contrast have on the reader’s understanding of the underlying idea?

Activity 4: Read – Discuss – Listen

We will engage in a class discussion on Orwell’s view on the power of language.

Read the following quotation:

Words are not just words. They are the nexus—the interface—between communication and thought. When we read, it is through words that we build, refine, and modify our knowledge. What makes vocabulary valuable and important is not the words themselves so much as the understandings they afford. (Marilyn Jager Adams, 2009)

Independently, consider the following questions:

  1. Do you think that George Orwell would agree with Dr. Marilyn Jager Adams’s assertion? Why or why not?

  2. How does the quotation connect to a thematic idea of the novel? What evidence from Chapter 5 supports your conclusion?

Once you have had time to think about your answers, engage in a class discussion of the questions.

Capture key takeaways from the discussion on the Thematic and Central Ideas Note-Taking Tool.

Activity 5: Read – Write

We will read a blog post to explore the role of critical thinking in contemporary society.

In the dystopian world of 1984, "Orthodoxy means not thinking—not needing to think."

In present-day society, however, critical thinking is a sought-after skill in both school and the workplace.

The word critical is a multimeaning word. Two of the meanings can be found below:

  • inclined to express negative thoughts or disapproval about something

  • exercising careful analysis and evaluation of something

Read and annotate the blog post "Critical Thinking for College, Career, and Citizenship." Use the following questions to guide your annotations:

  1. What does the phrase critical thinking mean?

  2. According to the author, what are the key components of critical thinking?

  3. What are specific examples of critical thinking?

Complete your reading for homework. Be prepared to share your responses in the next lesson.