lesson 1

Edward Hopper's Office at Night

by Victoria Chang

• This lesson would work well toward the beginning of your 1984 unit.
  

• Start class by reading "Edward Hopper's Office at Night" by Victoria Chang. As you are reading aloud, ask your students to simply pay attention to the mood of the piece.
  
• When you are done, briefly discuss their thoughts toward the poem. What was the general mood and tone of the poem? Did the tone shift? Where? And why?
• Though the poem is not linked directly with the text in 1984, ask your students if they can draw any parallels between the poem and the novel. Try to lead them into a discussion about the mundane existence for Oceania and its citizens.
• Have your students open the following document and go over the instructions with them. In this assignment, your students are going to draw direct parallels between Victoria Chang's poem and elements of 1984 and discuss how the literary elements and techniques contribute to those connections.
• Once you have gone over the directions, give your students time to work on the assignment.
• When your students are done, have them share their responses with one another.
  

• Start by reading "Passive Voice" by Laura Da'. As you are reading, ask your students to pay particular attention to the poet's message about the effect of language and its use.
• When you're done reading, briefly discuss the poem. What message is the author trying to convey? How does she go about doing so?
• Briefly discuss the role of language and how it shapes our perception and/or understanding of events. Can they think of other examples of language being manipulated to shape certain narratives?
• Show your students the following video about 1984 and how the novel depicts the effects of language and its use.
• Have your students open the following document and go over the instructions with them. In this assignment, your students are going to translate a contemporary article - using the principles of "Newspeak" - and create it into a piece that limits/hinders individual thought. Then give your students time to work.
• When your students are finished, ask a few of them to share their "revised" articles with the rest of the class. Then ask them to briefly discuss how their revised version is effective in removing opinion or thought.
• Before class is over, ask your students to read the following article or watch the following video, both of which touch upon the concept of language, understanding, and power.
  

lesson 2

Passive Voice

by Laura Da'

• Ask your students about AI and its growth the past several years. Are we on our way to a 1984 dystopia?
• Start by asking the students who believe that we are headed down that path. Field a few answers.
• Then ask your students who do not believe we are headed down that path. Ask them why they believe that. What limitations does AI have?
• Before moving onto the lesson, share the following song with your students, "1984" by David Bowie. As the song is playing, ask your students to think of the novel and how the song reflects or reiterates certain concepts and themes. Then briefly discuss.
• Have your students open the following document and go over the instructions with them. In this assignment assignment, your students are going to look at an AI generated analysis of the song "1984" by David Bowie and its parallels to the novel. Then your students are going to "revise" the AI generated analysis by providing more specifics and developing the existing argument. When you've gone through the directions, give your students time to work.
• Once your students are done, have a few of them share their responses with the rest of the class.
• Before class is over, return to your conversation about AI. From what they saw (in the AI analysis), what did it do well? What were its limitations? Briefly discuss.
  

lesson 3

1984

by David Bowie