Skip to Main Content

Lesson 3

We will meet with our literature circles to discuss Chapter 1 from Part 2 of 1984. We will also begin brainstorming ideas for a narrative story.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I participate effectively in a literature circle, building on others’ ideas and expressing my own clearly and persuasively?

  • Can I come to discussions prepared, having read the assigned chapters of 1984, and explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from the novel to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • 1984, George Orwell, Signet Classics, 1949
  • Digital Access
    • “Research Tips for Fiction Writers: Where to Find Information and How to Use It Effectively,” Sherryl Clark, The Startup, 2019

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Discuss – Write

We will meet with our literature circles to discuss chapter 1 from part 2 of 1984.

Meet with your literature circle to discuss Chapter 1 from Part 2 of 1984. Begin the discussion by responding to the following question:

  1. How does this chapter both reinforce and change the mood of the novel?

Use your annotations, open-ended questions, and literary analysis to guide the literature discussion circle. Take notes on the interesting ideas of others.

Activity 2: Read – Discuss – Write

We will examine a quotation about the writing process and determine the meaning of Unknown words.

Read the following quotation from the famous dystopian novelist Margaret Atwood:

If you’re interested in writing speculative fiction, one way to generate a plot is to take an idea from current society and move it a little further down the road. Even if humans are short-term thinkers, fiction can anticipate and extrapolate into multiple versions of the future. ("What is Dystopian Fiction?” Masterclass, 2019).

Write the following definition of speculative fiction in your Vocabulary Journal:

  • speculative fiction - a type of fiction in which the setting is other than the real world, involving supernatural, futuristic, or other imagined elements

Discuss the following question with a partner:

  1. What does Marggaret Atwood mean when she says, "Even if humans are short-term thinkers, fiction can anticipate and extrapolate into multiple versions of the future"?

Activity 3: Read – Discuss – Write

We will read a brief informational text on the role of research in fiction writing.

Step 1

For the Section 2 Diagnostic, you researched a contemporary issue related to an idea from 1984. Much like you will use examples of Orwell’s narrative techniques to help you craft an effective story, you will also use your research to help you write a narrative story with vivid details.

Read the following quotation from writer Helen Benedict:

If a writer wants to create a plausible world that draws in readers, makes them laugh and cry, believe and feel—if the writer wants the readers’ respect—that writer owes them as much accuracy as possible.

Think about the ideas you have for your narrative story. Respond to the following question with a partner:

  1. What details or aspects of your story will require research in order to tell a more vivid and accurate story for the reader?

Step 2

Read the text "Research Tips for Fiction Writers: Where to Find Information and How to Use It Effectively." Use the following questions to guide your annotations:

  1. According to the author, what are two reasons it is important to conduct research when creating a fictional world?

  2. According to the author, what are at least three tips for obtaining good and accurate information as background research for your story?

After you have independently read and annotated the text, discuss the text with your partner.

For the Section 3 Diagnostic, you will need to submit an annotated bibliography with at least six sources. In your annotations, you will make explicit connections to how you plan to use the information in the source in your narrative story. You can do the following:

  • build upon the sources you researched for the Section 2 Diagnostic

  • build upon the sources your peers researched for the Section 2 Diagnostic

  • start fresh and research new sources

In your Learning Log, jot down some details you will need to research for your narrative, as well as possible sources for that information.

Activity 4: Read – Write

For homework, we will follow the literature circle protocol for chapter 2 from part 2 of 1984.

For homework, read and annotate Chapter 2 from Part 2 of 1984. Use the following questions to guide your annotations:

  1. How is the setting of this chapter different from the other chapters? What mood does it create? How?

  2. How are Julia and Winston alike? How are they different? What techniques does Orwell use to develop each character into a unique personality?

  3. At the end of the chapter, Winston and Julia’s relationship is described as "a political act." What does this mean?

Select one passage from the chapter that you found significant. Draft a brief literary analysis of the passage. Be sure to use textual evidence to support your analysis.

Write two open-ended, thought-provoking questions to drive discussion during the literature circle.

Refer to the Literature Circle Protocol Handout for more information on how to write a brief literary analysis and open-ended, thought-provoking questions.

Write new or interesting words you encounter in your Vocabulary Journal.