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"All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others."
ANIMAL FARM Research Project
Dear Class,
You are about to begin reading an allegorical book, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. An allegory is a story that uses fictional characters and situations to illustrate a factual situation or particular idea. Animal Farm represents the Russian Revolution as well as key Russian figures. The author, George Orwell, wrote the book after World War II at the height of Josef Stalin’s reign in Russia.
In order to truly understand the author’s message and the themes of an allegorical story like Animal Farm, it is important to understand the historical background before reading it. Therefore, you are about to embark on a collaborative research project delving into Russian history before and during the Communist era. At the end of this project you should have a good understanding of the key figures in the Russian Revolution. You should also have a firm grasp on what Communism is, what it was intended to be, and what it became under Stalin. Finally, when you read Animal Farm, you will be able to make connections between the characters in the book and the actual historical figures. Good luck!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Gregory
The Task
Welcome, Comrades! You will be working on an underground magazine dedicated to forwarding the ideas of Communism and promoting the leaders of the glorious Revolution. You will be working in small groups to create an issue of your magazine that explains Communism and informs its readers about the leaders of the Russian Revolution.
Each person in the group will be responsible for one article of the magazine. The articles will first be written as traditional research essays (complete with in-text citations and bibliographies) and then formatted and transformed into magazine articles (with columns, pictures, captions, etc.) for the final group project. Articles will be written as if you are a Russian revolutionary.
The Process
To accomplish the task, you will need to do the following:
1. In your group, choose who will do what section of the magazine:
· Lenin
· Stalin
· Trotsky
· Karl Marx
· Communism
· Bolsheviks and the Russian Revolution
2. Once you've picked your section, you will need to begin researching your topic. Use the websites following these instructions to help you on your search.
3. After the research and note-taking process, (Please make sure you have documented your sources), you will need to begin writing your article.
a. You will write your expository essay using the facts you discover during our research days in the computer lab and library. Your article should be a minimum of 2 pages (maximum 4) and include in-text citations of at least 4 different sources. It will also include a bibliography (properly formatted) with 4 separate sources.
4. After writing your article/essay and gathering your photographs, you will get together in your groups and combine your work to create a complete issue of your underground magazine! In order to you’re your group stay organized, divide up the work into the following jobs:
a. Copy Editor (this person edits for grammar and mechanics)
b. Assistant Copy Editor (this person also edits for grammar and mechanics)
c. Photo Editor (this person organizes and lays out the photos the group members have chosen)
d. Cover Designer (this person will be responsible for the cover art and name of the magazine)
e. Layout Designer (this person will decide how the articles will be laid out and in what order the articles will appear).
5. Each group member will finalize his or her article into columns (2 or 3) with photos (optional) and the group will print out and create their magazine. The magazine should be bound with a paperclip (please don’t staple!)
Evaluation
You will receive several grades for this project.
· The majority of your grade will come from your individual expository essay. ASSESSMENT: You can access the rubric in the file cabinet under "AF Research Essay Rubric".
· The next grade will be a group grade for your group’s magazine (this will be based on completion, format/order, and presentation). APPLICATION: You can access the rubric in the file cabinet under "Magazine Rubric".
· Daily participation grades will be given for staying on task during the research periods in the library/lab and for working positively in your small groups. PRACTICE
· Finally, there will be a grade given based on a confidential group evaluation (group members will evaluate one another based on cooperation, respectful participation, and responsibly sharing the workload). This ensures that no one person does the work for everyone in the group and shares the credit for the assignment. Application: You can access the group evaluation in the file cabinet under "AF Group Evaluation".
Conclusion
After completing this project, you should have a better understanding of the history of the Russian Revolution as well as the people behind it. You should also have firm grasp of what communism is and what it was intended to be. Knowing this information will allow you to read George Orwell’s Animal Farm as an allegory instead of just a story with talking pigs.
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