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Lesson 4

We will meet in our literature circles to discuss Chapters 3 and 4 from Part 3 of 1984. We will examine how Orwell further develops Winston’s character.

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?

  • Can I analyze and explain the impact of Orwell’s choices regarding how to develop Winston’s character in Part 3, Chapters 3 and 4?

Texts

Core

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

Optional

  • Digital Access
    • “Are We In Control of Our Own Decisions?,” Dan Ariely, TED Talk, 2008
    • “The Science Behind Why People Follow the Crowd,” Rob Henderson, Psychology Today, 2017

Materials

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Discuss – Write

We will meet with our literature circles to discuss chapters 3–4 from part 3 of 1984.

Meet with your literature circle to discuss Chapters 3-4 from Part 3 of 1984. Begin the discussion by responding to the following question:

  1. What do you think about Windston’s observation near the end of Chapter 4: "They would have blown a hole in their own perfection. To die hating them, that was freedom" (p. 281)?

Use your annotations, open-ended questions, and literary analysis to guide the literature discussion circle. Be sure to include evidence from the text in your discussion. Take notes on the interesting ideas of others.

Activity 2: Read – Discuss – Write

We will reread a passage from part 3, Chapter 4, to analyze how Orwell further develops winston’s character.

Reread and annotate the passage that begins with, "Suddenly he started up with a shock of horror" and ends with the paragraph that starts, "One day they would decide to shoot him."

Use the following questions to guide your annotations:

  1. How have Winston’s beliefs changed since he was arrested?

  2. How have his beliefs remained the same? What evidence from the text supports this interpretation?

  3. Is Winston a believable character? Why or why not?

Discuss the answers as a class. Capture key takeaways on your Character Note-Taking Tool.

Activity 3: Read – Discuss – Write

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

Follow your teacher’s directions for rereading and analyzing an excerpt from Part 3 of the novel.

In your Learning Log, jot down a craft or style technique that you would like to try on your Culminating Task.

Activity 4: Read – Discuss – Write

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

Follow your teacher’s directions for rereading and analyzing an excerpt from Part 3 of the novel.

In your Learning Log, jot down a conventions technique that you would like to try on your Culminating Task.

Activity 5: Read – Discuss – Write

We will read and annotate the final chapters of part 3 of 1984 and prepare for the next lesson’s literature circle.

Read and annotate Chapters 5-6 from Part 3 of 1984. Use the following questions to guide your annotations:

  1. How were the events of Chapters 5 and 6 foreshadowed earlier in the novel?

  2. How does Orwell’s choice of ending impact the meaning and mood of the novel? What evidence from the text offers the strongest support for this interpretation?

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 outlines 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 characters’ 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 after the Section Diagnostic.