This WebQuest has been designed to help us try to
answer our unit's
essential question(s):
The purpose of this activity is to help you understand multiple ways of
interpreting, analyzing, and thinking about George Orwell's novel,
Animal Farm. Due to our small class size four days of the week, we
will be able to focus on the WebQuest using groups of approximately 3-4
students.
What is power? Who
has it? Who doesn't?
Requirements: Your group of 3-4 students will be assigned one
of the 5 roles below, and must research its position by using internet
resources. After finding information and organizing it, each group will
present their discoveries to the class. Finally, each individual in a
group will prepare an essay that explains who you represented, the facts
that you learned through this activity, and how you plan to apply this new
knowledge towards your understanding of the novel.
You will be graded for:
Several sites are listed at the bottom of this page that can help you in
your research.
1. Your participation in group work (taking notes, compiling
information, etc.) [10 points]
2. Your group's presentation as a whole [15 points], and
3. Your individual essay (minimum length: one side of a page)
[25 points].
Group 1: The Pigs
You are very interested in military tactics, as you feel that they can
help you with controlling others (humans or animals) at Animal
Farm. Devise a plan for dealing
with Mr. Jones and other humans (or any beasts that have turned against
you), in case they try to reclaim the farm again. The ideas of Julius
Caesar have been especially useful to
you in the past; you may want to start there. You also might be curious
about the person Napoleon is named after....
Group 2: Benjamin
You may be a donkey, but you've lived a long time--long enough to be
skeptical about what is happening at Animal Farm. You also believe that
there is nothing worth reading these days. You remember reading about the
Russian Revolution of 1917 some years back, however, and that was
somewhat interesting. Try to gather the
information again so you can let the other animals know about it. At
least it might be worth telling to your old friend, Boxer.
Group 3: Mr. Jones
You feel scared, as simple farm animals have taken over Manor Farm, which
used to belong to you and you alone. How could they have done this? As
you're at your favorite pub, the Red Lion, you overhear other farmers
talking about you and your animals. They're saying something about how
they seem to be acting very much like people.... Take notes on how
your animals could be like actual humans in history so that you can tell
your wife about what was said.
Group 4: Muriel and Clover
Although the two of you are a little older, it may also make you a little
wiser. Since Muriel is skilled at reading, perhaps she can check on what
the Seven Commandments are again. Because a lot of the other animals may
have trouble understanding what each commandment means, perhaps Clover can
explain them better, as she has a good relationship with many of the
animals. You might also want to look at other sets of rules, perhaps
ones set up by other governments. How can those rules be changed?
Should the Seven Commandments allow for change? Be sure to let the other
animals know if you notice anything suspicious.
Group 5: Mollie and Moses
Sugarcandy Mountain is important to both of you: Moses appreciates
it because it is the perfect place where all animals go after they die;
and Mollie, because, well, it has the word "sugar" in it. If Sugarcandy
Mountain is a perfect place, research something else that is a perfect
place. Who came up with the idea? Do people believe a perfect society
can exist? Be sure to support your answer with facts so that the other
animals won't ignore you when you try to persuade them to believe that
your opinions are correct.
Resources
Charles'
George Orwell Links
Resources
for Animal Farm
NovelGuide's analysis of
Animal Farm
English
Windmills
Ancient
Roman Military Tactics
Information
on Julius Caesar
Information
on Napoleon Bonaparte
Information
on the Russian Civil War, or Revolution, of 1917
The Russian
Revolution
ConstitutionFacts.com
The Constitutional
Amendment Process
Image of the Bill of
Rights
The
Bill of Rights and the amending of the Constitution of the
United States of America
Utopia,
by Sir Thomas More
Thomas Malthus
and Population Control
World Book Online entry
for "Utopia"
Yahoo!
links about Utopian philosophy
Several of the above links are to webpage search result categories from BigChalk.com, an excellent
education website that will allow you to search for further
information at many different grade levels.
You may also try Yahoo!
Education for further online research.
The animal images used as a background for this website were
obtained from Corbis, Oklahoma State
University's Livestock
Breeds Pages and the UK's Donkey
Breed Society.
This page created by Ms. L. M. Gardner on January 30-31, 2002.
