Free 10th Grade Animal Farm Lesson Plan (Language Arts)

Topic:Primary themes in Animal Farm

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify and explain the primary themes in George Orwell's novel Animal Farm.

Materials

• Copies of Animal Farm for each student
• Handouts with the primary themes identified
• Optional: A whiteboard and markers for the teacher to use for visual aids

Warm-up

• Have students take out their copies of Animal Farm and turn to the first page. Ask them to spend a few minutes reading the first few lines of the novel. Then, ask them to turn to a partner and discuss what they think the book is about based on the first few lines.

Direct Instruction

• After the warm-up activity, introduce the concept of theme and explain that a theme is a central idea or idea(s) that a book or story explores. Ask students if they can think of any themes from the first few lines of the novel. Record their answers on the chalkboard.
• Next, provide students with a copy of the novel and ask them to begin reading the novel carefully, paying attention to the themes that emerge. Encourage them to annotate their copies of the novel, noting any themes that they find.

Guided Practice

• After a week or so, bring students back together and ask them to share their annotations with the class. Ask any questions you may have about their annotations and make sure that the class is on the same page with regard to the themes they have identified.
• Next, introduce the concept of direct instruction and explain that in this activity, you will be guiding your students through a more in-depth examination of a particular theme in the novel. Ask students to choose one theme that they would like to focus on and provide them with a handout with questions for reflection and analysis. Instruct them to answer the questions in small groups and then come back to the class to share their answers with the rest of the group.

Independent Practice

• For the independent practice portion of the lesson, ask students to choose a passage from the novel that they find particularly meaningful or interesting. Ask them to create an visual representation of the passage and the theme(s) it represents. This could be a drawing, a collage, or any other medium that they are comfortable with.

Closure

• Review the main themes of the novel and ask students to share their visual representations with the class.
• Ask students to reflect on what they have learned about the themes of Animal Farm and how they relate to contemporary society.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice and presentation exercises to assess their understanding of the themes in the novel.
• Collect and review the visual representations created by students as a form of assessment.