1984 by George Orwell
Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources

1984
These 1-minute videos from 60second Recap (downloadable from YouTube) introduce students to different aspects of the novel:

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  This video could serve as a pre-reading activity. It introduces students to the idea of accepting information because Big Brother is the source, even though they know the information to be false.
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  An introduction to plot, character Winston Smith, and theme. Good for pre-reading.
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  An introduction to 4 characters.
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  This video explores Big Brother as symbol.
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  This video explores the glass paperweight as a symbol of the desire to connect with an authentic past.
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  The dangers of totalitarianism.
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  "Truth is truth only insofar as we defend it."
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  Designed for post-reading, this video explores Doublethink in the novel.
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  A final word on theme.

Text of the novel in multiple formats: web-based, printable, ePub, and Kindle.

Downloadable audio book, divided by chapter.

Chapter-by-chapter study guides and some vocabulary.

A variety of reading strategies, including an anticipation guide, a biopoem, and a directed reading-thinking activity.

Designed for grades 9 and 10, this site offers a summary, theme openers, crosscurricular activities, research assignments, and suggestions for additional reading.

Students respond to 10 statements before and after reading. Access requires MS-Word or compatible application.

Students explore both historical context and modern society. They also explore themes from the novel. Lesson plans, adaptations, discussion questions, evaluation, extensions, historical and other links, and vocabulary.

20 discussion questions.

This TED-ED video (4:11) explores the pattern of the anti-hero using references to Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 , among others. Captioned, includes follow-up questions and other support.

In this lesson, students compare and contrast the world, people and technologies of 1984 with those of today and create a treatment for a modern film, print or stage adaptation that revolves around current technologies.

Students explore the history and meaning of the Pledge and First Amendment. They consider freedom of speech issues as they apply to fictional characters and their own lives. They write a pledge of their own.

This NPR article was prompted by June 2013 news of government surveillance of phone records and web traffic. It includes links to related stories.

This fictional scenario explores the possibilities when Big Brother watches an ordinary person who just wants to order a pizza.

Overview, bibliography, and learning activities. This extensive guide requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.

Vocabulary from 1984
Words from the novel, each presented in the sentence in which it appears. Click on the word for definition, pronunciation, and examples of current usage.

Nonfiction articles that go with the novel

A good nonfiction/informational piece to pair with the novel. Part one: can the information be confirmed? Part two: do you agree with the conclusions about civil liberties that this writer draws?

News stories, discussion questions, and extension activities.

This article dated December 2013 documents a media purge in North Korea that parallels 1984 .

This article from the January 1, 2011 New York Times explores the impact of computer monitoring.

A good article for how information can be presented to fit an agenda. An analysis of who edited Wikipedia information and how sources can be traced.

This 2012 New York Times article by Charles Duhigg outlines how corporations monitor and influence the purchasing decisions of customers without the customers' knowledge. Don't miss the part where Target knew a 15-year-old was pregnant before her father did.

A thought-provoking article about employers checking an applicant's social media activities prior to hiring.

This video from the New York Times (13:36) explores the 1971 revelation of FBI surveillance abuses.

This 2013 editorial compares the novel and today.

Photo Manipulation

Digitally altered image involving an expensive watch on the arm of the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church.

In 2003 photographer Brian Walski was fired for manipulating photographs he took during the Iraq war. This article includes the originals, the altered version, and commentary.

Examples and explanations of how famous photographs were altered.

Primary source document: photos of Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Lev Kamenev, before and after Trotsky and Kamenev were "purged" during the Russian Revolution.

Primary source document: evidence of a manipulated photograph from the 2011 funeral of North Korean President Kim Jong-Il. Commentary mentions similar activity during the Russian Revolution.

A collection of historical images and an explanation of how they were altered. Don't miss the cover of the Beatles' album, Abbey Road .