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Lesson 2

We will read Chapter 1 from Part 3 of 1984 and examine Orwell’s use of imagery, foreshadowing, irony, and suspense.

Lesson Goals

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

  • Can I analyze and explain the impact of Orwell’s use of imagery to develop a vivid depiction of the setting and convey the intended mood of Chapter 1 from Part 3 of 1984?

  • Can I analyze and explain the impact of Orwell’s choices regarding how to develop suspense in Chapter 1 from Part 3 of 1984?

  • Can I analyze and explain Orwell’s use of verbal and situational irony in Chapter 1 from Part 3 of 1984?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • 1984, George Orwell, Signet Classics, 1949

Materials

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Write

We will read and annotate chapter 1 from part 3 of 1984.

Read and annotate Chapter 1 from Part 3 of 1984. Use the following questions to guide your annotations:

  1. How does Orwell create a vivid depiction of the setting at the Ministry of Love? What mood does he create?

  2. What techniques does the Party use to control and manipulate those detained at the Ministry of Love?

  3. What does Winston understand about the meaning of the phrase "the place where there is no darkness"?

  4. What is ironic about Mr. Parsons’s crime? What does his reaction reveal about the power of the Party?

  5. How does Orwell create suspense with the reference to Room 101? What evidence from the text supports your claim?

  6. What, if anything, surprised you in this chapter? What did not? What connections to earlier foreshadowing did you see in this chapter?

Activity 2: Read – Discuss – Write

We will use our annotations to engage in a class discussion on chapter 1 from part 3 of 1984.

Write one open-ended question you would like to discuss from Chapter 1 from Part 3 of 1984. Begin your discussion with these questions:

  1. How effective is Orwell in creating suspense with the reference to Room 101?

  2. What, if anything, surprised you in this chapter? What did not? What connections to earlier foreshadowing did you see in this chapter? How do you know? Cite evidence from the text to demonstrate the connection.

Continue the discussion with your open-ended questions, and use the discussion to make revisions to your notes.

Activity 3: Read – Discuss – Write

We will reread a selected excerpt from part 3, chapter 1, to analyze Orwell’s craft and style.

Follow your teacher’s directions for rereading and analyzing an excerpt from Part 3, Chapter 1.

Activity 4: Read – Discuss – Write

We will reread a selected excerpt from part 3, chapter 1, to analyze Orwell’s use of conventions.

Follow your teacher’s directions for rereading and analyzing an excerpt from Part 3, Chapter 1.

Activity 5: Read – Discuss – Write

We will read and annotate chapter 2 from part 3 of 1984 and prepare for the next lesson’s literature circle.

Read and annotate Chapter 2 from Part 3 of 1984. Use the following question to guide your annotations:

  1. What tactics does the Party use to weaken Winston physically, psychologically, and emotionally?

Select one passage from the chapter that you found significant, and 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.

Activity 6: Write

We will work on our outline for our narrative stories.

In Section 3, you conducted research to write a narrative that sends a powerful message to society, and you used that research to write a vignette that captured a single moment or a defining detail about an element of your story. You will now consider your research, reread your vignette, and determine how to build onto your vignette in order to design an outline for your narrative story.

Setting:

  1. When and where will your story take place?

  2. Will it span a long time or will it focus on a specific moment?

  3. What imagery will you use to describe it?

  4. What mood will you create?

Character Development:

  1. Who will be your main character?

  2. How will you develop them?

    1. description of the character’s external appearance or actions

    2. description of the character’s internal thoughts, feelings, or motivations

    3. interactions or dialogue with other characters

    4. the character’s expressed thoughts, self-description, comments, or views

    5. other character’s views or descriptions

Point of View:

  1. What point of view will you use?

  2. What tone do you want to create?

Pacing:

  1. Will your story be suspenseful? How will you make it so?

  2. Will you use foreshadowing? Mystery? Tension? Surprise? Flashbacks?

Irony:

  1. Will you use situational irony? Verbal irony? Dramatic irony? For what effect?

Theme:

  1. How will you show your reader your intended message rather than tell it?

Use this time to begin planning your narrative story. You will submit your plan outline with your writing portfolio in Section 5.